How to choose and stick stickers on the bike?

Despite the fact that modern models of bicycles are made of durable materials with enamel coating, today there are frequent cases of scratches, roughness and chips on bicycle parts. Professional athletes suggest using special stickers that will not only allow you to keep the bike presentable for a long time, but also make it more original. In this article you will learn how to correctly choose and paste stickers on a bicycle.

If before bicycle stickers could fulfill only a decorative function, today their scope has expanded significantly. Below you can find out the advantages of using stickers, according to cyclists and Internet users.

Professional cyclists, as well as lovers of long and hard cycling, often face a deterioration in the appearance of their vehicle. Areas of destruction, as a rule, become the most important elements of the bicycle, which are always in sight: frame components, steering wheel, seat or feathers. It can be minor scratches on the bicycle case, as well as serious roughness and bare spots without paint, which formed after prolonged use or careless handling.

Here, the stickers perform a purely masking function - they can simply cover up the problem areas of your two-wheeled friend. And before you is no longer a battered old bike, but originally decorated vehicle.

Fortunately, bicycle components are handled in the same way as modern cars.

When buying a particular bike model, experienced owners will immediately understand in which particular places the most likely to appear scratches, scuffs or roughness. Here, the stickers perform a preventative function and at the very first stages prevent the formation of these scratches on the factory enamel of the bicycle.

Most often, for such purposes, stickers are glued in places where bicycle elements come into contact. These may be the following details:

• brake cables, over time, severely scratching the frame;
• lower frame pipe, which is spoiled by a chain and road stones;
• feathers that are severely damaged when in contact with the chain when shifting gears.

Some of the types of modern stickers are equipped with special reflective stripes that allow you to move as safely as possible at night. Unfortunately, such types of protective stickers are very rare and, as a rule, are used not for safety reasons, but for the sake of giving the bike a cool and special appearance. Despite this, such stickers have not harmed anyone yet - experienced cyclists are advised to glue them at least for the purpose of prevention.

Despite other potential possibilities, the main function of stickers is still bicycle decoration. Today, a whole art industry is dedicated to the theme of decorative bicycle stickers. Bicycle accessories companies hire professional designers to create branded and original stickers.

Today, several types of bicycle stickers can be distinguished, depending on several factors.

Modern bicycle enthusiasts use all parts of bicycles to place their favorite stickers. Most often they are placed on the rim or disc of the bicycle, on the side of the wheel, handlebar, bicycle frame and even feathers.

If we consider the types of stickers relative to the most common shades, then there are either black and white stickers or color. Plus black and white stickers in their versatility - they can equally well mask scratches on a bicycle and at the same time decorate it.

As already mentioned, today there is a whole art industry for the production of a wide variety of bicycle stickers, and therefore in forms and sizes they are in no way limited. Despite this, most often found on bicycles it is miniature stickers up to 5 cm in length, as well as black and white font stickers no more than 10 cm in length.

Regarding this item, there are such options:

• branded that is, made specifically for sale;
• amateur (handmade) or name labels.

The last variety, as a rule, is used by professional athletes in high-speed competitions. Nominal options are used exclusively to indicate the belonging of a bike to a particular athlete.

Stickers of this type include protective versions of stickers, which have already been discussed above.Usually these are reflective tapes or strips that are mounted on the wheels or rim of a bicycle for movement in the dark. In order for such stickers to perform their function well, their colors should be chosen correctly. If protective stickers are placed on the back, they should be scarlet or red.

If the sticker is placed on the front wheel, then It is worth choosing light and white shades of reflectors that will simulate the headlights of the headlights.

Almost all types of stickers, including decorative and reflective ones, can be made of several materials. On sale, most often you can find stickers namely from vinyl (or polyvinyl chloride). They are known for their strength and high resistance to adverse weather conditions. Another sticker material acrylic mirror film.

If you still decide to buy a bicycle sticker, you should also competently approach its choice. Here are the factors to consider when buying such accessories.

• goal. Decide why you need a sticker. If you just want to decorate your bike and make it unlike the others, refer to the bright and extraordinary options for stickers. If you need a sticker to mask a scratch, and you don’t want to highlight your bike, you should dwell on monosyllabic inscription stickers.
• Quality. There is a big difference in where you got the sticker. A special vinyl sticker will decorate your bike for longer than branded stickers and for sure longer than handmade stickers.
• Color. Do not forget about the harmony of the appearance of your bike and the message, the color of the sticker you have chosen. Agree, it will be at least strange to stick stickers on the road professional bicycle in the form of colored animals and comic notes.

In any case, remember that this is your vehicle, and you can decorate it as you see fit. Old stickers can always be removed or masked with new ones.

If you want to visually see how one or another sticker will look live, just contact the nearest bicycle accessories salon - there you will find more than one catalog of colorful and original stickers.

If you bought a sticker in a company store, you should not have any problems sticking it. Just choose a suitable place on the bicycle frame, handlebar or wheel, release the sticker from the protective film and stick it on the chosen place. So that the sticker sticks well, it should be carefully smoothed out and tracked so that air bubbles do not form below the surface.

There is also a simple way to make your own bike sticker. To do this, you will need a printer, a sheet of A4 format, as well as adhesive tape.

• First, find your favorite picture on the Internet. Black stickers are best for this.
• Print the picture, then cut it from the sheet.
• Gently attach the image to the prepared piece of tape.
• Place this piece of tape under a stream of hot water and begin to carefully remove the paper layer. With water, the paper should peel off quickly and will peel off easily.
• As soon as you remove all the white lumps of paper, you will see a transparent piece of adhesive tape with the sticker of your choice.
• Just stick the sticker on the right place, remove all the bubbles from the tape and wipe dry with a cloth. Homemade sticker. Keep in mind that such a sticker will probably not last long.

See how to make stickers with your own hands in the next video.