One for the more gear-proud / obsessive to share anything to do with sourcing appropriate paint as this can be a bit of a pig.
Many manufacturers make paint codes available for current / recent models; either in the documentation with the bike itself, on its box on on summary documents on their websites.
For example Genesis make available a list of their codes in the FAQ section of their site; although unfortunately it doesn't look like it's been updated since 2021
Similarly Ragley also publish a list of recent ones on their site - probably worth downloading it while you can if you have one of their bikes, since the company is no more and the site will likely die eventually.
Paint codes refer to a specification defined by those within the industry - sometimes non-profit standards organisations like RAL, or companies such as Pantone. There are many different purveyors of standards, while each might offer a number of different specifications - RAL for example offing "Classic", "Effect" and "Design+".
I've had good luck with Condor Cycles who supply acetone-based touch up pots in quite a few colours off-the-shelf (including those for Bromptons) as well as mixing me a couple to RAL effect specification (which I'd had trouble sourcing elsewhere).
While probably not perfect they're pretty good, and given production variations plus the inevitable changes in applied paint that's subject to environmental factors it's probably unrealistic to expect a perfect match; however "close" is better than a gaping rusty hole
While Condor were very good at supplying the RAL stuff they couldn't help with a couple of others I was after - one a TC-prefix code (apparently a Pantone standard), the other with a YS prefix (apparently an "Asian" standard).
I've just found GPaint which looks like it might be a good bet as they're coming at it from a bicycle-centric angle and some of the prefixes are familiar; if their wares are a bit spendy.
Anyway, I hope that this thread might work as a resource to help us qualify, understand and source paint for our rides
Many manufacturers make paint codes available for current / recent models; either in the documentation with the bike itself, on its box on on summary documents on their websites.
For example Genesis make available a list of their codes in the FAQ section of their site; although unfortunately it doesn't look like it's been updated since 2021
Similarly Ragley also publish a list of recent ones on their site - probably worth downloading it while you can if you have one of their bikes, since the company is no more and the site will likely die eventually.
Paint codes refer to a specification defined by those within the industry - sometimes non-profit standards organisations like RAL, or companies such as Pantone. There are many different purveyors of standards, while each might offer a number of different specifications - RAL for example offing "Classic", "Effect" and "Design+".
I've had good luck with Condor Cycles who supply acetone-based touch up pots in quite a few colours off-the-shelf (including those for Bromptons) as well as mixing me a couple to RAL effect specification (which I'd had trouble sourcing elsewhere).
While probably not perfect they're pretty good, and given production variations plus the inevitable changes in applied paint that's subject to environmental factors it's probably unrealistic to expect a perfect match; however "close" is better than a gaping rusty hole
While Condor were very good at supplying the RAL stuff they couldn't help with a couple of others I was after - one a TC-prefix code (apparently a Pantone standard), the other with a YS prefix (apparently an "Asian" standard).
I've just found GPaint which looks like it might be a good bet as they're coming at it from a bicycle-centric angle and some of the prefixes are familiar; if their wares are a bit spendy.
Anyway, I hope that this thread might work as a resource to help us qualify, understand and source paint for our rides
