Do you want to paint your bike and don't know how? No problem! In this instructable, I'll show you in details how to spray paint a BMX bike. Depending on how much you know about fixing bikes, it could take you anywhere from 1 to 3 hours from start to finish (excluding paint drying time). Materials needed:

~ bike to paint

~ spray paint

~ *optional* clear paint (for durability and shine)

~ painter's tape

~ sandpaper

Tools:

Depending on your bike, you may need some number of these:

~ allen keys

~ adjustable wrench

~ pliers

~ screwdrivers

~ bike pump

And ...

~ lots of patience!

Step 1: Disassembling the Bike

First, take off parts you don't want to paint. Here is how:

1. Take off the pegs, seat, and the clamp on the seat post (pics. 1-3).

2. Squeeze the brakes and take out the brake cord (pic. 4).

3. Unscrew the ''cups'' into which secure the cable casing (pic. 5).

4. Now unscrew the nut that holds the front caliper brake, deflate the tire, and eject the brake (pics. 6,7).

5. Unscrew the hex nuts and eject the back brake (pic. 8).

6. Align all nuts that screw into the break lever and remove the cord (pics. 9,10).

7. Finally, remove the wheels (pics. 11-12). Notice the washer with the hook.

8. If you want to remove the handle bars, unscrew the long (15cm!) bolt on the very top (pic. 13) and the wide nut (pic. 14) just below it. However, when you will screw the bars back on, you should push up the small triangle in the tube with a screwdriver, so the bolt can reach it from the top.

Now your ready to move on to the next step!

Step 2: Put All the Parts in One Place

Put all the parts you've taken off the bicycle in one place, such as on top of a newspaper or, even better, on a workbench. This will make it easier to find when assembling the bicycle the parts and wouldn't let you step or tip over on them.

Step 3: Clean Your Bike Everywhere

Remove the stickers, and roughen up the surface with sandpaper on the parts you want to paint. Then wash you bike. This is very important to achieve good paint adhesion to the bike frame and also it gives a smoother paint finish. I cleaned the bike with an all-purpose brush and cleaned every nook and cranny with an old toothbrush. Due to lack of time, I skipped the sanding part and didn't remove the stickers, but the result was still pretty good.

Step 4: Coat Any Remaining Parts You Don't Want to Paint With Tape and Newspapers

When the bike is dry, wrap any remaining parts (such as the front sprocket, if you don't want to paint it) with painter's tape. (I wouldn't advice using duct tape - it's too strong and may remove some paint when you unstick it later). Also, spread newspapers beneath the bicycle and all around it, to protect the concrete or decking. If you don't want to paint a large part, wrap it with newspapers, and secure with tape. I didn't bother and just coated the bars with newspapers later on.

Step 5: Start Painting!

Here comes the most fun part-painting! Follow the instructions on the bottle-it should explain everything.

Tips:

- It's better to do 3-4 thin coats than 1 thick one;

- Paint on a sunny day so the paint dries quicker;

- Paint in a wind-proof place so no dust adheres to the wet paint;

- Tape one of the cranks to the frame while painting the front part- they spin very annoyingly and get in your way.

Step 6: Reassemble the Bike

After the paint is completely dry, remove the tape and assemble the bicycle. Put on the wheels, seat & seat post clamp, and install the brakes. Simply speaking, do the opposite what you did when disassembling the bike.

Step 7: Finished!

Congratulations! You've now painted your bike! Enjoy it! This my first instuctable, and if you have any questions or notice something wrong, feel free to leave a comment! If you liked this instructable, please vote for me!