How To Remove Bike Stickers

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Information technology can be fun to personalize your wheel with stickers in much the same style that people put bumper stickers on their cars. But once you don't similar the look of them anymore, they become zippo but a nuisance.

Whether you put them on yourself or y'all're dealing with someone else's stickers on a used bike, yous want to remove them as hands as possible without dissentious the frame itself.

Let's look at how to remove stickers from a bike frame, besides as how to remove sticker glue from bicycle frames.

Sticker on a bike frame that says Cookie — Sometimes an old sticker is the but flaw on a great used bike find. (© Cookie | Creative Commons)

The best way to get stickers off wheel frames

I've used all these methods to remove stickers from a bike frame. I'll list them in lodge of preference, simply each volition work in a different situation so just move down the list if you're having trouble.

i. Scrape

Use a credit card or similar object to scrape the sticker off the bicycle frame. The nice thing about using plastic is that information technology is much less likely to scratch your bike'southward frame. If you apply this method, you'll likely need to remove the sticky residue left behind (run across beneath).

ii. Rut

You can use a steamer or a hair dryer to heat the sticker, and then it should skin away adequately easily. This is because you've melted the adhesive that'south property it onto the wheel. You may need to heat and peel in sections, considering the glue will dry again relatively rapidly.

iii. Nail polish remover

Apply boom polish remover and then scrape with a razor bract, or even try using simply your fingernails. If you're concerned about scratching your bike, you can besides attempt rubbing vigorously with cotton assurance instead. Or, effort soaking a rag in the smash smooth remover and and so using that to soak the sticker as best you can.

You may end up needing to employ a combination of the above methods, heating before trying to scrape or even heating before or after applying nail smoothen remover. Either way, you might be left with some of the agglutinative or glue stuck to the bike frame. Keep reading.

Sticker on a bike frame that says If This Sticker is Blue You're Driving Too Fast — © Tim Pierce | Creative Eatables)

How to get sticker glue off a bike frame

Now that the sticker itself is gone, yous are probably yet left with at to the lowest degree a little scrap of icky, sticky residual. Let's look at how to remove sticker gum from bike frames.

The best method is to useGoo Gone or a similar product. These are designed specifically to remove glue from all kinds of objects, including aluminum or titanium. A common household degreaser such as WD-twoscore can work likewise.

Lighter fluid will also do the play tricks. However, lighter fluid is more dangerous to exhale and to use, so nosotros recommend using it simply if you're desperate and if nothing else is available.

Red bike with a sticker on the top tube — © Paul Joseph | Creative Commons

What if the sticker is varnished or lacquered?

Many manufacturers will utilize varnish or lacquer to cover their logos or decals on their bikes. They do this intentionally so that the stickers will non peel or fade over fourth dimension. It also makes them incredibly difficult to remove.

Manufacturer's sticker on the top tube of a bike — Decals applied to the frame by the manufacturer are likely lacquered and much harder to remove. (© Glory Cycles | Artistic Commons)

If you or someone else applied a clear varnish over a sticker on a wheel, y'all don't stand up much chance of getting rid of it, unfortunately. Yous can try the nail polish remover simply even with that, yous're going to have a hard fourth dimension.

The nuclear option

If your sticker or stickers are varnished onto the bicycle frame, you always take the option of painting the unabridged bike frame instead.

Nosotros're not saying that this will be easier. Quite the opposite—painting something with as many niggling corners and crevices as a bicycle is difficult. Merely the work might be worth it if you end up loving the expect of your bike more in the end.