Bienvenue Libéria randonneuse (reprise)

Here 's my 1959 Libéria randonneur after having repainted the frame. A few posts back I mentioned the reason for the makeover.

But every downside has an upside: now I had the opportunity to put bar end shifters on, and retro Velo Orange cable covers. They fit just fine!

I was lucky to do my second maiden trip on a dry day. It doesn 't sound spectacular, but the moment I mounted the bike, it just did what it had to do: it just drove without any malfunction. Just as it did before the makeover.

I went to see a friend of mine, who is a brocanteur and also a bike collector. He recently bought a Rochet randonneur that I will be restauring the next few weeks.  

Of course, the Libéria is nothing compared to a beautiful woman!

On the steps of the Antwerp Court of Justice. Or, as we call it, "de frietzak" (the pack of french fries).

Velo Orange cable kit. Lovely!

Campagnola bar end shifters.

Attack of the Rust Devil!

I was really pleased with the way I treated the frame of my newly built Libéria randonneur, and I still am. I applied Gun blue on the bare metal, a product that provides a deep blue shine.

Depending on the amount of light, the framework looks bluish, sometimes greyisch or anthracite. Nothing like an ordinary lacquer.

Even a car lacquer specialist wouldn 't believe it wasn 't a metallic paint, until he shone a bright torch on it, and saw no metal particles in the varnish. That 's really the special effect of Gun blue treatment...

So far for the good news. Just after applying the Gun blue I noticed how quickly the metal surface would start to rust. But I was confident that with proper treatment the rust devil would be "exorcised".

Unfortunately it wasn 't.

As you can see in the pictures, rust particles show up from under the coat of varnish.

To prevent further damage to the frame, I have decided to remove the gun blue, and paint the frame anthracite, the color that comes closest to the current color.

I plan to dismantle the bike without delay. While it is still winter, I won 't use the Libéria anyway, and I can spend some time redoing it.

By springtime I hope to have it up and riding again...

This will be the new color: anthracite grey, but with a touch of blue in it. Of  course it doesn 't show in the picture.

I again spent some five hours sanding the frame and removing the gun blue.