If you love the rich butterscotch look of shellacked cork grips, but are worried about the DIY factor, fear no more. We gave it a shot, and it really is quite easy. Here we go:
Rodney the vintage Roadster came with these original Raleigh black grips. Although they look nice and we like to keep original parts, neither of us can stand the feel of plastic grips. So we decided to experiment with cork. Rivendell makes it seem so simple and fun!
Well, here is a "naked" cork grip. So far so good! The Co-Habitant secured the grips with strong double-sided tape, but most recommend to glue the grips. He rode the bike with the unshellacked grips for a while to see what this felt like. The unfinished grips feel good, but they get dirty very easily and are not protected from the elements. We wouldn't want ratty, filthy grips. Plus the colour needs some spicing up.
Here comes the shellac. Amber. This is from the hardware store, nothing fancy. Generic 1" paintbrush.
Here the first coat of shellac is being applied. This stuff is fast drying, so the work should be done fairly quickly.
Second coat of shellac. As you apply 2-3 thin coats, you will see the colour gradually grow darker, richer, and warmer. Uneven patches on the surface get smoothed out. Three thin coats should be enough, and you can always touch it up if you notice some unevenness later.We decided not to add twine or tape to these grips, but to keep things clean and minimalist on the vintage black Roadster. The first photo in this post is the final result!
You may have noticed that on some bicycles, the edges of the lugs are attractively outlined in gold or in a contrasting colour. This treatment is called "pinstriping" and is done by hand after the bicycle's frame is painted. I like the look very much and decided to try it on my Raleigh Lady's Sport, in preparation for a more serious project. I was nervous, but it turned out to be easier than I expected. If you want to give it a try yourself, here is how:
To go the truly professional route, you will need enamel paint and a pinstriping brush in the smallest size available. Having said that, I do not think these tools are necessary unless you are an experienced professional and are pinstriping a $3,000 frame with super-intricate lugwork. The enamel method can be difficult and messy, plus enamel paint contains led. Instead, I recommend a paint pen. Even professionals use these for simple projects. Several manufacturers make quality paint pens that are suitable for pinstriping bicycle frames, including 
The paint pen needs to be started by pressing down on the nib and pumping it several times - something best done on a piece of paper. When the paint flows through the pen slowly and evenly, you can begin.
Before starting the process, it is a good idea to clean the edges around the lugs and wipe them dry. Otherwise, your paint pen may get clogged with dust and grime. Once the area is prepared, simply begin to trace around the lugs with the paint pen, at a slow and even pace.
If the pen skips over a spot, go back and carefully re-trace that spot. If your hand shakes and you make an uneven line, or if the paint smears, wipe it off quickly with your fingertip or fingernail before it dries.
Once the paint dries, the marks you have made will be water resistant. If you notice a mistake after that happens, you can still get rid of it by carefully scraping the paint marks off with an exacto knife or a razor blade.
One issue you might encounter with rougher lugwork, is jagged edges. The lugs on my Raleigh Lady's Sports are quite crudely finished, and as you can see above, it can be difficult to make smooth outlines when the edge itself is crooked. But don't worry about that too much; these little details aren't noticeable unless you really examine the lugs up close. And I can assure you that the pinstriping on standard production vintage bikes is just as messy: Whoever outlined the lugs on my Motobecane at the factory did a sloppier job than my DIY.
So really, don't be afraid to go for it. If you have an old bicycle you'd like to spruce up, pick up a paint pen and give it some nice lug accents.
November 18, ..
November 18, ..
November 19, ..
That's how it seems to go when you are a parent. Your whole world can be turned into pros and cons columns. It's never super clear what we should do. There is rarely a right or wrong choice, just better and worse choices. And you rarely know which one it is, until after the fact. It's a maddening thing to a control freak like me.
Then it faded to that lovely soft and warm light that gives everything a nice glow. Just beautiful!
It happens so gradually, you almost miss it if you aren't paying attention. It's like nature's way of letting us slowly unwind at the day's end. Nothing abrupt or jarring about this process. Just nice and easy.
It's almost as if it is saying, almost done here for the day folks. We'll be here all night. But you might wanna go ahead and head on home now. 
G'night. Take care. We'll see you tomorrow.
We also visited the museum and watched a few movies. We had a great day here!