Making your bike better than new

Most people with bicycles, this writer included, don’t treat them as well as they might, writes Brian Byrne. Beyond a quick wipe down now and again and maybe a degrease and re-lube of the chain gear, the machines live in sheds when not in use, not especially thought about.

But then there are those who do think more of their bicycles than maybe they do of their cars. Kilcullen-based Sean Clissmann figures he has the beginnings of a business based on them. But his BeSpoke Bike Care is just as useful for the families who might go cycling along the byways and greenways at the weekends.

What Sean does is deep clean his clients’ bikes to a level way beyond the usual, and then apply a ceramic protective coating to the frame, forks, hubs, seat-post and stem.

“It’s what is known in the car and motorcycle trades as ‘detailing’,” he says. “The end process provides a finish that is better protected from stone chips and fading from the sunlight, and also makes it much easier to keep the bike clean afterwards.”

Sean and his wife Pauline live in Hillcrest in Kilcullen, and have been in the town for some 16 years. He has always been a keen motorcyclist, and in recent years also returned to an earlier love of ordinary bicycles. When his job of 12 years ended, and the coronavirus situation then came along, he found he had more time on his hands than he ever had before.

“I’m not the kind of person who sits around, and as soon as the early lockdown eased, I began helping a friend in Dublin who does motorbike detailing at weekends. I found I enjoyed it, and I was also meeting other bikers, which was great.”

Eventually, looking longer term to a future in these different times, he wondered if there might be an interest from traditional cycling fans in having their bicycles detailed? “I tried it on one of my own bicycles first, and it came up phenomenally even though it wasn’t new and had its share of scratches and wear.”

Sean has been a member of the Blessington-based Reservoir of Cogs Cycling Club and is also part of the mountain-biking scene, and when his cycling friends saw the results, they were very interested. “Most cyclists aren’t into the same level of detailing that a motorbike enthusiast would be, but on the other hand I know some who have very fine bikes and treat them like jewellery.”

As he did bikes for some of his friends, Sean posted the results on Facebook and Instagram, and the interest has only grown since. “I also have a friend who brought his bike to his workplace, and colleagues have shown great interest … one of them has four bikes, including a 40-year-old restoration which he won’t ride, but would do if it is protected.”

That protecting begins with what Sean calls a ‘super-cleaning’ of the bike which also includes fully checking all the mechanical components such as brakes, drivetrain and wheel rims. Every accessory is removed, and then the frame and related components are cleaned, towel dried and even blow-dried. After that the ceramic coating is applied.

“I wanted to provide a service that people can’t easily do at home, otherwise I couldn’t justify asking them for their hard-earned cash. Anyone can bring their bike to the garden and wash it with a hose and some bike shampoo, and it will come up well. I wanted to go above and beyond that.”

Sean’s charges begin at €80, with some particular finishes requiring more work and some higher charges. But once done, the process will last at least a year, and probably more. Apart from providing the service to the ‘amateur pro’ group, he says detailing can also very beneficial to the family leisure cyclists. “Especially when children’s bicycles can often be left out in weather, it makes sense … particularly if done when the bikes are new.”

Detailing can also be useful when someone is selling their bike, the cost likely adding significantly more to the value of an already good bicycle. “For instance, if you put a detailed bike up on Done Deal and similar, if it looks particularly pristine it will be viewed more than once, and get a better offer.”

In the current coronavirus era, interest in bicycles and cycling has accelerated, potentially providing BeSpoke Bike Care with a growing pool of customers. “There are lots of families in Kilcullen who now have children out on their bikes, and that’s lovely to see. But there’s also going to be an increased interest in cycling for getting to work, and with winter coming in, it’s a good time for cycle commuters to get their bikes protected before then.”

Anyone interested can contact Sean on his BeSpoke Bike Care Facebook page.

(This article was published previously in The Bridge Magazine.)

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