How to Paint the Spokes on a Bike

Remove the bike wheel from the bike using an adjustable wrench. Tape the portions of the wheel you want to protect from the paint with the masking tape. Place the tape on the sides of the wheel, and fold the edge of the tape over the inside of the rim to cover half the rim from each side. Press the tape against the spoke nipples where the spokes are threaded into the rim to keep them unobstructed by paint. Obstructed nipples make removing damaged spokes difficult.

Place masking tape over the hub of the wheel, covering the flanges in between the spokes where the wheel is connected to the forks of the bike. Tape the axle and nuts of wheel.

Mask off the tires to prevent paint spray from floating onto the tires and marking them.

Mask the area of the spokes you don't wish to paint with the applied color when combining colors or creating patterns. The process of creating detailed patterns is a subtractive one, where one color is painted, then the masked areas are shifted to protect the painted section and allow paint to be applied to a new section.

Hang the wheel in a clear area using a bungee cord. Cover the ground with a tarp to catch errant paint. Hold a can of semi-gloss primer paint 6 inches from the wheel and carefully spray two layers of paint on the spokes. Allow the first layer of paint to dry for 20 minutes, and the second to dry for one hour.

Apply the final layer of paint, the actual color you wish to apply to the spokes, using steady passes with the paint. Leave a light layer with each pass until a solid coating of paint is created. Allow the paint to dry for one hour.

Remove the masking tape and replace the wheel onto the bike. If working in a pattern, remove the tape from the unpainted area and apply a new layer of tape to the painted area before applying a new color