We are the East Coast's newest Open dealer. Upon reading our 'acceptance' email and submitting our order, we knew we had to develop an exceptional program for our customers. Building up an Open Cycle is something most people can only dream about. We began our search for the paint shop that will make our customer's imaginations a reality.
There are many bicycle frame painters and custom paint shops doing incredible work but we were looking for someone special ; a painter who is experienced with carbon fiber bicycles, a painter with an artistic pedigree, a painter with great communication, and a painter we could actually visit and meet! That is how we found Ben Falcon and Horse Cycles Paint.
Ben Falcon is surprisingly youthful given his extensive resume. (A quality he shares with our Head Mechanic, Seth.) Ben was a custom painter for Seven Cycles before he was tapped to create and lead the paint department for Cielo by Chris King. He is a talented artist who masterfully executes all styles of paint. He personally enjoys abstract geometric themes the most - no surprise considering he went to college to become an architect.
(BenFalcon.com)
We were pleasantly (un)surprised to see an Open U.P. in the paint booth when we arrived.The Open U.P. comes in a "Ready To Paint" bare frame option which Ben makes quick work of. The prep is minimal. Ben explained that this duocolor paint scheme is pretty common among the Open customers - understated and classy with a splash of accent color. He allowed us into the booth to examine his work closely.
Horse Cycles Paint uses a two-part primer applied in a few very thin coats. This preps the frame for a glassy-smooth application. Once the remaining imperfections are sanded and the base coat is laid down, the color is applied. (The actual color is a very high quality automotive paint.) Finally, Ben applies a few layers of heavy-duty clear coat to seal and protect the finish.
The result is a paint job of exceptionally high quality. The large fields of color are smooth and almost liquid-looking. Even from a distance, the quality of the work is striking. A closer inspection reveals the hours of fine detail that go into each project - tiny masked graphics, seamless multi-color gradients, and of course, precision line work only an architect is capable of.
Enjoy our photos of their workshop and some samples from Ben Falcon's portfolio:
(Photos below are from BenFalcon.com)
Horse Cycles Paint not only does magnificent paint jobs but their workshop reflects our business values - precision work done by a small team of masters at their craft. Interested in a Ready-To-Paint Open?
Thanks for showing us around, Ben and Thomas.