Update! I have been riding the new bike six weeks now and I still have to turn around and admire it every time I get off. The level of gloss is mirror-like and the optional candy green was well worth the extra cost. As is the contrasting lug lining and graphics. I do not have any experience with other frame painters, but I can't imagine a finish superior to what I have gotten from Joe over 32 years and five paint jobs. read more

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No answer, left messages. After two weeks, had a call back. Not sure if this is individual or business establishment, but relied on references on yelp. I took my bikes to another establishment. read more

I have had three bikes painted by JB over the last 20 years. #1 1980's DeRosa in Pearlescent White w/Black accents #2 1988 Schwinn Waterford Paramount in 7-11 Tri-color Team Colors #3 1970 Denti Track Bike is "piss Yellow" All three frames were drop dead gorgeous pieces of art. JB's work is second to none & he is a very decent human being on top of that. Highly recommend. read more

The best of all. Thats all! His paint job was an amazing job - and he even came up with his own 'color palette' that does not exist in color guide book. so awesome read more

with bike culture gaining momentum every moment of every day now, it is inevitable that cyclists will come into possession of frames that need painting and restoring. if you're looking for something quick and easy to cover up that nishiki or centurion conversion, you might be best off trying a powdercoating place or a rattlecan. it's cheap and easy and thick and ugly but it might suit your needs -- and frames of that level -- better. but if uncle fred gave you the 1981 colnago super road bike that he accidentally left outside for a winter or a family friend offers you a deal on the 1974 schwinn paramount p14 track bike he used to race at dominguez and you're feeling the need to see that metallic green sparkle again...joe bell is probably the guy you want to call. and when i say that you want to call him, i mean it -- he answers his own phone and never rushes a phone conversation, despite the fact that his workload is relentless. his passion for classic cycles is undeniable and his sense of humor warm and humble. joe tends to know exactly what is right for a project and for the owner -- and to do just that. for example, since the bike i sent in was to be a 'rider,' i opted for joe's entry level $350 'deluxe' finish, but joe wasn't satisfied with how it came out. so he upgraded me to the $495 'team issue' finish with four added clearcoats and hand sanding -- at no extra charge!! (i also got complimentary paint accents in the cutouts on my fork and a custom-mix color we named 'frost') i knew something special was going on when he called me and told me that he put his initials on it, because he normally reserves that for only the highest end paint jobs that he does. a reality check -- it will probably take longer than originally expected, and it will probably cost a little more. this is art and craft -- this isn't a a factory. all this being said, it will also be a paint job beyond your wildest expectations. my 1960s british track bike is absolutely radiant. i can see each hand-filed curl of each lug as if i was looking at bare metal. i had joe re-work the backyard-quality front brake fitting on my track frame into a more modern recessed hex nut style, and the brazing work is nothing short of amazing. i can't imagine how many hours his frame builder spent on it! in a world where corporations reign supreme and mass production has taken over, it both inspires me and warms my heart to know that there are still artisans like joe bell and his team creating magic one frame at a time. read more

I have had two bikes painted by Joe Bell. #1 1970's Colnago in genuine Ferrari Testarossa red paint #2 1970's Bob Jackson in British racing green color Both are works of art well worth the high cost and long wait. Joe is not just a bike painter. He is an artist. read more

There may be a dozen ultra fantastico painters I'm not familiar with and who may give JB a run for the money, but in 20+ years of getting thousands of expensive bikes painted (not all my personal bikes--I have a business), I have never had a single disappointment from JB, and he consistently exceeds not just my expectations, but my hopes, too. He's too good. He turns people snobbish about paint. He shows you how good it can be, and then you see other paint jobs as various degrees of cruddy to Nice Try. If there's a technical challenge, like a braze-on or tube in the way of a seat tube panel, he won't just scooch the panel out of the way. He'll cut the friggin' thing and place it around the metal so it's in the right spot and looks impossibly perfect. As skilled as he is, the best thing about Joe is his commitment and integrity. If he sees a glich in a frame that took him 8 hours to paint, and nobody'd even notice it, he'll still fix it, whether that means a whole new PJ or a touch-up. He has the experience with painting and colors and making new colors to offer advice you should listen to. MOST of the time this quality and (cliche alert) passion come in a weird package, where the guy's either a cantankerous jerk you tolerate and forgive, or a Wilfred Brumley kind of character who you might privately pity. Joe's totally normal, really nice, easy to talk to, FUN to talk to, and just happens to be worth more stars than I can click off here. Yelp reviews are bound to yield non-FIVES, even for JB, and it's not my place to wipe out the one JB got, but he doesn't personally repair frames. He hires framebuilders now and then, and sometimes they stay and sometimes they don't, but JB himself is a painter, not a brazer/welder/repairer... He can usually arrange a repair, but it's like...you don't go to a programmer to fix your broken iPhone, or to Rembrandt, if you want to re-mat some family photograph. JB is slow...you wait...you're get happy. read more

I had my 1983 Trek roadbike refinished by Joe Bell in 1987 or 88 in a basic silver. Finish is still like new 23 years later.