Yes. Spray paint will come down in price over time but if you want it, you have to be aware of how to paint.
What makes a good paint job?
Paints will come down in price or be replaced more than once, but you need to be a good painter. I’ve painted hundreds of bikes and only a couple have been bad (even though they were expensive).
If you paint a bike that you bought off the rack in a few short years you may have gotten lucky. If you used the same kit and paint on 5-10 bikes in 20 or 25 years you have a good idea of the painting time-frames. The most common is a couple of months. It’s hard to say whether your paint job is good or bad but just know that good paint will save you a lot of money. Some of the most expensive paint shops still don’t have good kits of primer. Don’t expect to be able to go painting the way you like in a week.
If you just don’t paint enough, the only way to improve is to pay more money (this is a “bad” problem, as you need to work on the quality or you won’t get out).
Can I paint your bike?
Yes, you can paint most bikes even if the paint is awful. I usually paint bikes that other people painted and that I’m familiar with. I paint my own bikes to get a feel and feel good when I paint something. That generally means a couple of bikes so that I can get a feel for what my bike looks like.
I also paint a little extra paint on my roadies bikes for special occasions, not really using it as a reason to buy a bike I’ll use for the rest of my life.
In most cases you should expect to lose paint jobs if you go painting for too many years. It’s also important for your wallet to appreciate the little bit of time saved.
Can I change the paint color of your bike?
Unless you really hate it, some people make the mistake of thinking you should. Changing paint colors on a long-term deal is just an unnecessary hassle.
Some people do “clean coats” with old waxes or a brush that’s got the name etched in it or the name of someone they liked riding. No I don’t. I think a lot of the time it’s a real waste of money to spend a few hours over-waxing paint.