Customizing Your Ride
 

Okay, to go along with my one's dream commuter/utility bike. How have/will you customize your ride so that it is your bike and stands out from the rest of the bikes locked to the bike rack?

What I would like to do is to remove my disc brakes and send them out to have the "spokes" in the center powder coated. I would also like to replace my black stock jokey pulleies with red jokey pulleies. As well as replacing the stem cap and the spacers.

I have replaced the stock Maxxis tires, as well as the platform pedals with SPD clipless pedals.

Or if you want to get a lot of flare out of your brake disks.
http://www.cambriabike.com/shopexd.a...sc+Brake+Rotor
It'd be pretty cool to paint the dragons heads green or something too.

I want my bike to look like "that ugly thing the guy who's nuts rides" so nobody else will want it! Mismatched fork and frame (dorky / style points!), racks, old duct tape wrapped around top tube, handlebar bag mount, mismatched water bottle cages, wired computer (with cadence for extra wire runs).

The rest of my customization is functional. Dyno hub and lights, extra blinkies, frame pump, wide tires, B-17 saddle, saddle bag with spare tube, patch kit, multi-tool and wrench.

Oh, the fancy bike doesn't see bike racks except as it's ridden past them.

I converted to my flat bar hybrid to drops with aero brake levers and bar-cons. Plus most of the functional stuff pdlamb mentioned.

On my DaHon Curve I switched the stock pedals for SPD's, added a rear rack and rack trunk, plus lights for the morning commute but otherwise totally stock.

No bike racks for my bike either. Stays folded up by my desk all day here at work.

Rick / OCRR

On my green Pacer I found tan cable housing from velo orange, tan bar wrap and a honey brooks saddle. I also was very particular to get all parts for the bike (headset, seatpost, handlbars, drivetrain) in silver.

On my monstercross bike, the entire theme is brown/pink. "Shart Brown" (company's own words) frame/fork, pink bartape, full housing cables, headset/cap, seatpost collar, rims, hubs and sometimes (on race days) even has pink IRD CrossFire tires. It wears a pink top tube badge bearing it's name: Strawberry Shartcake. There are pink decals on the front of the forks bearing my team's logo "So Soft", and a "Ride A <expletive> Bike" sticker on the downtube.

My beater is a 1988 Trek 400 that I haven't done any touch up work to so it's white/blue/rust. I did a blue/white harlequin wrap cotton bartape, but now that's all dirty and gnawed up. I build up a pair of blue IRO Cold Fusion rims on matching IRO high flange hubs. Aside from that, it's a 64cm frame and still has 7" of seatpost showing, so it's pretty obvious that it's mine. Not like some short dude is going to try and roll off with it without draping his marbles on either side of the top tube. This one also has a "Ride A <expletive> Bike" sticker on the top tube.

My brevet/commuter is all black and chrome. Black frame/fork, polished cranks, steel polished fenders, mirror finish rims/hubs, chromed racks with black canvas luggage.

Digital_cowboy, look at some other discs, just buy them, instead.
they use an aluminum spider painted or anodized black
with the stainless steel disc riveted to it. the aluminum also heat sinks the disc,
so there is function as well as looks gained.
the powder coating will cost a bit, already,
so figure that as a discount on buying new discs.

Very sweet and cool, and yes powder coating/painting the heads would really make it "pop" as it were.

I'm sorry, given that "most" of us are VERY particular/protective of our bikes the "locked to the bike rack" comment was more figurative then literal.

I already did. When I built my cross check up I did it just the way I wanted and there is not another just like it.

It was just an idea I've been kicking around, it isn't anything that I am "married to" as it were. If I can find what I want without having to send them to someone for powder coating that would be a plus.

I did like the discs at the web site that 3 Speed linked to.

Sorry, yes, I forgot:

Black Planet Bike Fenders
Red Water Bottle Cage
Black Specialized Mini-Frame Pump
Sunlite PakRak rack and PakRak Clip-on System Top Bag
Sunlite Pannier Bags
And two "miniature" American Flags zip tied to the rack

My bikes get a custom covering of retro-reflective films, rack, lights, lights, lights, and more lights, waterbottle cages, fenders, pump, a bike fitting, Shimano A-530 pedals (with extenders), and typically 36 spoke hand built wheels. Anybody who would steal it, would find that they would have a hard time keeping it out of sight at night, as the films don't really show off in daylight (and would probably be overlooked).