most intersting way to customize your bike
 

Hey all, I've had a Trek 2.3 for about a year now and pretty much everything on the bike is stock. Anyway, I was thinking lately that it might be fun to try to do some simple things to customize my bike, make it my own so it doesn't look like all the other Trek 2.3s out there. I'm pretty happy with the performance of the bike so I'm not looking to upgrade components or wheels or anything like that. I'm just looking for some relatively small things that I can change on my bike to make it more, well, interesting. Naturally, I don't want to spend hundreds on this little project but for now, I'm not setting an exact price range. I'm a mechanic so I don't need to worry about labor charges to install/replace items. Feel free to post pictures of your bike and what you've done to customize it. I'm looking forward to hearing what everyone can come up with. Be creative!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3222/...0acf7a.jpg?v=0
Raven's tail.

Top this.

Handlebar tape. There's a gazillion different ones. It's also economical enough that, when you grow tired of the look (like you appearantly are now) you can replace it with something different.

A bike doesn't have much surface area to modify and most of what's there can't be modified without incuring an efficiency penalty. If you want to change how you look on your bike, buy yourself a jersey that matches your new handlebar tape.

:twitchy: Wow! That takes some topping!

I like this:
http://www.fashionfunky.com/upload/2008/06/30/spoke.jpg

Jagwire (as well as other component suppliers) is now offering shift and brake cable casing in a variety of colors as well. Perhaps picking an accent color, and applying it to HB tape, bottle cages, cable casing, saddle, chain ring bolts, etc...

I saw a site that had custom stem spacers and headset caps:http://www.purelycustom.com/c-45-spacers.aspx
I am going to have one some day.
BTW:the Down Low Glow (available here:http://rockthebike.com/down-low-glow) is a nice custom touch.

Hmm, aluminum parts that have been polished and black anodized really look good. bk

I grayed out the portion that goes beyond my standard suggestion...

I think the modern trend that seems to insist that metal parts shouldn't look metal makes bikes look ugly. But in many ways I am a retro-grouch.

I would replace every metal piece of the bike with an aluminum alloy equivalent (such as the stem, seatpost and clamps) with an emphasis on those with a polished finish. I would also replace anything carbon fiber with aluminum where the carbon fiber didn't provide a significant advantage over alloy.

Some key items to change (or de-anodize and polish):

spokes
rims
hubs
handlebar
stem
seatpost
seatpost binder
crank
chainrings
derailleurs
brake/shifter levers
headset
spacers

You may also want to consider a custom paint job or powder coating. I like the elimination of logos as a customization... Some however embrace the logos, so if you want to go the opposite way, you may want to consider pantographs or additional custom decals... if you can find any room that Trek hasn't already exploited.

^^^
From his original post:

"I was thinking lately that it might be fun to try to do some simple things to customize my bike, make it my own so it doesn't look like all the other Trek 2.3s out there."

Ano or polishing sounds like a PITA to me :p

put a baseball card in the spokes

Arrrrgh!

I've only recently come to grips with so many people using the word "alloy" when they mean "aluminum". Steel, by definition, is an alloy of iron and carbon.

Now you're making a differentiation between "metal" and "aluminum alloy". Aluminum alloy is, by definition, a metal.

Have we seen 'carbon fiber alloy' in a post, yet?

The result of having read poorly written copy writing in bicycle related product manufacturers ill conceived marketing materials for an extended period of time?

Get one of these:
http://www.monkeylectric.com/

Custom Vinyl is always fun (my wifes "pink TaCo Cycle)
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...n/IMG_0782.jpg

I made a custom Beer opened under the saddle of my fixed gear:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...n/IMG_0438.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...n/IMG_0439.jpg

Home made (welded) front rack changed the appearance and offered the posibility of a job as a pizza delivery boy.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...FrontRack2.jpg

Or you can go crazy with the bike like this... The Danger Cart.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...meRyan/DC1.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...meRyan/DC3.jpg

How's this??

http://i373.photobucket.com/albums/o...g?t=1244843468

Nice! I have the very same tape on my Trek 660. It was in the $5 bin at the LBS and I thought it appropriate for an American classic like mine.

Okay okay, you win. :thumb:

Where do you get that stuff?

I had a local vinyl shop cut it for me.

$6 for two of those stickers made from all-weather purple sparkle vinyl. (two = one for each side of the downtube)

The shop had about 60 color/pattern choices and about 100 stock fonts to choose from.

TaCo is a hypocorism for my wife [Tabatha Cooper]. She hates it; I think its funny.

Hah! When I was younger, my uncle used to torture me by calling me my name spelled backwards: Asel (say it outloud :P) Now I find it amusing.

I'll have to look into that idea for my newest project, *if* I can get the old decal off. Thanks!

C'mon folks, I know there are more ideas out there than just what has been posted!

(I'm going to have to try out that ravens tale thing)

Some, well, lets say very unique ideas out there. However, I think I might stay away from painting, my bike with brightly colored stripes for now... any other simple yet interesting ideas out there?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3630/...3a528f.jpg?v=0
Katana

Neat! How'd you do that?

i love you

It's the same as when you wrap the handle on a sword; but instead of using a sword I used my bike.
http://pages.prodigy.net/tlbuck/tsuka/tsuka.htm


Oh, and since it needs to be outside in weather, use strips of rubber inner tubes instead of cloth ribbon.
And since you need to be seen at night, use retroreflective tape instead of sharkskin.

Thanks, but after scanning the instructions, I'm thinking that a guy my age might not have that much time left. How long did it take you?