Mountain bikes come equipped with impressive features for off-road conditions, but sometimes these features don’t fit the owner’s preferences or personality.
If this situation applies, try these seven unique ways to customize your mountain bike and create a more enjoyable riding experience.
1. Liven Up the Little Things
You can change your bike’s entire personality simply by adding color to small parts here and there. Create a new color scheme by changing these parts:
- Pedals
- Seat
- Cranks
- Spokes
- Zip ties
- Stem/stem caps
- Bar grips and hoods
You should experiment with these smaller parts first before making widespread changes to your bike. Starting small allows you to test more color combinations without breaking the bank or ruining your bike.
2. Design Your Own Vinyl Decals
If you have specific design ideas in mind, you can easily add them to your bike with printed vinyl decals. Many companies offer customization options that allow you to incorporate patterns, shapes, colors and slogans (as long as they’re appropriate).
Some even create decals for forks and wheels. You can create a wholly unique mountain bike with no identical copies by slapping on a few custom decals.
3. Swap Out Your Bike’s Vinyl Wrap
For a complete personality change, swap out your bike frame’s vinyl wrap for a new color or design. However, this project isn’t as straightforward as printing a decal and slapping it over the frame. We recommend hiring a professional, but if you want to try a DIY project, make sure you watch a tutorial and get all the tools:
- Mild degreasing dishwashing detergent
- Water
- Sponge/washcloth
- Rubbing alcohol
- Bucket
- Fabric measuring tape
- Scissors/utility knife
- Squeegee
- Heat gun/hairdryer
Remove the wheels and pedals so you have more room to maneuver. Wipe off the original wrap by gently scrubbing it with rubbing alcohol, dishwashing detergent and water. Clean and dry the frame, then measure/cut the wrapping very carefully so it fits your bike like a glove.
4. Get Creative With Your Bar Tape
Have you ever seen professional hockey players wrap their sticks with unique tape designs? The design doesn’t have much functional value, but it gives their equipment a personal flair and tells us something about the player’s style.
You can achieve this same effect with your bike’s handlebar tape. Wrap the bars with a cool pattern or use multiple colors. Some rolls of tape have cool finishes, like gold, silver and diamond. Others have funny images or slogans. A simple new tape job can make your bars pop like never before.
5. Upgrade the Bolts
Many cyclists overlook this detail, but your bike’s bolts play a major role in its appearance and performance. You need to upgrade to a titanium custom-colored bolt kit to take your bike to the next level. This kit will subtly tie your color scheme together and reduce the bike’s weight. Replace everything, including the linkage, stem and rotor bolts to maximize the effect.
6. Add Sponsor Stickers
Everyone wishes they had sponsors for their particular sport, cyclists included. You might not be able to get real sponsors, but you can look sponsored by adding sponsor stickers to your bike. Choose a few of your favorite cycling brands and slap their logos on your bike to represent them.
Remember to be thoughtful about the sticker’s designs and placements. They should complement your bike’s appearance, not clash with it. Different-colored stickers are fine as long as they match the bike’s overall color scheme.
7. Go Crazy With Paint Pens and Brushes
Go outside the box and use paint pens/brushes to make freehand designs. You can get these tools and all the paint colors you want at a local hardware store. Before you begin, we suggest doing some sketches to solidify your plans. You don’t want to start painting without a clear idea of what you want to create.
Add words, shapes, symbols, artwork and other design elements to bring your bike’s frame to life. Once you’re happy with your additions, let the paint dry and cover it with a coating of lacquer to solidify the design.
Transform Your Mountain Bike
Sometimes our bikes just need a little transformation to make the riding experience exciting again. If you’re thinking about making modifications, remember these seven ideas.
With a few simple projects, you can change your bike’s color scheme, patterns and overall personality. Choose your top priority and get to work!