[cowboy]

I enjoy modifying my book, adding stickers on it, repainting it, changing the grips to better ones, I was wondering what kind of clever stuff people around here to to trick out their bikes?

I also want to add some bling to my handlebars without it looking like this:

Actually just kidding

I have seen someone who took yellow paper and fixed it through their spokes so it looks like triangles and other crazy stuff...

How about welding a hood ornament where the goosekneck attaches?

 

[Industry_Hack]

Check out the thread I just started about Stem Captain. I'm also waiting to hear back from Purely Custom, which makes all sorts of bike bling.

 

[HandsomeRyan]

◘ Homemade under seat beer opener...

Kind of hard to see, sorry.

◘ Automated Handlebar End Lights I designed.
Automatic Bicycle Handlebar End Lights

◘ Custom paint and decals for a bike I built up for my wife... (she never rode it)

TaCo is a hypocorism I made up for my wife using the first 2 letters of her first and last name. The double entendre created by this logo on a pink bike is nothing short of classy.

◘ All the cool kids have a home made 200 watt stereo trailer they pull behind their bikes too. (well, at least I do)

 

[HandsomeRyan]

As I dug deeper into the bowels of my photobucket I cam up with a few more items I've made that could be considered "bling". (some of them were sort of functional but mostly I just made them because I was bored)

◘ I welded a front Porteur style rack...

◘ Fishing rod holder I made...

◘ Auxiliary fork mounted lights...

(I have an Instructable about these too but I'm too lazy to go look for the link)

◘ Home made hard plastic panniers... (marine battery boxes)

 

[RoyEveritt]

Ryan, you should do this for a living!

 

[RoyEveritt]

Interesting trailer. I've often wondered how a hard-tyred trailer compares with bike panniers, fatter tyres and so on, in terms of drag and handling.

If you can make the trailer ultra-light and with very low drag, it ought to be better than having all that weight on the bike. I designed a lightweight trailer many years ago, but now I'd just mould it in high-grade plastic.

 

[HandsomeRyan]

Ryan, you should do this for a living!

Thanks. I'm the poster child for wasted ability. If someone would pay me to build stuff/solve problems I'd do it in a heartbeat but I lack a formal educational background in anything so getting a foot in the door is difficult. I've just taught myself the stuff I wanted to know like woodworking, welding, sewing, composites fabrication, basic electronics, mold-making and casting, etc. I've never really found a way to translate what I know into something that people will pay me for.

Interesting trailer. I've often wondered how a hard-tyred trailer compares with bike panniers, fatter tyres and so on, in terms of drag and handling.

If you can make the trailer ultra-light and with very low drag, it ought to be better than having all that weight on the bike. I designed a lightweight trailer many years ago, but now I'd just mould it in high-grade plastic.

I don't know if you saw my thread about trailers but of all of them I've made/purchased have felt easier to pull than carrying an equivalent amount of weight on the bike. I can tell you that my WIKE aluminum and plastic trailer is pretty light and not bad at all to tow.

 

[HandsomeRyan]

Around the holidays you can't go wrong with a little mistletoe on the helmet. I did indeed get some smooches at the ride I wore this too [in spite of looking like a zombie in this pic].

 

[Michigander]

I'm not so into blinging up bikes these days, but I know a guy who bolts mail boxes to his seat racks, because he says they're a great and cheap water proof storage system for riding.