How To Customise Your Bike & Cycling Kit Like A Pro

What does your bike say about you? Some people like their steeds to be nice and simple - black bar tape, black frame, no frills - but for those of us who want to jazz up our ride, there’s plenty of ways to do it! Alex goes through the pro customisation tips and tricks that you can do too to look as fresh and stylish as possible on your rides!

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:23 Bar Tape
0:47 Stickers
1:29 Laser Etching
2:08 Saddles
2:51 Shoes
3:46 Glasses
4:09 Water Bottle
4:48 Vinyl Wrap
5:34 Custom Paint Job
6:30 Outro

Useful Links:

Have you done any of these to your bike? Let us know in the comments below! 💬

If you liked this video, be sure to give it a thumbs up 👍 and share it with your friends!

Watch more on GCN Tech...

🎵 Music - licensed by Epidemic Sound 🎵
Slippin' Away - El Flaco Collective
No Crime (Instrumental Version) - The Devil's Sway
Bazar - El Flaco Collective
Jungle Train - OTE
Kermanshah - El Flaco Collective

#gcntech #gcn #cycling #roadcycling #roadbike #bike #bikes #bikelife #cyclinglife

Brought to you by the world’s biggest cycling channel, the Global Cycling Network (GCN), GCN Tech is the only channel you need for all things bike tech – past, present and future.

Simply put, we’re obsessed with tech: we seek out and showcase the best in bikes, components, tech, accessories, upgrades and more from races and events, tech shows and product launches across the globe to bring you the best in road bike technology.

We’ve also got great maintenance videos to help you get the most from your bike; pro-bike tours from all the biggest races; special features and the weekly GCN Tech Show. We also take a deeper look into the future of cycling, apps, smart tech and virtual riding.

Join us on the channel and the GCN App to submit your content, vote on the latest tech and keep abreast of exciting new trends.

Thanks to our sponsors:

Watch our sister channels:

[reubenbryant]

For those riding any bike with flat pedals, coloured pedals is another customisation.

Customised or coloured stem caps and handlebar end caps are a really affordable customisation.

I plan on adding Stem Captain clocks to the stem caps on my bikes. It’s functional and customisation at the same time.

[reubensteel]

If you want to be old school you can acid etch metal but be very careful as it’s a negative process and you have to coat every single part you don’t want to etch then bath the part in mild acid then have all the neutralisers at hand as if not properly neutralised the acid will continue to eat away at the metal and lead to structural damage. This process was used on plate armour to make all the fine patterns across the plate, would not recommend it for most applications but I’ve acid etched a couple of old quill stems and they come out looking amazing.

[phillipoyer]

Back in the late 90s, early 2000s you could actually order custom saddles from Selle Italia. At the time I had a Bianchi in the yellow/celeste team colors from the Mercatone Uno squad of Pantani. I was able to order a custom matching saddle, and the only real hurdle was that the old school website was only in Italian.

[asfaltseksem]

Always do bartape nowadays since I refuse to use black. Also saddle change but thats pretty mandatory I guess.
Done brake lever hoods on most of my bikes, that and colormatching cable housings for bikes that dont have internal routing. The last ones are cheap and if you have a mechanical groupset, changing cables (if they are worn/dirty) does a HUGE difference.

[tomnewham]

I think the cheapest way to customise a bike is to buy some name stickers like the pros have on their bikes.

[Saxtoo]

I bought some navy and white vinyl off eBay and cut it out to form the Union Flag 🇬🇧 on my red racer. Then got a set of RC aircraft lettering for my topbar, and put clear wrap over them to seal it.

[paulmcknight]

Well, how about helmets? I once stuck reflective tape on one I had a long time ago: black Bell V-1 Pro, a crescent of white teardrop shapes in front, and a red ball with some white teardrops emanating out of it in back! They looked cool at night! They also never wore off!

[rasmuswi]

In many cases, smaller brands might be able to do custom colors. Berk saddles used to advertise custom colored, don't know if they still offer them.

[savagepro]

GCN Tech: How To Customize Your Bike & Cycling Kit Like A Pro
Me: Uh, like a Pro Customizer or Pro Cyclist . . . or both?

[matthewbaynham]

You can add a bell to your bike especially if you're in Germany because it's a legal requirement.

It's also a legal requirement to have reflectors on your wheels and pedals.

However no one makes clipless pedals with reflectors.

[Aeronwor]

How about wheels with a cool spoke pattern. Or coloured spokes. Or both.
I upgraded my daughters bike for her birthday, and laced a pair of wheels with pink and black spokes, 3 leading, 3 trailing. Also new gears, brakes, saddle...
Also painted my other daughters bike pink and purple with added glitter.

[bikecommuter]

LOL I'm sitting here with a smile on face drinking my morning tea and seeing two GCN videos well one GCN Tech, I did watch Manon's video first, (Sorry not Sorry😆) 

Anyhow to the point, customizing happens in everything being from a mechanical and art background I always customized my motorcycles and now bicycles with a few accessories here and there.

I put some bolt on parts on my commuter bike, along with a comfy saddle I put some red and black parts on it, grips, saddle bag and pedals from RockBros, although that decision I might reconsider since those are the pedals with spikes, great for grip but they also like to cut my shins too, I have to be careful when I take my bike on of the off the train (maybe wear shin guards 😆)
Forgot I did add a bell with a voodoo skull sticker on it, handy for people not paying attention, I encounter a lot of those on my rides, I didn't want to say run into because that is what I want to avoid happening. 

Just likes cars and motorcycles its not the vehicle that costs a lot its our obsession with accessories and kit that does the budget in😆 but that is what makes it fun.
Cheers.

[richards.]

If the GCN Shop had Crocs, I'd buy them :o)

[BarnabasDegrey]

Hey Alex, I apologize if I missed it, however, you appear to have some injuries, were those due to an accident on your bike, and if so have you made a video about that experience. Finally, if it was a cycling accident and if you haven't made a video about it, would you please? Again, my apologies if you have and I missed it. Kind regards..

[somadoublecrossrdr]

Customize your body with pro-style scrapes and abrasions, then top them off with specially designed white tape ‘patches’ and ‘stickers’. Just like Alex.

[kerbodynamicx]

First, I was planning on buying a Canyon Grail AL gravel bike, but these comes with only two color options, both of them looks rather boring. Would you recommend a vinyl wrap (is it durable?) or a custom paint job?
I wonder how does laser etching works? I got access to large CNC lasers, but I have very little idea about how to engrave things on particular parts. In addition, laser etching would not work on carbon fibre.

[Bear-Jew]

To customise your bike frame and parts on budget, try Hydro Dipping!

[lgmsampaio]

Follow all these suggestions and you will be the most eyesoaring rider in your next group ride.

[GOlone]

I customized my cycling shoes, and paint it with Nezuko from the anime Demon Slayer.

[weeringjohnny]

This video achieves what it sets out to do for sure but am I a miserable old bastard in having zero interest in customising my bike like a pro?