It is not about the bike, actually yes it is

OK, there are some people out there that just use their bikes as a tool for getting to and fro, but if you are reading this blog post, that probably doesn’t apply to you. You train on your bike, you race your bike, some of you may even keep your bike in your living room. Our bikes are part of us, the culture, the technology, the sense of freedom, it is all there in one microcosm of perfection. Some of us treat our bikes as an extension of our personality. As an example, I am usually a very calm, laid back person who doesn’t like anything flashy or “bling”, but on my bike I like to be as loud as possible from custom handlebar plugs to personalized stem caps. If I can make my bike scream and lighter at the same time, I am going to jump all over that. It is just a great extension of my demeanor on the bike especially while racing, yes I sometimes do the Dr. Jekyll, Mister Hyde routine. If you look at some of the top pro’s in the peloton, a lot of them have very cool custom painted bikes with individualized components, Cavendish’s Tour bike from last year is one of my favorite paint jobs, if you haven’t seen it check it out. Why wouldn’t us mere mortals want the same? I don’t want a custom Thor Hushovd Cervelo even if it is very cool, I do however want a custom Ken Vida Cervelo. I can’t just call Cervelo up and ask for a custom frame, well not yet at least J I can however customize my bike with small unique parts that differentiate it from the other Cervelo’s out in the state. From different color handlebar tape, to custom anodized bolts, to unique color schemes, the sky is the limit with bikes. Just don’t go overboard, some colors just don’t work together like say purple and red. Also don’t try and mirror your favorite pro’s bike, make your bike your own, a unique and very individual part of you, and for God’s sake, GO OUT AND RIDE!