Decorate Your Bicycle

Bicycles are both a source of fun and an economical means of getting around. Whether your bike is a source of entertainment, or your means of transportation, decorating its frame can be a lot of fun. Decorating a bike is not just for show. It can do the double duty of making your bike one-of-a-kind and making it safe to ride at night, or it can simply be a way to give yourself something pleasant to look at while you ride. To decorate your bike and truly make it your own, you can use lights, stickers, paint, and modifications.

Steps

Decorating With Lights

1. Place special reflectors on the front and rear tires. Reflectors serve the dual purpose of making sure you are visible to others and setting your bike apart from other bikes. Custom reflectors can include different shapes and colors, as well as different sizes. Reflectors are often available at superstores, while specialty reflectors are best picked up at a dedicated cycling store or online.
   • If you love hearts and the color pink, you can purchase pink, heart-shaped reflectors.
   • If you are utilitarian in nature, you can find blinking reflectors to make your presence better known in the dark.
2. Purchase stick-on blinking lights. Stick-on blinking lights will make your bike unique, and make you extremely visible during the day and night. Although these are typically found at parades and other street events, they can also be purchased online and make a wonderful statement.
   • Blinking lights can also be hazardous, as they can trigger headaches and even seizures in some. Make sure you are not sensitive to strobe lights or other effects before use.
3. Make use of LED string lights. LED string lights are excellent for decorating, as most do not require an outside power source. These lights come in many different colors and lengths, and are a simple way to customize your bike.
   • LED lights are available at most home improvement stores, but can also be purchased online.
   • You can place LED lights in the spokes of your wheels, or you can use zip ties to place them along the frame of your bike.
4. Apply string lights. String lights, unlike LED lights, will require you to do some modifications in order to power them, but can be a fun, inexpensive way to decorate your bike.
   • If you go the route of string lights, make sure to follow a guide when creating a power source to avoid a fire hazard.
   • String lights work wonderfully to wrap around the frame of your bike to add some interest to your handlebars. If you choose string lights, be sure to wrap them tightly around the metal to avoid a falling hazard.

Using Stickers

1. Apply stickers designed for outdoor use. Outdoor-use stickers, such as those designed for bikes or skateboards, are a great way to personalize your bike and come in many different designs and colors. Although you can use regular stickers, dirt and moisture will quickly break them down.
   • To make sure your sticker will be placed the way you want it to be, consider marking where you’d like it with a pencil before application.
   • Many skate and bike shops sell these stickers, but you can also find them online through popular vendors such as Amazon, and online bike specialty stores.
2. Get creative with application and location. Instead of placing a few stickers on the sissy bar, get creative! Decorate your handlebars, handle grips, and even your spokes with stickers.
   • If you don’t like the color of your bike, you can cover the frame entirely with overlapping stickers.
   • If you are a fan of patterns, you can place stickers at predetermined spots throughout the frame of your bike to create patterns.
3. Mix and match themes and colors. Get creative with the themes and colors of your stickers. Pair cartoon characters with earthy tones, and combine characters from your childhood with brand stickers. Pairing standard-use stickers with outdoor-use stickers could help the standard stickers last longer.
   • When choosing sticker pairs, opt for things you love. If you are a fan of both Hello Kitty and the Simpsons, for instance, you could create a small scene with these characters.
4. Layer stickers for an all-over change. Using washi tape or other stickers, layer to completely cover up your bike frame instead of painting it another color.
   • To help your washi tape last longer, apply a coat of polyurethane or other sealant. This will ward against weather damage and peeling.
   • If washi tape is too expensive to cover your bike completely, you can also use patterned  duct tape. There are countless patterns and colors to choose from.

Personalizing With Paint

1. Paint the bike frame. Painting the frame of your bike is a simple way to decorate and personalize your bike to fit your likes or personality.
   • Painting your frame is a great way to cover and prevent further rusting of an old bike.
   • Painting bikes works well with vintage, muted colors such as teal, mint, and seafoam.
   • When selecting a paint, make sure you choose one intended for outdoor use.
   • Although you can purchase paint intended specifically for bikes, enlisting a paint formulated for metal will work just as well.
2. Add a pop of color by painting your bike bell. If your bike has a bell, give it a little pop of a bright color, such as neon orange, or Pepto-Bismol pink. This is a perfect compromise for someone who does not like bright colors, but wants a unique aesthetic for their bike.
   • You can even get creative and paint faces, animals, or designs onto your bike bell or horn.
3. Apply a coat of paint to your wheel spokes. While painting your bike frame is pretty commonplace, painting the spokes provides a unique and interesting bit of color, and is fun to watch as your wheels turn, as it creates a rainbow effect.
4. Paint your bike’s tires. Although the paint job will eventually wear off with use, painting your bike’s tires provides an interesting look—particularly while you ride. To add flair to a vintage bike, for instance, you can paint your tires with white to create a whitewall effect common to vintage cars.
   • Use outdoor paint, such as paint (or spray paint) intended for decks or treated wood.
5. Paint your entire bike with glow-in-the-dark paint. To keep your bike safe and unique, paint your bike with glow-in-the-dark paint. There are many different paint colors, ranging from a plain white to neon colors.
   • Glow in the dark paint is readily available at supermarkets, hardware stores, and craft stores, as well as online. Craft stores are likely to have the widest array of colors.
6. Use paint pens to make specialized designs. Paint pens are a great way to add personality and pizzazz to your bike, as you can create graffiti characters, doodles, and sketches.
   • If you are a skilled artist, you can showcase your talent by painting scenes onto your bike with a paint pen.
   • To preserve any designs you might create with a paint pen, seal your paint with a spray or paint-on sealant.

Modifying Your Bike to Fit You

1. Add a basket for shopping trips. If your bike is in use for a commuter item, a basket is both adorable and useful. Bike baskets range in material from wicker to wood or plastic, and come in many different sizes.
   • The frequency with which you use your bike will help determine what basket you need to purchase, as some are affixed with delicate materials such as leather.
2. Purchase a special bike seat. Altering your bike seat can provide a fresh look and a bit more comfort for your rear end. Leather seats lend a vintage look to your bike, while gel-pad seats add a massive comfort factor.
3. Use colored bike components. Colored wheels, spokes, shocks, and handlebars can all help decorate your bike. You can even have different colors for all of your bike’s components for a rainbow effect.
4. Alter your handlebars. You can change the shape of your handlebars altogether, or you can use tape, crepe, or paint to change the general appearance of your handlebars.
   • If you do alter your handlebars, make sure you do not do anything to interfere with the brakes.
5. Add streamers to your handlebars. Finally, add a delightfully childlike flair to your bike by adding streamers to your handle grips.
   • Streamers can be created with old plastic bags, strips of fabric, or even old pom poms.
   • Commercial streamers come with small clips that are inserted into the ends of your bar grips. If you make your own streamers, you can fashion your own clips to attach them using supplies from a craft or hobby store.

Tips

• Decorate your helmet to match your bike with lights, paint (acrylic works best), and stickers.
• Decorate to your heart’s content. You can add flags, pinwheels, and other extras to your bike that are easy to remove and customize.

Warnings

• Never sacrifice bicycle safety for the sake of decoration. Avoid placing anything in the tire spokes or chain, as this heightens the chance of having an accident.
• Avoid painting your bike all black or all dark colors, as this will make you difficult to see in the evening.

Related WikiHows

• Ride a Bicycle
• Build a Bicycle Cargo Trailer
• Remove Bicycle Handlebar Grips

References

See also

• Switch Your Bike from Fixed Gear to Single Speed
• Endo a Pedal Bike
• Unlock an oBike
• Get Back on a Bicycle As an Adult
• Choose an E Bike
• Carry Cargo on a Bike
• Keep a Bike Safe
• Make a Rear Bike Mount
• Increase the Mileage of a 200 Cc Bike to Around 40 45 Kmpl
• Sell a Bike

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