Pimp your ride: 10 ways

If you can (as the TV motor show slogan suggests) “transform a rusty minger into a metal blinger” why not do the same with bikes? As well as extending the life of your wheels, jazzing them up can also deter bike thieves. They tend not to go for the ones swathed in garlands and colourful stripes.
Here are the freshly pimped wheels of Sarah and Rose from Green Knickers. Not content with making incredibly sexy organic, fair trade underwear (see here if you don’t believe me - and, chaps, remember, nothing us ladies like more than an unexpected Spring gift of ethical underwear), they are reducing their carbon footprint by pushing around their wares in shopping trolleys or lugging them behind these colourful bikes. Londonites, look out for them on the streets.
You don’t have to go for the all out hippy makeover. Depending on your taste, age, and gender, you could plump for a more subtle makeover, a spray of paint perhaps, or some stickers and stripey tape.
Perhaps don’t go as far as the picture below, though. Not the outfit, anyway.

Clearly all this will be seriously frowned on by Lycra-clad cycling enthusiasts who wouldn't dare introduce a millimetre of ribbon that might slow them down, but it's fun if you are trying to encourage your kids to cycle, or on a weekend bike ride, a festival trip, or to make your point vividly at an anti-climate change protest.

Plastic garlands (if you live in London, Brick Lane is the place to buy these)

Ivy - real or fake. Just make sure it doesn't get caught up in your spokes.

Stickers are fun for kids, and for the strands of youth culture who insist on plastering their bags and belongings with them. I'm not convinced, but you may be.

To play down a shiny, new bike that magpie thieves will spot a mile away, strips of gaffa tape do the job.

Or spray paint it so that you can't see that it's an expensive make. Although this bike website advises that painting a bike is harder than you might think, so take advice from a bike shop first.

And why bother with a conventional bell, when you can invest in a trumpet bulb hooter, to keep those pesky pedestrians on their toes.

Ribbons. Every time you receive a present, collect the ribbon to fix to your handlebars.

Not for everyone, I'm sure - my boyfriend bears a deep hatred towards glitter since I accidentally unloaded some into his eye many years ago - but throwing glitter at a freshly painted bike will make it stick and twinkle in the sun. Another bike thief deterrent as it's hard to get off and, forgive my assumptions, but there can't be much of a crossover between bike thieves and glitter aficionados.

If you don't fancy customising your own bike seat, check out these patterned waterproof bike caps (click here). Surely it's only a question of time before Cath Kidston comes up with one. 

I'm still working on my very own leopard skin seat, made from some fabric scraps fixed on with a staple gun. Pedestrians, beware.

Comments

[greendemon]

Many years ago, I decided that my bike needed sprucing up and tried to paint it silver with a spray can. Suffice to say that the back garden wall was as glittery and silver as you can imagine, but the bike managed to avoid most of the spray. It was also let off noxious fumes - surely not very green.

[Hannah Phillips]

I am not sure if my mother in law would thank me. She has just bought me a second hand bike and child seat. Apparently to save me the walk. But I am not confident about the toddler on the back bit yet. I love the idea though but I live in fear of the repercussions. Therefore my bike will stay boring for a few ore months until I am out of the I didn't buy you that to do that too.

[Hannah Phillips]

Oh and did you ever get to York? We plumped for our own car to get to rugby as with a family of four you cant really fit any one else in! But we only use it when we go long distance it stands like a lemon the rest of the time, but I can not persuade my hubby to part with it!!!!

[Anna Shepard]

oh hannah, i'm afraid it's a tale of eco-shame... my friend found a car to hire for three days for £60 so we did that. It was by no means the greenest option but it was the cheapest. In our defence, we gave a friend heading up to York a lift and it was a tiny, very petrol efficient little car!

and i quite understand that a bicycle given as a gift should perhaps not be pimped up immediately...

[johnny]

i love bikes!!!!!!!!!!

[johnny]

i love bikes!!!!!!!!!!