Ok, having seen the thread about pimping bikes, it is clear that some of you have lots of style, whilst others have zero.

My cobbled together bike just doesn't look bang on.

Please give me some style tips, I want it to look just right, rather than just wrong.

Saddle and pedals for a start, go for both black or white.

saddle and pedals

The list is too long, but for starters; Rims, ditch the white handle bar, your seatpost appears to wrapped in a condom, red? pedals, Is that a toilet roll spacing out the front mech?

Depends how much you want to spend…

Personally I don't think the white bars work with the rest of your bike. Are your rims different colours?

The rims being different colours stands out, as does the nasty saddle/pedals.

White bars don't go, I'm not convinced about the white fork either!

Erm….not sure I'm a great style guru, but I would say pedals, saddle & bars need changing to black (or perhaps silver pedals as you seem to have battered the red ones?)

Also the tyres look like they've come off a moto x bike. Although if they work, then leave them be.
And the mismatched rims don't really look 'bang on'.

Apart from that it looks fine to me.

new frame

How tall are you beefy and what size frame is that?

Not sure white forks and bars work best with that frame colour?

blling bling beat me to that 😉

Shut your eyes when you're riding it, then you won't notice the mis-matching bits.

Actually is that the worlds first use of a jerry can spout as a seatpost? 😆

get a white saddle, get a nicer mech spacer, and spray your pedals black.

total cost £25…

to be honest it looks fine, bet it rides fine too..

I like the white fork, it ties in with the white logo surround. The white bar does not tickle my fancy though.

i wouldn't take style tips off Tinsy, have you seen his new bike

Saddle for an all black one

Silver seat post and matching stem

Black bars

Black anodised pedals

Matching wheels

also sort out brake hose and gear cable outer lengths so they look even and don't zip tie them together to hide the odd sizes

also WTF is going on with the front mech…..get some proper spacers

Other than that it's all good 😀

i would fit some red walled tyres, to match the pedals and seat…..and by chance I have some you could buy

Looks fine to me. Cover it in mud.

toomanybikes… thats rich coming from you, and then you drop the red walled tyre bombshell!!

red walled tyres are the future of bike porn

I can believe no-one has mentioned the Pauls/DA shifters!

It looks fine to me. If you want it bling you're going to have to replace the cranks, wheels, pedals, saddle etc etc. Waste of energy. You've got a bar that matches the fork colour, which matches the decals, some red detailing and a rough, functional vibe going on. Face it, the frame is made from unpainted scaffolding tubes, it'll be a chore to make it desirable in aesthetic terms. 🙂

I'd go the other way:

Spray one of your crank arms black. Replace one DMR V8 with a Wellgo MG1. And change the back tyre for one of these.

That oughtta piss off the squares. 🙂

exactly……..coloured tyres are the future

I was thinking about starting a "who has the ugliest bike" thread but there dosn't seem to be any point now…

Easy one! Peel off frame stickers! 😉

itsa summer season – it's meant to look a bit 'sheddy'.

i like it.

(edit: i've just seen the front mech spacer, that's brilliant! – you sir are a Genius)

you say you want your bike to 'look right' – i would say that your SS should be held up as a shining example of mountain biking perfection.

(all my bikes are fugly or, rather, utilitarian & unflashy)

Don't agonise; it is only a bike after all – one that's intended to be taken out & covered in mud. Also one that, for stw, is very cheap and a bit agricultural anyway (I see that as a good thing, mind)

The white bars look like they were the last bars left in the shop & you were desperate. The people with "all" white bikes are at least trying, even if they are just following fashion

I wouldn't have bought red pedals & saddle either but, meh
Other than that I think its OK really, and the mech shim is great

Just ride it.

Woo hoo, loving some of advice!

I agree with the seat, it is old, but it cost a lot and has moulded to my big fat ass well, but yes, a white one may be cool, sdg belair?

Pedals, well they are 10 year old v12's, which rule, I don't want to replace them, but like the idea of repainting them black.

Yep, the rims ruin it, I want another grey rim for the back, anyone got one?

Come one, the bars match the forks, they are a little bit pimping. Black bars are so boring.

Tyres are staying, red walls are never going to happen.

The seatpost is a KS i850 adjustable, works amazingly so never ever ever getting rid of that, the condom is for protection.

OK, lets deal with the front mech spacer, it is a shim from a trailer bike connecting bit, I lost the shims from my deore mech and my mate who works in a bike shop has some, but I haven't seen him in a while.

ahwiles – don't know if you are confusing me with someone else, haven't been riding a ss for a few years now.

SS = lazy shorthand for Summer Season.

not to be confused with:

ss = lazy shorthand for single speed.

…they are a little bit pimping…

Yup 😉

rims/spokes should be black
pedals should be black
handlebars should be black
crank arms should be black
saddle should be black
remove whatever that is around the chainstay and fit a proper lizardskin in (you guessed it) black
fit proper sized front mech
remove johnny from seatpost

or fit more white bits so they don't stick out like bollocks on a bullock

All you need to do is ride it with a smile.

i like the bars 🙂

Get the frame powder-coated white.

Seriously, I reckon that'd work well. Then the red bits will "go". And it'll just cost you £40 odd, a little bit of effort and ideally new decals.

Get it covered in cack, it'll look better with no spending.

Actually, bugger the decals. Leave it plain gloss white and get yourself a couple of white board markers. Then just do the decals before each ride according to what you feel like.

Fancy riding a Cove? No bother. Want an intense today? But a moments work. Want to display abusive messages at your mates? Easy.

Change pedals, seat.
get a white chainstay protector…..

I quite like it, apart from the seatpost/seat. Matching rims would be nice, but who cares really. Mind you, i've got a thrown together 456 too, so its right up my street. Thinking of putting white bars on it too, and the negative comments on here mean i probably will – stuff 'em.

Mind you, if i had a spare couple of grand i'd get something blingy too.

It look way too slack to me-wind the forks down.