Questionaire - Customization and Personalization

1. Is you bike custom built or 'off the peg'?
   
   

OTP and quite common. (Specialized 08 Tricross SS)

1. If OTP, how have you made the bike your own?
   
   

Removed the chicken brake levers and rear brake, switched the cross tires fo some red Michelins and changed over to fixed. Stripped decals off the wheels. Also moved the bars down for TTing. It's not how I want it yet, but it's the least worn of my bikes so it'll be a while before I make any major changes.

1. How important are your bikes aesthetics to you and why?
   
   

Fairly important. Of all things it's nice to have things that are nice to look at. If all I could afford was some ugly stuff then I would buy it. I genuinely like the colour scheme on this bike, if it came without all the Spesh names and branding on it I would be quite chuffed. I'll probably come up with something quite personal when I finally overhaul it.

1. Have you ever switched perfectly good parts for something else and for what reason?
   
   

Transmission, mostly because I needed something much bigger for TTing. As fixeds go, this is a lovely TT bike.

1. If you could change anything about your bike what would it be?
   
   

I love the colour scheme but would change that. The cross frame and forks are excellent so those won't be changing and I like the handlebars as they are. I would like to change the brake levers a bit to something that I would find a bit more comfortable for long distance riding. I would like a F/F flip hub at some point, again for long distance (2 teeth can make all the difference sometimes). Deep Vs? It's possible. If I put together a good colour scheme and could find some that went well with it then I probably would. Arrowspok? I can't see me dropping that much cash on a wheel. Other custom parts would probably be down to what I eventually do to it.

1. Any other thoughts?
   
   

I'd love to do a custom build one day and I probably will, time space and cash permitting. I'd love to do a restoration for someone else. I love seeing people ride around on things that I've put together for them but haven't had a chance to do that with a fixed yet. I'm but a neophyte in this game yet.

Thanks again.[/QUOTE]