Please help me make my men's bike look more girly ;)

[carolync]

I feel so neurotic. My hybrid was stolen so I started researching new hybrids which lead me to the Trek FX line. Then I came to realize that cause of my tall torso, their men's bikes fit me better. But I didn't feel like having the typical boring men's colors, so I bought a white and red FX 7.5.

What is this...buyer's remorse? It's ridiculous (of me) but I look at it now and all I see is a large boy-child's bike (all that white and red and black) or else a police bike even. Waaaa! It's a long story (which may or may not have to do with my living with my 3 boys, their dad and a male cat!) but I just really want to neuter this puppy (er, okay that sounded terrible).

So I'll include a picture of the bike - and please forgive my superficial tendencies (I know a lot of women could care less how masculine or feminine their bikes look) - and please tell me how you would make this bike look more like a WSD!!!

Here are some ideas I have - please let me know if you have better ones or if any of these are particularly bad:

- white fenders instead of black? I've found a pair of modern ones online. Sorta like how this Bianchi has white ones: http://www.bianchiusa.com/bikes/stra...li-acera-dama/

- I found one white mountain rack only I don't know if it'll fit the bike (are most of them universal?):
http://www.axiomgear.com/archive/gea.../phoenix-rear/

- Changing the handlebars to something a bit narrower as well as more upright and closer (I did that to my last hybrid and liked it a lot better than the flat mountain bars - comfy as the Treks' are compared to some).

- Here's a good one - haha - how about a metal front basket powder-coated red?: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...A2TE9IQP68MWQU

- A red and pink bell?

Ok - that's all I got. Please humor me! Thanks!

I have a black men's 7.3 FX and my best friend told me it looks like a police bike. I hadn't thought about girlying it up until I saw this post. I love the idea of a pink bottle cage.

[GLC1968]

Everyone already gave you great ideas, but I'm here to tell you how awesome that basket you linked in your original post is.

I'm injured right now and I have a knee scooter that I push around my house. I have that same basket (in black) on the front of it and it's really well done. The little rack attaches to your handlebars and your head tube with velcro so it's easy to remove and doesn't damage the paint job. Then the basket itself will lock into the rack by just lowering the handles. When you lift them, it lifts right off. It's really nicely designed.

I wish I'd seen the red one before I got my black one! Super cute!

[chincitop]

Some of the suggestions that you girls have put up have been amazing! I totally agree with the fashion thing. Matching gloves, coordinated helmet, bottles, etc with girly designs, even if you keep to the white and red, would definitely femme her up a bit A friend of mine has a bike where they powder coated her rims to match, and it looks pretty good.

Other things: Hints of pinks in gear, handlebar grips/tape, bags, etc

I love the custom bell idea! The ladybug one is so cute!

[murielalex]

I love the custom bell idea! The ladybug one is so cute!

X2

I started looking around at bells after seeing the ladybug and found this page. Lots of cute ones!

http://www.chubbyscruisers.com/shop/...ells-and-horns

[sah]

rhinestone accents! Bell, stem cover, cup holder.

http://cruisercandy.com/bling-bling/

[Theresse]

Hellooooo!

See attached pics... (edit: I forgot to add one of how the bike first looked, so that will be in the next post)

It's been a long time and I just want to thank everyone again for the wonderful suggestions (!!!) and to share pics of my bike now that I've girlified her. Or is it girlified him? I don't know. She's now the "Queen of Hearts." Totally cheeseball name and I really overdid it with the hearts...so I'll probably pull off a sticker or two! What's funny is that when you add the yellow pannier bag/s, the bike shows every color in the actual Queen of Hearts card (white, red, black and yellow).

The first pic is a reminder of what my bike looked like (Trek FX 7.5) when I took HIM home from the shop. To be fair though, the shop did add some things: woman's seat; black fenders, silver mini bike pump; kick stand; cup holder; red saddle bag and mirror. Didn't help - just looked more like a police bike than anything, lol.

Then I added an argyle saddle bag that had red, pink and white colors but it didn't quite work either. Was trying too hard...

Then finally I did the following, the majority of which was thanks to all your advice! Looks so much better, me thinks: changed out the handlebars to ones that fit me better (a bit more upright and not so black - though kept the shifters); got an even cushier seat; went back to a red saddle bag; replaced the break cables with white; added a metal red front basket; white fenders; put on a silver rear rack; added a rhine stone red heart bike bell; added reflective stickers and red heart decorative tire valve caps (and good lights, a silver bottle cage and an iphone clear vinyl handlebar case, though those have nothing to do with girlifying the bike). Last but not least I changed out the 28c Bontrager tires for 32c Panaracer T-serv protex tires which feel AMAZING compared to those skinny hard sons o' beeches that came with the bike. I'm now bouncing along, as happy as can be.

...which is not to say I've gotten over the kidnapping of my '91 Bianchi Advantage hybrid women's bike. Every time I see a bright blue-purple bike go by I have to take a double-take to make sure it's not my beloved stolen bike.

[Theresse]

First pic here - if they don't reverse the order - is of the bike when I first brought it home from the store (after they added a few things to it). Just didn't look right to me! The rest after that are more of the latest photos...

[goldfinch]

Thanks for the follow up. I love to see how people deck out their bikes. I especially like that red basket.

[Theresse]

Thanks! If memory serves, those baskets come in an array of colors. Yep here they are - Sunlite brand: http://www.chubbyscruisers.com/shop/...icycle-baskets

The only problem is that the rear part of the basket scraped paint off my bike where it rubs against it. I had to wrap black tape around that area of the basket to stop the rubbing, only now I hear a squeaking sound from the tape. Ugh! I could put a little bike oil on there but it'll probably loosen the adhesive. I hate to get rid of the basket though - I really like how it's red too.

[IBrakeforPastry]

Your bike looks beautiful! And going back to your first post, I feel somewhat neurotic right now, trying to choose a color for my new bike. The color I thought I wanted suddenly looked kind of masculine, so I've spent a good part of today imagining how to "girlify" it So I laughed, and sighed with relief when I just came across this thread. Thank you! I like that your bike looks "girly" but not too girly (I hope that's what you were going for). Enjoy the ride!

[Theresse]

Your bike looks beautiful! And going back to your first post, I feel somewhat neurotic right now, trying to choose a color for my new bike. The color I thought I wanted suddenly looked kind of masculine, so I've spent a good part of today imagining how to "girlify" it So I laughed, and sighed with relief when I just came across this thread. Thank you! I like that your bike looks "girly" but not too girly (I hope that's what you were going for). Enjoy the ride!

Thank you!! Yes I didn't want it to be over the top girly, so I appreciate what you wrote. The color I wanted more than anything (have actually wanted it my whole life, ever since a friend in 7th grade got this color) is a light blue or sort of coastal blue type of color. Basically very close to the 2011 Trek FX 7.3 for women in Coastal Blue. But my torso's too tall for the Trek women's hybrids (which I wanted, after reading enough reviews). So I got the white/red/black Trek in men's only cause it was the least masculine looking of all the men's hybrids! Pretty silly huh?

[IBrakeforPastry]

Nope, not silly at all, at least to me I've been shopping for a bike and I'm afraid I'm going to make a decision based on appearance, and I know better.
My Trek FX was stolen when it was just a few months old, and it took me a couple of years to stop scrutinizing every bike I saw, hoping to find it again.

[missjean]

A frilly skirt and high heels!

J/K :-)

I like the heart sticker on the back.