At that time, the handlebar grips were damaged, so one side became shorter, leaving it incomplete.

After that, I bought new grips.

Given the color of my bike, I wanted green grips, but it was surprisingly hard to find them.

In the end, I bought them online.

It's true that rare or good items are often hard to find except online, isn't it?

I realized that again.

■Customization

The grips I bought this time are not the type that can be installed directly when bar end extensions are already attached.

They're the cheapest kind.

Therefore, they can't be used without a little modification.

I held them against the actual handlebars to see where to cut, then carefully cut them with a utility knife.

Actually, it doesn't have to be perfect here.

There's joy in doing it yourself.

This time, the story is about how customizing is more fun when you do it yourself.

What is Bicycle Customization?

In the context of bicycles, customization can be understood as adding or replacing parts to make the bike unique to you.

Unlike cars, where professional knowledge and experience are essential for things like engine displacement or stabilizers, the barrier to entry is much lower for bicycles.

Therefore, even amateurs can relatively easily enjoy customizing their bikes.

You'll grow attached to it

One of the good things about customization is that it makes your bike truly yours, and you'll grow more attached to it.

It's not just about the mental aspect.

As in this example, it can make the handlebars easier to grip or reduce strain on your hands.

Installing a rack makes it easier to carry luggage, and since many road bikes and hybrid bikes don't have mudguards, installing them as needed can prevent your back from getting dirty when riding in the rain.

Furthermore, by changing the wheels and tires, you can improve grip with the ground or reduce air resistance.

For a hybrid bike, a front basket might also be a good idea.

It's convenient for a quick shopping trip.

Replacing the saddle with one that has higher cushioning will prevent your bottom from hurting on long rides.

Doing this much will definitely make you feel very attached to your bike.

Even when it's parked in a bicycle lot, you'll recognize your bike from a distance.

Learn more about your bicycle

One of the benefits of customization is that you can learn more about your bicycle.

You can learn about its condition and about bicycles as machines.

Loosening and tightening bolts, which seems like something anyone can do, turns out to be surprisingly profound when you actually try it.

When I started my job assembling machinery, a senior colleague told me, "You can tighten a screw, can't you?" I thought it was easy and just tightened them, but apparently there's an order to tightening screws and a proper torque.

Furthermore, you have to choose the right materials; if you don't, using iron screws with stainless steel parts can cause galvanic corrosion (dissimilar metal contact corrosion).

By the way, it's not that SUS and iron themselves are bad, but the zinc plating used on iron has a large potential difference with SUS, which accelerates corrosion.

You know there are Phillips and flathead screwdrivers, but did you know there are sizes 1, 2, and 3?

Using the wrong size will damage the head.

There are also hex wrenches with ball ends, but some people break the ball end by using it for final tightening.

The ball end is for quick turning, and you should use the non-ball end for applying force. These are things that are never written in manuals, but people who know how to use them correctly wouldn't use them in that way.

All of these things are learned through experience, so you can't even know they exist without actually doing them.

Customization, which allows you to naturally acquire such knowledge, can also be expected to subtly raise your skill level.

Honestly, it's a "swamp"

Customization, honestly, is a "swamp."

Once you start, it's so much fun that you'll want to replace one part after another.

If there's a different color, you'll want to try it; if there's a different specification, you'll want to test it out.

There are (mostly) plastic caps that attach to the ends of handlebars.

They're called end caps.

These are just pressed in, so they're easy to remove and replace.

They come in various colors and shapes.

Some rare ones can even hold a rearview mirror, and once you discover their existence, you'll be tempted to try them.

Furthermore, due to the size and nature of the parts, they aren't very expensive, so you can try them out one after another.

Because it's so enjoyable, once you get hooked, there's no end to it.

To describe it, it's a "swamp."

Once you fall in, you can't get out.

Hearing that might make it sound scary, but riders of sports bikes like road bikes and hybrid bikes willingly dive headfirst into that swamp, so you might get a sense of how much fun it is.

Why don't you try it, starting with simple end caps?

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External Writer: Koichi Okuno