The BikeRumor team has been wandering around the Sea Otter Expo for the past couple of days. While the latest and greatest bikes, components, and accessories are the primary focus of the event, there’s no shortage of beautifully painted custom bikes to check out. I’ve been trying to capture as many of these masterpieces as I can, so without further ado, here’s a gallery of the bikes that really caught my eye.
The custom-painted ENVE road bike above has among the most impressive paint jobs I’ve ever seen on anything. This bike was apparently dipped with the computer mount and bottle cages attached to keep the pattern and fade consistent on the entire frame. The gold accents on the frame and the wheels are gold leaf, taking the bling factor up another notch entirely. I can’t imagine how much this paint job costs. I’d be terrified to ride it, but it’s really something to look at.
ENVE also has a couple of custom-painted road bikes on display to showcase their custom paint program. Buyers who are willing to spend a bit extra when purchasing can work with ENVE’s custom paint team to bring their dream bike to reality. I didn’t realize the level of detail and customization ENVE put into the custom jobs, but here you go. The white frame with the gold stripes matches the Ferrari that it’s mounted on top of, but the car wasn’t all that interesting to look at, comparatively.
I was checking out some new shoes in the Giro booth when Kate Courtney just happened to wander in. The multi-time World Champion most recently won the XC Marathon title and is wearing the stripes again this season. And, big surprise, she’s got a custom-painted Allied BC40 XC race bike to match. It’s a great-looking bike with the frame, fork, and even the wheels painted to match the rainbow jersey. It’s good to be the champ.
In the FSA and Vision wheels booth, this custom-painted Rodeo Labs gravel bike was hard to walk past. The color scheme and design were apparently inspired by the rally car that was raced by Lancia Stratos to win the 1974, 1975, and 1976 World Rally Car Championships. They yellow wheels sure do pop. Also, looks like heck of a lot of fun to ride.
And who doesn’t love a stars and stripes paint job? Giant actually had a couple of the latest Anthem SL XC bikes done up special, but I got distracted by the flashiness of the US flag paint job in the front. Pretty sure the frame in the back is done up in South African colors to celebrate Alan Hatherly’s 2025 Elite XCO World Championship. Gorgeous bikes that look fast while they’re sitting still.
Kogel Bearings knew they could drum up some attention when they placed this custom-painted Scarab outside their booth. The frame is beautiful and incredibly intricate from tip to tail, with the stem, seatpost, and bottle cages playing into the color scheme. But Kogel was also showing off its custom cage painting capabilities with a matching Collosus cage and gold pulleys, really tying the whole thing together.
Kuat racks was demonstrating that its Piston rack can, in fact, handle bikes with 32″ wheels. This Salsa Fargo 32 above had a super-slick color-changing paint job that changed between purple and green depending on the light and angle you’re viewing it from. I also appreciated the other elements of this custom build with chrome and silver components and accents, tan walls, and matching tan bar tape and hoods. You’ll likely see this bike again in other Sea Otter coverage, but I just wanted to appreciate the paint job here.
Crankbrothers drew me in with this tricked-out Propain done up to match the mini-Porsche in the plexiglass box. They absolutely nailed the paint job, and dialed in the accents to tie it all together. It showcases the brand-new Stamp Evo pedals with blue composite bash guards, as well as the brand’s silver Synthesis wheels. Silver wheels are making a comeback thanks to Crankbrothers and a few other brands.
Cadex was showing off a number of pretty bikes in its booth while showcasing its wheels and components. Mosaic’s bikes don’t need a custom paint job to look amazing, but it doesn’t hurt when they’re done up in a super classy-looking fade like this. The head badge really pops, and the stem, seatpost, bolts, and headset help to finish the look. Plus just a bit of raw titanium still showing on the chainstays… Chef’s kiss.
In my opinion, BTCHN bikes have earned their name by having some of the most bitchin’ frame finishes in the industry. In the photos above, the brand’s 32″ gravel rig was on display in the Thule booth, demonstrating that its Vero hitch rack can carry 32″ wheeled bikes. From a distance, it doesn’t look like much, but then when you get close, you realize that it’s a fine-textured surface finish. I’m not entirely sure how it’s done, but it seems like perhaps some kind of acid etching process. However they do it, it sure looks BTCHN. Also, this whole build is just outstanding. More on this in another post, I’m sure.
Above is a closer view of the textured finish on the BTCHN 32 mountain bike that was on display in the Wolf Tooth booth. It’s similar to the gravel bike I just discussed, but the silver shows through a bit more here. It really looks great up close, and it has a great hand feel, too. I also noticed this anodized titanium BTCHN 32 drop bar bike at the Shimano booth, which was very attractive in a totally different way, the handlebars, too.
Hunt Wheels was showing off this custom-painted Intense gearbox prototype downhill bike. Gearboxes are neat, and all, but the Raw aluminum frame with glittery gold, green, and red paint was drawing more of the attention. Those silver Hunt rims aren’t something you see every day, either.
Last but certainly not least, this Sour Cycles 32″ mountain bike was on display at the White Industries booth. I’m a sucker for a fade, and this purple to blue fade is quite different than the standard paint job that we’ve already seen on other Sour 32″ frames. It happened to have the brand-new White Industries x Moots titanium cranks and a handful of anodized accents that White Industries is known for. We’ll be rounding up all of the 32″ bikes we saw at the show soon, too, so if you’re interested, stay tuned…
