Harry Kooros
I’d say that almost every cyclist in the world has at some point dreamt of getting their bike custom painted with a unique design. Be it a simple respray with some fresh colours, or a wildy lairy design that will stand out of the crowd, riders have to overcome a number of obstacles to get their bikes transformed. These include stripping and rebuilding the bike, painting costs, working out a design, and often coordinating a courier.
The most frustrating obstacle I’ve faced when getting custom paint jobs done in the past is figuring out the perfect design. Lacking drawing skills, computer rendering program skills, and general creativity, I’ve been held back with finding a design that I obsess over.
When working on a new project with Velocraft in Victoria, I was referred to Design By Twain to help get a design for them to work their magic with. Founder Twain has an Industrial Design degree and has worked in a number of design areas, including graphic, apparel, kitchen and house designs. With an age-old passion for cycling, he started the company in 2018 as a way to align this passion with his creative side. While still working as a sales consultant in a bike store, Twain spends the remainder of his time working on Design By Twain, consulting with clients to help them design their dream frame.
Process
Twain typically works on the 3 quick initial ideas through to 1 final design, which then gets refined’ process. This allows his clients to explore a few different design themes before then honing in on one, and working with Twain to perfect it.
On my initial consult with Twain, it was evident that I had no real direction, so he sent me away to get thinking. I put together a mood board with all my thoughts and sent it through him. He then came back with some amazing designs, and there was one that really stuck out to me. We then worked in real time via WhatsApp to refine that design and make it perfect. This allowed us to go back and forth within minutes, rather than hours or days.
Twain also offers custom logo designs, so you can add more personalisation to your project. He believes it’s all about the fine details.
Once your design is locked in, Twain will then supply you and your painter with a fully annotated high-resolution image and custom vector format files. These are crucial for the painter to know exactly how you want the bike to look. Colours will be mentioned, but he will usually get you to clarify and select these with the painter, as they normally have a swatch to choose from.
Timing
The timeframe for getting a completed design is usually around three weeks, and this includes the whole process, from ideation, through to a final design that can be sent to the painter.
Costs
The cost for Twain’s service is between $400 and $500, depending on how complex the job is, and how much custom graphic designing is needed. Having just gone through the process, I’d strongly recommend Twain if you’re looking to customise your bike.
When asking Twain what he loved most about what he does, he noted that seeing the finished bike excites him as much as it does the clients, and that although he doesn’t physically paint the bikes, he enjoys playing a key role in the process. Just wait until you see the incredible job he and Velocraft have recently done on my Chapter 2 frame!
For further details visit www.designbytwain.com
