Are these Trek’s wildest paint jobs ever?

If you want a bike that’ll get noticed, Trek has just introduced new Tie Dye paint finishes to its Project One range – and they're certainly head-turners.

Project One is Trek’s custom scheme. You choose the model/size of frameset – coming out of a mould, the frame dimensions aren’t custom – then the finish you want, and finally the build. The Tie Dye finish is one of Trek’s Icon options and it’s available in various different colours, some more in your face than others.

“To tempt both tie-dye traditionalists and modern colour lovers, Project One ICON Tie Dye will be available in six different options, ranging from the iconic and bright Rainbow Tie Dye to subdued monochrome options, like Shady Grey Tie Dye and Juniper Tie Dye, and muted Pastel Tie Dye,” says Trek. “These six different schemes mean riders can keep their design mellow or take their ride as far out as they want.”

> Behold this custom-painted Factor OSTRO VAM made in collaboration with Duke Agyapong 

As usual with Project One, you can personalise the finish – by adding your name to the top tube, for example – and choose the components from a range of options. Groupsets are from Shimano and SRAM – you can’t get Campagnolo – while nearly everything else is from Trek’s in-house Bontrager brand.

Trek only offers higher-end models through Project One and the Tie Dye finish is restricted to the Madone SLR, Domane SLR, and Émonda SLR road bikes, the Domane+ SLR electric road bike, as well as the Checkpoint SLR gravel bike and the Speed Concept time trial/triathlon bike.

> Trek releases radical Madone SLR, its “fastest road race bike ever”

None of these options is cheap. A Project One Émonda SLR 6 starts at £7,400, for example. That’s with a Shimano 105 Di2 R7170 groupset. An Icon Tie Dye finish adds £1,650, so you’re looking at £9,050.

> Check out our review of the Shimano 105 R7100 Di2 Groupset 

At the other end of the price scale, a Madone SLR 9 eTap, built up with a SRAM Red eTap AXS Quarq groupset, starts at £14,500. Add £1,650 for your Tie Dye paint job and you’re up to £16,150, so you’d better be confident that it’s the finish you want. You can bring the price down a bit by altering the wheels, saddles, and tyres, but you’ll still be looking at big, big money.

If that’s way north of what you can pay – or are willing to pay – there are plenty of other ways to add customisation to your cycling. Custom-painted cycling shoes can be very cool, for example, and the options are limitless. There’s definitely someone out there who can do you a tie dye finish.

> Custom-painted cycling shoes: a look at the coolest and a guide to the best artists 

Okay, they can be expensive, but not £16,000-expensive.

If you do fancy a Trek Project One bike, you can get started here.

Take a look at loads more cool Bikes at Bedtime here.