Alt Bike Culture - Just a fad?

What is so special abouit "choppers" "cruisers" and things of the like anyways? Are they just a fad?

I think this forum might end up focusing more on those crazy people who do midget bike jousting and prepare for carmageddon, than the cute girls on cruiser bikes in Huntington Beach.

What is so special abouit "choppers" "cruisers" and things of the like anyways? Are they just a fad?

what's cool is that it is a creative process, you can make cool stuff that is not readily available to buy, and it's just fun to make cool stuff. i am a wannabe cool stuff maker. i think this forum is a great idea.
:)

Just how long has the Latino community in Southern California been building lowrider custom bicycles?

Its no fad! Remember that the modern mountain bike was based on the Stingray chopper! :) Since the beginning of bicycling, you had two people, the ones riding the bikes and throwing them away, and the people picking them up and making new stuff out of them. :)

peace,
sam

In Texas, the "custom" chopper bike thing has been very big with young Hispanic guys for a long time. I was very impressed one day in a bike store in San Antonio. A kid, about age twelve, came in with his customized bike. He had done most of the work himself, and worked a variety of jobs to earn money to pay for each "upgrade". His bike showed the hours and hours of work he had put into it.

In a society where many kids that age are just watching TV, or playing video games, it was cool to see a young guy investing so much time and energy into something constructive.

Its no fad! Remember that the modern mountain bike was based on the Stingray chopper! :) Since the beginning of bicycling, you had two people, the ones riding the bikes and throwing them away, and the people picking them up and making new stuff out of them. :)

peace,
sam

Stingrays rock. I remember the Lemon Peeler/Orange Krate variations...

Its no fad! Remember that the modern mountain bike was based on the Stingray chopper! :) Since the beginning of bicycling, you had two people, the ones riding the bikes and throwing them away, and the people picking them up and making new stuff out of them. :)sam
i would say bmx was based on the stingray.Mountain bikes were based on old schwinn balloon tire bikes which were then modified by adding more gears.

What is so special abouit "choppers" "cruisers" and things of the like anyways? Are they just a fad?

Judging by the fact that modified, home-built, amateur and semi-professional bikes have been being built in garages throughout the world for more than 35 years, I'd suggest it has exceeded the 'fad' threshhold. Major bike manufacturers have recently become involved with factory-made choppers and all indications seem to indicate they're a hit. I'm proud to say I own an authentic (all-chromed) lowrider, a beach cruiser, a streched cruiser and a chopper. Every one of them are more fun than a barrel full of monkeys (and, yes, I have ridden a barrel full of monkeys). :D

I have some copies of Lowrider somewhere, from the early 90's, that have features on how to box and fill the headstock on a bike and other old chopper tricks that had been turned to bikes. They used to run a feature every month on lowrider bikes.

We have some guys that like to build funky bikes, everything from wild paint jobs, to welded mods, to custom frames.

I never did "get it" with chopping bikes or cars. But I certainly support the those who have the skilz to whack together a pimped out ride: "(werd) theys some crazy shiznit out theya G, knowmsayin (old skool)?"

Just . . . don't come near mine, please (you wouldn't want to anyway) :)

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What is so special abouit "choppers" "cruisers" and things of the like anyways? Are they just a fad?

As I remember they were just a fad in 1968 when I got my orange stingray with the silver metalflake bananna seat :rolleyes:

i would say bmx was based on the stingray.Mountain bikes were based on old schwinn balloon tire bikes which were then modified by adding more gears.

The Schwinn Excelsior is often cited as the base platform for early MTBs.

I never did "get it" with chopping bikes or cars.

Just . . . don't come near mine, please (you wouldn't want to anyway) :)

Hehehe, as soon as you drop that bike to look at a fresh one, thats when us trash-bikers will take a nab at yours! You can't roll through an alley without finding a discarded bikes, and we just pick them up and bring them back into the fold, just a little different. We work in steel now, but wait a few years until all those CF and Ti frames are being tossed out, and that is when we'll pounce, and epoxy them together. Nothing is new forever, and your bike will never be safe. Muahahah. ;)

Like I said, in all of history there has always been an undercurrent of people taking the rejects of society and rebuilding them. Bikes are no different.

peace,
sam

It was old in the 80's when my only Mexican friend was building his. By the 1990's I saw lowrider bikes at the LA Auto Show, including a trike with a CD player/subwoofer. "Cruisin' the boulevard, bumpin' on my Schwinn..."

The Schwinn Excelsior is often cited as the base platform for early MTBs.

How did you post the pics you attached? When I click on the 'insert image' icon above I get a window prompting me to enter the text to be formatted (???)

How did you post the pics you attached? When I click on the 'insert image' icon above I get a window prompting me to enter the text to be formatted (???)

Weird. When I click on the icon, it opens an [b] again, it closes the tag. Of course in practice, I never really use that button. I just type out the tags myself.

For instance,




will produce:

wa wa wa wa wa wa wa, wa wa wa, wa wa
low
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sits a little lowa . . .


All
my
friends...
Have a lowrider...

Wa wa wa wa wa wa wa, wa wa wa, wa wa

I checked out a few of the department store choppers, like the Jesse James and the new stingray and stuff. Generally neat things, but heavy, and with poor components. Bikes like that seem to come on and off the shelves at regular intervals, but the people making their own just keep on working in their garages.

There are a few interesting components off the department store choppers though, like some cool triple-tree headsets and hugely fat rear tires. I'm hoping that we'll be finding some in the alley in coming months as kids tire of them. ;)

peace,
sam

I never did "get it" with chopping bikes


I love all stuff two-wheeled.........
Motorcycle riders dont understand scooters either.
Its a mindset. You will 'get it' or you wont.
My love of bicycles was my first of all the mechanical stuff I ever goofed up
through the decades. It started in 1968 with a blue Stingray and progressed from there.
I think no matter how much money we spend and how tricked out the stuff we can
afford $$$ now gets, we can never recapture the feeling of taking yor first trip around the
neighborhood on your then new stingray. When I got my Stingray in Pittsburgh there was
2' of snow on the ground but I still found a way to show it off. It never occured to me that
Cheater slicks weren't snow tires :D

I checked out a few of the department store choppers, like the Jesse James and the new stingray and stuff. Generally neat things, but heavy, and with poor components. Bikes like that seem to come on and off the shelves at regular intervals, but the people making their own just keep on working in their garages.

There are a few interesting components off the department store choppers though, like some cool triple-tree headsets and hugely fat rear tires. I'm hoping that we'll be finding some in the alley in coming months as kids tire of them. ;)

peace,
sam

Well, I have ridden almost all of them: the Stingray Spoiler, the Nirve Cannibal and Switchblade, the Kona and the Giant Stiletto. I can offer these impressions:

The Nirve and Kona are nice looking and relatively easy to ride (the Kona has wickedly long forks) with the edge going to the 3-speed Nirve in both looks and ride. It's relatively light and easy to handle. It doesn't have the eye-candy appeal of other bikes, however. I parked it on a busy street and watched from a distance to see how many people noticed it and few did.

I love the looks of the Spoiler and it is certainly an attention grabber (especially at 7' 6"). Performing the same parking test, it drew crowds that rival the attention both the Stiletto and Firebike receive. Surprisngly, it rides and handles better than you think, but at 65lbs (approx) and single-speed it is impractical for anything but flat roads. The ratio wasn't bad (equals about the 3rd gear on the Stiletto), but going up even gradual inclines was an effort.

The winner, in my estimation (and the one I bought) is the Stiletto. It is not as aggressive looking as the Spoiler but is nicely designed and solidly built without being excessively heavy (about 50lbs and exactly 6' 9" long). When complimented with a bullet light, maltese-cross mirrors (to match the factory maltese cross headset) and maltese cross pedals it is very eye-catching and attractive (imo). The rear fender is gorgeous all on its own and even the graphics are tastefully done. The ride is very smooth and handling is exceptional due to the more modest length and rake angle of the forks. The dual chain makes getting up to speed no more difficult than any regular road bike and with 7 speeds it is the fastest chopper on the market. I've already raced it against the Nirve Cannibal and it wasn't even close. The smooth slicks it comes with make the ride much more comfortable than you might think. My only disappointments are that the seat is too hard and needs additional paddiing: the seat could also use a little more flair in the design and if the frame was about six inches longer, more than three positions could be offered. I use it to commute with daily now (it's faster than any of my other bikes: Fuji Shangri-la 3-speed cruiser, 3-speed Firebike 'Bling Bling') and at 5' 10", my knees are bent more than I'd like during regular pedalling, but only by a few inches. It is easy to slide back on the sloped seat, however, in order to gain full leg extension. Because of how far forward the pedals are, it is possible to generate considerable power and considerable speed. It's a winner in my book.

Nah, no fad. If it were, everyone would have one, and they'd be fading in popularity by now. It looks like interest is slowly cultivating for different types of bikes and alternative looking bikes.

Koffee

I am an indvidual and my bikes reflect me ;)

I've not ridden the Stilleto.. I should find one and try it out. I think the 7 speed means a lot. I just need to find a cheap source for the Shimano Nexus hubs (or just save up a little more money!). I would eventually like a nice custom frame chopper with a 7 speed, and I suppose I should check out the Stilleto for some geometry hints.. A good chopper probably has a body position not completely unlike that of a recumbent.

I like your 'parking test' idea. Park it and watch, and see what people do. :)

peace,
sam

The Stiletto is the nicest, and I don't say that just because I sell them(Well, we don't sell to many, they are pricey next to the Schwinn) But from the whole look, the stretched frame, the bobbed fender, disk brake, seat finish, exhaust styled chain guard, the idler gear so the drive chain does not flop so much(It would be four feet long without it) the faux tank and the pinstriping by Coop(Look him up on the web, lots of lowbrow stuff on Ebay) the bike is very nice. If we had a shop at the beach I would rent the heck out of these things. You really feel you are cruising a chop when you roll on one.

I test rode the Stilleto too on a recent visit to the LBS and found it to be a blast. Of course I looked like a total dork because I was in my bike shorts, jersey and helmet. I'd need to get some cutoffs, an old faded AC/DC t-shirt and skate helmet to complete the look.

Don't forget to stop by the hardware store for a wooden spike(painted silver) to put on top of the helmet.

I've not ridden the Stilleto.. I should find one and try it out. I think the 7 speed means a lot. I just need to find a cheap source for the Shimano Nexus hubs (or just save up a little more money!). I would eventually like a nice custom frame chopper with a 7 speed, and I suppose I should check out the Stilleto for some geometry hints.. A good chopper probably has a body position not completely unlike that of a recumbent.

I like your 'parking test' idea. Park it and watch, and see what people do. :)

peace,
sam

Try Firebikes or Jakz. They both make stretch cruisers with truly awesome and radical designs. I own a Firebike 'Bling Bling' and am thinking about buying a Jakz Addict Cobra. I use a 3-speed Sturmey-Archer hub on my Bling Bling, but a 7 could work just as well.

Helmet? What helmet? We don't need no stinkin' helmets? :D

Just thought I'd throw this in here...

www.dclxvi.org/chunk/

Chunk has been doing the trash bike thing for a long time, those guys are hardcore. Their bikes have a crazy asthetic to them too, a lot of people take the time to make their bikes look nice, but some people prefer to leave their bikes looking like the unholy spawn of a junkyard bicycle orgy, complete with highly suggestive welding slag all over them. Different, but highly cool, I expect to see chunk 666 take over the pacific northwest when the carmageddon comes.

peace,
sam

Man this is where its at


Niiiice. I like the fairings. It's a time-trial chopper! :D

When I went shopping for off-the-shelf choppers, I ended up with a Phat Cycles Whopper Chopper and a Raleigh chopper reissue.

The Whopper Chopper is a real head-turner, with the Shimano Nexus 7-speed it handles most terrain pretty well, but it's big and weight was no object when they designed this bike.

The Raleigh chopper is smaller and lighter, and with a SA 3-speed, is more versatile than the Whopper Chopper. I've been riding it regularly on my commute for the past two months. The Whopper Chopper only comes out of the garage for special ocassions...

(pix not to scale...)

When I went shopping for off-the-shelf choppers, I ended up with a Phat Cycles Whopper Chopper and a Raleigh chopper reissue.

The Whopper Chopper is a real head-turner, with the Shimano Nexus 7-speed it handles most terrain pretty well, but it's big and weight was no object when they designed this bike.

The Raleigh chopper is smaller and lighter, and with a SA 3-speed, is more versatile than the Whopper Chopper. I've been riding it regularly on my commute for the past two months. The Whopper Chopper only comes out of the garage for special ocassions...

(pix not to scale...)

I wish I could post pics of my bikes, but the image adder doesn't work for me. I ride both my Firebike 'Bling Bling' and my Stiletto on my commutes (depends on my mood), and the Firebike is a very rare bike. Don't hide the Whopper Chopper, man, ride it often. I bought mine so I could ride 'em and that's what I do.

check out Firebike.com and click on bling bling

I've ridden the kona chopper and the department store type with the schwinn name. I own a few cruisers. I also own road and mountain bikes. I was disappointed about how hard it was to pop a wheely with the choppers.

I would like kids to have light, easy to control bikes and safe places to ride. In Pittsburgh the choppers would be a challenge on hills. These are not utility bikes. But they would be a blast on the boardwalk and on on the lake shore bike paths.

As long as our country is dependant on oil for its ultimate economic well being (and well after), there will be bikes. I would not call these examples fads but part of an ongoing means of self expression. In our petroleum based country, bikes connote freedom, individuality/self expression and to varying degrees—distance from mainstream society. The fist bicycle chopper came out a year or two after Easy Rider.

This is a case of art driving the marketplace. People think, “I want one of those cool bikes, but I can’t make one, so I’ll buy one”. The retro designed choppers and cruisers are an attempt to satiate the needs of individuality and freedom.

Thankfully the big consumer outlets are not selling kids custom gun stocks and cycling has not made it to Sunday night with beer sponsers. I have heard that wallmart is talking with a major off shore manufacturer about mass producing tall-bikes for the US consumer market, some models will come complete with simulated rust, dents and non oil based tires. Only kidding.

Problem is that today much of the cool things that are sold in the bike market place are mass-produced, expensive and elitist. It’s getting pretty hard to feel free on your bike if you got to shell out 2k, put on your shoes, chamois shorts, gloves helmets and stuff first.

I'm pretty confident there will never be a commercial tall bike. They just aren't safe! The fear of being sued will mean that there is forever a realm of questionable biking that can never be taken over by the x-marts. :)

Once I figure out a slick way of making my own triple tree fork, my next bike will be a chopper. :)

peace,
sam

I've ridden the kona chopper and the department store type with the schwinn name. I own a few cruisers. I also own road and mountain bikes. I was disappointed about how hard it was to pop a wheely with the choppers.

I would like kids to have light, easy to control bikes and safe places to ride. In Pittsburgh the choppers would be a challenge on hills. These are not utility bikes. But they would be a blast on the boardwalk and on on the lake shore bike paths.

As long as our country is dependant on oil for its ultimate economic well being (and well after), there will be bikes. I would not call these examples fads but part of an ongoing means of self expression. In our petroleum based country, bikes connote freedom, individuality/self expression and to varying degrees—distance from mainstream society. The fist bicycle chopper came out a year or two after Easy Rider.

This is a case of art driving the marketplace. People think, “I want one of those cool bikes, but I can’t make one, so I’ll buy one”. The retro designed choppers and cruisers are an attempt to satiate the needs of individuality and freedom.

Thankfully the big consumer outlets are not selling kids custom gun stocks and cycling has not made it to Sunday night with beer sponsers. I have heard that wallmart is talking with a major off shore manufacturer about mass producing tall-bikes for the US consumer market, some models will come complete with simulated rust, dents and non oil based tires. Only kidding.

Problem is that today much of the cool things that are sold in the bike market place are mass-produced, expensive and elitist. It’s getting pretty hard to feel free on your bike if you got to shell out 2k, put on your shoes, chamois shorts, gloves helmets and stuff first.

Having ridden most of the commercially available choppers myself, it is clear they are and always have been designed for cruising, not popping wheelies, taking hills, racing or even commuting. They're all about cruising. Granted, the Stiletto has 7-speeds and goes fast...for a chopper...but not compared to comparably priced ($500.00-600.00) road bikes. My 11 year old son rides the Stiletto without any difficulty and handles it as easy if not easier than his regular bike. Fortunately, we don't have serious hills in the area of the city we're in so it's relatively easy to ride everywhere. Heck, I use it as a commuter, but my route is fairly flat. But, it's true that most north American cities have adopted a car culture and it's not likely to change any time soon. Most regard bicycles as recreational vehicles, little more than toys. Hopefully, that attitude can change...and that change begins with us educating our children.

I don't think the commercially offered choppers are necessarily severely over-priced (the Stiletto is only $500.00+), even though some are grossly expensive for what they offer (the Spoiler!). I will say they are very well built and (after checking every nut and bolt) I feel confident letting my son ride any of them. Some of us don't have the skill (yet) to build what we want, so we take what's available and modify it or accesorize.

Either way, they're all cool and regardless of what compels us to ride them, the fact that we DO ride them is the point.

Its seems that everything is a fad to someone outside that particular bubble. Be it alt bike, single speed, 29ers.... even road bikes. LBS in the Houston area have to stock up on road bikes for people wanting to do the MS150. Would you call that a fad?

I like Rat Rods and Rat Fink. Reflected that in rebuilding my Schwinn cruiser. I plan on rat rodding the SS MTB I am about to build. To me its not a fad, its just my way of help bringing the Kustom Kulture to cycling. Just like the guys the Kustomize VW's.

Wow. Choppers and cruisers a fad?

Lets see. Cruisers started in the 30's as balloon tires (but looked extremely similar to the bikess of the turn of the century)and lasted, in some form, into the early 80's as middleweights. They came back in the 90's as the "beach cruiser".

I remember the Schwinn Stingrays back in the seventies. I built my first and only chopper from my first bicycle and a 10-speed fork back in 1977 or 78.

I remember reading Lowrider magazine in the late 80's and lowrider bikes were in then and are still going strong here in SoCal.

I don't think any of it's a fad. I could be wrong tho. Some times things may be are more noticeable than others.

The only thing new these days are the ready-made choppers at the bike shops.

I love all stuff two-wheeled.........
Motorcycle riders dont understand scooters either.
Its a mindset. You will 'get it' or you wont.
My love of bicycles was my first of all the mechanical stuff I ever goofed up
through the decades. It started in 1968 with a blue Stingray and progressed from there.
I think no matter how much money we spend and how tricked out the stuff we can
afford $$$ now gets, we can never recapture the feeling of taking yor first trip around the
neighborhood on your then new stingray. When I got my Stingray in Pittsburgh there was
2' of snow on the ground but I still found a way to show it off. It never occured to me that
Cheater slicks weren't snow tires :D

Agreed! If it has two wheels I like it. I remember seeing a bicycle in a motorcycle magazine called "The Peddler" It was a project a motorcycle builder did just to see what could be done. It was so cool! I had the picture on my wall for a year. I don't remember what magazine it was but it was in the mid '70s. The general appeal may come and go, but there always seems to be a core group of people who just like to tinker with two wheels.
P.S. Cheater slicks and Stingrays!!! I've returned to my misspent youth!!! :D