Iver Johnson Cycle Works-Rocket Bike Girl!

Rocket Bike Girl! This is so cool....The little basket on the front, the rocket, this kid has her bicycle helmet on...IT JUST WORKS :)



I wonder what kind of ROCKET that is propelling the bike in this video. Does anyone know?

 
 

The Land Rider



At just 29 pounds, the Elite is LandRider's top of the line. It delivers all of the excitement and comfort that the LandRider model has to offer in addition to several additional high-performance features that enhance its performance such as the all-alloy frame, pedals, handlebars and suspension forks.

This bike has something resembling an 'Automatic Transmission' which senses terrain, inclines and such! What is really cool is that that the bike does all the gear shifting FOR YOU! The rider just jumps on, does their thing and the rest is taken care of by the bicycle. However, I would thing that the company which sells and distributes this bicycle would put a 'Dealers' section on their website as to add a little more comfort with the buying decision people are making.

In their FAQ Section, if something breaks down or their are maintenance issues, the buyer has to call the company to get a reference for Bike Shops who can fix the issues with the auto-shift system.

No applause for this design but I LOVE THE AUTO-SHIFT System. Great job LAND RIDER!

 
 

Bicycle Design Blog-I'm NOT WORTHY!



Folks, a rare event has happened on today when I saw this bicycle design...I do BELIEVE that we have another 'Funk Hall of Fame Inductee!' I mean, look at this...Or look at it AGAIN after you get up off the floor from being passed out...I am ALMOST at a loss for words when I look at this bike.

EVERYTHING about this design is pure perfection from an aesthetic stand-point. It is FREE OF CLUTTER, the color is beautiful, the rim fan pattern works perfectly with the flow and lines of this FUNK BALL. The fork, OH the FORK :0 How many times have you seen a bike that you just say to yourself "I don't even want to ride this bike, I just want to mount it on a wall and stare at it."

I thought the Ellsworth Nuvinci was clean, but this just makes me say "I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!"

WATCH THE VIDEO ALL THE WAY TO THE END...This is how I met when I saw this design..."I am not worthy!"

 
 

Bike Blog-A Night at the Bike Museum

Design Model, ca. 1871
Height: 14"
Possibly English



They were BLINGIN HARD back in the late 19th Century ya know...Tell me any one of yall wouldn't roll this so everybody could check yall out..I love this :) When I saw this FREAK SHOW, I thought of this song...because.."This design has me goin' in CIRCLES." Play the video and ABSORB the funk of this design.



Phantom Velocipede, ca. 1869
Reynolds & Mays, London
England



Velocipede Tricycle, 1868
Michaux & Cie., Paris
France

OH MY! This is HOOOT!

 
 

Marshall Taylor-Bamboo Bike-BAMBUCICLETAS



WOW! Now this is a creative bicycle design. It kind of resembles the frame of the Veloribis I posted a few months back but BE SURE, this isn't a Veloribis. This type of creativity, while not flashy at all, blesses my heart and pleases my eyes folks. Why?

1. This whole design took some thought

2. It certainly wasn't made with the LOOK in mind, but only the material, which is BAMBOO!

3. That rear fender thing (or whatever it is is) shoots straight back over the tire and really completes this design well.

4. The handle bars sit HIGHER than the seat and and THANK GOODNESS, they aren't those APE HANGERS 9Hated them!)

I am ALWAYS a fan of those super small sprockets as I have one on my design (Iron RIDERZ S.E.) because it FORCES the viewer to look at other places other than that area of the bike. Truthfully, one of the first 3 things anyone notices on a bike is the sprocket and usually it is because they are SOOO big.

The straight across Bamboo handle bars are of the nature that they would look good with ANY BIKE and with most any color. This designer gets the APPLAUSE people, not so much for beauty, but for the creativity and simplicity of this design that says (unlike other bamboo bikes) no MASS PRODUCTION was involved. Just a simple builder building a very simple bike with the resources available to them :)

 
 

Major Taylor-The Opti-Bike

The Steve Allen Show-Frank Zapa playing a BICYCLE as a musical instrument!


Watch Frank Zappa on the Steve Allen Show in Music  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com


I don't know WHAT THESE FOLKS are saying, but I love the SPIRIT that this video was done with!


Watch [H!M] A monocycle & tricycle race in Entertainment  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

 
 

Major Taylor-More "Big Dummy Awards"

Play this VIDEO-Listen to the SONG...And no written words are needed!














 
 

Bike Design-I Saw the FUNK...and it was GOOD!



The colors here are FAB! Yes my friends, in my never ending search for all things FUNK in bicycle design, I saw these 2 rides and JUST HAD TO POST THEM. Why? Well, because they are just very creative and it took SOME imagination to come up with these concepts. Are they new concepts? NO! Remember I posted a bicycle called a 1947 Moon Lander a few years ago.



However, these cats must've taken that concept and built a MORE ROBUST looking Moon Lander. It doesn't make these any better or worse, just creative from the stance of, they saw a concept and improved upon it! Now on the green design, I hate those APE-HANGER handle bars...2 things bother me more than anything else on a design. Ape hanger handle bars and white wall tire...As my boys Damon Wayans and David Allen Grier used to say on 'In Living Color'....HATED IT!



On the Orange bike, can't you just feel that DESIGN RHYTHM? If you look at that FUNK BALL and and don't at least feel like dancing a little, you prolly ain't got no rhythm eh? Well done designers and because I believe these are well done, I must say (minus the ape hanger handle bars) "I saw the FUNK...and it WAS GOOD!"

 
 

Major Taylor-A Reader Can't READ!

Your FEARLESS BLOGGER!



WOW! I had an interesting comment from a reader concerning my Gary-Fisher-Trek post... which I feel compelled to respond to... A reader seemed...well..Upset and basically said I post UNEDUCATED comments...The comment was (and the reader didn't post their web address or email)...The comment was;

"If you knew anything about the bicycle industry, you would know by now, that Trek and Gary Fisher are the same company. So many of your posts are nothing more than uneducated opinions. What does any of these uneducated opinions have to do with Marshall Taylor?

What would Marshall Taylor think about you trying to represent him?"


The reader obviously didn't read the post in total because I DID SAY these are the same companies. Trek acquired Gary Fisher! The point of THAT POST was to pose the question, WHY would a company who owns both brands, make competing products that look almost the same and one (Gary Fisher), obviously superior to the other (Trek).

I have read too many other blogs and blog comments over the years to count and the one thing I noticed is that there are some folks (like me) who have some very strong opinions. The strange thing is (while reading comments), I only remember reading a few blogs containing comments of disagreement. This means either the Blog Owner shares the opinions (without any variations within those opinions) with all of their readers, OR the blog owners don't approve those comments for posting or delete the comments that don't agree with the opinion of the Blog Owner.

I, your fearless blogger will do no such thing (not approve or delete dissenting opinions)because what makes MY COUNTRY and the country we live in so great is we are free to express our opinions without fear of syndication or arrest.

Also...the commenter said "If you knew anything about the bicycle industry", Well, this is true, I don't know JACK about the industry! Why should I know anything about the industry? My friend, that is THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS BLOG! To give an IGNORANT OUTSIDERS view of an industry that has so thoroughly uninspired the Urban Areas in this country, that bicycle industry products mean NOTHING to youth anymore.

What would Marshall Taylor think of how I am representing him? From being one of the foremost expert in the world on Marshall Major Taylor, My company is set to REPRESENT HIM in a way that no one in the 133 years since his birth has. How will we do that? Just stay tuned!

Anonymous Commenter, I will go even further than your comments concerning my opinions being 'Uneducated'. As the bicycle industry is concerned, I am "Unlearned AND Ignorant" and if being uneducated, unlearned and ignorant means my mind is free too, very shortly, bring the world the HOOTTTESST Rec Bikes on the planet, I accept your judgment and statement that I am uneducated.

It is my hope that you return to read this blog because soon, my company will roll out something that I guarantee you will love. Until that time though Anonymous, I will continue to post MY OPINIONS. Men of vision, like myself, are often ridiculed by those who have accepted the OPINIONS of others as EDUCATION that somehow (they believe) give them an edge over others. It is ALWAYS such people who end up drawing their paychecks from the very people whom they are more educated than :)

As I have in the past told others, I now tell you...Listen to the video and please accept "It's my party (blog) and I will cry if I want to."

 
 

Extreme Mountain Bikes- Josh Bender



Now either this guy is a DWARF or this bike is a MONSTER! This guys name is josh bender and I ran across this picture after using a search term I have never used before. It yielded a MASSIVE AMOUNT of FUNK which I will be posting in the next week.
Josh Bender doing a 60 foot drop!



Josh Bender - 60 Ft Drop - Massive Crash - Click here for another funny movie.

This guy said it best in the above video when he said "Life is to short...you have to GO HARD!" Insanely eloquent and I say to Mr. Bender what my Marine Corps. Drill Instructors said to me years ago "Boy you are stupid and IGNORANT...but ya got GUTS and that IS ENOUGH!" Josh keep doing big things in the name of extreme Mountain Biking..I tip my hat to you friend :)

 
 

Moulton Bikes- A Disciplined Company



The Moulton Bicycle is the original full suspension, separable, small wheeled, high performance bicycle. World renowned for speed, efficiency, durability and comfort.
Expertly engineered for over 50 years and handcrafted in England, these bicycles are the world's most efficient form of transport - designed for universal use, real performance and comfort.



That copy is straight off of their website, now let's get down to some REAL DESIGN DISCUSSION! Umm..hmmm...I really do not have a whole lot to say about these bikes. As the famous (to some infamous) Rush Limbaugh would say, "I mean, this is what it is!" Or an old street hustler from the 1970s would put it like this "Hey young blood, it TIZ what it T...I...Z...!" I am 6'5, 230lbs. so I would look like a Circus Clown on one of their miniature bicycles during the circus acts in the middle ring!



You will not see me riding one of these, but I have to give BIG PROPS to the Moulton Bicycle Company on their vision and direction to stick to making the bikes that make them stand out from any other company on this planet. This company has been around for more than 50 years and they must be disciplined to stay within this niche market for so long.



In conclusion, I like their vision and I love that they just focus on being the best in the world at building these types of bikes. Yes...Moulton stuck to their dream and refused to sell out like most others in the name of a QUICK BUCK! That is called INTEGRITY,

 
 

Bikes-Work Cycles Kruisframe



WOW! Your fearless blogger has been humbled once again. As many of my regular readers know, I have a DISDAIN for bicycles that have 'Alot of Stuff' and clutter on them. It, in my opinion, just takes away from the simplicity that is bike design. My eyes start to roll around in my head as I count the number of EXTRA WIRES, gears, and what I view as totally unecessary additions to bikes that make them look more complicated (in the name of adding value) than they really are.



That is until I saw this design people and Urban Funk Enthusiasts! This design certainly won't make it into my design 'Funk Hall of Fame' anytime soon, but this design from a company called Work Cycles catches my eye on a few levels. The first is although I think black tires and black frames are totally MINDLESS and unimaginative, it works on this bike, the sprocket and chain are covered with a slick cover and the top and bottom tubing are a thing of BEAUTY. Not the FUNK, but well done...Work Cycles, I don't like ANY of your other designs, but I like this one...you get the APPLAUSE!

 
 

City Cruiser-TREK JACKS Gary Fisher!

Trek is moving more seriously into the utility/transportation market with a new three-speed they’re calling the Belleville. Well, I think I will keep this post kind of short. I am simply amazed that a company with the brand name of TREK can do such big campaign build-ups to such mediocre products! Hey, TREK, let's get real for a minute. Did your engineers and designers really think of this design, or did yall 'JACK' it from say...GARY FISHER?

Look at this Gary Fisher...and then look at the TREK..Now, sure, Trek owns Gary Fisher, but DANG...Competing products in the same company, who owns all of the distribution to both? Is this a test marketing Stunt? I certainly hope not because the TREK Design isn't even as close to being as HOOOTTT as that simple Gary Fisher!!!

Gary Fisher City 3



TREK



Most notably, look where the Top tubing connects to the neck of each design... HA!HA!HA! At least if you are going to make a Knock-Off TREK...At least have other engineers, outsourced or something come up with a design that is different than one you already own...and oh yeh...make a better one the 2nd time around! I feel like laughing, kind of like Nelson...on the Simpsons!

 
 

Major Taylor- Hybrid Electric Bikes



Hybrid electric bicycles (also sometimes called pedelecs, e-assist bikes, or e-bikes) look and ride much like standard bicycles, but with the addition of an electric motor to assist the rider. Now, to the real do! This Hybrid Electric KINDOF SORTOF caught my eye a little bit. Not because it is HOT or because I like it, but I just see so much POTENTIAL in this design that my stomach hurts when I think about WHAT IS IS versus WHAT IT COULD BE!

I do LOVE the frame, but the love affair ends there folks. Listen, I understand that these sorts of bikes have to have those LARGE disc style brakes on them, but why not incorporate some sort of ECLECTIC STYLE and colors even into that component of the design? Does it have to be THAT BORING Round shape all of the time?

The answer is a simple NO! This bike could be ONE OF THE GREATEST of All-Time Folks. Not like a Muhammad Ali "The Greatest" but more like a fleeting great, like when Buster Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson for the Heavy Weight Championship of the World in the early 1990s! Your fearless blogger does have to give BIG PROPS to the motor being encased in kind of a cool black cover. Even with that though...Why can't this look more like a SLEEK BLACK Grill like on a car or something?

There is one thing, even in it's current form that can take these types of bikes to the next level...LOOSE ALL OF THE BUSY LINES and stuff hanging all over the place! Anyway, if GOING GREEN looks like this, I think I will stay with the Fossil Fuel Powered Bikes :)

 
 

Google Bikes-Flickr GOT IT!



I will answer this question as quickly and truthfully as possible:

"Do you use any pictures from yahoo's image search?"

thanks,

darrin

Umm...NOOOOOO! Now dear readers I am going to go on one of my rants. I get pictures from all over the net. This means whether the URL ends in .com, .net, .us, .info, .org, .au, .in, .cc or whatever, I grab it and feature it! I also get images from Google's Image program. But Yahoo! seems to have some sort of SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP with Flickr which to me, small time Blogger, STINKS! It stinks because after going sometimes 20-30 pages back, EVERY PHOTO is from users of Flickr. This tells me a few things;

1. Yahoo Crawlers aren't gathering the largest and best assortment of relevant results! I found that Photo Bucket and Flickr LACK the photos that fit the vision of my blog although they are HUGE Online Photo Sharing services.

2. If you favor, say, Photo Bucket or other service for online photos, Yahoo! doesn't give a darn how relevant your photos are to the search query...They are going to scratch Flickr's back..Regardless of the cost in terms of a credible product!

Example:

Do a Yahoo Image Search on the term 'Unusual Bike Design'. You will find EVERYTHING except unusual bike designs.




Google still has work to do on their image searches also, but I tell you what...THEY ARE GREAT...Compared to Yahoo! Image Search which, after over 14 years in Business, is down right embarrassing...I have said this before and I will say it again. Yahoo needs a FACE LIFT more desperately that any other Internet behemoth on the web. The first step is to get rid of Jerry Yang..whose time has passed!

 
 

Bicycles-1 Word...DANG!

The winner has been chosen...
From the 2500 or so entries the winner is Dallas Pynchon He’s 14 and lives in Boise, Idaho. Congrats Dallas! Enjoy your new Blindside!



Uh...DAAAANNNNGGG! I certainly am not into extreme mountain biking by any stretch of the imagination. After having looked at MANY of these types of bikes, I have remained just flat out...UNIMPRESSED..Until just a few minutes ago. I came across this while partaking in my never ending search for that thing which I call FUNK..What caught my eye in particular about this is the way the fork wraps so close to the front tire as to create the impression of a closeness that is uncommon in builds of these types...or any other for that fact. I love the frame color, fork color but do not care much for the other colors and especially those UGLY black tires.

I know some of you will email me and say "Well that is the color that is used"...says who? I can think of at least 10 colors that are dark and would look better on this design than those black THANGS! Anyhow, When I saw the fork on this and the closeness to the tire..I thought about this song, because that piece of this design definitely sent me SWINGIN!

 
 

Bikes- The Earliest Bicycle in 1790 ouch!

The celerifere - one of the earliest bike prototypes - had no pedals or steering.



The first contraption that can realistically be said resembles a bicycle was constructed around 1790 by Comte Mede de Sivrac of France. Called a celerifere, it was a wooden scooter-like device with no pedals or steering. A similar model, improved with a steering mechanism attached to the front wheel, was created in 1816 by German Baron Karl von Drais de Sauerbrun. He called it a Draisienne, after himself, though popular parlance also dubbed it the hobby horse.

When using either of these devices, the rider perched on a seat between two wheels similarly sized wheels, and using the feet, propelled the bicycle a bit like a scooter. Drais exhibited his bicycle in Paris in 1818, and while popularly received, its design limited its use to really just flat, well-groomed paths through gardens and parks, which were off-limits to a good portion of the population in those days.

When Pedals Were Added - A Big Improvement



A FEW historians credit the invention of the pedal bicycle to Kirkpatrick MacMillan, a Scottish blacksmith who lived from 1812-1878. One day back in 1839, MacMillan was out watching people riding bikes, which at that time were driven by kicking the ground with your feet. Thrilling, eh? Seemed to him that there must be a better way.

According to later research done by family members, after musing on the matter a bit MacMillan came up with an idea for the first pedal set-up that could more effectively drive the bike. Using his blacksmith tools, he put his idea into place, and voila! bicycling suddenly took a giant leap forward.

Macmillan's contraption had a wood frame and iron-rimmed wooden wheels. The front wheel, which provided limited steering measured 30 inches (760 mm) in diameter, while the back had a 40 inch (1016 mm) wheel and was attached to pedals via connecting rods. In total, Macmillan's bike weighed 57 lb (26 kg). His creation gathered a lot of attention, and Macmillan helped generate additional publicity when he rode the bike 68 miles to visit his brothers in Glasgow. Copies of his invention produced by other firms soon appeared on the market, and Macmillan saw little profit from his innovation.

 
 

Major Taylor- Da Vinci didn't ONLY Paint People



For much of man’s history on earth, he had two choices for getting around, either on foot or on the back of an animal (such as horses, mules, and wooly mammoths). Bicycles were developed to add another transportation option that multiplied human efficiency by a factor of approximately five.

But the history of bicycles is very fuzzy. Sources often disagree as to the names of the inventors and the dates of their inventions. Leonardo DaVinci sketched a facsimile of the modern bicycle in 1490. It was way ahead of its time and, as far as we know, never left the drawing board.

Around 1790 a French craftsman named de Sivrac developed a “Celerifere” running machine, which had two in-line wheels connected by a beam. The rider straddled the beam and propelled the Celerifere by pushing his feet on the ground, scooter fashion.

n 1817 German Baron Karl von Drais added steering. Several versions appeared around France and England by the early 1800s. As a replacement for the horse, these “hobby horses” became a short-lived craze. The roads of the time were too rutted to allow for efficient wheeled transport.
Scottish blacksmith Kirkpatrick MacMillan developed a rear-drive bike in 1839 using a treadle and rod for the rear drive mechanism. But, he lived in the Northern British Isles where people and ideas traveled slowly, so his invention didn’t spread. R.W. Thompson patented a pneumatic tube in 1845. Prior to this invention, bikes had metal wheels.

The French anointed Ernest Michaux “father of the bicycle,” as he and his brother Pierre added cranks and pedals. Their Velocipede started a bicycle boom. The larger front wheel made it faster but less stable. The war of 1812 brought an end to the French bicycle boom.

British engineers were next to pick up the design and improve upon it by adding ball bearings, pneumatic (Dunlop) tires, wire-spoked wheels, chain drive, variable gears, and cable controls. Over a twenty-year span, the British brought the bicycle to its present form, thanks mainly to James Starley of the Coventry Sewing Machine Company. In 1885 the Starley Rover safety bike was born, returning wheels to a reasonable size and improving the bike’s stability.
In the early days, women’s dress (corsets, pointed shoes, and voluminous skirts) limited their participation in this new sport. Newspapers of the day railed against the “sorcers” or bicycle speedsters.

 
 

Major Taylor Association- Another BIG DUMMY AWARD!



Oh boy...This mess defies description...Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you another winner of my Fred G. Sanford (1970s Sitcom) "You Big Dummy" Award. This award is given periodically for the dumbest bike designs that I run across. Now let me inform you all of something you may not know. For a design to earn this award, extra effort in bike design STUPIDITY has to be put forth!



This is, carriage or whatever it is is senseless, a waste of time and in my opinion, the model sitting on this thing should be flat-out humiliated to know that as long as the world is in existence...She will be pictured sitting on top of THIS TRAVESTY! You Big DUMMY!

 
 

Marshall Major Taylor-Rocket Powered Trike



WOW! Oh boy!Oh Boy!Oh Boy! I really like this Rocket Powered Trike people. It blings, but not in a diamond type, tacky..street way...but in a way that will make even the most ardent trike hater stand up, take notice, and say "You gotta be kidding me people! This monster moves and is powered by 2 rockets and I love MOST everything about it. What I think is straight tacky is the builder took the time to think through every component and parts in this design, but they seem to have lost the steam as it concerns the front tire and front rim.

I would also like to know a bit more about the braking system on this bike because as I look at the front brake, I am wondering how this seemingly ordinary brake is going to give this trike the stopping power it needs and even if it can stop the trike, wouldn't the brake pads be worn down per each stop?

However, this Trike is HOOOTTTT and I want to give a small applause to the builders of this thing of beauty. It stands out in an era where there doesn't seem to be much though put into...well...anything that is sold in ordinary retail outlets. Great going guys!

 
 

Scraper Bikes-The Scraper BIKE!



YouTube has spawned many sudden sensations. Take scraper bikes, for example. A music video about the tricked-out bicycles posted to the site by some teenagers in Oakland, Calif., has attracted a cult following, with nearly 3 million views.

The video spawned what is becoming a worldwide movement, even as it changed the lives of the young men who customized the bikes and made the video.

"Actually, scraper bikes saved my life," says Tyrone Stevenson Jr., who prefers the title "Scraper Bike King."

"Because I was at a young age, getting into a lot of serious trouble, selling drugs and on the verge of going to jail. So my mom told me this is a way to channel anger and frustration, just focusing on something that's creative, something that's me, and the bikes is me."

Oakland is a town where hip-hop is king and cars known as "scrapers" are huge. They're large, bright and have rims so big that they scrape the inside of the wheel well. Stevenson and his friends took those aesthetics and applied them to bicycles, fitting large wheels on small frames.

Stevenson, 19, started making scraper bikes a few years ago. He couldn't afford a car, so he made do with a bike. But not just any bike.

"The idea from the scraper bikes, it basically came from the cars that ride in Oakland — we call them scrapers — basically it's an old model car, such as a Buick, that's painted a custom color to match the rims. I wanted to take that and put a bike onto it."

To do that, he put the few resources he had to work. He added colorful foil food wrappers — from Oreos or Skittles — to the spokes, so when they roll they flash with color. Then he spray-painted the frames to match.

But scraper bikes didn't really catch on until he and some friends recorded a music video about them and posted it on YouTube. And now…

"Oakland has been taken over by scraper bikes," says Stevenson. "On the Internet, it is worldwide. There's people from literally across the world making these bikes, from Portland, Oregon, to Japan to Australia to Jamaica."

Stevenson says he's already making a living scraperizing bikes, but he's got big plans for the future: trademarks, patents and, someday soon, a scraper bike shop.

"The true meaning of a scraper bike is basically, I want to give back something positive to the community," Stevenson said.

"Because there's so much going on. Drugs and killing and stuff, this is a way of giving the kids a way to a positive future, but being creative at the same time."

Jacob Fenston reports from member station KQED.

 
 

Major Taylor-Bicycle or Artwork



The line is being blurred between bike design and artwork at a really rapid rate these days. The above pictured...ummm...bike..I guess is probably the most unusual design I have seen that that hovers in the gray area that is bike design and artwork. Gismo Rocket Powered Bicycle It is powered by two 75lb. Thrust Hybrid Rocket Motors. The frame is made of lightweight T6-6061 aircraft aluminum. “Gismo” features a unique front suspension system designed by Michaelson.

Your fearless blogger must give the big ups to the creator of this particular design in that as I look at it, alot of thought went into designing and creating this...ummm...bike! Truthfully, I love the color, the rims, the back..ummm...fender and the handle bar and steering column overall are kind of..umm...NASTY..This bicycle is rocket powered and 150 lbs. of thrust will 'Push your wig back'. In conclusion..I have used the word UMM in this post because I am struggling to understand IF this is..ummm..bike design or artwork!

 
 

City Bikes- Bike Wheel Covers



I ran across these wheel covers while looking at an event known as Bike Polo. Very interesting activity if I do say so myself and truthfully, I do not care to know the ins and the outs of Bike Polo, but what I do care to know is the ins and the outs of these funky wheel covers. I have a friend who does Spinner Rims for bicycles and I have always believed that these were just a tad to much. It feels like what we call in the neighborhood as 'Frontin'. That is the same thing as someone who can't afford a Gucci Purse to buy a Knock Off!



However, These wheel covers are just flat out NASTY. They could be the high of NASTINESS if they came in other colors than the present black...Remember I told you a few years back on this very blog that I designed something similar to these called Doogies? Well my friends, as they use to tell us in the Marine Corps..."Stand-by to Stand by!" The King of these types of wheel covers is still my man Da Champ of scraper bikes out in the Bay area...STILL Cruisin in HIS SCRAPER BIKE..

 
 

Bike Tricks- Mad SKILLZ & Funky Music



This dude got mad skillz with bike tricks. And I just love the music in the background! This is what I mean when I say the NEXUS! Fashion. meets bikes and throw in a little Urban Music and what you come up with a a wholly spelled FUNK BALL...What do I think about such dangerous trick bike riding? I think this guy is stupid and ignorant...BUT HE HAS GUTS and that my friends is enough. As simple as this seems, these are the types of cats that have brought about the sports event called The X-Games..X standing for extreme games.

When you watch the X-Games, it is a thrill unto itself because these are regular, ordinary and everyday youngsters who all started with a love of stunts, paralayed it into a sport (collectively) and now are getting that PAPER (money) to do what they love to do...Trick Riders, keep breaking them bones and loosing teeth for what you love.

 
 

Marshall Major Taylor-Recumbent Bikes



The first recumbent bikes go back to our first recumbent customer, Roger Hoffeditz’ Avatar 2000 in the late ‘70’s. On today (as the old church folk used to say) Angletech continues to represent the best of recumbent bike and trike design. Offerings from Challenge, Rans, Bacchetta, Greenspeed, ICE, Terratrike and others are found here on line, and in our Woodland Park, Colorado store. With this type of perspective, a thorough phone consult with Angletech results in a bike that truly fits every expectation.




Readers, I really do not have an opinion on these bikes one way or another. The truth is their is a market, I guess and these designs have their place within that market...Would I ride one of these? NO WAY! The thought of laying down for the most part to ride a bicycle makes me personally feel...well.lazy. Next thing you know, someone is going to come out with a Lazy Chair Recliner that looks more like a mini sofa for the rider to sit in. Riding bikes is about Freedom and Exercise along with STYLE...But being lazy while you ride isn't style at all, it is just that...LAZY!

 
 

19th Century Bike-They don't sell Wheat..and ain't on a Ridge...but DAAANNNG!

I recently went for a visit and tour of a? here in Denver called Wheat ridge Cyclery. The tour was given to me by the man you all now know as the ‘Fabricator of Funk’. I put a question mark in the first sentence because I can’t really call this business a bike shop or retail store because although it may be both of those things, based on what I saw, it is much, much more. They are all around ‘Bicycle Hustlers’...oh yeh...I saw the funk there…and it was good. (The legal and honest type of hustlers). This was probably the most pleasant and inviting consumer type atmosphere I have been in since my jaunts across the world in the mid 1990s on Singapore Airlines. I have flown MANY Airlines during my international and domestic travels but Singapore Airlines (Get a picture of airline and Stewardess) was the best of all. I say that because in this country, it is rare to go somewhere and actually feel like you are appreciated for more than just your $$$. The worst airline I ever flew on was America West and I do not even know if this airline is still in business, but if at all possible…STAY AWAY! Wheat Ridge Cyclery was the same experience as Singapore Airlines. Everyone that worked there seemed to be genuinely happy to be there and I was greeted (not like those fake Wal-Mart Greetings) not less than5 times by 5 different people. They know when to approach you and when to let you alone to do your wandering and gazing. Not only that, the store was beautiful! Well laid out, MUCH variety, amazing bicycle designs, and unashamed of the high prices they were asking for their product (I saw prices between $1,500-$10,000). Truthfully, neither should they be because 5 of their designs were FREAK SHOWS and I believe well worth the $$$. There bicycle mechanic shop is AMAZING, sterile, well laid out, organized, etc. Whatever image you have of a mechanic’s shop (the grease, tools all over the place, cigarettes in the mechanics mouth, tires laying all over, Wheat Ridge Cycleryain’t the one yall’.


If you are a rider who rides simply for ‘Recreation’ and don’t want to spend big $$$ on a bicycle, this isn’t the place for you. However, if you want to see what I believe to be the standard in retail experience (no matter what you are shopping for), take a visit to Wheat Ridge, you will not be disappointed. Pictured above is a VERY DESCENT design I saw up close during my visit to Wheat ridge. It is called 'Langster Tokyo' and although this picture doesn't do this design justice, it is nice to look at. Being aesthetically focused as I am, it was the hottest I saw there! Most others would disagree, but hey, it is my opinion and I am sticking to it. This design though isn't even in the same league as my 2 in this genre of bicycle....Thanks Wheat ridge and know that your hospitality doesn't go unnoticed :) I saw this thing, a vision, and it was a Major Taylor Road and Track Bike in WHEATRIDGE FELLAS!

 
 

Major Taylor- Bike History




Bicycle History is a Debatable Topic

Some history books will state that Pierre and Ernest Michaux, the French father and son team of carriage-makers, invented the first bicycle during the 1860s. Historians now disagree and there is evidence that the bicycle is older than that. However, historians do agree that Ernest Michaux did invent the modern bicycle pedal and cranks in 1861.

Baron Karl Drais von Sauerbronn - Early Bicycles and History

The German Baron Karl Drais von Sauerbronn invented the "Laufmaschine" or "Running Machine", a type of pre-bicycle. The steerable Laufmaschine was made entirely of wood and had no pedals; a rider would push his/her feet against the ground to make the machine go forward. Sauerbronn's bicycle was first exhibited in Paris on April 6, 1818. The celerifere was another similar early bicycle precursor invented in 1790 by Frenchmen, Comte Mede de Sivrac, however, it had no steering.

The Penny Farthing is also referred to as the 'High' or 'Ordinary' bicycle, and the first one was invented in 1871 by British engineer, James Starley. The Penny Farthing came after the development of the 'Hobbyhorse', and the French 'Velocipede' or 'Boneshaker', all versions of early bikes. However, the Penny Farthing was the first really efficient bicycle, consisting of a small rear wheel and large front wheel pivoting on a simple tubular frame with tires of rubber.


African American inventor Jerry M. Certain patented a parcel carrier for bicycles, on December the 26th, 1899 (U.S. Patent #639,708 )

 
 

Bicycle Design Blogspot-Team Major Taylor



Team Major Taylor competes every year in what is known as the Men's Little 500. This team is not only made up of Blacks, but people of all races. The Little 500 happens every year in Indianapolis where Major Taylor is a native son.

Courtney Bishop, who is interviewed in the above video raced for Team Major Taylor in 1992. I just want to get a shout out to all of the riders who have ridden in races and competition all over the country to keep Marshall Major Taylor's legacy alive. Keep on keeping on folks and with much prayer, every one of you who ride in the name of America's greatest forgotten sports hero, will sit in the saddle of a Track and Road Bike bearing his name!

 
 

19th Century Bikes-Holden Motor Bicycle



Holden Hidden Motor Bicycles of the late 19th Century are sure a site for sore eyes! When I look at these bicycles, I just say "Now that's what I am talking about!" I say so because when you look at this particular bicycle, you can easily close your eyes and imagine what such a bike would look like today with a little of what I call Urban Flair.' If you built this today, even with the motor, I tell you what would put a little FUNK on it...Some wild lime or orange tires...Leave the front and back sizes the same...Rebuild the fenders to drop 6 inches down on each side of the tire and add a 6 inch fender length drop on the back and front fenders...The handle bars, FORGET ABOUT IT! They are spectacular just like they are...Frame color...I could only imagine..But it would have to sparkle and pop..While I am at the redesign here...I would certainly go to my Tailor (if I had one) and have him remake the clothes this dude has on!

SLOW DOWN BRU! Where you in a hurry to get to?!!!!!!!




George Barr and an Old High Wheel Bicycle