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.
Da Champ is back with a short video...Keep on pushin Champ and I will be to see about you in a minute bru!
Champ got the promotion as it concerns selling individuality, youth and a positive Message, Mr. Culiver has the Bike Dubz and ya boi...ME, getting ready to role the hottest recreation designs on the PLANET...Do any of you see what I see?
Scraper Bike Fan says:
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "An Urban Entrepreneur After My Own Heart":
THIS IS CHAMP DA SCRAPER BIKE KING AND THIS ARTICAL IS TOUCHING AND MOTIVATING..CONTACT ME PERSONALLY AT scr..........
I reiterated my message to him and remind ALL OF YOU.....
My response;
Thanks for the comment on my blog! I want to encourage you to forward the link to everyone you know who loves to roll on scraper bikes. The reason is although Da Champ and I have different areas of design focus as it concerns bicycles, (Champ does wheel covers-me the whole bicycle) our goal is the same I believe, and that is to introduce the world to the way WE do it! Da Champ and his concept reminded my mid-30s year old mind that honest hustlers and urban entrepreneurs (legal) don't see what is around them, only that which is in front of them.
Champs story of where he grew up (poor neighborhoods,etc like me) further reminded me what I used to know, and had apparently forgotten, and that is, no matter what is going around you, ask yourself this question; what do you have that can make a difference that is right in front of you? With Champ, it was stuff from relatives back yard, and look where he is today? RYDZ by Marshall Taylor (my company) is rolling out our 1st proto-type bicycle design (called 'Illuminati') in 2 weeks and will have 5 (all hand built) by April 2009.
Names of the other 4 are as follows:
1) Low Down; A kind of inner-city dirt bike design I guarantee you have never seen.
2) Red Monkey; Mix between a .... and .... Bike. Rear wheel base is..well..CRAZY!
3) Iron Riders; Dedicated to the memory of the 25th Infantry Buffalo Soldier Brigade of 1892 (Google it, you may find it interesting)
4) Le Major Valante (French for 'The Flying Major) which was the nickname for the greatest forgotten American Sports Hero of all-Time, Marshall 'Major' Taylor (Google it)
With what Champ is doing and what I am doing, we will bring a inner-city vision to the bicycle industry. Sadly enough, the minority youth market is being totally ignored by bicycle companies and it makes me sick! IPODS, nice sneakers, hair styles, clothing, designer cell phones.....And they are riding around on junk?!
One reason Da Champ's concept has caught fire is because he knows, I know, and you know that in whatever we do, we like to look good, floss our RYDZ, and make them unique to us. How do you think Sean John clothing is doing $500 Million a year? BABY PHAT is doing $1 Billion a year? GMC is using MOS DEF to sell their cars to black folks? A Company I helped launch, Banneker Watches, has partnered with Jostens to sell High School Rings, etc? Jostens did this deal because they know that minorities have flair and style as well as BIG $$$ to spend and they don't have the flair to reach that market!
http://www.bannekerwatches.com/
http://www.bannekerjewelry.com/
http://www.jostens.com/
I promise you my designs are going to represent what I call 'Urban Funk'!
During my worldwide search for that 'Other Level' Urban Bicycle Design I have been ranting and raving about over the past year and a half, I ran across an urban bicycle entrepreneur from Northern California Tyrone Stevenson Jr., aka "Champ". Champ has been a bicycle enthusiast and builder since his teens. He is from the inner-city Bay Area and his love for bikes led to him building them out of any parts and design material he could get his hands on. Champ is a 'Real Hustler' yall in that he started his company with almost nothing and was creative enough to take old bicycle frames and project his personality through his creations.
Another thing that caught my attention was the 'Grass Roots' level guerilla marketing this guy has undertaken. He started in his neighborhood and ventured out from there. He is selling T-Shirts on his website and various other clothing items that will get the word out long before he undertakes any production level bicycle designs. This is creating demand for his product, educating people on his company while at the same time building the 'Ground Swell'. I am sure that there are other key people helping him with this, nevertheless, the vision is what drives the process!
He literally used scraps to build bicycles. To all of you bicycle designers and others who think that you need huge investment $$$ to live your dreams, take a page from this dude's playbook and just look around you at what is already available, use it and go from there. Champ has 'Street Promoters' out there in Cali pushing his concept, believing in the dream and following wherever he leads. Man, I am speechless.
His website is http://www.scraperbikes.net/ and not only am I going to recommend that you visit his site, but also support him through the purchase of some of the T-Shirts and apparel he has for sale there. Today, I am truly humbled and blessed to know that fellas like this are keepin' it real and hustlin' out there to make their bicycle design and funk dreams come true. Champ is truly a Bicycle Design Urban Funkmaster after my own heart and more than anyone or company featured on my blog, he is someone that will be a part of resurrecting the Marshall 'Major' Taylor legacy. Champ, keep hustlin' and making your designs 'Do what they do'!
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