20 of the freakiest custom bikes on the road

By Hal Amen On May 28, 2009 · 45 Comments

Tall bikes, choppers, cargo bikes, freak bikes, art bikes, clown bikes…

THESE BIKES ARE much more than just two wheels, two pedals, and a chain.

Coffin cargo bike

Built by Gabriel Amadeus, a Portland-area designer extraordinaire and fun-enthusiast. When not riding bikes or organizing bike events you can find him building and welding every sort of bike imaginable. And some that aren’t.Photographer: ichad

Steer with your hips

"This is Sailor Neale, with another of his crazy creations. This particular bike is jointed in the middle, just behind the handlebars. It folds fully in half if you don't pay attention. You steer by using your hips to swivel the central joint, and then using the handlebars to simultaneously steer the front wheel." Photographer: doviende

The Reverse Cowgirl

Built by Mark Veno. "It was displayed at PDX Airport when they had the Oregon Handmade Bicycle Exhibit. I was the only non-professional builder exhibiting."

West Coast Chopper

Photographer: tinou bao

The Ross Island Explorer

The Ross Island Explorer, a fully amphibious human-powered tallbike-paddleboat.Photographer: megulon5, member of C.H.U.N.K.

Burrito-recumbent

Burrito-recumbent, complete with suspension and sound system / Builder: DocPhotographer: Mark Veno

No flats

For when you really don't want to worry about getting a flat. Photographer: RJL20

Modern meets vintage

"A rock n' roll/punk kid rode this to the Coffee Bean in Playa Vista the other day. Love that it has an old-fashioned horn on the handlebars."Photographer: pink_fish13

Cart bike

Good for carting around...whatever. / Builder: Chris MartinPhotographer: Mark Veno

Mutandem

Alan Sikiric's Mutandem: "Only from the fields of muck and hazardous grime known as the Jerz could something so horrifying arise!"

An art bike

The very definition of an art bike. Photographer: anarchosyn

Tall bikes galore!

One of the craziest tall bikes out there, and pannier-ready to boot!Photographer: doviende

Burrito

A burrito built by Mark Veno: "When I moved to Portland I was inspired by the existing bike culture and built my first tallbike. I try to make my freakbikes as usable as "real" bikes. Soon I'll be moving to San Diego to spread the freakbike love to SoCal."

The mystery chopper rider

"No idea about who this is riding the chopper, just happened to snap it on Wells Street. I think he is part of the Chicago Critical Mass group."Photographer: swanksalot

Training wheels?

Not quite training wheels...Photographer: BruceTurner

Rat Patrol Bike

Five bucks to anyone who can categorize this bike, being paraded by a member of Rat Patrol.Photographer: JOE M500

The Six Wheelie

When two wheels just aren't enough, you need the Six Wheelie. Photographer: bilbord99

Choppers!

There are choppers, and then there are these. Photographer: tandemracer

Penny farthings

Not exactly a freak bike, but there is something freaky about these kids and their penny farthings. Photographer: Mild Mannered Photographer

Tank!

Builder: Sailor Neale of the East Vancouver PedalPlay metal studio.Photographer: Foxtongue

About The Author

Hal Amen

Hal Amen is a managing editor for Matador. His personal travel blog is at WayWorded.

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http://collazoprojects.com Julie

These are hilarious! I especially love the wheels made of sneakers– not quite sure how she rolls, but….

http://kiloseven.blogspot.com KIloseven

#16? Why, its a (below)
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Di-ger-i-bike. (as in digeridoo)

http://www.lolaakinmade.com Lola

Muahahahahahahahaha *cough* hahahahahahaha!
Tom Gates

I love that some of these seem positively normal when put against the others. I’m calling #16 a Bong Bike.
http://petritent.blogspot.com aya

heh, these photos are amazing!
that bike with the tail made out of wheels is pretty cute. i think it’s time for me to upgrade my bike.
http://bikesmut.com revphil

I think that 1st picture is outside Hollywood Theater at the Premiere of Veer. Gabe is talking to the filmmakers who followed him around documenting his absurdity.
http://www.veerthemovie.com/

beautiful shots. thanks for sharing.
Christine

Oh my god, that shoes-as-wheels one is amazing!
http://www.elsewhere.org/ RJL20

The shoes-as-wheels bike was part of the freak bike corral at last year’s Tour de Fat. I think #15, the training wheels one, was also.
joshywashington

all of the sudden my tired old Haro seems well, ordinary… I saw a video where guys made a bike from a picnic table!
My vote is for the shopping cart!
http://thelonglayover.blogspot.com Carlo

You could create a category called WTF?! and place #16 there.

These are awesome…the creativity! The sneakers one made me laugh out. And that paddlewheel-pedaler is just downright brilliant.
http://thelonglayover.blogspot.com Carlo

And I see what you mean about #19. That will give me nightmares…what’s that Stephen King movie with those creepy kids…I never watched it, but the ads always frightened me.
cb

#12 is Tall Pol, owner of the Bike Doctor http://www.thebikedr.com in Vancouver. that must be a pretty old photo because his tall bike doesn’t look like that anymore. currently a part of the Velo-City exhibition at the Vancouver Museum this summer http://velocityvancouver.ca

and Sailor Neale lives in San Francisco now and PedalPlay no longer exists (except in our memories).
http://www.2getitnow.com Tommy

I remember making some of the chopper bikes when I was a kid back in the late sixties and early seventies….
http://matadortravel.com/travel-community/michelles Michelle

Wow! The shoe-tire bike is my favorite.
http://na dave

Hey these are hilarious bikes.
Love the two in the tank track like recumbent type bike thingy.
Have a good one.
jowunger

You gave me a sweet 20min =)

Perfect !
Alan

A lot of those look like they wouldn’t be very comfortable rides. Also, #20 is just pure win!
JOhnny CVash

Wow, that is truly amazing! Cool stuff dude!

RT
http://www.whos-watching.mirrorz.com
David

http://vimeo.com/4646925

A trailer for a video shot by a guy riding a tall bike across Africa. There’s some footage of the tall bike towards the end of the trailer. Excellent Stuff.
http://www.subcorpus.net/blog/ subcorpus

need. to. build. a, bike. !!!
http://www.burnworks.org Del Cruiser

I would like to submit two of my bikes for #21 and #22

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2267/1862392626_3147e08a2e_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3118/2803152895_8477755924_o.jpg
NC

Very cool. If you like this check out the book: New Orleans Bicycles

http://www.amazon.com/New-Orleans-Bicycles-Nicholas-Costarides/dp/0977985008/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243625526&sr=8-1

Michelle

Thanks!

I was gonna say you should check out NOLA bikes, but here it was at the bottom.

We have more rad art/homemade (not to mention Plan B, YAY!) bikes than this in the Marigny/Bywater alone!

Gosh, I miss home….

codyp

#11 isnt an art bike.. its a low rider bike. They are all over the place. My friend has one.. Thats a very nice one.. But so is his.
http://www.confluencecreativemedia.com joshywashington

check out this picnic table bike!
whiskeytits

LOL, check out Doc. Oh, I miss Portland and all it’s freaks. *siiiigh* Hi Doc. Hi Zoobombers. Hi Portland.
http://heartlessmachine.com Chris

I nominate my chopper for #23 or so.

http://heartlessmachine.com/artwork/24403_Bondo_Bike.html
-K

#16 is an underslung chopper called Long Chainey

was made by Johnny Payphone, http://www.johnnypayphone.net/2008/06/long-chainey.html
Spatch

No.18 is right at home on the Westside of Bend , a crabon-fribe Cannondale Raven no less .
http://www.halbergman.com Hal

Two of these I’ve actually seen in person. Great article!

I hate to be one of those “how the hell did you forget blah-blah-blah bike” people, but there are a few I know of (built by people that I know personally) that are really at home in this gallery:

Four-bike tall bike, built by RichToTheIE, who created the C.R.A.N.K MOB ride in Los Angeles:
http://midnightridazz.com/viewPhoto.php?galleryId=35093&artistId=273&pgnum=1
(sorry, tried to find a better photo, but that’s all I could find at the moment)

Brassknuckle and Yetiman with their bike:
http://midnightridazz.com/viewPhoto.php?artistId=6&galleryId=35046
(Photo is shot by my friend Sarah Sitkin, who can be found on http://www.flickr.com/photos/sleepallday/)

And Yetiman again with a home-made (geared!) penny farthing bicycle with a rear disc brake:
http://midnightridazz.com/viewPhoto.php?artistId=6&galleryId=35272
(also shot by Sarah)
http://wayworded.blogspot.com/ Hal

I’m loving the new additions, people. Keep ‘em coming! If we get enough we may just have to run a sequel…
Michael

Oh man I love the tankbike.
http://zoobomb.net BigD

actually…both the sweet freakbikes in the first pic are gabe’s, the other was being piloted by his roomate, buffalo dave.
http://www.instructables.com bdring

Check out this one…similar to the tank

http://www.instructables.com/id/The-SteamRoller/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uokr7WmQKOQ

Below is me trying to embed a yout tubee video
RTM

I live near East Van, and there are lots more like this (though without the tank treads)…

Not many tallbikes this far up the coast though…
Penal System

What I loved about the Portland custom bike culture was how it was like a bike-fungus. Run in the right circles and these bikes started to haunt you. Go to a party at the Fridge, get drunk & ride a tallbike home. Wake up to find a few orphan choppers & bouncy bikes in the back yard days after your roomie had a private, er, party with some C.H.U.N.K. boys. Lurking from the roofs of SE Division businesses. Abandoned behind dumpsters. Ubiquitous as hell at Critical Mass and Last Thursday. An unescapable force of questionable transport. Oh to be young & alcoholic in that rainy city…
MX

#14 is Michael X from Rat Patrol Chicago on his “G-1263 (V.1)”
Rk

I fave the art bike… Then again I am a crafty person.
http://www.bikejuju.com Bikejuju

Some of those are truly awesome. IMHO Mutandem wins for best photo, and maybe reverse cowgirl for best bike.
JB

These bikes are cool! And for some extra fun and bikes to add to the photo essay the authors should come check out the Kinetic Sculpture Race in Arcata, CA.
Ricochet-Rabbit

The only thing missing is a submission from Red Green at the “Possum Lodge”.
Jen_Jackson

hahaha gotta love Oregon for the bikes!!
#18 is right out front this awesome bakery in my hometown. BEND!!!!
http://topwathcez.info Quartz Watches

It’s not callous to make decisions when you know what your values are.
MikeOxlong

8=====================D ~~~

MikeOxlong

OMG!! I LOVEEE IT IT”S MASSIVE!!!

20 of the freakiest custom bikes on the road

Coffin cargo bike

Steer with your hips

The Reverse Cowgirl

West Coast Chopper

The Ross Island Explorer

Burrito-recumbent

No flats

Modern meets vintage

Cart bike

Mutandem

An art bike

Tall bikes galore!

Burrito

The mystery chopper rider

Training wheels?

Rat Patrol Bike

The Six Wheelie

Choppers!

Penny farthings

Tank!

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