yoothgeye
I build stuff.
I was just talking to @kingfish254 a little about this tonight. When I moved to Roanoke Rapids to work for a church in 2010 I had been into riding mountain bikes for many years since college and high school and I’d always ridden bikes, but my adult hobbies had tended towards fast cars and 4x4s. Moving into city limits for the first time in over 10 years sparked my desire to build a bike, but with a catch, I purchased a eBay engine kit.
I went to a 4x4 forum I was a member/founder of and put the word out. An online friend sent me a 1950 Columbia frame and old coaster hub set laced into newer alloy rims. I sourced what parts I could locally and online to make the bike a rider and cruised town for a day or two before putting the engine on it. I had painted the bike flat black with white “bullets”, red rims, whitewall tires. Your quintessential rat rod bike. I, of course, thought I had invented something new. A friend in town from the 4x4 forum told me about ratrodbikes. I was happy to find a forum that had such a variety to it.
I put the motor on that bike and immediately regretted it and started searching for another cruiser to build without an engine. That search led to many more bikes and builds. I started building tallbikes and this year I’ll be riding tallbikes in my local Christmas parade for the 10th year.
I have built, fixed, bought, and sold bikes from every cycling genre. I repair bikes and give them away. I have helped my community with bike projects and taught kids how to repair and modify their own. I am known as the local “bike guy” and bikes have become a huge part of my life and my family’s life. Bikes have made me as much money as they’ve cost me, so they don’t owe me anything but they continue to bring me and others joy. I owe so much of this to this RRB.com community even though my busy family life keeps me away from here more than it used to.
My 12 year old son testing an unfinished tallbike for this year’s parade.
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I went to a 4x4 forum I was a member/founder of and put the word out. An online friend sent me a 1950 Columbia frame and old coaster hub set laced into newer alloy rims. I sourced what parts I could locally and online to make the bike a rider and cruised town for a day or two before putting the engine on it. I had painted the bike flat black with white “bullets”, red rims, whitewall tires. Your quintessential rat rod bike. I, of course, thought I had invented something new. A friend in town from the 4x4 forum told me about ratrodbikes. I was happy to find a forum that had such a variety to it.
I put the motor on that bike and immediately regretted it and started searching for another cruiser to build without an engine. That search led to many more bikes and builds. I started building tallbikes and this year I’ll be riding tallbikes in my local Christmas parade for the 10th year.
I have built, fixed, bought, and sold bikes from every cycling genre. I repair bikes and give them away. I have helped my community with bike projects and taught kids how to repair and modify their own. I am known as the local “bike guy” and bikes have become a huge part of my life and my family’s life. Bikes have made me as much money as they’ve cost me, so they don’t owe me anything but they continue to bring me and others joy. I owe so much of this to this RRB.com community even though my busy family life keeps me away from here more than it used to.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
