No one would believe me if I didn't take pics...

erider_61

Well-Known Member
So as I'm locking up my bike at the library today a guy rolls up on his bicycle and starts asking me a million questions about converting his ride to electric. I was at a loss for words...
 

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He obviously "personalized" it. Was he sober?

Yes he seemed sober, but a touch eccentric. The bike has rope lights running off a battery, and so did his helmet. I suggested rear hub motor with battery in the basket.
 
He seems like he's having a lot of fun, and I bet he loves talking about his bike and, obviously, enjoys looks and attention. There's a woman in my town who has a couple of decorated cars--one is decorated with flamingos, and the other with jewels and fabrics, like a motorized quilt.

I think this is a kind of folk-art. For a bike, it makes for a heavy ride, so electricity would give him so many more decorative options! :)
 
Oh wow, what a contraption. I like the horse head in front. And is that a fake eyeball off the very end?
 
As a Canadian, I've gotta love that Canada flag and hockey stick. His vehicle would fit right in with a couple of the contraptions owned by members of my local (Toronto) ebike club.

We have a rather eccentric guy who has a recumbent ebike he built himself, complete with three batteries, double hub motors, a "roof" made of mesh, several signs, and several raccoon tails hanging from his bright orange signal flag stem.

We also have an old Chinese lady who built an e-fatbike chopper from an old motorcycle frame. It's complete with banana seat, high rise apehanger bar on the back, tall handlebars and extended front forks. It looks like a beast (all in black matte) and runs like one. She says it can do 100 kph, she's had it for several years and the cops have only stopped her once.

That's a fun part of building your own ebike - you can make your vehicle into a sculpture if you want. I see some elderly people in my neighbourhood riding decorated mobility scooters and electric wheelchairs with all sorts of things attached to them. It's the same idea.
 
Au Canada! You should track that objet d'art down at night sometime and get a picture. He probably figures he can get more lighting going on along with the assistance eh? Love the Dudley DoRight theme, used to be a favorite show when I was a kid.
 
It reminded me of a car at my high school in the 60's. 1953 Chevy? with carpet glued on the body on which he mounted busted baby dolls with blood and guts as if he had hit them.
 
Why do I hear Jimi Hendrix playing in the background while this guy is holding the hockey stick like a guitar?!? Cool looking bike though. o_O
 
Interesting, I'd guess he lost his lisence to drive a car.

I just moved to a small town on the Canadian side of Lake Huron with a population of 8,000. From one side of town to the other is 5km...3miles and takes me 20 mins on my road bike and 10 mins on an eBike. The gentleman is elderly and appears to be a frugal person. He told me he lives off grid & said he gave up driving years ago as he doesn't require a car. I very rarely use my work van other for anything other than my Locksmith biz anymore here.
 
Sounds like my father. He gave us his car at 75 and rode a bike until he was 90. At 80, with both hips just replaced, he spent a year riding through Europe. What made me think of people who had lost their lisence was a trip I took on my road bike. I was in Redding, California and saw an older fellow on a bike so I waved at him but he didn't respond. I thought that was a little unusual until it happened again. I then began to notice that these guys on bikes didn't look like your usual cyclists, they were all a little scruffy and most didn't have helmets. They kept popping up all over the place. I eventually discovered that there was a prison nearby and these guys had been through the system and had their licenses revoked.
 
I just moved to a small town on the Canadian side of Lake Huron with a population of 8,000. From one side of town to the other is 5km...3miles and takes me 20 mins on my road bike and 10 mins on an eBike. The gentleman is elderly and appears to be a frugal person. He told me he lives off grid & said he gave up driving years ago as he doesn't require a car. I very rarely use my work van other for anything other than my Locksmith biz anymore here.

Well that explains the Dudley Do Right.
 
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