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Freakbikes, choppers, funnybikes, clownbikes, kustoms, tallbikes, swingbikes, lead sleds, chunkbikes, trashbikes, mutant bikes, tallbike jousting, cargo bikes, tallchoppers, and frankenbikes. This is a record of human-powered creativity in Chicago.


[home]


[bikes]
-skunk's cloudbuster-
-bikes of burning man 07-
-pedal-powered crane-
-rat patrol belgium-
-jet rides-
-fat boy's bikes-
-vintage freakbikes-
-Steinlauf family 1920's-1960s-
-afghanistan tallbikin'-
-india tallbikin'-
-spain freakin'-
-not hard enough-
-porno squad-
-grillbike/drumbike-
-chicagofreakboat-
-pushmepullyou-
-green machine-
-rolling bonfire-
-scrounger-
-the human television network-
-zany bikes of redmoon-
-*shrug*-
-fatback bomber-
-WTF?-
-two-wheeled tank-
-precious cargo-
-showerbike-
-ghana's national tallbike-
-twang bang-
-electro-rat-
-trampoline trailer-
-san fran freakin'-
-wooden packrat-
-the loserbago-
-foley freakin'-
-n'awlins freakin'-
-schwinn cycle truck-
-question-
-the bike formerly known as the white elephant-
-abigail-
-trashbike 1-
-glowbike-
-chopsicle-
-reCycle-
-UV chopper 2-
-handcycle-
-crimebike-
-mightybike-
-gateway drug-
-lee's bent 1-
-trout lake freakin-
-tiger-
-angel-
-UV chopper 1-
-pipe bomb-
-unicyclin bear-
-a work in progress-
-the chopper-


[rides]
-pride 07-
-death of a tallbike-
-st ratrick's day 07-
-guerilla floatilla 07-
-st. ratrick's 07-
-bike kill IV-
-hootenanny 06-
-ratification 06-
-5th annual st chino's run-
-sweethearts build day-
-madison art bike parade 06-
-slaughterama 06-
-guerilla flotilla 06-
-st ratrick's day 06-
-rat rides 2005-
-black label bike kill iii-
-pedal pushers-
-ratification 05-
-Guerilla Flotilla 2005-
-St. Ratrick's Day 2005-
-2nd Annual St. Chino's Run-
-rats on the mass-
-gimp haulin'-
-ratatistas!-
-rat patrol vs. human television network-
-monkey tag ride-
-stockyards ride-
-build day 112004-
-magic bean ride-
-puke ride-
-ratification 04-
-rat rides 2004-
-rat race 04-
-clunker classic III-
-ghana freakin'-
-st. ratrick's day 03-
-the stingray kids-
-may day 2003-
-the scallywags come to chicago critical mass-
-a rat retreat to the redneck riviera-
-a visit from the BLBC-
-rat rides 2003-
-rat rides 2002-

[Miscellany]
-can't you read?-
-trashcastle-
-rat trikes-
-scratch-made arc welder-


[lexicon]


[links]

Email and Submissions: johnny@rat-patrol.org



 

Trout Lake Freakin'



I was taking a little vacation, staying with my brother at the Northwestern Service Academy in Trout Lake, WA. We were so far up in the hills that there was no TV reception, yet lo and behold I learn that they use this little beaut to scoot around the campus. I was surprised to find that the wide-band chunkulation field extended this far from Portland, a good 80 miles up in the mountains.





 

Tiger Trashbike



I rode this bike at a Critical Mass, when its owner gave The Hammer a try. Then, months later, it turned up at Working Bikes. Most of the bikes there come from the scrapyard, where they're bought from scrappers. So this bike must have been cast away, picked up, sold off, and then brought back to Lee's place since the day I rode it.

Nice paint job though. I hope someone adopts it.





 

Angel



Despite the fact that I am the world's lousiest photographer, you might be able to see the angel bike in this picture. I never talked to the owner, but I think it looks like an angel. The entire bike is spray-painted silver (including the tires- I love it!) and the details are done in gold. Sitting there next to Count Chopula, it reminds me of some sort of metallic holy warrior sent to earth to battle the dark demon bikes from hell. I see this one around a lot so next time I see it in the daytime I'll get a better picture.



 

UV Chopper 1


 


Another random chopper off the street. I suspect this one was either made by or directly copied from UV of Blackstone Bicycle Works, one of the most productive and skilled freakbikers in Chicago. The frame is a flipped step-through frame, with an extra crankset welded where the seat was, with the distinct use of forks as braces for it. Flipping the frame increases the rake of the head tube for extra chopposity.




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