|
Lowriding began as a cultural element of Chicano Americans,
part of the street culture
of the American barrio where
Mexican immigrants maintained
a lively urban culture. Lowrider
bikes, one of the most splendid
and unique products of this
culture, are a cross between
the Harley and the cruiser
bike, decorated with paint
and chrome and streamers,
found in any all-American
hometown parade. As you might
surmise, lowriding bikes hug
the ground. The highest points
on a lowrider bike are almost
always its two hand grips,
just like you might find on
its motorized cousin, the
Harley motorcycle. The seat
of a lowrider bike is down
at wheel level and its pedals
are sometimes higher than
the seat! These bikes are
typically a highly individualized
creation. Most of them are
ridden with enormous pride
by their creators, although
you can buy some standard
models and a few elaborate
models in a good bike store,
especially in cities of the
American West. Despite the
fact that these bikes originated
within the poverty of the
barrio, lowrider bikes are
anything but cheap. Makers
of these one-of-a-kind creations
regard their bicycles as much
as an artwork and a mechanical
marvel as a means of transportation,
though part of the joy of
creation has always been parading
them down the street when
completed—these are not pieces
of art meant for life in dusty
museums, for the most part.
Each part is usually carefully
selected for its utility as
well as its beauty, with the
resulting bike a breathtaking
example of technical and artistic
ingenuity. Lowrider bikes
are becoming a presence in
more and more cities, perhaps
made more "respectable" among
the affluent bicyclists who
drive the market by the increasing
popularity of their cousin,
the recumbent bicycle. As
the baby boomer generation
ages and feels increasing
twinges of back pain riding
on the dropped handlebars
of road bikes, expect to see
more and more lowrider and
recumbent bikes alike. And
once you get your first basic
lowrider bike, don't be too
surprised if you find yourself
flipping through the real
or online pages of a lowrider
parts catalog musing, "Hmm.
I wonder how that golden sprocket
would look on my bike?" Lowrider
bikes have a tradition of
creative embellishment and
technical improvisation that
calls out the artist and the
inventor in many of us. What,
really, could be better to
evoke, especially if you're
already a bike rider? Find
further information on lowrider
bikes at http://www.bike-cycling-reviews.com,
your online resource on road
and mountain biking reviews,
the hub of cycling information.
|
