Jun
29
The TLC TV show “American Choppers” sucked me in last night for the better part of an hour and a half. I’m not a huge fan of the show and don’t really care for motorcycles - especially of the chopper kind - but there’s something to the show that grabbed me and kept me fixated for over an hour.
Paul Jr. was building a motorcycle inspired by, and in honor of, the Statue of Liberty for the company that restored it back in the 80’s. They ended up copper-plating the frame and incorporating some original pieces of the statue into the bike. The craftsmanship and finishing was pretty awesome. But I’m not a motorcycle guy and when I finally peeled myself off the couch to go to bed, I found myself wondering why I had just spent so much time watching a show about choppers.
Biking to the train station this morning on my way to work, my brain picked up where it left off (hour rides in the early am are great for that) and I was wondering what the attraction was. What I think drew me in was the fact that they were creating something with their hands that existed as only raw materials and parts at the beginning of the show. The social aspect (i.e. the interaction between the shop guys) was also appealing and entertaining. Another show that has had the same effect is the “New Yankee Workshop” with Norm Abram - I can never surf away from that show if I land on it.
So I’m thinking: “a work shop, guys interacting, creating and building an intricate machine with their hands…sounds like a bike shop.” I then pondered whether I could spend an hour watching an expert bike mechanic build up a beautiful bike. I think I could. Seeing the care and attention to details like fitting the customer, choosing the components, lining up the Campagnolo logos on the cable housing, chasing threads… Even listening in to the stories and conversations of the whole team at the shop while working on it. Wouldn’t you watch that?
Taking that concept one step back along the line of American Chopper, you could even start with the frame builder - say Richard Sachs. Watch him filing the lugs, choosing the tubing, welding, finishing, see the painting, talking about his geometry and material choices. See the tubes becoming a beautiful bicycle. Maybe you could have each episode with another builder and another shop around the country. There are some real characters out there that I’ve seen and met over the years that could give the Orange County Chopper guys a run for their personality money - easy. We might even learn something along the way that we can use on our own bikes - it is “The Learning Channel”, isn’t it? (And for what it’s worth, TLC is owned by Discovery Channel)
I think that I would definitely watch that show if it ever came into being. How about you?
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8 Responses to ““American Chopper” - “American Bicycle”?”
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Great idea for a show Rich! I would definitely watch it.
I can already picture Richard Sachs with a fu-manchu brazing a lugged steel chopper. OK, maybe not, but seriously, a framebuilding show would be great.
Me too! I think that is an awesome idea! Although motorcycles and the build up shows don’t focus a lot on engineering I think a bicycle show would have to if it want to accurately reflect and capture the mind of the rider. For some reason we care about the tube wall thicknesses at butt joints. :p
I think it would be fascinating to watch a bike come together from the ground up (including the frame). It would be interesting to see the different bikes and the way they were setup, assuming some would be built for road or mountain racing… just to see what master builders do that help the rider.
Maybe even branch out and see the bike they build in competition and talk to the guy that races it, or go on location and test them out like you see on American Chopper when they go on rides. And the trade shows…like Interbike…Man, that could be good.
Where’s a TLC rep when you need them?
I would watch something like that.
I picture Big Dave Harrison at FBM bikes going through what they do to weld a BMX frame from start to finish…
I have seen the process but on TV it would be a different experience.
Steel? Who buys a steel road bicycle these days? Do something a bit more ecclectic, SWOBO, Soulcraft, Kona, buy who wants to look at an old doude building an old man’s’ bike?
About a bike building TV show, We are currently working on producing USA made bicycles and have considered the show idea. I started the Beach Cruiser bicycle in 1973 in Newport Beach Ca. We closed our production when we licensed the trade mark “Beach Cruiser” to Schwinn they promptly went bankrupt and left us with nothing. I have been encouraged to start again look at Harley Davidson, pricy but in demand.
you can check us out at http://www.californiabeachcruiser.net
This is a great idea and I am up for putting it together I am a graphic designer and have all the equipment for video editing. Further more I have a huge connection with the bicycle industry as I have a family member in both the bmx and Mt bike hall of fames. I would watch a show like this and to the one who posted this you are right there are plenty of charecters in the bicycle industry.
Right on the money! One of the things that sets our bike shop apart is custom bike culture. This idea would not only be fun, but show a progression in how people view a relatively inexpensive (in comparison to a chopper) way to fully customize and create an object to be cherished.
Hand built custom bicycles are art.. not too many people make them by hand anymore and i think the show would encourage more people to create. Im a small manufacture trying to push the envelope in bicycle design. check my web page you will see that . a show like this would get people creating!! and who knows what could come next. . …