I think I understand what the objections are to the bikes being displayed at the show. Too many of these bikes had to be sold at a price point which is inappropriate for what they are and they might not function as they should. Five grand for a beater bike that gets locked to a street pole seems out of place. Now, five grand for a road bike or a touring bike is not a problem, but certain criteria must still be held to. The bike must not be unnecessarily fussy or heavy. That's why the Llweyelen (sp?), the Baylis, the Bruce Gordon, the Rivendell, the bamboo Calfee and the sub 18 pound wooden Renova are right on target. The main difference between a bicycle show and Orange County Choppers is that wastefulness and excess don't destroy a one of a kind boutique motorcycle, but humans are forever horsepower limited so their bicycles must be minimalist. Every bit of excess avoir du pois is in direct contradiction to what a bicycle is all about. That's why the main interest is, and should always be for classic and neo classic lightweight bicycles not fanciful, hulking hunks of metal with pretty paint jobs. As soon as you see big car engines strapped to motorcycle frames you know that these motorbikes are not part of the solution to our problems but the cause of it. Bicycles are and always should be the elegant machine that points the way to the future. - the simple, ecological, sensible, wholesome future. Lightweight road racing bicycles, fixed gears and unstoppable mountain bikes are at the cutting edge of elegance. On the other hand, there is something obscene about Orange County Choppers.
Garth Libre in Miami Fl USA