I've always wanted to build myself a chopper bicycle, I can remember hastily using an eraser to remove a plan of one I had drawn out of pencil on a rental property's wall when I realised the Real Estate agent was coming around for an inspection back in the early 90's. Since then I have tried numerous times to build one but it has only been the last year I have started taking it more serious and documenting my builds. I think I have finally come up with a chopper (its more a "bobber" style than chopper) that I am happy with. She is as yet un named, rides beautifully and is very comfortable. I was suprised to find out how comfortable a pan seat was, the one on this bike is handmade and is more comfortable than the seat on my expensive Trek mtb.I am thinking about changing the homemade forks to a set of triple clamp forks I have on another chopper (Volcanic 148), but this means more grinding and welding which I don't feel like doing, I am also planning to put a suicide shifter up in behind the stem and run the cables inside the frame, apart from that, after a bead blast, a paint job and working out a name she will be ready to enter in the Geazefest bicycle competition

section in August
Here is my first serious chopper build, this is Volcanic 148, she is rather comfortable to ride but very heavy in the front end and I feel she is a bit wierd looking

Here is an image off my second build, her name is Tank 153. The numbers at the end of my bicycle names is the wheelbase distance in centremetres, just like Landrovers-110's, 90,s. Tank is a bit more comfortable than Volcanic bit I still wasn't happy with the final shape

So far all of my build are made from dumped bikes and scrap steel, I particulary like 50mm Dia steel tube childrens beds, nice curves. I normally have to buy cosmetic items like grips, tyres, cables and housings, pedals. Even the chains are made from older ones joined together. I will post updates on the show bike.