Tommy grew up around bmx and motorcycles and definity has an appreciation of the custom styles associated with choppers and rat rods. He wanted a way to bring his mother along for rides, and decided to see if he could fabricate something himself. The bike started out as an OCC Chopper bicycle, but wouldn't stay that way for long. It took 3 weeks of non-stop build time to complete the Rickshaw and almost everything on the build is custom. The frame was stretched and reinforced to handle a passenger on the rear. The chair on the rear is a combination of an office chair and a custom steel frame build specifically for this bike. The bike has several brakes and a working 3 speed internal hub. The bike is super fun to see, and I felt like every time I looked at it I found something new and custom that got me excited and had me asking questions.The bike has also been entered into several contest and has won a some really cool awards. Tommy has since started creating other cool custom bikes in his free time from discarded parts and old bikes from friends.
The most important part of this bike really is the reasoning behind it; his Mother. Tommy is very passionate about spending time with his Mom as well as helping spread awareness about Alzheimer's. Last year Tommy held a bicycle poker run in the city of Huntington to help the cause. The event had free food, a bmx stunt show and even bicycle giveaways for kids. The event will be happening again this year on August 2nd and we will be passing on additional information as we get it.
Enjoy the pictures below and learn more about Alzheimer's at http://www.alz.org/
The bike.
The front end.
Tommy and his bike buddies call themselves the hood rats.
Mom's plush seat.
Custom shifter and hand brake
The derailleur shown is not for shifting gears. It is used as
a chain tensioner as well as a way for the chain to work
around the frame design.
Another shot of the derailleur tensioner.
The bottom of the seat made from recycled metal Tommy found.
The rear of the bike, just behind the passenger seat.
The creator himself.
A few of the awards Tommy has received for the bike.
Another one of Tommy's creations. Built entirely out of old bicycle parts. Notice the grill made from old rims and spokes. The front bumper is old handlebars, and the shock link system is made from old forks.
Tommy explaining his creation.
The original frame for the bike. Shortly after this was built, Tommy figured out this frame wasn't quite burly enough.
The rear suspension on the original frame design.
