| The latest rage is not a mountain bike with a new set | | | | "chopped" - put together from several different bikes. |
| of gears, or a road bike made of lighter material, but | | | | The most distinctive feature of the chopper bike is its |
| rather lowrider bikes - low seats, high handlebars, and | | | | handlebars... also called ape hangers, which extend high |
| lots and lots of chrome. As the world around us | | | | above the head of the rider. The seat or saddle, |
| continues to become more and more complicated, | | | | meanwhile is situated even lower than normal, and the |
| even our toys become more complicated - for | | | | pedals are pushed far forward. The design of the |
| example our mountain bikes are more complicated | | | | chopper doesn't stop there, of course. Enthusiasts pile |
| than ever with dozens of gears and choices between | | | | on all the accessories they can think of, from chrome |
| hard tails and soft tails and having to decide between | | | | to gold to fake fur, from special paint jobs to sound |
| disc brakes or v-brakes. In such an atmosphere, it's not | | | | systems. If you're mechanically inclined, you can put |
| surprising that the "retro-look" is back. Well, actually the | | | | together your own chopper bike out of bits and pieces |
| retro-look never goes out of style, it just lies dormant | | | | of others, but if you'd just like the look without all that |
| for a decade or so before coming back. There really | | | | fuss, there are chopper bike shops out there who can |
| is nothing new under the sun. Today, lowriders and | | | | provide you with the bike, and all the accessories you |
| chopper bicycles are resurging in popularity. They are | | | | need to customize it to your satisfaction. The frame |
| certainly not for riding cross-country or downhill, but for | | | | Just like beach cruisers, you might think that these |
| riding on pavement or across soft beach sand, they | | | | choppers with all their accoutrements would weigh you |
| are wonderful. It's more than just the high handlebars, | | | | down, but that's not the case as everything is made |
| generous seats, and fat tires that provide a | | | | from space age materials for lightness. However, they |
| comfortable ride, it's the ability to express one's | | | | typically only come with one gear, so riding up hills can |
| individual tastes by decorating their bikes. These bikes | | | | be a bit of a chore. But that's not what these bikes are |
| have become fashion statements among the youths | | | | for. They're for riding around the neighborhood, |
| of the major urban areas of the country. Chopper | | | | impressing friends, and indulging one's creativity. |
| bikes first appeared in California in the early 1960s. | | | | Alastair Hamilton is a syndicated editor of . A website |
| They were built by kids, who wanted to copy the | | | | with tips on lowrider bikes, amongst many related |
| then-popular customized motorcycles called choppers. | | | | topics. |
| Why chopped? Because the bikes had been | | | | |