Post by "Chainsaw" Jim Johnson on Aug 4, 2014 18:54:41 GMT -5
"How this all came about", better known as the reason the FreakBike Nation got started.
Years ago, and I were helping a friend move. He had a buttload of bicycle stuff that he had saved from his dad's Schwinn dealership and from some other places along the way. When moving time came I was given most of his stuff.
I have always loved bicycles and built my first (unknowingly) FreakBike as a metal shop project back in 1978. So it was only natural to me to build some type of crazy bike using some of the newly aquired stuff. About this time we got a computer and internet soon followed. I knew there were other bike customizers out there and used the internet to find them.
Sam Mckay and his FireBikes were the first website I came across followed by Atomic Zombie. While I knew what i wanted to build, Atomic Zombie showed me how to get around the many obstacles that lay in wait.
Not long after I was introduced to a messageboard called ChopperBicycles.net and met many great custom bike builders. Many of these guys have went on to becoming legends in our hobby and some have even made a living in the custom bike community!
Along the way many of us noticed a group of crazies down in Florida called the FreakBike Militia. They were a group that knew how to build bikes, have fun and inspire others.
Their inspirtional powers were so strong that it reached far past the U.S. borders and infected a group a Canadians in Ontario. Soon the Canucks started the FreakBike Militia Golden Horseshoe chapter and hosted a ride. Some of us Michigan people headed over the border and came back infested with the FreakBike disease.
Budzilla, and I got it so bad we started the Great Lakes chapter shortly after our return home. By December we held the FBM-GL's first ride.
Other groups began starting up and and I could see a need for the FreakBike Militia to have it's own little place on earth. So we contacted Kenny P (founder of the FreakBike Militia) and offered to set up a website to post various bits of info pertinent to all FreakBike Militias. Budzilla jumped into the FreakBike waters and created this here forum so that we had a place to talk.
Shortly after our board was started the old ChopperBicycles.net board began having problems with spammers and the lack of interest from it's owner. Many came to the FreakBike Nation out of frustration and the need for a custom bike "fix'. Our board grew and grew as more made the voyage into Freakdom. Not just the people that called themselves FreakBikers but also others who wanted a place to discuss their ideas, ask questions and build some of the most kickass bikes on the planet! It never has been our intentions to keep the FreakBike Nation solely for the FreakBike Militias but to be a place for ALL custom bike enthusiast. It was made perfectly clear from the very beginning .....
"No Matter Where You're From, We Ride As One".
Over the years other boards have been started with a few becoming more popular than the FBN, while most struggle or go under. The FreakBike Nation is here to stay and will do so as long as we have the great members that we do.
Look for new improvements to the board in the weeks to come!
As you read this please take note that and I always do our best for the board but we can't always figure everthing out and we have to rely on others. Over the years we've had the help of many of you in knowledge, expenses and just plain being there for us. We could not do this without you and we appreciate you all very much!
Chainsaw
My first true FreakBike (1978):
Years ago, and I were helping a friend move. He had a buttload of bicycle stuff that he had saved from his dad's Schwinn dealership and from some other places along the way. When moving time came I was given most of his stuff.
I have always loved bicycles and built my first (unknowingly) FreakBike as a metal shop project back in 1978. So it was only natural to me to build some type of crazy bike using some of the newly aquired stuff. About this time we got a computer and internet soon followed. I knew there were other bike customizers out there and used the internet to find them.
Sam Mckay and his FireBikes were the first website I came across followed by Atomic Zombie. While I knew what i wanted to build, Atomic Zombie showed me how to get around the many obstacles that lay in wait.
Not long after I was introduced to a messageboard called ChopperBicycles.net and met many great custom bike builders. Many of these guys have went on to becoming legends in our hobby and some have even made a living in the custom bike community!
Along the way many of us noticed a group of crazies down in Florida called the FreakBike Militia. They were a group that knew how to build bikes, have fun and inspire others.
Their inspirtional powers were so strong that it reached far past the U.S. borders and infected a group a Canadians in Ontario. Soon the Canucks started the FreakBike Militia Golden Horseshoe chapter and hosted a ride. Some of us Michigan people headed over the border and came back infested with the FreakBike disease.
Budzilla, and I got it so bad we started the Great Lakes chapter shortly after our return home. By December we held the FBM-GL's first ride.
Other groups began starting up and and I could see a need for the FreakBike Militia to have it's own little place on earth. So we contacted Kenny P (founder of the FreakBike Militia) and offered to set up a website to post various bits of info pertinent to all FreakBike Militias. Budzilla jumped into the FreakBike waters and created this here forum so that we had a place to talk.
Shortly after our board was started the old ChopperBicycles.net board began having problems with spammers and the lack of interest from it's owner. Many came to the FreakBike Nation out of frustration and the need for a custom bike "fix'. Our board grew and grew as more made the voyage into Freakdom. Not just the people that called themselves FreakBikers but also others who wanted a place to discuss their ideas, ask questions and build some of the most kickass bikes on the planet! It never has been our intentions to keep the FreakBike Nation solely for the FreakBike Militias but to be a place for ALL custom bike enthusiast. It was made perfectly clear from the very beginning .....
"No Matter Where You're From, We Ride As One".
Over the years other boards have been started with a few becoming more popular than the FBN, while most struggle or go under. The FreakBike Nation is here to stay and will do so as long as we have the great members that we do.
Look for new improvements to the board in the weeks to come!
As you read this please take note that and I always do our best for the board but we can't always figure everthing out and we have to rely on others. Over the years we've had the help of many of you in knowledge, expenses and just plain being there for us. We could not do this without you and we appreciate you all very much!
Chainsaw
My first true FreakBike (1978):