| Lowriding began as a cultural element of | | | | them down the street when completed?these are |
| Chicano Americans, part of the street culture | | | | not pieces of art meant for life in dusty |
| of the American barrio where Mexican | | | | museums, for the most part.Each part is |
| immigrants maintained a lively urban | | | | usually carefully selected for its utility as |
| culture.Lowrider bikes, one of the most | | | | well as its beauty, with the resulting bike a |
| splendid and unique products of this culture, | | | | breathtaking example of technical and |
| are a cross between the Harley and the | | | | artistic ingenuity. |
| cruiser bike, decorated with paint and chrome | | | | |
| and streamers, found in any all-American | | | | Lowrider bikes are becoming a presence in |
| hometown parade. | | | | more and more cities, perhaps made more |
| | | | "respectable" among the affluent bicyclists |
| As you might surmise, lowriding bikes hug the | | | | who drive the market by the increasing |
| ground.The highest points on a lowrider bike | | | | popularity of their cousin, the recumbent |
| are almost always its two hand grips, just | | | | bicycle.As the baby boomer generation ages |
| like you might find on its motorized cousin, | | | | and feels increasing twinges of back pain |
| the Harley motorcycle.The seat of a lowrider | | | | riding on the dropped handlebars of road |
| bike is down at wheel level and its pedals | | | | bikes, expect to see more and more lowrider |
| are sometimes higher than the seat!These | | | | and recumbent bikes alike. |
| bikes are typically a highly individualized | | | | |
| creation.Most of them are ridden with | | | | And once you get your first basic lowrider |
| enormous pride by their creators, although | | | | bike, don't be too surprised if you find |
| you can buy some standard models and a few | | | | yourself flipping through the real or online |
| elaborate models in a good bike store, | | | | pages of a lowrider parts catalog musing, |
| especially in cities of the American West. | | | | "Hmm.I wonder how that golden sprocket would |
| | | | look on my bike?"Lowrider bikes have a |
| Despite the fact that these bikes originated | | | | tradition of creative embellishment and |
| within the poverty of the barrio, lowrider | | | | technical improvisation that calls out the |
| bikes are anything but cheap.Makers of these | | | | artist and the inventor in many of us. |
| one-of-a-kind creations regard their bicycles | | | | |
| as much as an artwork and a mechanical marvel | | | | What, really, could be better to evoke, |
| as a means of transportation, though part of | | | | especially if you're already a bike rider? |
| the joy of creation has always been parading | | | | |