Q: Welcome to BR&K, Kenny. Why don't we get things rolling with my absolutely favorite question: What were the circumstances in which you first "got creative" on a bicycle? . A: The Circumstances, hmmmmm, I would have to say in the late seventies/early eighties I was racing BMX and saw that the California riders were racing sidecar BMX bikes. Being from a small town in Pennsylvania, not many people there had even heard of them before, including me. . While staring at the pages of BMX Action I drew up some plans and showed my father what we needed to build. Being a Hot Rodder, he had no problem showing my brother and I what we had to do. Over a weekend we built the first sidehack to show up at our track. Of course, to draw a little more attention to ourselves, it was painted pastel pink with white Moto Mags and all white accents! As cool as it was, we never enticed anyone else to build one...so my brother and I were the "side" show every weekend. . Q: I guess there are some drawbacks to being way ahead of your time. Unless you got a trophy every weekend, anyway?  . Looks like the kustom world has finally caught up with your sensibility, as sidecars are shaping up to be our next big style trend. I'm pretty happy about that, too, since I've been also been promoting them for years. Kustom sidecars are pretty different from the BMX kind, but the underlying concept should be similar. How did you find sidehack riding to be different from normal BMX riding? Pretty alien?  . A: It was alien all right; it was also about 125 pounds different! .  The whole excitement was just trying to hang on and not dump my brother out over the side on the jumps.  Kinda funny, it's now 20+ years later and I just built another sidehack for my two sons to ride along with me.  It's a little different from the BMX days, though. . The bike is 9 feet tall- from bars to the ground, and the boys stand on the platform-style sidecar. They call it "The Green Monster". It's great for parades and making the neighbors scratch their heads!  . Q: Your "Green Monster" may be the first sidehack tallbike ever seen in the pages of BR&K. I don't think even Mike Watson, Brad Graham, or Keith Moss has built one of them Yet. . From your photos I've seen so far, it looks like you've covered the last 20 years of the major cycling activities pretty thoroughly. Was that lowrider bike how you worked your way into the kustom field? . A: The low rider was my first frame rake and tank job and it definitely got me hooked. Nothing like the smell of Bondo in the morning. Though my wife would disagree. . Q: And my wife would agree with her. Mine breaks out in hives if she only gets a whiff of the polyester fumes from Bondo. We were both pretty surprised when it happened the first time. The stuff doesn't faze me. Not much Bondo work going on with me since then, though. I have to keep the Bondo can inside another container, just to store it at home; and to use it I have to take it up on the roof of our building. . You're a major figure in one of our favorite organizations- Florida's FreakBike Militia; can you give us some history of that association and how it developed? . A:  Ahhh yes, The FreakBike Militia. Our Motto: "Simple People On Stupid Bikes". We have riders from 7-years old to 70-years old, and everyone in between! . The group started out as a bunch of Mountain Bikers looking for something fun to do while "progress" was taking over our local trails. We held a group ride on Halloween in October of 2003 and had 47 riders show up with home-built kustom bikes. Everyone had so much fun we decided to do it again 3 months later and call it "Choppernite". That was three years ago; and now Choppernite has 140+ riders every three months. We get invited to parades and have been a cover story in the Palm Beach Post and we are the side-show at a local road-racing event called Cyclefest where we get to show off our creations and then head out to the race course for a "Chopper Race". The Roadies get a kick out of it and the LeMans-style start is quite a sight. .  The name was chosen by the riders at Choppernite. Everyone submitted their idea of a club name and we put all the names on a paper and ran off a bunch of copies, everybody filled in their favorite and FreakBike Militia won. You don't even want to know some of the other suggestions! . Every Choppernite has a theme to the ride; people seem to enjoy getting dressed up other than just at Halloween, so we come up with theme ideas to keep it fun. Some of the past themes: Hillbilly Night, Hawaiian, Road Warrior, Caddy Shack and Pirate Night. Some of the contests that go with the themes are kinda fun too: Walk the Plank, Drag Racing for Pirate Night, Putt Putt contest for Caddy Shack, Dog Food-eating contest for the Road Warrior Night (Hey, the winner won a brand new cruiser!), Hog calling contest for the Hillbilly ride.....and we have lots of ideas for the future too! .  The group is all about fun, I just make a little flyer for some of the local bike shops and send out a few e-mails and post the next ride and theme on www.chopperbicycle.net and we show up and ride. .  If you want to join the FBM, all you have to do is show up for a ride and buy a T-Shirt and you are in. That's as easy as it gets, and if you're anywhere near Canada there is a "FreakBike Militia Golden Horseshoe Chapter" too! .  If I could just take up a little more space to say thanks to all the people who help out and make the rides and events go smoothly; and to the bike shops that have sponsored the Choppernites. Thank You so much for all that you have done!! . Q: FBM seems to have a refreshing lack of rigid structure and organization, from what I can see. This goes along very well with the BR&K agenda, which encourages bike building without pushing the social/group aspects as a lifestyle in and of itself. In that way, I suppose both entities are "few-rules"-oriented. . I gather that you don't have any restrictions on the types of bikes permitted to participate, either? . Out of your current average of 140 or so ride participants, what percentage of that would you say are actual kustom bikes; and has that ratio changed from the earlier rides? I'd guess that there'd be a tendency for people to first join in on whatever bike they happen to have on hand, then pick up the urge to start modifying or scratch-building by osmosis. Is that how it actually works? . A: Every kind of Bicycle is welcome at Choppernite. Nobody will ever be told they can't ride with us. If they have a bicycle, they ARE one of us! . The percentage of "kustom" bikes at Choppernite is not huge. There is a core group of builders who show up with something unique every ride. Most of the riders are on production bikes like the Rat Finks or Rain City Choppers, Felts, Stingrays. I would say 85% of the group is riding on cool-looking stuff and the other 15% is trying to decide on what they want to buy or what they want to build. You hit the nail on the head; someone shows up on a Mountain Bike this ride and on the next ride they are showing off their shiny new toy. You see so many people riding cool bikes that you want to fit in and have a cool ride too! So you do see more and more neat stuff each time. . As far as "Structure" goes, I have seen a few attempts at bicycle clubs in the Mountain Bike Community and it always seems to end on a bad note, with good friends taking sides and friendships being ruined. . The FreakBike Militia was created to have fun with your friends on your bicycle. I think if you get too many people involved, making too many decisions, things stop being fun. . The Palm Beach Post article on us said an "accusing finger" could be pointed at me, as far as being the organizer goes. That is true. I make the phone calls, send out the e-mails, and drop some flyers off here and there. But I take in everybody's ideas and opinions on what the next ride should be. I do make the final decision, though. Seems to be working so far.  . Q: My impression for quite a while has been that FBM rides are sort of like Critical Mass rides only without the strident "anti-car" political angle, and with the entertainment factor of costumes thrown in for the amusement of onlookers/motorists. . I'd assume that this perceptible lack of confrontational edge to your rides prevents the "Us vs. Them" mindset, which tends to piss-off law-enforcement types. Is that reasonably accurate? . A: Exactly. The normal "in a rush" motorist will slow down, smile and wave as the group rolls by. Even the horns sound happier when they "toot" and yell "what are ya'll doin?" "Where are you going?" . How could anyone get mad and lay on the horn at a 45-year-old man dressed as Britney Spears or a mother of 4 dressed as Jack Sparrow, or a 12-year-old on a bicycle with a 5-foot front fork? It must be quite a sight for the non-cyclist to see 140+ Pirates or Hillbillies on oddly-shaped bicycles roll through the middle of downtown for no apparent reason. . We have had law enforcement involved a few times- in a good way, though. They have waved us through red lights, blocked off intersections to allow the group to stay together, and have walked through and checked out the bikes at the park where we do the contests and giveaways. I asked an officer who was wandering through checking things out, if it was cool that we do this kinda thing here, and he smiled and said, "Sure, this is great!" . Q: That's a tremendous difference in "outside" perception between an FBM ride and a CM ride- especially regarding NYC CM rides, which tend to turn into law-enforcement riots. Every month, I expect somebody, either rider or police, to be killed in the frenzy; there've already been injuries on both sides.  I'm as hard-nosed about cyclists' rights as anybody; but it seems to me that your FBM rides perfectly illustrate the concept that you can attract more flies with cotton candy than you can with sauerkraut. I can't help but feel that if CM riders showed a more obvious spirit of fun, including the wearing of costumes, they'd get a lot more sympathy for their political goals, from both the authorities and "inconvenienced" motorists. . I'm wondering if your events' popularity owes as much to your location as to your flexible policies and amusement value, since Florida's year-round decent cycling weather and relatively flat terrain allows for more continuity and wider potential for participation. Has the Canadian FBM offshoot been around long enough to make a comparison based upon those factors? . A: The Canadian chapter was started a little over a year ago. Their first ride had 30+ riders with 90% of the bikes being kustom. They ride in the Hamilton, Ontario area; but riders come from Toronto and even Michigan to participate in the rides. Their philosophy is the same as down here- show up, ride, and have fun! . The tropical weather here in Florida keeps us pedaling throughout the year. Which is nice, since most riders would rather be out riding than in the garage building. The Northern boys need something to keep them sane in the Winter months when they can't ride; so they go out and grind, weld, hammer, to create something to show off in the Spring. . The weather is a good factor down here; we have only missed one out of 13 official rides due to Hurricane Wilma. Which was okay because it created our "Nightmare Before Christmas" Ride. The Wednesday before Christmas we dressed up in Halloween garb and cruised through West Palm and watched all the last-minute shoppers running around like crazy! "Oh what fun it is to ride!!!!" . The attendance has grown each Choppernite due to word of mouth. I don't know how big it will get; time will tell. . Q: Kenny, presuming that the FBM events template could just as well apply to other geographic areas, how about laying out a scheme for a typical Choppernite program for those who'd like to follow your lead? You'd be doing a lot of people a big favor, if you were to do so. . A: I got lucky. I have been surrounded by a great bunch of people in the Mountain Bike Community since the mid eighties, they are always up to trying anything new, so that helps out a lot. . A "template", eh?   I would say.... . . Pick a friendly route to ride first, with easy parking at the start. Total distance of 10 miles or less, where the middle of the ride has a nice park or interesting gathering spot. Someplace where pedestrians can see the riders and ask questions when you cruise by.  . Spread the word with flyers at all the local bicycle shops. The heading "Choppernite" in big letters, grabs their attention. Include all the ride info underneath. I never put any phone numbers or contacts on the flyer due to the liability issues. .  Bike shops are usually very generous with giveaways, as long as you give them some kudos at the mid-ride festivities. Riders love door prizes, we've had them for the Ugliest Bike, Longest Fork, Most Dangerous-looking, Best Paint etc....We have had trivia questions for some of the theme rides too. Some shops have sponsored Pizza for everyone!  . Tell all the riders your plan, and the route, before you leave for the ride. Keep the pace slower and try and keep the group together. There's safety in numbers, and it just looks cooler too! .  Bring a few extra tools and tubes for the newbies. If they have trouble, help them out. .  Have it on a Wednesday night. This seems to keep the alcohol intake to a minimum since we all have to work the next day. Leave at a reasonable time to ride back; you don't want them to not show up next time because they got home after midnight last time. .  Plan the next date for the second ride in advance, so when they ask you can let them know. Maybe even have flyers ready for the next one, to be handed out at the event.   . Theme Rides seem to be working. Endless possibilities with this!  . Don't exclude anyone because of what they are riding. They will see the light when they see all the other cool styles of bicycles out there.  . E-Mail everyone you know and tell them to spread the word.  . Why you still reading? Go make up that flyer! . Q: That's a great template, Kenny. The Wednesday night angle is a very good consideration. I wouldn't have thought of that one until after the first (probably drunken and disorderly) cruise, I'm sure. I imagine that the first instinct for most of us would be to hold it on a Saturday night. Now we know better in advance, thanks to your insight/experience. . A lot of our readers are probably not as knowledgeable about FBM and your Choppernites as I am, since I've been studying your activities from a distance for quite a while. One thing I've been most impressed by is the story of John Lamp's involvement with it. How about sharing that saga? "Inspiring" is the most appropriate term which occurs to me. . A: Big John Lamp, better known as the Gatekeeper, is a 12-year-old kid trapped in 60-year-old man's body! He has been my neighbor for the past 8 years. We finally met 3 years ago, because of "choppers". I probably rode past his house a thousand times on my Mountain Bike and it wasn't until I rode by on a bicycle with a 4-foot extended fork that he yelled "Get over here!" . He'd built a Trike a few years earlier, with an extended fork, for a Halloween prop, so I told him about Choppernite and he loved the idea. The problem was that John didn't ride his creation. He smoked 3-4 packs a day and was a little on the "Big" side. The only way he could do the ride with us was to put a small motor on the trike, which he did. You could hear him at the back of the group all night, brrraaapppp!, braaaappppp!, braaapppp!  . Something good came out of that ride though. Being the only motorized rider amongst 100 or so using pedal power, I think John looked at this as an opportunity to make some changes. He gave up smoking, lost some weight and started building bikes. Now, the guy who couldn't pedal around the block to save his life has no problem riding 7-10 miles and smiling the whole time he's doing it! . John does have a new addiction though. The bike building has become a bit of an issue at the Lamp residence. He has quite a few ideas for builds and they seem to become a reality rather quickly. He shows up with a new bike every Choppernite. The most famous would be his John Deere-themed bike that was in the last issue of BR&K. His once roomy, vacant-looking garage is now packed with parts and bikes; and the sparks are always flyin'. The kustom bike "Building Bug" has bitten him so bad he even rents a storage unit that houses frames and parts for future builds! . I think it's pretty cool how much the Kustom Bicycle can change someone's life, and John is the perfect example. . Q: Christ, I hadn't even heard about the smoking part! . I was originally impressed merely by his losing weight and getting into shape, so he could join in your rides, with the prolific building as a sidebar. Now the story's gone beyond being merely inspiring, it's a bloody miracle! The dude's picture should be on prayer cards for the Church of the Holy Kustom Bike, or something. Touching one would probably cure road rash. . I won't even ask if there are any comparable FBM stories or legends; you couldn't beat that one with a stick, even if you lied. But do you have anybody else who's as prolific a builder as John? . I'm presuming you probably aren't, since you've obviously got a lot of other stuff going on. But, about how often do you whip up a new bike for yourself? . A: There are a quite a few guys in the group who are very talented. I would hate to start naming some and leave anyone out. They know who they are; and they are probably reading this right now. If I had to pick just one person to "name drop" it would be Dustin Flushing. . This young man is 14 years old and can weld with the best of them! He has built frames from scratch and they are fantastic-looking. His Dad even goes to him for advice and finish welds. From cool Kustoms to FreakBikes, he's built a few head-turners. I think we will be hearing and seeing more from this kid in the future! . As far as my builds go, I try to have a new bike for every ride. I have two little boys who want every second of my time, so it's a little harder to sneak away nowadays. That's all right, though. They both went to their first Choppernite in July for the Pirate Ride. They rode in the sidecar, and that's all I heard about for days after, how cool it was. The future of the FreakBike Militia is looking good! Q: I've always had the impression that FBM was very youth-friendly; it's nice to have that perception affirmed. I know what you mean about how much your sons appreciated participating in an FBM ride. When my daughter was old enough to want to spend a lot of time on the phone with her friends, I was overhearing one of her conversations (without really trying to eavesdrop, of course). The subject of cycling came up somehow, because I heard her tell the friend about virtually every bike adventure that she and I'd ever had together, starting from about age 4- most of them I'd totally forgotten about, especially the details, all of which she'd remembered perfectly. You can bet that your kids will never forget their first Choppernight. When you consider how much bummer input kids absorb from TV and everyday life, getting them involved with something positive and fun like creative cycling at a very young age seems to be one of the best things you can possibly do for them. Have you built bikes for them, yet; or are you going to help them build their own? A: My older boy rides a 16-inch Stingray that Keith Moss pulled out of a trash pile for me. We took off the training wheels and refurbished it with a nice flat-black paint job and some de-chroming. The front-end flop is a little much for him, but he's a trooper and keeps at it. As soon as he has an opinion on what he wants, we will work on a Kustom bike together. For now, though, the little one loves the Sidecar action, and the older one likes to yell "Hey Dad, watch this". Q: Man, that Keith finds some great trash! I was in a fancy sporting goods store here a couple of weeks ago, and they had one of those little Stingrays on display, still priced at $125. . Well, Kenny, it's been great talking with you. I hope our readers will follow your cues and get some FBM-style action going in their own communities. It's funny, considering that I was just talking about how Critical Mass would be smart to learn some of those FBM tricks, to help with their public/law-enforcement relations. As it happens, just a couple of days later, I was further downtown at a friend's place- the unofficial CM headquarters in Manhattan. While there, I picked up a flyer for the next CM ride, slated for Oct. 27. It announced that the riders were encouraged to show up in Halloween costume. How about that? . A: Cool! It just adds to the fun of riding your bicycle. . Thanks for the interview, Jim. Hopefully, after reading this, we'll get a few more people out there with a new outlook on Building and Biking.   . If any of the readers are visiting South Florida, check in with any of the West Palm Beach area bicycle shops and ask about Choppernite or the next FreakBike Ride. The FBM is always up for an unscheduled ride, and there are plenty of extra bikes in the garages around here that guys would lend out to a fellow Chopperhead!

Kenny the "MTB Guy"

Prather Bros. and their "SideHack BMX".

The Green Monster- tall "SideHack"

Lowrider Kenny

First Choppernite.

Choppernite "Drag Racing"

Choppernite "Jousting"

Young Kenny with his musclebike.

"Hillbilly Nite"

"Dogfood Eating Contest"

Above, Below: More "Drag Racing".

"Pirate Nite"

"Nightmare Before Christmas"

"Tiger" at "Golf Nite"

John Lamp: "Saved by Choppernite"

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John Lamp and his John Deere-style machine from "Hillbilly Nite" Click to see full size

Dustin Flushing (14)

A Portfolio of Kenny Prather's Bikes:

Dustin Flushing (14)

Dustin Flushing (14)

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Photo (C) Palm Beach Post

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