Please contact me if you’ve seen it.
Few people in Portland’s bike scene put as much creativity and thought into their bikes (or their outfits) as Gabriel Amadeus Tiller. He’s got the zaniest collection of tall-bikes, freak chopper bikes, and mini-bikes I’ve ever come across.
times; competing in the
Zoobomb Century.
(Photo © Jonathan Maus)
You’d think such distinct rigs would be theft-proof right? Unfortunately someone nabbed one of Gabe’s latest creations — a downhill-specific mini-bike named “Rad Amerika” — from Washington Park last Monday.
If you see this bike, contact Gabe via this thread in the Zoobomb Forum, or drop me a line and I’ll forward the info onto him directly.
Surely with all the eyes we’ve got on the street, someone must have seen this thing… let’s help return this artifact of Portland bike culture to its rightful owner!
[Thanks to Carl for the tip!]
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who would want to ride that p.o.s.? it\’s his most uncomfortable bike to pedal.
by the way, the front wheel is mine ;-P
Dropout Bike Club has had a neon orange tallbike missing for about a year now. Anyone seen it?
Gabe\’s bike is a Schwinn Pixie BTW…
Gak! What an eyesore. I hope it is found but that is one ugly bike.
Good point, Mr. Viddy. When Gabe grows up he might be able to afford a taiwanese-made aluminum/carbon-fiber beauty with pretty paint and that hot new Shimano gruppo. Until then, he\’s just gonna have to run with the crap he builds in his basement.
Here are some more ugly pictures of his fleet of eyesores:
http://www.zoobomb.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=252
Someday Gabe…someday you\’ll own a Lemond…
Carl,
My comment had nothing to do with supporting mass-produced bikes. It was a personal statement. I think the bike is ugly. I do not believe that every homemade or pieced together bike is ugly. Gak!
No worries. Didn\’t mean to be so acidic, there. To each their own.
For me, ugly is the new pretty…and Gabe\’s got ugly in spades.
And Skidmark, great to know that Gabe\’s bike is a Schwinn Pixie… What make and model were the frames for that orange tallbike?
Oops, there\’s that acid again. Gotta get back to my chocolate milk.
The were both mountain bike frames,the top one was a Magna girl\’s MTB and the bottom one was a boy\’s frame, probably a Magna as well. Deadbuny would know for sure. I think the neon orange paint is more of an identifier.
I would keep an eye out for this bike or parts of it @ Zoobomb, it would not be the first time someone jacked a bike and then showed up with it a different color or with some different parts.
I\’d rather ride this:
http://picocool.com/go/news/post/frog-inspired-bike-design/
Oh man, if you think that\’s ugly (and I totally agree) you should see what\’s cooking in the lab. eeeesh!
Thanks for the support guys, I talked with folks at the parks dept and the hoyt arboretum, they\’ve got they\’re eyes peeled too. It\’s true, who would chop a u-lock to get a bike that was nearly put together for free. There\’s got to be one stoopid \”tweaker\” out there somwhere. Here\’s the Finetoothcog info:
http://www.finetoothcog.com/site/bike_matches/1161
1. Find bike
2. Bury bike
#9…that\’s something.
Frog Bike Rules!!
A concept bike is likely not rideable. That bike has suspect rake and trail dimensions anyways.
I\’d say it\’s as least as rideable as the monstrosity above!
Just kidding. I don\’t know. But regardless, Frog Bike Rules!!
Oh, and I hope Gabe finds his bike. I\’ll certainly keep an eye out for it. I doubt it\’ll be on the Springwater before sunrise or after sunset, but you never know.
please note that if I ever complete my ZB bike– which very well might be built on the Schwinn Pixie frame in my basement– it\’s not Gabe\’s bike.
(glad mine\’s red and not blue)
IMO, the frog bike is just as fugly, I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder…
Damn it, BURR, don\’t badmouth Frog Bike!
O.K. . I checked the guys website. It looks like he hasn\’t actually built the frog bike, but only designed it on the computer. Hmmm…looked so real.
so let\’s concentrate on the real stolen bike, eh? left locked up at the zoo, disappeared sat nite…I\’m with SkidMark on this, zoobomb wannabe is my guess.
Um, I don\’t think the Frog Bike is going to be much of a distraction in locating this, ahem, \”cultural artifact,\” such as it is.
And yes, wsbob, the Frog Bike is just a design… for now. An Autocad wet dream. But think about what a great ZB bike it would make – cruising down the mountain on The Frog, you know? Ribbit. Woosh. Frogs don\’t belong locked up in the Zoo.
This culture is all about creativity and self-expression, right? Or do I have to conform by having a retread Frankenstein mini-bike like everyone else?
Anyway, like I said, I\’m keepin my eye out. Every morning on the Springwater, I squint in the dawn half-light to see whether the spandex-clad racer passing me at 20 mph is on Rad Amerika. Maybe if we all concentrate real hard together we can visualize it\’s location. Yall wit me?
So, in case it\’s not clear, I\’m just trying to be funny. I really do hope Gabe finds his bike. There\’s a special place in hell for ZB wannabes … I mean bike thieves.
Could be the zoo bomb cops requisitioned the little critter for training purposes. They\’d have the tool to bust a ulock. Of course, its \”legal\” for them to do that sort of thing.
Wouldn\’t be the first time they stole our bikes.
Really?
Indeed. A sad story that was documented in the Trash Mountain Boys\’ holiday ditty, \”I Saw Popo Ticket Santa Claus (Outside Rocco\’s Pizza Sunday Night).\” Sadly, this epic story of bike love and loss has not yet been captured on a recording.
Well, we know the PPB is filled with racists (see today\’s O), that certain members the PPB murdered James Chasse in cold blood, that certain other members are obsessed with ticketing cyclists for minor (or no) traffic infractions, and that one prominent member is a Nazi sympathizer, so it would not surprise me that their douchebaggery extends to stealing ZB bikes.
Why does such a great city have such a bunch of knuckle-draggers for cops?
Oh, and I hope Gabe finds his bike. And the Frog Bike rules!
here\’s a link w/ photos to the IMC story on the PPB confiscation of zoobomb bikes in 2003.
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2003/09/271312.shtml
Ah, the PPB. Obsessed with trivial displays of State power.