Lowrider Bikes History
By Alastair Hamilton -
Lowriding began as a cultural element of Chicano Americans, part of the street culture of the American barrio where Mexican immigrants maintained a lively urban culture.Lowrider bikes, one of the most splendid and unique products of this culture, are a cross between the Harley and the cruiser bike, decorated with paint and chrome and streamers, found in any all-American hometown parade.

As you might surmise, lowriding bikes hug the ground.The highest points on a lowrider bike are almost always its two hand grips, just like you might find on its motorized cousin, the Harley motorcycle.The seat of a lowrider bike is down at wheel level and its pedals are sometimes higher than the seat!These bikes are typically a highly individualized creation.Most of them are ridden with enormous pride by their creators, although you can buy some standard models and a few elaborate models in a good bike store, especially in cities of the American West.

Despite the fact that these bikes originated within the poverty of the barrio, lowrider bikes are anything but cheap.Makers of these one-of-a-kind creations regard their bicycles as much as an artwork and a mechanical marvel as a means of transportation, though part of the joy of creation has always been parading them down the street when completed—these are not pieces of art meant for life in dusty museums, for the most part.Each part is usually carefully selected for its utility as well as its beauty, with the resulting bike a breathtaking example of technical and artistic ingenuity.

Lowrider bikes are becoming a presence in more and more cities, perhaps made more "respectable" among the affluent bicyclists who drive the market by the increasing

Schlecks to quit Saxo Bank team
Tour de France runner-up Andy Schleck and brother Frank are to leave the Saxo Bank team and plan to join a new Luxembourg-based outfit.
BBC Radio 5 live Cycling on Twitter
The latest Tour gossip (external site)
Rebellin loses drug case appeal
Italian cyclist Davide Rebellin loses his appeal against being stripped of the silver medal he won in the road race at Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Cyclist impressed by Olympic Park
Cornish-based cyclist Wendy Houvenaghel says visiting the Olympic velodrome in London has given her extra motivation to ahead of the 2012 Games.
Contador & Astana to part company
Tour de France winner Alberto Contador will leave Astana at the end of this season after turning down the offer of a new deal.
Sky's Downing triumphs in Belgium
Team Sky's Russell Downing sprints to victory in the final stage of the Tour de Wallonie to secure overall victory.
Wiggins to end his season early
Bradley Wiggins will not ride for England at the Commonwealth Games after deciding to end his season in September.
Killeen aims to peak at 2012 Games
Malvern mountain biking medal hopeful Liam Killeen is happy with his current form and believes he is on track to peak at the 2012 London Olympics.
Contador relief over Tour victory
Alberto Contador expresses relief at clinching his third Tour de France victory despite not finding his best form.
Armstrong retires for second time
Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong is to retire from cycling for a second time.
Contador seals third Tour de France victory
Alberto Contador seals his third Tour de France title in four years as Mark Cavendish sprints to victory on the final stage in Paris for the second successive year.
Tour de France

Tour of Britain

Team Sky

Team HTC-Columbia

popularity of their cousin, the recumbent bicycle.As the baby boomer generation ages and feels increasing twinges of back pain riding on the dropped handlebars of road bikes, expect to see more and more lowrider and recumbent bikes alike.

And once you get your first basic lowrider bike, don't be too surprised if you find yourself flipping through the real or online pages of a lowrider parts catalog musing, "Hmm.I wonder how that golden sprocket would look on my bike?"Lowrider bikes have a tradition of creative embellishment and technical improvisation that calls out the artist and the inventor in many of us.

What, really, could be better to evoke, especially if you're already a bike rider?

Article Source: http://www.ArticleJoe.com

Find further information on lowrider bikes at www.bike-cycling-reviews.com , your online resource on road and mountain biking reviews, the hub of information.