Scrapers and then some

Most people with at least a little familiarity with urban bicycle culture have seen or heard of Scraper bikes. Oakland, California… birthplace of the Scraper Bike. Like with most things in the bay, somebody wrote a song about it. Like to hear it? Here it goes:

And of course, like any song from “The Town”… the remix:

Kids in Queens have brought it to the next level:

And then on the Lower East Side they’ve got the Puerto Rican Schwinn Club- it’s like Scrapers for old folks:

The one thing all these people have in common? Their love for their bikes. Bikes go way beyond transportation for many people- they are also an outlet for expression. The customization that goes into bikes like these is impressive and speaks volumes about their owners. It doesn’t necessarily cost a lot of money, but the value that these folks place in their bikes is admirable.

You just can’t put a price on love.