Just went to the Shiny Side Up bike show in San Jose, CA

Yep, big bicycle show, lots of custom bikes and most of them shiny. Getting the pics ready for you guys as we speak. I saw some videos of the ones from years before so I expected to see an entire block of motorized bikes, but was disappointed to find that there were only half a dozen including mine.. or less..

The show was primarily dominated by fatbike stretch cruisers. Some REALLY stretching it. Didn't see too many diamond framed bikes. Among the motorized bikes, there was ONE guy with a Whizzer motor and drive and I guess the frame was custom, ONE guy with a CG 2-stroke cafe styled bike, TWO GUYS with 212cc predator bikes, which had combined mini-bike and bicycle components to create these stretched lowrider motorized bikes (although they pretty much looked like minibikes with stretch bicycle frames, wheels, and forks), and ONE electric bike.. some crazy super stretch bike with a linkage going from the handlebar to the wheel headset up front. And then there was me, ONE guy with an all-American bike, Briggs and Schwinn.

The entry was $5 cash only, but I did not have cash, so they let me in for free. Apparently to enter a bike it was an additional $5, which I also did not have, and so did not enter my bike.

Although most bikes there generally followed the same principle, two wheels, pedals, most of them stretched and lowered, there were several bikes with some innovating features. A lot of suspension mods. Forks, seat shocks, even one bicycle with a softail rear. One guy had all the above, plus rim disc brakes on his stretch lowrider.. he had said that wheel trueness is the most important, as the spoked wheels if out of true would affect disc alignment. Ok!! on to the pics.


custom built Whizzer. This bike is built by a member of the Others Bicycle Club in San Jose.

"MotoDromo" bike build by a Jasper on the RRB board. I got to sit on this bike, and lemme tell ya.. I would be scared riding it at over 30 with the little clip-ons! He started it up for me, and yes, it sure does sound like a 2-stroke race bike. The front brake is a SA drum, it has a small bicycle analog speedo and custom built fairings.. everything.. The engine drive chain clearances to the frame are super close. Eighth of an inch to the tire, .030" to the seatstay, etc. You can find his build thread on Ratrodbikes.

Bike 2 is the super stretch electric bike. Appears to be a 2WD. Didn't find the owner. The front hub is actually a RWD ehub, with an unused drive sprocket on the right and utilizing a disc brake on the left. Pretty knarly!! check out that steering linkage.

I'd seen a similar bike about 6 months ago in Hayward, CA (40 miles north).

One custom stairmaster type bike. Didn't find the owner, but I would guess there are one-way bearings in that custom drive hub.

Super fat tire, and super tall, lowrider fatbike. I got to ride a fatbike with super tall tires like this one, but it was a standard diamond frame.. man that thing is smoooooooth!!!

A rat rod stretch lowrider made from rebar.

Gear head customs from AZ brought their custom stretch cruiser with rim disc brakes. I was so caught up in the features that I forgot to take a photo of the entire bike. The builder said that wheel trueness is of huge importance, as it will affect the brake pad clearance. The rim was prepared by turning and threading aluminum standoffs, tig'in them to the rims after careful measurement, and plasma cutting the brake disc.. or ring.. in this case.. The bike had a custom springer fork and also a shock under the seat.

There weren't many wear marks on the brake ring, so I would guess that bike has not seen many miles.. but the guy did say it stops on a dime.

The other bike is very interesting to me. It is a hydraulic type softail. I have always wanted to do a setup like this on my Schwinn. The pivot is in line with the chainline, which make sure that chain slack on upward or downward movement is minimal.

And my personal favorite.. the raw looking stretch cruiser with the girder fork. I talked to the builder briefly and found that the front fork was actually made from a regular springer that was strengthened, with added links and custom stem to turn into a girder style. Full of details.. notice the classy analog clock as the stem cap.

And of course.. yours truly... I did not get a pic of my bike however, here's one from a few weeks ago by the lake.

What I found from going to this bicycle show... Is that there is a growing trend in fat bike stretch lowrider cruisers. Super fat tires, disc brakes, custom frames and suspensions, some with full half link chains, etc.

Also, I realized that bicycle riders and motorized bicycle riders are two different breeds of people. There were no regular bicycles there... only show bikes. As I walked back round to my bike I found one younger guy with a japanese 10-speed taking close ups of my bike, and his own bike was something that he said would be a "sore thumb" at the show.. but quite frankly I would have like to see more bicycles that were the daily drivers of local folk. I kind of expected to see a whole block of motorized bikes, but only saw one of each kind, pretty much :/ the guys with the preddy bikes had one with a 2-speed, I would guess a comet style? Where the 2nd gear clutch was driven by the engine instead of the rupp being driven by the jackshaft. I guess both methods work. He had a foot-operated band brake on the rear wheel hub. Sorry no pictures! Was not in the pic taking state yet.

I feel as though there would be more MBs at a motorcycle show... Cause you know... When you ride a bicycle you're a bicyclist... But on an MB the motorcyclists give ya the nod and wave so sad as it may be... This will be the last time I go to a bicycle show; the next one will be a motorcycle/car thing.

People were asking where I live, and gave an expression of disbelief when they found I ACTUALLY DROVE MY BIKE TO THE SHOW a whole thirty miles (I actually live northwest a couple miles from Apple HQ). Had one breakdown, dang BGF throttle cable broke near he plug inside my throttle, had to take out the metal guide tube to give me more cable so I could just tie it in a knot. Well I was able to drive the bike the remaining 28mi to the show and back, with an average speed of 30mph and gas mileage of 88mpg.

Ludwig, I didn't mean the motorized bikes at this show were no good, I just felt that you might see more in a motorcycle rally than a bike rally. All those stretch cruisers showed have plenty of space for a 212! But did not see a single such bike with a motor, even though the majority of bikes were stretch cruisers.

culvercityclassic said:

Thanks for sharing the pictures. Would like to see more of your bike tho...

Click to expand...

No prob sir!

Trip meter is reset for each gas tank.. At 50 miles to a tank I got 40 left. And that headlight came stock with H3 bulb and will be getting an led h3 soon, cause the tiny bicycle lights I been using ain't cuttin it

It won't let me upload pics of the same name.