Recently, there’s been a lot of talk about bikes and bike culture – with a particular focus on hipsters and their fixed gears. Lately though, we’ve been noticing a lot of buzz around mutant bike clubs. Groups like C.H.U.N.K. 666, Cyclecide, or Black Label who hack up old bikes and then weld them back together Frankenstein-style.
These groups often organize ‘bike rodeos,’ where new creations can be shown off, and subsequently destroyed. The gatherings are typically held in the out skirts of cities – industrial areas where things can get good and rowdy. Typical activities include tall bike jousting (pictured above), jumping over burning Christmas trees (a seasonal event), crossing wooden planks with unspeakable matter pooled below, lighting fireworks, and drinking lots of beer.
Tod Seelie is a New York based photographer who frequently documents the mayhem of the mutant bike community. Check out some of the images he captured from Black Label’s recent rodeo in New Orleans – and while you’re at it, be sure to take a look at Brooklyn’s Bike Kill.
Make TV also recently produced an interesting segment on Cyclecide, a San Francisco based group, who, along with their wild rides, have created a traveling, pedal-powered carnival.
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There’s a great documentary about Black Label and d.i.y bike culture called b.i.k.e. http://www.bike-films.com/
January 13th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
If only B.I.K.E. were A) a documentary, and B) about Black Label instead of a Tony wank-fest. Oh, it had so much potential. . .
January 14th, 2009 at 1:15 am
I think Cyclecide is the only one that refers to itself as a bike rodeo. Rather tame when you consider the names of the other events such as Bike Kill or the Dead Baby Downhill.
January 14th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Watched this with a big big smile on my dial… how brilliant!
January 15th, 2009 at 4:10 am
I think that bike rodeo gets used as a default description because Cyclecide founded these type of events with their first rodeo.
January 26th, 2009 at 4:50 pm