Atomic Zombie’s Bicycle Builder’s Bonanza
Book Review
by Brad Graham and Kathy McGowan
McGraw-Hill, 2004; US $25 or CAD $40, 388 Pages
This book will help you build a chopper with much more street cred than the $200 factory-made ones; a trail-a-bike or unicycle for $50 to $100 less than store-bought; a recumbent, tricycle, or tandem for $200 to $2,000 less than store-bought; or a tall-bike or swing-bike that simply isn’t available in stores.
Bicycle Builder’s Bonanza is not a step-by-step guide that describes in exact detail everything you need to do to weld these bikes together, nor is it a complete bicycle maintenance guide. It is, however, a good, fun how-to guide for those who like to get their hands dirty and either have the space and desire to weld, or have a friend or nearby shop who can weld for them.
Having built many “freak bikes” already, I didn’t expect to learn much from this book but I was pleasantly surprised. It provides an excellent description of how to make two-wheel steering, and describes an easy way to make a chain tensioner. And just by looking at the Marauder design, I could see why ball-joints are used for remote steering.
The list of essential tools is not quite comprehensive (the chain-tool, Allen key, and screwdriver aren’t listed); and it’s odd that they choose to buy fresh steel instead of cleaning up old free bicycle tubing – yet won’t buy an $18 crank-arm remover. Still, the only advice I’d have added is: don’t risk your chain-tool trying to remove a rusty old chain. If you are just going to throw it away, cut it off with a hacksaw instead.
This book is well worth the price, even if you only build one of its many projects. Knowing how to do your own prep work will save you as much on labour if you were to pay someone to weld one bike for you.
Atomic Zombie will also be publishing Bike, Scooter, and Chopper Projects for the Evil Genius, due in April 2008. See www.atomiczombie.com for details.
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