The Bruiser started out as a tired old Mtn. bike that I picked up at the Cap's Langley garage sale 5 years ago, as well as a 70's era CCM out of the 2 bikes for $25.00 rack. Like a sculptor (somewhere in my little pea brain) all I saw was the end result. I saw the gooseneck in the frame and it was mine. I then walked around to the front store of Cap's and spent a small fortune on the forks and handlebars. There was a frame tube running from the top tube to a taller (than now) seat post; that was the 1st thing to go. Choppers look good with an upswept and laid back look and this rig started taking it's own path when I started playing with wheelsets and seatposts.

I went with a 26"x26"wheelset comprised of chrome rims, blue nipples, and flashing blue light valve caps. A 26"x 3' wide tire adorns the front and a shouldered slick...ish tire wraps the rear. The hubs are a bit of a nonissue as plans call for a Sachs 3x7 internal/external hub for the rear (for a total of 42 gears with 2 front chainrings; 63 if I put a 3rd one one the front...hee,hee. I know a lot of them will be redundant, just goin for braggin' rights), and a nexus drum brake hub for the front wheel.

 Both of which I already have.

Here you can see the 3 cobra head Knobs mounted on 3 gear shifters; on the left hanldebar, an old thumb lever with a piece of tubing attached for a Rat Fink look, for the front derailleur, old school 5spd. console shifter on the top tube for trhe rear deraileur, and a Sturmey 3 spd on the right handlebar for the aforementioned future 3x7 hub.

I started squirting Dupli Colour's blue anodizing paint on the horn, sissy bar and shift lever and started to call this a tribute to my 1st car's interior (referred to in last month's column). That, however was a strange name for a bike, so, since a bruise is black and blue...so it goes. 

Oh yeah , I took apart the head light and squirted it blue too, man I love the effect that paint has over chrome...mmmmm bike candy!!!

Nos bottle just cuz it looks cool, fuzzy dice that hung in my 1st car back in 1981, cd player (gotta keep it old school) for atmosphere, rack to hold the bag of rocket fuel ;) , and fully functional wheelie bar made from springer fork tubes. 26" banana seat and sissy bar pad from Cap's Langley, laid back seat post, chrome ducktail fender, chrome cranks and blue anodized pedals and 2 bullet tailights converted to Led lights that cast a nice blue glow on the ground behind me at night, round out this party on wheels quite niceley for now...    

Those outlaw apehangers are somethin' else!!, however the bike is quite comfortable and fun to ride.

The Bruiser took home the Best Custom Chopper trophy at Toxic Harold's Show 'n Shine/Springnationals, May 2nd/2009. My mom's bike, a '53 Schwinn Panther in the background, took home the Vintage Custom trophy as well. It will be featured in a future column.

I hope you enjoyed this month's edition, ride safe, ChoppeRon.