Atomic Zombie's Bicycle Builder's Bonanza [Paperback]

Brad Graham (Author), Kathy McGowan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 14, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0071422676 | ISBN-13: 978-0071422673 | Edition: 1

* Provides detailed, step-by-step instruction showing how to build your own customized bicyles on a shoe-string budget

* Thoroughly illustrated--includes 50 blueprints and 200 photos

* Includes ideas, techniques, advice, and practical tips for the creative builder

* One of the author's creations will be included in the Guinness Book of World Records for the tallest bicycle (20031210)

Editorial Reviews

Review

A book review by Warren Beauchamp

Warren's 'bent rating: 5 sprockets!

I have been following Brad Graham's (mis?)adventures on his Atomic Zombie web site for a number of years. I always got a chuckle at his latest junk to gem creation. It always amazed me how he could take a pile of junk bicycles from his local scrap heap, whip out his grinder and welder, and create something wild and perfectly functional. Okay, maybe the skyscraper bikes were a bit less than practical, but who cares they were fun! In any case, the Atomic Zombie had alluded to the fact that he was writing a book about his bicycles and now it's a reality.

Atomic Zombie's Bicycle Builders Bonanza is a practical guide to building cool bikes from old scrap bikes. This is truly a book for anyone, even people with no building experience. He starts with detailed instructions on how to build a workbench and how to weld, and proceeds from there with explaining how to acquire and then dismember the bikes you'll use to create your own masterpiece. I wish I had a book like this when I was starting to build bikes! Brad explains in detail how to build 14 different bikes, including choppers, tall bikes, recumbent bikes, and some really odd ones. My favorite is the Marauder low racer.

Each project details the parts you will need, shows detailed pictures of the building process, and then shows the completed bike in action. Brad mixes stories of bikes gone awry in with the instructions to provide a humorous style that is informative as well as a good read.

With this thick 388 page book, even the cheapest novice bike hobbyist can realize his dreams of building the wildest bike on the street! (www.recumbents.com )

From the Back Cover

ATOMIC ZOMBIE'S BICYCLE BUILDER'S BONANZA

SUPERBIKES (FOR STINGY BUDGETS)

For bicycle lovers, tinkerers, and inventors, this dream resource offers hours of fun, creativity, and adventure. If you have standard workshop tools, Atomic Zombie's Bicycle Builder's Bonanza provides everything else you need to create cool custom bicycles on a shoestring budget. You’ll find exciting plans for choppers, low racers, tallbikes, recumbents, tandems, and others that defy description.

You'll learn how easy -- and cheap -- it can be to build machines with names like Marauder, Sky Cycle, and Hammerhead -- to construct bicycles whose profiles will make you gasp -- and to make your own recumbent bike that can speed along at 80 kph on the flats. This book shows you how to build them all, complete with photos and detailed instructions!

Written by long-time bike hobbyist and inventor Brad Graham, founder and host of the atomiczombie.com bicycle builder's Web site, and creator of the world's tallest bike, this value-packed, heavily illustrated manual offers an exciting range of resources from complete custom bike plans to details on working with tools and customizing bikes you already own. Look inside for all the help you need with:

* Getting parts for free, or almost free
* High-speed recumbent low racer with hydraulic disc brakes
* A two-headed winter-ready mountain bike
* A bicycle so tall that you have to duck under power lines
* Ultralong fork choppers with loads of attitude
* A rugged all-terrain mountain tandem
* Pedal-powered vehicles that seem to defy the laws of physics
* Customizing details, such as getting a smooth paint job and removing rust from old chrome
* And much, much more!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 388 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill/TAB Electronics; 1 edition (January 14, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071422676
• ISBN-13: 978-0071422673
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #239,006 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #29 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Individual Sports > Cycling > Bike Repair

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Practical - Fun - Get Started!, July 1, 2004

By 

David B Hastings Jr (Berwyn, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Atomic Zombie's Bicycle Builder's Bonanza (Paperback)

A very, very, practical approach to diving in and building your own wierd bikes (and I thought I was the only one!) Doesn't assume much of any prior bike knowledge or skill. Also not clouded by any predujice or opinion on one type of biking vs, another - just focused on basic building and fun. Lots of cool projects and ideas - I feel "scooped" on a few. Check out the Atomic Zombie site for the latest cool tallbike.

Does assume that you have some basic tool and metalworking skills, but still beginner-friendly.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Could be useful..., August 20, 2004

By 

Felix The CAT (ohio) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Atomic Zombie's Bicycle Builder's Bonanza (Paperback)

Covers weird bikes unlikely to be built by the average home builder-some seem to be of the "circus" origin. Deals with fabrication using steel bike parts from scrap.
Nevertheless, will spark your imagination to create your own. Shows detailed building of a low racer recumbent among other "designs".
Pictures are small, black & white, however the text is somewhat detailed.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I really enjoyed this book -I would rather have built a bike, August 20, 2004

By 

David Sundy "Crafty Coyote" (Dallas, Georgia USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Atomic Zombie's Bicycle Builder's Bonanza (Paperback)

If you are thinking about buying an unusual bike, buy this book first and you may decide to build it instead. There a several types described and this will get your creative juices flowing. I particularly like the Spincycle!