To some people a bicycle is just a functional item that they use for transportation or recreation. For others their bicycle is a vehicle for self expression. I certainly fall into the latter category, with custom-made frames and paint jobs and various tricked-out parts, many not available in stores. So I’m always glad to meet someone who has a passion for their bike, even if their particular dream bike doesn’t align with mine.

A mutual friend introduced Craig Montgomery and I, knowing that we were both hooked on bicycles. Craig had been working for months on his dream bike project and asked if I’d like to see it. I jumped at the chance and met Craig at his house, and we immediately went to the garage.

Craig’s dream bike was a beach cruiser he had turned into a moped. He got a kit that included a single-cylinder gas engine, tank, chain drive with sprocket, and mounting hardware. He had to modify many of the parts to fit, since his aluminum frame’s tubes were larger than usual. He also modified the rear sprocket to lower the gear, added a center stand, head light, custom set-back seat post, and saddle with springs. He even found trick handlebars and had them powder coated black to match the rest of the bike. The brake and clutch levers came from a Triumph motorcycle. The mechanical speedometer was from a Schwinn bicycle. Craig’s idea was to replicate the machines that were used for board track racing in England in the early 20^th century. He even has a period-looking helmet and gloves.

I was impressed with how good the bike looked, everything in matching black with a few silver trimmed parts here and there. Craig fired it up and it sounded surprisingly good. He took it for a spin up and down the street and it seemed to run great and handle well.

Craig said he used to live in San Francisco and once had a moped. He would ride it around and could always park on the sidewalk. He would use it to go places and do errands, even bringing home groceries on it. Then he had the idea of the moped conversion for the bike and the project was born. Craig admitted that he thoroughly enjoyed tinkering with all the parts and getting them to work together, and sounded wistful that the project was finished.

Some might think that putting a gas engine on a bike takes it beyond the realm of what we think of as a bicycle. You may be right about that, but as with the electric bikes I wrote about in a previous article, a little power assist may be what people need to get up those hills and still get exercise.

Do you have a bicycle in your dreams? Please tell me about it.