Types of Low Rider Bikes

There are many types of low rider bikes out there. Again all of which are customized bikes. The top Three are you main low rider bikes. These are the types of low rider bikes that you will often see around. These are the ones that most people tend to have. If you don’t know much about low rider bikes and you’re looking to build your own, then sticking with the top three will be idea. If you know a lot about building low rider bikes and you want something truly unique then try something else. You can start from scratch and completely make your own if that’s what you desire. The last few are low rider bikes that are out there, just not as popular as the normal ones. That doesn’t mean they are not just as good though. You just may have trouble with getting parts to work right, but if you willing to learn then there is nothing better to learn on.

Classic Low Rider- This is your basic older low rider. Most of the parts used to make this bike are old school. Meaning there is basically no sign of anything from the last few years. If you are building a classic low rider it’s the same as building an older car. You have to use parts that have been around for years. Nothing that is newly introduced into the bike world. You can still use new parts, but they should be from the 60’s or close to that age in time. Classic low riders have your banana seat, sissy bars, spoke wheels and long handle bars. Color themes often look great on these types of low rider bikes.

Cruiser Low Rider- Cruisers are made for looks and comfort. This means all parts look inviting and comfortable. You should use parts that are soft edged and more curved the normal part. The frame is often stretched more then the typical low rider. Your entire low rider bike should look as if it flows together. There are several types of low rider cruisers out there. Different parts make the cruisers different. You can get a Stretch cruiser, Easy Cruiser, Super cruiser, banana cruiser and a Vegas cruiser. All these cruisers are defined by the type of parts that you use and where you place these parts.

Trikes- Trikes are just like it sounds, they have three wheels. They are customized low rider bikes with a trike frame. These are often used to create a lower bike then normal since they have the three wheels. Using a trike frame helps you receive the lowest bike out there while still being able to ride the bike. Trikes are the ones you will often see with air suspensions or shocks and most of your hydraulic air systems are done on trikes. Since you can get lower to the ground and not lose your balance on these, they are becoming more popular as the time goes on. They are a little more expensive then the normal low rider bike, but well worth it.

Low Rider Chopper Bike
These low rider bikes are often pretty expensive but usually well worth the price that you will pay. These bikes look just a motor bike does and you often need to take a second glance to realize they are in fact a regular low rider bicycle. They have the banana seat as the rest do along with other basic materials of the classic low rider. They have a gas tank, chopper wheels, sissy bar and they have the front wheel that is stretched out just like regular choppers are. The chain on the bike often looks just like a chopper chain. The paint job is often custom with some sort of art work on it. Air brushing art work is perfect for this type of low rider. If you have air brushing experience now is the time to show off what you know. You usually can’t have just a plain paint job on these kinds of bikes as it just won’t look that good. If you’re looking for something a bit fancier and a lot more expensive, then this is the type of low rider bike you want. You will have more room to be creative and you will likely win more contests if that’s what you’re going for.

Twister Low Rider
These low rider bikes look a lot like a low rider cruiser with the exception of the frame. The frame is basically twisted. This is where the twisted name comes from. These still have the sissy bars, long handle bars and the classic banana seat. The twisted frames don’t often have as many accessories as the other bikes typically do. This doesn’t mean you can’t add them if that’s what you want. If you add accessories then you should try and find some that have this same twisted look to them. You can find handlebar grips and mirrors for sure that have this twisted look. They make round birdcage pedals which look like a ball made from twisted metal that would look great on this type of low rider bike as well. They have twisted steering wheels as well incase you want this and not your typical handle bars. There are plenty of other things that will work with this bike as well. Just look for things that are shiny, chrome and resemble twisted metal and you will be set to go.

Low Rider Bullet
This is a basic lowrider without any frills. If you’re looking for something that looks decent but wont cost you a ton of money then this is the bike for you to get. It has a little more accessories then the basic lowrider but not so many that it becomes to expensive. It comes with the typical banana seat, bullet light, twist ford bars, two mirrors, lots of chrome, white wall tires, sissy bar and 68 spokes.

Continental Low Rider
This bike is known for its shine. Just about everything on it shines. It’s filled with chrome everywhere you look. This bike comes with two mirrors, twist fork bars, bullet light, continental kit which includes the small tire that goes behind your seat, sissy bar, white wall tires and 68 spoke wheels.

Super Krate Low Rider
If you like things that offer a higher look with the low rider feel then this is the bike for you. This bike comes with an all chrome frame, 20 inch wheel back wheel, 16 inch front wheel, suspension high back sissy bar, springer banana seat, white wall tires, straight fork twist bars and 68 spokes.

Galaxy Low Rider
A Galaxy Low Rider is for the people who prefer gold and more accessories. This bike comes with gold fork twist bars, gold valve caps, gold chain guard, chrome chain, gold twist pedals, gold twist sissy bar, velour banana seat, gold trimmed reflectors, white wall tires and 68 spokes.

Spin Low Rider
If you’re into the whole spin wheels then you will love this lowrider bike. This bike features front and rear low rider handbrakes, chrome chain guard, Krate style pedals; 20 inch chrome bent springer fork, chrome fender, white wall tires, velour banana seat and 140 spoke chrome spinner wheels.

There are many other sub types of low riders out there. Pick the main style that you like and then look into different types of that style. Plus you can always get a bike you like and then customize it further to suit your needs.

There are so many things you can add to your low rider, but if you’re looking for some ideals then I am sure you will get some from this article. Mirrors are something that seems to be pretty popular. You can add just one bigger mirror or two smaller ones. Typically you see the smaller ones one each side, but that’s up to your personal preference. Not only do they look nice, but they could come in handy while riding your low rider. Making it safer for you when riding on the streets or where ever else you may ride at. White wall tires are another option that people love adding to low riders. These especially look good when you have a low rider bike that sports a lot of chrome. If you’re looking for shine, then the white wall tires are something that you need to get. You have to take good care of your white wall tires though, if you don’t they will not last and will begin looking bad. Fancy handle bar grips are something else that you can add. There are many different types of grips out there, so if you have a certain theme going on, then you will find the perfect match as long as you take the time and look for it. Some other things that people like to do is add velvet to their low rider bike. They will do the seat in velvet and other parts of the bike like this. This looks great on low rider bikes like a cruiser. It makes the low rider bike look comfortable and inviting. Don’t forget to pick up a nice set of valve covers as well as a chain guard. Some don’t use chain guards, especially if they have a fancy looking chain. That’s a personal preference that you can choose.

Something that people tend to forget is some of the most obvious things. One thing that is the most important unless you have a trike is a kickstand. You will need something that looks nice but is also very sturdy. Let’s think about it, this one little stand holds up your entire bike. If this stand is cheap then you could dump your low rider bike. Spend the money on getting a good kick stand so you won’t have to spend a lot of money and time later on fixing your low rider bike. You can get a plain stand or you can get a customized kick stand. Judge your kick stand on how your bike looks. There is a thing as to much customization.

A low rider bike is an older bike or it can be a newer bike that is customized. Often frames from the 1960s and 1970s are used. But you can use any type of frame you want. You can customize it many different ways which is the whole fun in making a low rider bike. Some of the basic things that should be included on your low rider bike for it to be even considered a low rider is a banana seat, sissy bars, big sloping handle bars, spoked wheels with the more spokes the better and lots of shine. You will want your low rider bike to shine everywhere it possibly can. This means you need lots of customized chrome parts so you are able to create this shine. Some low rider bikes often have filler metal sheets. These are different size sheets that have been made to fit your low rider. Each sheet has to be custom made. These sheets will fill in the gaps along the frame. Making it more custom, with these sheets you can add artwork or more detail. These metal sheets will just basically give you more room to work with. The rest is completely up to you. That’s the fun in building a low rider bike. You can do anything that you want. Some low rider bikes have themes; some have hydraulic suspensions also known as air suspensions. As long as you follow some of the basic rules your bike can look however you want it to look. Low rider bikes are fun to build yourself if you know what you’re doing. They can also be fun if you don’t know what you’re doing. You can give your low rider bike any type of look you like. If you are obsessed with a current theme you can have your low rider bike match this theme. For example, if you are into a movie that’s out and you collect things from this movie, then you can build your low rider bike to match that as well. If you have a favorite color, then you can have this match your favorite color as well. You can do chrome parts along with your favorite color. With the exception of your basic parts to give it that low rider feel, you can do basically anything that you want to give your low rider a brand new look and feel. Being unique is completely okay and its encouraged. Once you complete your low rider bike you will have an entire different feeling then if you were to just go out and purchase one. You will have something unique that you love and something that you have built yourself. This is truly a rewarding experience. When you done you can show your low rider bike off in different shows or if that is not for you, you can just ride your artwork around and show it off to all your friends.

Schwinn- This was the first company to ever produce customized lowrider bikes. The stingray was the first low rider bike this company ever made back in the 1960s. A man named George Barris came up with this concept when he was customizing low rider cars and noticed that others were starting to copy his work onto bikes. After thinking about it for a while he decided to follow this trend. Thinking he could make a lot of money with this he came up with the first sting ray. He’s was right about making a lot of money. People took to this trend pretty fast. The sting ray had the banana seat and sissy bars. The stingray frame is often what you see on most bikes even now. It’s the most typical and easier to find. Later In the 1960’s they produced the first women’s low rider bike called my fair lady. It was done just as the stingray but painted in girl colors usually purple. This low rider bike had a more girly feel to it and it also become pretty popular.

BMX- This was the second company to produce customized low riders. BMX decided George with Schwinn had come up with a good idea and they wanted to have their hands in this profitable business as well.

So BMX started coming up with BMX lowrider bikes. Once BMX got involved lots of other companies began to follow. It wasn’t long before these companies stop producing as many bikes. People preferred bikes from Schwinn. They looked better and had the low rider feel to them. BMX didn’t stand a chance because of the style of their bikes. They still held the bmx feeling, when in reality they shouldn’t have. BMX is known for their off road bikes while Schwinn is known for their custom low riders. While BMX still produces low riders they don’t produce as many as they thought they would and this is not what they are known for.

You will find many fly by shops out there. The key is finding something good. Ask around with people you know and really do your research. There is nothing worse then spending a lot of money on something you are truly passionate about then receiving something that wasn’t worth it. Your frame will be one of your more expensive parts and you will need it to be strong and hold for a long time. You need good parts if you want to make a decent low rider bike. The key to remember is you get exactly what you pay for. This rule is truly correct when it comes to buying a low rider or buying low rider parts. If you purchase something that is cheep then it’s going to show on your final product. After all that money and hard work you don’t want your final product to look cheap.

The price on low riders can vary depending on what you want and what you’re willing to do yourself. These prices below are just an average price and can go higher or lower depending on your personal preference. Nothing beats building your own customized low rider, but if this is something that you can not do, then buying one pre built is defiantly the next best thing. If you want to just purchase a basic low rider and then turn it into something great, that might be a great idea and you could come off cheaper then buying a full blown low rider.

For around $200 you can get a basic low rider. Generally these come with the bent handlebars, sissy bars, banana seat made from vinyl, bent spring fork and 68 spoke wheels.
If your looking to have the basic bike but with a few more accessories then you can spend around $250. This would come with the handlebars, a sissy bar, banana seat made from vinyl, two mirrors (look like rear view mirrors), bullet light and the 68 spoke wheel. This bike would be perfect to start off with and then later you can add your own accessories to make it truly custom.

A low rider cruiser will cost you a bit more due to the nature of the frame. For your basic low rider cruiser you can expect to pay around $400. For this you will get twisted sissy bars, banana seat made from vinyl, chrome grips, block back, twisted moon handlebars and 144 spoke wheels. The key here is the more spokes you have the better your bike will look and the more expensive your bike will get.

If you’re looking to get a basic low rider trike then you can expect to pay around $550 for a basic model. You will get bent spring fork, duck tail fender, custom banana seat made from velour, bent sissy bars, straight spoke wheels and a love seat. A love seat is typically an add on that some don’t like. It’s great of you like to ride more the one person. Some people tend to opt out of the love seat and often place a boom box there in place of the seat. You can also place something there instead if you want.

There are many places that you can purchase a low rider bike online. However if you want a good bike then you should stick with places that are well known otherwise you could end up with a low rider bike that doesn’t last long and since you are spending so much money on your low rider you will want it to last as long as possible. Check out reviews and see how long the company has been in business is key when buying online.

Azlan Bicycle- www.azlan.com This company has been open since 1998 and has lots of rave reviews. Their low rider bikes hold up well, they have lots to choose from and they typically ship fast. Their low rider bikes come 70% assembled and usually ship within 3 days of ordering. They offer many different shipping options for you so you can have your low rider bike within one week from ordering if you choose to do so. This will cost more money, but if you want it fast then this is the way to go. They send detailed instructions with all bikes and they also have the same instructions listed on their website. They even have a return policy which most low rider places do not.

Schwinn.com
Since Schwinn was the first company to make a low rider bike, then why not purchase your low rider bike from them. They have a website which you can view low rider bikes in full color photos. If you would rather purchase at a dealer they have a dealer button you can click to find places to go look at the low rider bikes in person. They often ship pretty fast and they have great reviews. You know they have been around for years so that shouldn’t be a problem.

www.lovelylowrider.com
This is a great website that has really good prices. They have been around since 1995 so they must be doing something right. You can find lots of people talking about this site and it’s all good. You can find a lot of great deals here. If you call and place your order you will have the option of 3 day shipping, so you can get your low rider bike faster.

What are low rider bike clubs?
Low rider bike clubs are great to meet people who hold the same interest as you do. You can learn about a lot of things. One thing you can do is find out the best deals on low riders. You can find out how to properly build your low rider. If you get stuck on something then you will have a support group to chat with and find help for your problem. Low rider clubs also form to show low rider bikes. You can join a showing club and go different places with other club members to show off your pride and joy. There are online clubs as well as local. Maybe you want to join a few different clubs and see which suits you the best. There is basic low rider clubs and then you can also get into a club that has the same type of low rider as you do.

What types of low rider shows exist?
There are many different types of shows out there depending on your location. Of course when you go to show your low rider you will want it to look nice, customized and very shiny. Uniqueness will count for all shows as well as cleanness.

You can go to standard shows where they have the show each year in the same place. Often they pick the best low rider bike of the show and that person will get some type of reward. The low rider bike is typically judged on style and uniqueness. They usually give away a prize along with a nice trophy. They have activities planned throughout the day as well as food and drinks. This is a great place to meet other people who have the same interest as you do. You can also get a lot of ideas for your bike at these shows.

There is also a traveling show that you can take part of. This show travels all across the USA looking for the best low rider bikes in the world. You can be a part of this and follow the show around. If you are looking to win a lot of prizes and you think you have a low rider bike that could do that then a traveling how might be your option. They have been around for 25 years now. This year they are celebrating their anniversary so it’s going to be better then any other years. They have a lot of fun things planned along with awesome prizes.

There is a Vegas tour as well, which is known to be one of the best events out there. They have better prizes and bigger trophies. It’s a little harder to win here though, as they have a lot of standards for low riders. But if you have something that is worth showing then this is the place to be.

While most of the magazines have been discontinued, there are still some good ones out there. Most of the companies feel as though low riders are going out of style. There are only a few good ones left out there, so jump on the chance while you can.

The most popular magazine is the low rider magazine. That’s what they call their self. They have been around for a long time. They showcase many different low rider bikes and low rider cars. You can see lots of photos as well as many regular items that are featured each and every month. If you’re looking for a magazine that offers only low rider bikes then this one may not be the one for you. If you like all low riders then you may like this one.

Low rider bike Magazine is also another very popular one. They have many different things published in their magazine. You can submit your low rider bike to be featured in here as well. They also offer back issues. So if you missed out on an issue you can order it from them. They typically have only low rider bikes here. So if you just like the low rider bike, then this is the magazine for you.

Impalas Magazine
Here is another pretty popular low rider magazine. If you’re looking for something that features only bikes, then this is not the one you’re looking for. This magazine features low rider bikes, low rider motor bikes, low rider cars as well as women. If you just love the lowrider itself then you have the perfect magazine here. Each month features something different and someone different.

Low Rider Bicycle Magazine
This magazine features all kinds of low rider bikes. They typically only show low rider bikes, so if that’s all you want; this may be the magazine for you. They offer many back issues as well, so if you missed one, you can repurchase it. Each month they feature many different award winning bikes with lots of full color pictures and many details on the bikes.