Spocket Jockeys B.C. Links B.C. Like others have said, you may be creating a lot of work for yourself. Also, I'm assuming you have excellent fabrication/engineering/welding skills. Just remember, these kids are gonna ride these bikes EVERYDAY, and most likely try to jump ramps and stuff with them. These bikes need to be bulletproof. Sure would suck to have some family sue. I mean even GT/Schwinn/etc. BMX bikes have little stickers on them stating they are not intended for jumps/tricks/off road use, clearing them from liability.
So you are the ring leader for a bunch of 12 year olds? Wrenching on bicycles are what led me to hot rods now though. At least it would give them an alternative to the gang shit. How about a liabilty release form filled out by each kids parent covering your welding skills??? Names: The Chopcycles ...or another spelling: The Chop-SICKles
I figured the kids would dig it and they may "mangle" a few bikes learning things. But as long as you don't imply a negitive connotation, it should be cool with everyone. If they are out doing positive things in the community and inviting non-members to look in on them all should be fine I would think.
Release forms apparently hold up....all the skate parks use them. You hafta have one on file or no entry.
Ok hold up. Be sure the parents are cool with it. They may think you are the creepy guy down the street with all the old car stuff. I'm the guy with the heep in the driveway. Anyway enough of that BS. How about these: I like - Chain Gang I like - Sprocket Jockeys Spoke Blokes Bar Handlers Pedal Punks Edit: Hey! I have an idea! How about I read the whole thread before I post!
The Masterlinks The 'Forkers' The Chopped Sickles The Pedal Scrapers The Sprocket Scrapers Rigid Rowdies (oops, to close to the NAMBLA theme) Busted Knuckle Gang Monster Munchkins from Hell
Just to get past the liability stuff, You might want to try to affiliate it with a local Boy Scout troop, or start one or a YMCA Etc. That would gain you some legitimacy other than "That redneck Michael Jackson wannabe is doing strange things in his garage with our children!" Maybe even start a new merit badge! I like Chain Gang too, but "civic leaders" and the local TV news inventors will make it something it's not, just because of the word GANG. When My kid brother was in the Boy Scouts he named his Patrol "The Beaver Patrol" and I drew them up a banner with a Roth style bulging eye'd Beaver in a roadster for a flag. They might like, hell, 12 year old boys would love a Beaver on a bicycle for a mascot. ETA I like these from the next post down Sprocket Rockets Twisters Bike Club
It'd suck to think that a bunch of kids would end up in gangs because their parents are a bunch of lawsuit crazed wacko's. but that is what the world has come to. I hope you find a way to make it work. On to my lame names. Cyclones Sprocket Rockets Twisters Bike Club
crap, ya' got the drop on me... i like "the broken spokes" or pedal pushers the urban food logs the cop shop the skinned knees
Geez Tingler, don't give up so soon, especially because of hypotheticals and stuff. If you do that you'll end up boarding yourself in the garage with a little slot for your wife to slip the pb+j sammiches through... It's a good idea, I'm involved with several kids groups and yeah, there are liabilities and stuff, but there are ways to protect yourself. You can get help from an organization that knows about the legal stuff, boys and girls clubs.. places like that. They all have to protect themselves from the same deal. We just went through this at my church, it's sad that you have to do it, but it's not worth giving up the idea. Heck, start with a few kids with parents you trust. I think getting the parents involved would be good too.. at least get to know them and let them know you're not a wierdo... well.. that kind of wierdo There's nothing more rewarding (and sometimes frustrating) than working with kids.. and they need it.
I think its a good idea. They will most likely be too broke to get into any real trouble, and when their 14-15-16+ and graduate from bikes they will be on the right track for cars/motorcycles. Beaver patrol was a good one. Best I can do for the lawsuit is either have a release form, or meet the family and talk it over with them. I like that bike with the seat upholstered with that bandana stuff. I think it would be way cooler with a green/red/or orange paint job though.
Actually quite a few private parks have closed due to the waivers not holding up. Public parks usually come under the city/county/state's liability insurance. And the private parks pay silly amounts for liability insurance.
Your right when you say today's society is way too sue-happy and just ready to jump on anything they can benefit from, be it right or wrong. Im only 18 and I hate how things are, I myself have to watch what I do when helping my little cousins out on their bikes or whatever it is they are doing. The Chain Gang is a killer name I think.
A couple more thoughts. There are a lot of activities the kids can do that aren't so dangerous. You could get the group together, tell them all to bring all the parts that they have and have a little swapmeet. We used to find wierd wheels and stuff for our bikes... or have them all bring their sketch stuff and just have an idea session. Draw them some monsters... kids love that stuff. show them how to paint their bikes.. stuff like that. I wouldn't even involve the welder unless a kid really needed it. We didn't have anything like that when we were kids, out bikes always kindof ended up looking like the misfit toys from toy story, but that's cool, it's not *completely* about the bikes anyway. Just my thoughts. Oh, you might look into how the soapbox derby guys run their stuff, it'd be pretty similar I think.
You boys in the south should have said Chain Gang.....Didn,t they used to keep the grass cut along the roads? Cool Hand Luke....
tingler... is your garage/workshop out in front, like in plain sight of all the neighbors and such? why not just let the kids hang out while you're working , and help them on their projects. encourage them to bring their friends and parents around with them. when you have a steady crowd, you can plant the 'club' seed and offer to act as the sponsor (preferably with another parent). if they want to run with it, they'll have a club, if not, they'll have a bunch of friends, cool bikes a place to hang out and a weirdo to help them out. if you're not 'recruiting' your not a weirdo....i think.
I want to congradulate you Tingler, more people need to be interested in what kids around them are doing. I kinda pisses me off that our culture has reached the point where everything has to be looked at from every angle wondering if some ACLU idiot will get after you. Follow your heart and the advice of those you trust. J.
hey tingler kool idea on the bike club...my grandpa always used to say"the girl was deaf and dumb,but her bicycle spoke"...always made me chuckle...anyway,, names "springers" b.c. "bent spokes"b.c. "pedal pushers"b.c. "lay backs"b.c. "ride away" b.c. "cruisers" b.c.
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