Photo: Adam Wallacavage
look
Imagine if Willy Wonka designed Pee-Wee Herman's red vintage bike. That's one way to describe Adam Wallacavage's cycle creations. Using details like leopard mudflaps, blue-glittered handles and silver steer-horn hood ornaments, one of Adam's hobbies (when he isn't snapping photos for earSHOT) is transforming basic vintage bikes into candy-colored works of art. In fact it was during a sculpture class at the University of the Arts when Adam, a photography major, decided to "sculpt a bike." "That's when I made my first space bike in green and gold," says the 27-year-old Philly native. Since then he's crafted 10 or so unique bikes in colors like electric blue, racing red and black, and regal gold, customized with all sorts of kooky flourishes. As many indie rockers are fond of Sears Silvertone guitars for their cheaply distinctive sounds, Adam favors obscure, less popular, vintage bike brands like Sears' J.C. Higgins and Columbia. "Columbia made these beautiful lights - they were like rocket ships. You wouldn't even believe they'd go on a bike, they were so fancy?" He scouts out bikes and parts at vintage bike shops like Pine Street's Via Bicycle and Bella Vista's Trophy as well as car shows. "I make a point to get bikes that are trashed and resurrect them into something new. I'm inspired by vintage looks? and I try to recreate something which I couldn't afford to buy." Originally the bikes he used were streamlined, space-age '60s bikes, but now he goes for bulkier '50s looks with 26-inch balloon tires. The chunkier shape is much better for applying added attractions - like the plastic Christmas balls he trashpicked which now adorn his gold bike's handles. Adam fixes up the old and rusty customized parts using Bondo and fiberglass. For city life, these bikes are quite practical. "I wanted a bike that wasn't worth a lot of money, so it wouldn't get stolen, but looked really cool. I worry more about them getting scratched up than stolen." There is a drawback - the ride isn't so swift. "Usually it's like riding a hundred-pound marshmallow." And sometimes his intricate work makes the bikes fragile. Don't try any bumpy back-road rides. But for now, Adam's endeavors are purely for personal pleasure - these labor intensive bikes are close to his heart and he's not ready to put them on the market. He's content to collect his own reinventions. Has he tried refurbishing anything else?
"I'm getting into restoring wall-mounted marlins? I had one that
I redid in outrageous fins and corkscrews." |