This week’s Reader’s Rig comes from George in British Columbia, who shares his latest self-made tallbike, built from a hodgepodge of four frames. Meet George and learn about his latest one-of-a-kind double-decker contraption here…

Words by George Wall, photos by Miles Arbour

Tall George here. I grew up in a small town outside of Lexington, Kentucky. I moved around the Midwest and American Southwest for a few years in the early 2000s and settled in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2012 after meeting my now-wife playing bike polo. We live on the Upper Sunshine Coast in the qathet region, where sadly we haven’t got bike polo off the ground yet, but we enjoy the access to the outdoors, beaches, lakes, trails, and wildlife.

Self-made tallbike

I have my own business as a mobile marine mechanic. I maintain and service large coastal watercraft and the systems that keep them running and the crews comfortable. My cycling these days is mostly mountain biking, but I have a few sweet cyclocross rigs for racing and commuting when it applies, and a passion for contraptions to ride.

Self-made tallbike
Self-made tallbike

This bike is a problem child. I built my first double-decker tall bike about 20 years ago in Lexington, after university. That project bike was a pile of junk welded together poorly, and it rode terribly. I have built many freak bikes in the 20 years since, and this Tall Bike is the most complicated. It has a bunch of parts that never belonged, all welded together, to make a true spectacle.

Self-made tallbike

Frame(s): AlpineStars Cro-Mega, Scott Sawtooth, Roadmaster step-through, Kids 24″
Fork: Cro-Mega stock fork with a 5-foot length of 1-inch steer tube welded in
Wheels: Take-offs from various bikes
Tires: Something from WTB (front) / Rene Herse Compass Pass (rear)
Handlebars: Rocky Mountain take-offs
Headset: Stock 1 1/4″ lower cup, new loose ball bearings and grease, Tange 1″ threadless upper
Crankset: SRAM Dub and various others
Pedals: OneUp Plastic
Drivetrain: Parts bin 8-speed, since replaced with Shimano CUES
Brakes: Levers are old Shimano 4-finger canti levers, BB7 road calipers on the stoppy end
Saddle: Flite Trans Am
Seatpost: 26.6 ZOOM
Stem: FSA Carbon Face Plate 31.8

The qathet region has a strong bike culture, and the groups are expanding to more than just sick enduro rigs for riding Mt. Mahony. Our friends started a monthly Bike Party social ride that has good attendance in its second year, and I wanted a new freak bike to ride as part of the festivities. Here is my creation. I’m calling it Tall and Friendly.

Self-made tallbike

Self-made tallbike
Self-made tallbike

The “frame” is actually four frames, and the 1 1/4″ threaded fork of the AlpineStars Cro-Mega was a blessing—words no bike mechanic has ever spoken before today, I’m willing to bet!

You can see more from George on Instagram.

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Further Reading

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