CoverStory
Riding SkyCycle Local Bike Builder Brad Graham By Emma Christensen
L
ook up—14 feet and three inches up, to be exact. This is the height of the world’s tallest rideable bicycle, built and ridden by local inventor Brad Graham. With his quick sense of humour and obvious brilliance for all things technological and mechanical, Graham relates the story of his record-smashing bike. His first version of SkyCycle was 10 feet tall, an accomplishment in itself for something that balances on two wheels. “I remember going down the street on this bike and Jonathan Wilson from CBC news comes running up behind me and says, ‘Is that a world record?” Graham recalls. He returned home and found the answer in the Guinness Word Records—his bike was only a few inches shorter than the current record holder. “I’m thinking, ‘Ah, this is nothing—I only built it that high because I ran out of tubing.” Graham found some more tubing. He also painted the new version of SkyCycle bright yellow and arranged to ride it in the
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The Walleye
Auditorium parking lot on the afternoon of July 1, 2003. Did he have much time to practice before taking his record-breaking ride? “Actually no—that was the first ride. I was scared; the paint was still wet,” he says. Graham not only beat the previous record, he also created a new one. SkyCycle was the first of its kind in the category of the World’s Tallest Rideable Bicycle. The previous record holder had ridden an invention that used three wheels instead of two. Bike building first began as a hobby for Graham. As he perfected the bike plans he created, his wife encouraged him to make them available online. Together they launched Atomic Zombie, a custom bike building website. Graham, who is known as Radical Brad on bike-building forums, hoped that his tall bike ride might increase traffic to the site. He was unprepared for the response he received. “It went from a few thousand visitors to tens of thousands, just like that,” he says.
Atomic Zombie also owes its success to Graham’s emphasis on keeping his plans accessible and easy to follow. “A lot of people who build think they need special tools or special skills, but you don’t. You just need a drive to do it.” His plans use basic tools and recycled bicycle parts. He hears from customers of all ages and skill levels who tell him that they were able to successfully build a bike in their backyard. With a world record and a popular website added to his list of accomplishments, Graham now has more time to devote to other interests. Not one to be without a project, he’s currently focussing on innovations that support his off-grid lifestyle in South Gillies. One of his latest inventions is a portable poultry run that is light and easy to relocate. What makes this radical idea roll? Recycled bike parts, of course. Want to learn more or build a bike yourself? Visit atomiczombie.com.