Scraper bikes… coming our way, or already here?

It started when some young men in Oakland California decided to “scrape” their bikes because they couldn't afford the cars that were the original scrapers. They then made a video rapping about their bikes, posted it on YouTube. Other people posted their scraper vids. and mock scraper vids and a phenomenon was born. 18 months later there's a scraper bike section on YouTube and the vids are worth checking out for the comments alone – particularly like the shocked commenter who spots a scraped Bianchi Pista. One of the interesting things about most of the bikes in the vids thoughthe original scraper video is that the bikes aren't all that flash one of them is is a trike - actually it looks like a Pashley Workbike and there's what looks like a rather nice Pashley Tuberider in there. Pashley out on the edge as ever. And that tune is also so damn infectious. So what is scraping? Originally a collision of hip hop and car modding: cars with big rims and candy paint jobs, and, as the name suggests, scraper bikes is a collision of… hip hop and bicycles with big rims and candy paint jobs. The scraping bit refers to the fact that the original scrapers had rims so big that they scrape the inside of the wheel well. Basically it's all about pimping your ride – with a big emphasis on the wheels. How soon till it goes mainstream? Well, check out the vid then look with fresh eyes at Trek's new District…