Steampunk Dahon Folding Bike

As a person who does not own a car but loves to travel. This was a great buy. I have taken it on trains and buses. For more information on my biking experience check out my interview here: http://bikejax.blogspot.com/2008/05/roxanne-living-free-car-free-in.html


Well Iam also a fan of the Steampunk movement. I am a big fan of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and everything Dickensian. Though my taste are ecclectic I like the idea that DIY Steampunk movement is about creating one of a kind items. For more information about Steampunk: http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/08/style/08punk.php

I don't live the total steampunk life as I like to look of mordernism as well. So I am ecclectic punk.

For a project to show off at Dragon Con, The largest Sci-Fi Media event in the U.S. takes place in Atlanta, Ga every Labor Day weekend I decided to pimp my ride. I took my bike with me last your to zip from hotel to hotel with great success.

So I embarked some cosmetic changes to the bike. The thing about a folding bike is that weight ratio. With the bike packed into its bike bag and panniers and some luggage it weighs about 45lbs. Above 50lbs you have to pay for your luggage. So I decided to go a creative route of faux painting and some metal work. The paint I used were enamels that one uses for high quality model painting. Testors works well.

At one point I was thinking of adding tentacles for a more Lovecraftian look but really gave more thought to Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues under the Sea and Around the World in Eighty Days. But I did add a stylized Cthulhu monster ead near the seat post.

The letters that spell the name Dahon is called Black Letter and can be found on the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society's Font CD. These were cut out of Aluminum printing plates that we had no use for at work. In the Victorian era aluminum was at a premium and it is easy to cut.

I utilized line tape that was prevalent in layout before the advent of desktop publishing. I was trying out a wood type look on the fenders. The Panniers or Saddlebags I recolored those, as there were a faded grey to a nice hunter green. A few cog embellishments and a really nice Brooks Touring saddle added to the over all effect. In the end I decided to call the Bike a Dahon Passepartout. Passepartout was the manservant to Philias Fogg from Around the World in Eighty Days. This would be the prefect bike to take on their travels as they raced around the world.


Please excuse the jumble of photos as I am still new to the placement of items on Blogger. The Second The Second Photo is a stock photo of a Dahon Boardwalk that I started with.