THE BUILD – The Party Bike – a fun beer bike built by Atek Customs.

 

“I was about to write a big, fat check and have one imported from Holland

when I saw an article in The Bulletin about Jon Pyland and his son Josh

and their fabricating business.” - James Watt, Cycle Pub

 

The Design

Before a piece of material has been cut, before a welder has been turned on, your custom Party Bike has been designed using state of the art computer deign software. Every piece has been measured and fitted, assuring you that you are getting the best design available.

 

 

 

The Material

At Atek Customs, we build your Party Bike using strong, yet light, material. Our structural steel is round DOM tubing. DOM tubing is extruded tubing where red hot steel is forced over a mandrel and through a die, resulting in a tube that has no seam. A lot of tubing has a welded seam on the inside of the tube. This leads to weak spots, however DOM does not have this weakness. If you see a seem inside, it is not DOM.

 

We also choose to use round tubing rather than square tubing for the structural elements. Square tubing is much easier to weld, however, it does not bend as nicely, nor is it as strong. Round tube is stronger, both in torsion and deflection than square tube of the same weight. DOM tubing is widely used in stressful applications requiring higher quality, uniformity, strength, and soundness. Square tubing is only used for minor bracing.

 

The DOM tubing we use is 94,000 psi steel. It is not mild steel. This type of tubing is typically used in applications such as roll cages and NASCAR cars. We use it for all structural elements of the Party Bike. Some call this overkill. We call it long-term reliability.

 

The Welders

Next, we employ American Welders Society (AWS) certified welders. You want to have the confidence that your Party Bike is being built by competent and highly trained welders.

 

“…a magical traveling beer bar on wheels.” - MicroCosmos

 

 

 

The Maintenance

Once a month you will need to give the 20 zirt fitting a shot of grease and hose off – or even power wash – the entire bike. That’s it. We feel you would rather be renting out your Party Bike rather than working on it. So we made sure to build it as maintenance free as possible.

 

 

 

 

 

How We Roll

Our build begins with standard automotive axles and tires.We choose to use products that are easily available. No European parts that are expensive to import and no fancy high performance pieces that have to be special ordered. If, God forbid, something needs repairing or replacing, you do not want to be down for weeks on end while a special order part gets shipped from somewhere thousands of miles across an ocean. The local auto parts store is a much simpler and less expensive solution.

 

Our tire size and selection provides optimal rolling resistance, allowing the bike to be pedalled with little effort. We also use aluminum rims which are powdercoated to the color of your choice.

 

 

 

 

The Foundation

As mentioned above, we use only round DOM tubing for the structural elements such as the base frame. Our shop is equipped with the tools necessary to cut, bend, notch, square and weld your Party Bike. All elements, from the frame to the pedals, water tanks, cabinets and roof have been thought out and designed to work together. No process or construction step  has been left out.

 

 

 

Onward and Upward

Once we have your rolling chassis completed, the uprights for the seats and counters are constructed. These elements have been computer modeled and verified with shop mockups so you know your clients will be comfortable while enjoying your Party Bike. Not everyone has experience sitting at a bar, drinking a beverage, while pedaling a bicycle sideways to the direction of travel. Picture that in your mind. That is why we built and thoroughly tested our design.

 

 

 

 

 

The Pedals

Because your Party Bike will see lots of use and abuse by many different clients, it is critical that we install quality products like our crank assemblies. These cranksets, aluminum pedals and heavy duty chain will provide years of worry free use.

 

 

 

The Main Support

What good will a well built bike do you if your clients “toosh” gets achy and uncomfortable well before the tour is over? To ensure that doesn’t happen, we have installed high quality gel-filled saddle style bicycle seats. These seats are top rated and will provide hours of comfort for even the boniest of derrieres. Take your time, sit a spell and have pint to drink. Your backside will thank you.

 

 

“Great craftsmanship!” - Kai Kaapro, Trolley Pub

 

 

 

The Skeleton

Before you know it, we have a rolling skeleton of your bike. The next steps are the countertop framing, battery boxes and the support framing for the steering, drive shaft, driver’s seat, ice compartment. The flooring will be cut to fit and the rear seat will get framed in. It’s really beginning to look like a Party Bike!! Time to make a visit to the powder coater.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is a Colorful World

Your Party Bike gets a color job from the powdercoater in the colors of your selection. No need to look just like the other guy. We offer two different colors on your bike from many different choices. You can choose shiny, flat, hammered, metallic, sparkles and veins. The combinations are endless allowing you to custom tailor your Party Bike to your individual tastes.

 

 

 

 

 

Under Foot

Beer, soda, pizza, chips. Sticky, messy, icky and just plain hard to clean up. So how do you solve this dilemma? A slip resistant diamond plate aluminum floor for the interior that can be hosed off, allowing all that mess to be washed away. And you won’t have to worry about slipping on that spilled beer or soda either because this flooring offers sure footing in most situations and weather conditions.

 

 

 

 

The Pretty Stuff

While all of this is going on, our upholsterer is busy making the canopy and covering the rear bench seat. Of course,the color of the vinyl and the color of the piping is selected to compliment the colors which you have chosen for your Party Bike. Because your Party Bike will be working hard out in the elements, the canopy and upholstery must be able to withstand the weather and detrimental effects of the sun. That is why we choose all weather, UV stable, marine grade products to adorn your Party Bike.

 

 

 

 

The Skin

You know that the frame of your Party Bike is looking awesome, but what about the skins? Fear not. We apply aluminum sheeting as the outer skin. You won’t have to worry about rips or tears to the sides of your Party Bike. And to make it even more special, we can add a little artwork depicting your theme or local surroundings.

 

 

 

“That is a great idea! I can’t wait to get on it!” – HaleStorm Media

 

 

 

The Juice

Your Party Bike comes equipped with 12-volt rope lighting, headlight, taillights, water pump and lighted dash. So what gives all these features the juice? A closed-dell Optima battery. And what gives this battery the juice? An integral charging port. Just plug in your Party Bike at night and it will be good to go in no time. Maybe you want to run a sound system, water misters or flat screen TV. Just add an optional second battery and you should have no worries about power.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Tire Bling

Tire Bling? Tires have bling? They do if it’s the Party Bike. Our aluminum rims and fenders get that magical powdercoating in a color of your choice. It is all part of that two-tone thing that you get to pick out to suit your own desires. We aim to please and have found that the little things like color coordinated rims and fenders make your Party Bike just that much more special and unique to you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More Bling

As if there isn’t enough bling on the Party Bike, we have included a classic wooden steering wheel as a standard feature. This is reflective of that old world trolley car styling that is unique to the Party Bike. You and your clients will feel pampered and special while spending time cruising the neighborhood.

 

“It was way too much fun!” - Keb Alexander

 

 

 

Last But Not Least

Another popular upgrade is the double beer tap. This tap is plumbed through the ice compartment and can serve both water and beer. Did we mention that the ice compartment is large enough to hold a pony keg? Well it is. And lots of ice. This just proves there is no reason for your clients to go thirsty.

 

 

 

 

“People waved, stared, shouted, laughed, pointed, cheered, and in one memorable instance, chased us down the street groupie fashion. We doled out stickers and waves to adoring fans, all the while making sure our beverage glasses stayed topped off…” - Tawna, Vist Bend Blog