BY PAULA MAUD
EAST LA street style meets western suburbs attitude at a new lowrider specialty bike business, Saint Side, in St Albans.
Saint Side’s main man, manager Mark Gale, got a taste for bike restoration when he took possession of his brother’s original long-frame dragster in the mid-1990s.
Over several years the bike received annual makeovers courtesy of Mr Gale.
One year it would be transformed as a lowrider-like “Chicano-style” ride, the next it would be reborn, all glitter paintwork and stickers in “the original Dragster look”.
Pretty soon Mr Gale was working with friends and helping to restore their dragsters and lowriders.
“At that stage we were just picking up spares,” the 28-year-old said.
His grandmother’s former dressmaking shop in a small backstreet in St Albans became headquarters. And with the help of an elite team of friends and associates, skilled engineers and spraypainters, Mr Gale is now taking orders for custom-built bikes.
Even his gran is getting into the picture, helping out with sewing on the custom-trim seats.
“We’re still on lookout for old parts but have our own suppliers that have a lot of new products,” Mr Gale said.
At a first anniversary celebration on Boxing Day, customers and friends brought their immaculately buffed bikes around for an impromptu display.
Chrome, shaped and twisted like rope or chain, featured prominently. Some bikes were decked out with a swag of accessories including a spare wheel on the back - “continental kits” - more decorative than functional, Mr Gale explained.
A basic lowrider can start from $300 but Mr Gale said some diehards spent thousands on their bikes.
Enthusiastic owners include hot rod owners, those reliving memories, to classic car fans.
“Some match their bikes to their cars as a theme,” Mr Gale said.
He said the design of the bikes had universal appeal.
“They’re like a classic car. I haven’t had anyone who hasn’t appreciated the shape of the lowriders or dragsters.”
While the main energy at the store stems from the creation of sharp and sassy bikes, Mr Gale said the business now stocked a variety of local and imported streetwear, vintage gear and accessories.
Collaborating with other local creatives, Saint Side is also a hub offering graphic design, photography and video production services.
“What we were trying to do here is offer a place where like-minded people could come, spend a bit of time, meet the crew, check out what’s new, talk bikes or sports or sneakers, play a video game, and go home with some gear - as opposed to clicking the mouse button a few times and buying on the internet, or having to drive up to an hour to get into the city, pay for parking etc.”
The store is open Saturdays and Sundays between 2-6pm. Business outside those hours is strictly by appointment.
For details, contact the guys at shop@saintside.com or go to saintside.com
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1 comment:
rilly like this bit.
I know that I pay $1000 each year via property taxes that support the paying for the stadium where the millionares play....i would have prefered that the money go to schools.
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