Jump to content
Login with your Gmail HERE and start posting in seconds! ×
Don't just read! Be part of the Community! Join the conversation ×

Glitterman Speaks About Part 2, The Bicycle Now.

glitterman

By glitterman
in Pattaya

 Share

Recommended Posts

glitterman Senior Member

glitterman

Posted
Posted

This episode covers the bicycle up to the present day.

Absolutely everything you see [and sometimes music you hear] has been designed and created by me, 'Pattaya's Golden Wonder'.

Whenever i discover something in the shops that i can use, i usually cover it all over the bike, and i have to carry the bike upstairs to the 6th floor to work on it. So that is how it is created, not all at once but in waves, growing like a tree.

It has to be durable for street use, and securely attached, i have gone through thousands of cable ties and many yards of various grades of steel wire. Apart from gold i use 'fire' colours; red, yellow, pink and orange, not green or blue which would bring the effect down.

The bike is like a sailling ship, very connected to the winds behavior.

FLAG POLE [MAIN MAST]

2 parralel 4ft aluminium tubes with an intricate locking device for complete removal for everyday storage. Very strong gusts of wind are generated by Central Shopping Plaza and next doors 'view talay'. This has broken the base of the main mast 5 times already. Although never snapping completly off, I cycle back home looking like a capsized listing ship, with the main mast at a 45 degree angle.

FLAGS.

I am not really bothered as to what flags i fly as long as the colours are in my colour scheme. If the colours had been right, i would of flown the pirates 'skull and crossbones'.

Getting into the spirit of Thailand i originally only flew the Thai flag for the first couple of years. But the Thai flag has a large blue stripe in the middle, and blue is not in my colour scheme. So i decorated the blue area with 3 coloured flowers. But a year later a policeman rightfully pointed out that i am not allowed to cover the Thai flag. So my artistic licence made me put the more colourfull 'Union Jack' instead. In all the 4 years of doing my show that is the only time the police have ever stopped me. I always find the Pattaya Police here to be wonderfull, very friendly people, considerably nicer than the disliked by many English Police [ i have never been in trouble with Police ANYWHERE in the world]

Other flags [there are 4 in all] are the King of Thailands yellow flag, another British flag and an old American Dixie flag. This has led to alot of confusion by people as to 'where i come from'. The Dixie flag [bonnie blue or general lee, same as the painted flag on the roof of the 'Dukes of Hazard' car], is there only because of the movie star Clint Eastwood. When i was young [so much younger than today] i was a huge fan of Eastwood and so he later influenced my design. The Gold Coat i wear is styled after a cowboy Western 'long coat' [more about that in part 3].

FLOWERS.

All the colourfull flowers you see are the same plastic or material ones used for Buddhist offerings, [NO i am not a buddhist, or of any religeon, but my own]. I cut the binding string, selected my colours, and stuck wire through them.

Osterich feathers.

These are great, they are lightweight, colourfull and take up alot of 'air space'. I have 21 [and 5 on my other bike 'Rebel 2'] They are relatively expensive at up to 300 baht each, and then you would have to be very lucky to be able to find very large, good shaped feathers as i have. Feathers and exhaust fumes do not mix. So i have to re-dye or completely replace them every few months.

GOLD TROPHY MASCOTS.

Some shops in Pattaya sell trophys. I simply rumaged through their 'select a mascot' box for champion winged ladies, cyclists [very rare], singers, body builders [to give a Baroque effect], Oscars, horse/rider, and eagles. They sell for around 60 Baht each, without having to actually buy the main trophy cup.

WHEELS.

I had considered flowers, but i wanted something very aerodynamic, so settled on flouresent sticky plastic sheets wrapped around the spokes. The back wheel bearings need replacing often because of the weight of the bike a complete nightmare to change.

RIBBONS.

Very durable gold plastic ribbons [now unavailable] are everywhere on the bike. And i have made tassles from narrow flouresent ribbons.

CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS.

Recently i have added xmas tree balls as a sort of 'disco mirror ball effect'. I do try and stay away from tacky xmas decor and none of the original gold tinsel from years ago can really be seen anymore.

PLASTIC FIBER OPTICS.

These torch light tops make great plastic tassle effects [this type no longer available]

COLOURED LIGHTS.

5 separate tube units [used to be 12 for my night show] of sequinced flashing L.E.D.s

HORNS.

I now have 8 separate horn units [3v each], 26 buttons to choose from. 6 units can be triggered off at the touch of their buttons. [other 2 units are hand held buttons L/R] I choose a long up then down siren sound, which when all 6 horns are triggered off, with a one second gap inbetween button pushing will give a very loud portomento glide chord. It sounds fantastic, generates cheers and clears the road blocking Baht taxis out of the way [more about that in another episode]

LITTLE GOLD METAL BELLS.

30 of these rattle and toll as i ride along.

CASSETTE PLAYER.

I have always been dissapointed with the low volume level of this unit. The make is A.J. and on the box it says 1000w P.M.P.O. It also has non existant bass. I have searched everywhere for something better with bigger speakers, but nothing available. All my tapes are 90 min compilations from my 5000 record collection ect back home in London. So C.D. players, i pods ect are impractible for me, and so are rechargeable batteries.

See 48 photos in my 'view member albums' in my 'member profile'.

COMMING SOON PART 3.

The Royal Glitterman hath spoken.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

syd barrett Platinum Member

syd barrett

Posted
Posted

CASSETTE PLAYER.

I have always been dissapointed with the low volume level of this unit. The make is A.J. and on the box it says 1000w P.M.P.O. It also has non existant bass. I have searched everywhere for something better with bigger speakers, but nothing available. All my tapes are 90 min compilations from my 5000 record collection ect back home in London. So C.D. players, i pods ect are impractible for me, and so are rechargeable batteries.

I think that you can do a lot better than this if you shop around in Pattaya. Your sound-system is definitely a weak point. Volume is low and the sound quality is muffled an as you said little bass frequency. Last time you passed me on Soi Honey the cassette player was playing The Beatles 'Hey Jude' but it was barely audible.

I don't understand why rechargeable batteries are impractical though?

Consider advertising for a more powerful audio cassette player in a Pattaya Supermarket or in Pattaya Trader magazine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
soihok Platinum Member

soihok

Posted
Posted

Glitterman.

Are you by any chance a Watford FC supporter?

Keep up with the posts, have you thought of engineering the wheel hubs of your bike? If the bearings are failing frequently it would be straight forward to "beef up" and fit bearings with a greater width, this would mean changing the wheel hubs though if the bearing housings are not very deep.

All is possible, I would suggest fitting some stronger wheels and have the holes in the front and rear forks opened up and possibly strengthened with some plates and small amount of welding which would allow you to install larger diameter wheel spindles (axles) also.

Any other engineering tips feel free to ask.

Cheers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.








×
×
  • Create New...