Scraper Bikes in Oakland Go Green

http://vimeo.com/9702393
Scrapertown from California is a place. on Vimeo.
"In order to become a member of the Original Scraper Bike Team, you must: Be a resident of Oakland, CA. Be at least 7y/o or older. Retain A 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA), Create your own Scraper Bike…(It Has To Be Amazing, Or Else You Can’t Ride.) A single-file line when riding. After 10 rides The Scraper Bike King and his Captains will decide if your bike is up to standards and if you can follow simple guidelines. After your evaluation we will consider you a member and honor you with an Original Scraper Bike Team Shirt. Only worn when Mobbin’ Stay posted to our website for all upcoming Scraper Bike Rides..." -- The Scraper Bike King
A film by Drea Cooper & Zackary Canepari


To really understand the Scraper Bike movement, one must experience it in its element: the turfs of East Oakland.  “The Deep East,” as it’s known, is a seemingly endless stretch of inner city, which begins at the east end of Lake Merritt and continues all the way to San Leandro. Like the rest of Oakland, its population is diverse, yet there are more African Americans and Latinos than in other parts of the town.

It’s not uncommon to see graffiti ominously announcing “BB 187” on a wall over a crossed-out Border Brothers tag on a wall. Churches are as numerous as liquor stores. There are plenty of well-maintained single-family homes, along with not so-well-maintained housing projects and apartment complexes. Car culture is big; since homes are generally modest, a clean ride is a source of pride – 22” rims, and sometimes larger, are a status symbol. And shiny Japanese sports cars, big-body American muscle cars abound, as do vans, SUV’s and pick-up trucks. 
The Deep East is as pleasant as almost anywhere else in Oakland during the day, especially when there’s sunshine and blue skies. But at night, it’s a different story. Some of the parks where children play during the morning hours aren’t places you want to go at night. In the evening, the violence that comes along with the economic reality of the drug trade is unavoidable. Needless to say, a high percentage of the city’s homicides come out of the East.

This is the environment from which the Scraper Bike movement was born.  --Oakland Local