Maker
Big Kid Bikes
Bending bicycles with builder Greg Degouveia.
By Nik Schulz
From his skunkworks in Chico, Calif., metal fabricator and bike builder Greg Degouveia of Big Kid Bike ( bigkidbike.com) forges a
new breed of vehicles that push the envelope of
awesomeness.
Behold the 205-pound Kitten, a behemoth that
rolls on steamroller-like car tires. Observe the Jesus
Lizard, a four-person pedal-pusher that corners
like a modded gecko. Witness the Bigger Wheel,
a grown-up version of the childhood favorite that
looks like it came of age on the set of an Easy Rider
remake. All three push cycling to the next level (or
perhaps the one beyond that).
After a spin on the Kitten at last year’s Maker
Faire in San Mateo, I had to learn more.
Nik Schulz: How and when did you get started
38 Make: Volume 21
building big kid bikes?
Greg Degouveia: I’ve always been a tinkerer and
designer, taking things apart to see how they work
(and sometimes not being able to put them back
together). After a few years of renting a pedicab in
college to pay the bills, and a summer of learning
how to weld and fabricate metal, I decided to build
my own. Because of that experience, I saw that I had
a natural skill for building and fabrication. Following
that, I re-enrolled in college, changing my major to
manufacturing.
NS: So now you make your living as a bike
fabricator?
GD: No, not yet. The pedicab keeps my head above
water while I try to make metalwork art my main
source of income. My marketing skills need a lot of
Photography by Greg Degouveia
