During COVID (8th grade), my dad and I decided to chop up me and my sister’s bikes and weld them together to create a 4 wheeled bicycle – or – quadricycle. This quadricycle became our covid mobile. Almost every night during the long months of quarantine, we would wheel the contraption out of our garage and go on family rides around the neighborhood greeting and waving at neighbors along the way. This bike became a a way for us to connect with our neighbors and became a symbol around the neighborhood.

A couple years later, in High school, I wanted to build something new. At first I wanted to build a low seated speed bike. As I began to collect old bike scraps lying around my dads warehouse, I started to experiment with different, wilder forms. Quickly, I realized this bike was going to take a more artistic approach. The black bike pictured in the photos was the end product (well, always changing end product). The pedals and base of the bike are a flipped-over bike trailer extension with an overly sensitive brake lever. The back and top part of the bike is part of the elaborate steering system. Initially, my dad

and I planned to have the steering on the bottom of the bike, but this would significantly interfere with the rider and would not be adequately angled to steer the wheels. The overhead steering became our next best option (plus it looked pretty sweet). This steering was made out of another bike trailer which would be swung around by the driver causing the back two wheels to swivel with it.

After getting into the thick of this project, I decided I wanted to enter it into the Houston Art Car Parade. My parents had done many art cars in the past, so I was excited to enter in my own piece of art. We decided the quadricycle was also a must in the Art Car Parade and ripped off the existing structure to create an angelic chariot to contrast the dark scorpion of the tricycle.

In early April, I rode these bikes in the parade with my neighbors (my parents were out of town) and ended up getting 1st place Cycle! During the parade, awards, and after parties, I met inspiring artists from all across the globe. This experience showed me the power art can have in bringing people together to grow and share ideas.