25 Ridiculous Overloaded Bikes
Although this isn’t overloaded with an excessive amount of gear, the cat on this bike is insane! What’s he doing there? How’d he get there? And most importantly, how is he staying there? This has to be one of the better bonds we’ve seen between human and animal, and it’s a great way to start off an article where the subject is a crazy situation on wheels. Many of the next photos you’re about to see are of bikes with an insane amount of stuff strapped on. You’ve got to see the last three!
25. Motor-Cat
There’s an ongoing debate between cat people and dog people about which pet is best suited for life with humanity. One of the arguments dog people had was the sheer contagious joy of a dog hanging its head out of a car window while en route to the next BEST DAY EVER!. Well, now cat people have a counter with motorcycle cat—a feline on a mission to ride no matter what comes its way. This is a road warrior, a master of two wheels and OMG so adorable…will you look at that face?!
24. Business On Wheels
Let’s take a moment to give a shout-out to the hustlers, the entrepreneurs, the self-starters busting their butts to get out there and make some money. Armed with boundless creativity, intense personal drive, and the skills to make it in whatever their chosen industry is.
And this person has done all of that, with what we’re guessing is either a bicycle-carried convenience store or laundry service. Or maybe this person is an itinerant janitor, looking for adventure as they travel the roadways of the world, searching for truth, justice, and the cleanest possible toilets around. Godspeed, whoever you are.
23. Shark Stow-Away
This one raises so, so many questions—where is this? If it’s near the coast, one wonders why this man felt the need to buy/shoot/catch this . . . thing . . . and then transport it on his scooter. If we’re a bit further inland, we’ve got to ask where this . . . whatever it is . . . came from and what its intended purpose is.
And what is going through the minds of the folks driving by? Is this just a normal day for them? Does this happen all the time? Is there a thriving business in buying and selling—Ok, seriously: what the heck is that thing? A shark? A mutant? We’re dying here.
22. Barbecue Delivery
It’s a sad fact that we in the Western World are fat, happy, and divorced from where our food comes from. We don’t work on the farms, or even visit them—food just comes to us, generally via takeout or delivery. So it’s a bit shocking when we run into an a person from the other parts of the world who have to be a little more involved with when and how they eat.
But then there’s this guy, with a bike full of pipes. Is he heading off for the most epic construction job ever? Is he starting a barbecue joint? Just moving some pipes around for fun? We’ll never know, but he’s definitely aware of how this bike works.
21. Balancing Act
Ah, Vietnam. Recovering from the war, it’s got a thriving economy and an emerging place in the world—it’s also become a tourist destination if you’re looking for a beach to sit on for a few days while sipping blue drinks with umbrellas in them. And while you’re there, you’ll steep yourself in the rich culture of the nation . . .
. . . like the zen-like focus and absolutely fearlessness it must take to move several thousand eggs down an open street on a motorcycle. Seriously, how does he even steer this thing with that load on his lap? We’ll never know, but we can hope that the most epic omelet of all time awaited at the end of his journey.
20. Buddha Bike
Buddhism is an odd religion—so colorful yet so simple, so varied, yet so focused. So let’s take this guy as a case in point: a smiling man transporting a dozen smiling Buddha statutes down a tree-lined road on a beautiful day.
What else do we need to say? This guy puts “Easy Rider” to shame—just free, happy, heading down the road to do his thing—along with his large collection of Buddha statutes. Is he a monk? Is he making a delivery to a temple? Is he just spreading the joy enlightenment and the elimination of desire brings?
We may never find out, but we doubt we’ll have a single moment as happy as this.
19. Chair Relocation
Moving sucks a big fat one: you know it, I know it, anyone who has ever done it knows it. And it’s an ugly fact that for urban dwellers moving is even more of a pain: navigating your grandmother’s antique dining room table down the sidewalk or up the stairs in the close quarters of a city is a nightmare looking for a place to happen.
So while we’re sympathetic, we have to ask a few questions about this particular pic. Does this guy have a place to go, or is he just taking his chair for a ride? Is he moving—is this all the furniture he has? Did he have a furniture related accident? So, so many possibilities, none of them good.
18. Bikes on Bikes
Postmodernism is a really odd intellectual movement—we think it was best defined by Moe from the Simpsons: “Weird for the sake of Weird”. And that blue-haired bartender was dead on: by removing all context while forcing everything to be highly contextual PoMo has made things just a bit . . . weird? Meta? Self-referential.
Regardless, some intrepid motorcyclist in the far reaches of the world has embraced that in full by transporting a bike on the back of his bike. Why? Maybe he couldn’t find a another driver, maybe he had to make a sale . . . or maybe, maybe, he gets the idea of “Weird for the sake of weird”.
17. Bananarama
Remember the old song “We Have No Bananas Today”? Imagine living in that world—a world in which bananas are scarce. Commodities traded and hoarded, with a thriving black market for the illegal “yellow” trade. Those tasty potassium rich fruit have been featured in half the lunch boxes ever sent to school with the kids, and there’s a reason: bananas are just plain delicious!
So, it follows therefore that life without bananas will be awful. And this hero isn’t going to let that happen—so he’s loaded up his bike with enough green bananas to make it through whatever comes his way. We’re reminded of the old saying: time flies like an arrow—fruit flies like a banana. Wise words, indeed.
16. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
This couple in China are heading out with an impressive load of polystyrene – you know, the stuff that we eat take-out out of, drink coffee out of, package goods in etc etc. Luckily, it is recyclable and that’s probably where this brave couple is heading with all that material. It’s a lightweight material but the bulkiness is what is really impressive. It’s images like this that make you thankful for what you have and simultaneously in awe of what humans are capable of when the need arises.
15. Party Hero
You know what’s great about beer? Just about everything. From the cheapest lager to the most elite craft beer on the market, that wonderful concoction of hops and barley is just a delight. Think about it: it defines every party, every celebration, every weekend. It’s how we mark the occasions of our life: with a cold, taste, crisp beer that just makes everything a bit better, somehow.
And it pays to be serious about beer—seriously, don’t let anything come between you and a nice cold pint. And this person is showing their single-minded focus in somehow loading three kegs onto a scooter and blasting off for what we have to assume was one of the more epic weekends that town had ever seen.
14. Duck, Duck, Goose
One of the very few things we all agree on is that visiblity while driving is absolutely essential for a safe journey. It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? You have to be able to see where you’re going.
13. Father Time
Why, why do so many of these insane pics come from Vietnam? Is there a national contest to see how can pull of the most insane bike ride? Is this a sport for them? How they generate their internet memes? Regardless, here we are, reviewing a list of crazy bike transport rides from that corner of Southeast Asia.
This guy is a case in point: casually driving his grandfather clock around the streets of Hanoi. Why? Maybe he’s providing a useful service by showing the world what time it is as he scooters through the streets and lanes of that city.
12. Morning Commute
We’re lucky to live in the good old USA—we’re rich, we’re well fed, and most of us work in pretty cushy jobs by global standards. And most of us have cars, and we can use them at our leisure to get from point A to point B. Boy do we take that for granted, until something goes wrong and we have to get a ride somewhere . . .
Along with everyone else in the neighborhood. We’re not sure what that trailer is they’re riding on—it looks homebrewed, and not in a good way—or how the scooter has enough power to pull it, but there’s a whole squad on their way somewhere. We hope they chipped in gas money.
11. The Essentials
Water’s the essence of life. We’re told that after about three days without water, we’ll die—and no one wants that, right? It would get in the way of so many things. So it pays to have water, and it’s a joy that it pours out of the taps in our sinks so freely.
Some places aren’t that lucky, and they have to get water delivered. Which brings us to this photo: imagine how much that weighs, or how hard it is to turn, or how rough it is on the suspension of that poor scooter. We’re getting tired just thinking about steering that thing—Crossfit’s got nothing on what this guy does for a living.
10. Man’s Best Friend
We love dogs, and dogs love us. From the earliest times in humanity we have found ways to work together. And we know dogs love car rides—it’s the only thing that takes the sting out of a trip to the vet.
This pic is an epic example of that. A St. Bernard, not a small breed by any means, on a scooter while wearing epic sunglasses and cruising along to see where the day takes him. That dog is living fully in the moment, blissfully focused on his own happiness and being with his human. You gotta love dogs.
9. Going Green
Plants have a way of livening up any space—they just add that touch of green, of life, that really makes things a bit more natural and comfortable. Most offices allow plants, they feature in a lot of lobbies for office buildings, and green spaces are something to which every city aspires. Urban planning for the environmentally conscious—gotta love it.
This guy developed the mobile version, and we think he’s on to something. There’s a lot to be said for having a bit of foliage for livening up your daily commute, so we vote that every city institute this kind of greenspace on the go. Seriously, what’s it gonna hurt?
8. Who Needs a Delivery Truck?
We are master-level internet writers, gifted in comedy and strong in the ways of the meme—and we’ll admit to being a bit perplexed by this one. On the surface it’s not any more crazy than most of the stuff on this list—but that’s on the surface.
Take a look her—those are giant rolls of . . . of what? Foam, maybe? Cotton wool? Cheesecloth? All of those things have to come from somewhere, but why does this guy need so much of them? Where is he taking them to? Can’t the factory afford a delivery truck?
We’re lost, we’re scared, and we need an adult.
7. The Definition of Team Work
Ever been a delivery driver? Or thought about what the average delivery driver goes through? Well, we’ve delivered pizza, and that’s gotta count, right? Like Glenn from The Walking Dead, we elevated our understanding of the city’s layout to superpower levels. Or maybe we just complained about bad tippers—that was a while ago.
But stuff’s got to get delivered, and these guys are dead set on doing it. Too long to fit on the truck? No problem—the scooter masters of this city have a solution. While we admire their moxy, we’d pay money to watch that thing take a corner.
6. Stocking Up the Kitchen
Forget the facts and the reality: what does this look like to you? A sci-fi-esque contraption, bulbous slivery body rolling slowly down a post-apocalyptic road. A shiny, ever shifting collection of round surfaces reflecting the morning sun as it rises over people struggling in the wake of industrial collapse, the gleaming metal a visage of what once was and may be again. A lone beacon, a memory . . .
Or just a guy transporting a bunch of pots. Could be that, too, we suppose. But it’s a lot more fun our way, don’t you think? Sometimes you just have to live in wonder.
5. Sofa Delivery
You might think that the main requirement of a moving company would be a large truck to haul belongings, but that also might mean you’ve never been to China. The Chinese have proven that scooters know no bounds as far as their hauling capabilities. Check out this guy hauling a full size sofa. Sure, it looks pretty silly, but it also seems like it’s getting the job done! So the next time you go to Ikea and think you’re full size car can’t transport your new furniture, remember this incredible feat.
4. Vitamin C Overload
Vitamin C is important, mostly because scurvy sucks but partially because oranges are really, really tasty. Seriously—can you imagine breakfast without orange juice? No you can’t, because you’re a real human being and not a lizard person from another dimension.
It takes a lot of oranges to make orange juice, and fresh squeezed is a lot better all around, but even so we have to ask: is this guy taking things a little too seriously? Can you drink too much OJ?
Nevermind. This might be an experiment not worth doing after all.
3. Chicken-To-Go
Chicken is pretty good, too. I mean, fried chicken is a staple food in big parts of the country, and for a reason: it’s just tasty. Other than bacon, fried chicken is maybe the best thing out there, capturing the flavor of pure country living.
And this person has what would appear to be a custom built rig on the back of his bike in order to maximize the most efficient possible chicken delivery. And it seems to be working—those birds look pretty calm and they’re all still in place. Maybe he’s off to meet the guy with the oranges for an epic orange chicken cookoff.
2. The Goat Whisperer
Ever needed to transport your goat from point A to point B but found yourself without a trailer or even a car to get him there? This guy from Ethiopia proves that anything is possible. You don’t typically think of goats as the type that would be cool riding piggy back on a bike – actually you don’t think of most any animal as being cool with that situation. But, alas, that’s exactly what’s going on here and we have to say, we’re legitimately impressed.
1. Port-A-Potty
There’s nothing more American than a road trip. Mom and apple pie can take a back seat for the journey to find yourself on the highways and by-ways of this glorious land. From sea to shining sea, from the mountains to the prairies, the road trip is how we define ourselves and our nation.
That having been said, road trips mean bathroom breaks—unless you want to get really acrobatic with an empty bottle. But you know what else is American? Ingenuity. Inventiveness. Creativity. And these are all on display here—along with a fair dose of insanity. Makes you want to shed a single red-white-and-blue tear, doesn’t it?
