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‘Stereo bikes’ rock south QueensBY NOAH ROSENBERGAt the 106th Precinct’s last community council meeting, there were “numerous people complaining about those bikes traveling up and down the street creating unnecessary noise,” Officer Kenneth Zorn of the Precinct’s Community Affairs division, said.
Zorn may or may not have been referring to “Future Shock,” a self-styled “crew” of four 16- to 19-year-old Trinidadians who moved to Richmond Hill with their families in the past five years, bringing with them their love of loud music. Music, after all, courses through Trinidadians’ veins, one of them proudly claimed. But it’s not just about music for “Future Shock.” Think of the crew as a fresh-faced, grassroots, Caribbean-accented version of MTV’s show “Pimp My Ride” - in which rapper Xzibit and his team of car buffs customize jalopies by installing powerful stereos and other awe-inducing gadgets - but substitute bicycles for automobiles. The crew - comprised of Nicholas Ragbir, 18, and his sister Jessica, 16; and the Bhimraj brothers, Anil, 19, and Travis, 18 - claims to be the original importer of the concept of the “stereo bike” from Trinidad, where “systems” on bicycles gained in popularity in the years before the crew emigrated. “Future Shock” was born last summer when Nicholas, the unofficial founder, met Anil at a laundromat and the two put a few pairs of wheels in motion. New crews have since sprung up in southern Queens so Officer Zorn could not attribute the noise complaints with any specificity. Regardless of whether or not “Future Shock” is a culprit, however, the group’s reputation extends far beyond the small Caribbean enclave where the members spend free time away from work and school shrouded in welding sparks and sipping sodas under a jumble of grape vines. MTV network, which filmed the crew for a forthcoming production, helped “Future Shock” secure various sponsorships, but the crew’s celebrity also led to a break-in, which set it back $8,000 in equipment. “In the beginning they took a chance,” said Rattan Bhimraj, Anil and Travis’ father, standing in the doorway of his 103rd Avenue garage, which has become “Future Shock’s” self-storage facility and workshop. “Small bikes and small speakers.” The crew now churns out custom-made bikes for themselves and friends with 6,000-watt stereo systems, flashing lights and DVD screens housed around the bikes’ steel frames or towed by homemade trailers. The bikes can weigh up to 500 pounds, with around 10 speakers and subwoofers and two amplifiers all powered by car batteries that the crew receives gratis courtesy of a sponsor. The music, which plays off of CDs, mp3 players and cell phones, includes everything “from the 70s and up,” Anil said, the thump-thump of one of the $8,000 bicycles reverberating from the street in front of him. That includes hip hop - lots of hip hop - disco, and Chutney and Soca music, indigenous to the Caribbean. Even the police are impressed. “The bikes are pretty cool and the workmanship that’s gone into them - lotta talent right there,” Zorn said. The admiration of New York’s Finest is not lost on “Future Shock.” In fact, Nicholas said his crew has never had a run-in with the cops because of a mutual respect. “The cops, they like us. They like what we do. They’ll stop us - literally stop us - and ask us to play our songs.” Many neighbors like Natalie Jagroob are on the same wavelength. “It’s great that they take the time to do something else other than being unconstructive,” Jagroob said. “I know them - they don’t drink. They just take care of their bikes and their music. That’s all they concentrate on.” Unfortunately, some neighbors cannot concentrate with noise blasting from the bikes on weekend afternoons and evenings. An elderly woman held a hand to her ear, struggling to hear above the din of the bass. “I think the noise is bothering the whole community,” she said very slowly, enunciating every word before walking back inside. Zorn said the dynamics of Richmond Hill are different from Trinidad, where houses are spread out and loud music does not have such an impact. Here, he explained, one set of speakers can affect 200 houses. The members of “Future Shock” own no vehicles other than their bicycles or the occasional mini-bike lying in disrepair in Rattan’s garage. But they say even if they owned a car, bikes would still be the method to their madness - or, perhaps the madness of some of their annoyed neighbors. “When I get a car, I’ll still be working on my bike - when I get time though,” Anil said. “You gotta make time to ride the bikes.” |
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Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of queenscourier.com.
Ivy wrote on Sep 25, 2008 10:33 AM:
" Their love aof loud music??? What about other people's love of peace and quiet? Or other music? I can't believe you are show-casing this like it's something to be encouraged. "
Kika wrote on Sep 26, 2008 12:33 PM:
" Sure, it could be a problem. As long as these teenagers do this during decent hours of the day, I do not think we should be so selfish to not let them pursue a hobby that actually encourages them to be more technologically savvy.
Elders are always complaining that today's youth isn't as productive as they should be. Well then, here you go! "
Elders are always complaining that today's youth isn't as productive as they should be. Well then, here you go! "
muman613 wrote on Sep 26, 2008 5:22 PM:
" This is patently wrong. As much as a person has a freedom of expression, he also has a responsibility to make sure that his actions are not harming other people. The fact that the entire neighborhood doesnt like this noise is enough to have a complaint raised and the perpetrators taken off the street.
Complain to the police department to stop this insanity. "
Complain to the police department to stop this insanity. "
Liia wrote on Oct 23, 2008 8:56 PM:
" at least the children are doing something productive instead of being on the street corner in a gang and selling drugs. if you see a problem with kids having a hobby that includes music and electronics then maybe you should walk around and see the 15 year old crack heads then complain. keep the drugs off the streets and keep the kids clean. make music not war!!! "
Lisa wrote on Apr 19, 2009 4:42 PM:
" This is horrible. These kids can do something else besides this! Not everyone likes that type of music. To me it's very annoying, especially when you don't know what they are saying. I don't go out there and blast my merengue music, some people might not like that. They do that in my country, but we are in America and I will not assume that everyone likes what I listen to. So I listen to my music at home. I am a 23 year old female living in Richmond Hill for the past 22 years. I've seen these kids on their bikes with the music blasting and they have no consideration for others. Yes, it's played in the day time, but I can't even hear my kid sister crying with the loud music. My father has a hard time keeping my kid sister asleep because ogf the constant music blasting from these kids speakers. To "Liia" you wrote "make music, not war" well they are starting war first! I have asked them to be a bit quiet and they ignore our request. We are in the USA we should all respect the fact that some people don't want to hear that type of music. "
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