Anyone who rides anything seems to have a bling bike these days, and the amount of tech that is on the average mountain or road bike would baffle those of us who were around way back in the day when categories or niches weren’t yet invented. There were kids bikes, and adult bikes. Sometimes, the two blurred the lines. Ryan Branson has been around bikes longer than most, and has developed a penchant for seeking out unique and sometimes rare machines of many an ilk. One of his favourites doesn’t have many bells and whistles, but it does have a horn and more character than many aero/carbon/enduro conglomerations. Ryan shares with us his Raleigh Metro 22 ‘rat bike’ for our latest Insider Rides, direct from the ghetto, exactly where we like it.

As the fork was black, I decided to balance it out by painting the chain guard to match.

This bike was at a community bike space, Whare Bike in Whangarei back around 2015 at which I am a volunteer and trustee. It was in a sad shape of disrepair, and when I saw it I wanted to restore it as I hadn’t really done a proper resto before. I quickly lost interest however and chucked it under my house. But then around the end of 2015 ratrodbikes.com of which I am a member was having a muscle bike build-off and so began the challenge.

This build was always going to be a stress-free fun build so I cleaned it up and changed out the forks as they were badly damaged. I had a fluffy covered banana seat and a sissy bar from an old build, so I bolted them on. I’m not one for putting on heaps of bits and pieces, but as it was for a laugh I decided to put on some chains to give it a punkish look.

I “layed back” the mudguards and bent back the bottom of the rear and front guards to give it a ducktail look.

Horn, mirror and front light because safety first can look cool too.

Ape hangers are for attitude, and there is also a leather studded strap across the sissy bar and under the seat. I bolted a taillight on the side nice and low for style points, and a rear rack because you never know what you may find and bring home. 

From whence it came.