Orange County Choppers

Behold one of my favorite shows on TV as well as some of the biggest-hearted bruisers you'll ever meet.

Hail Paul Sr., Paul Jr. and Mikey of Orange County Chopper fame (not to mention hard working Vinnie and Rick). Check 'em out on TLC. (Discovery Channel still airs many of the older episodes.)

I'm not a fan of choppers, per se, but like the great radio show, Car Talk out of Boston, MA, you don't need to love or even know much about the topic to be absolutely addicted to the personalities and great moments in the show.

My favorite bike they've done is the Sunoco bike . (cafe style non-chopper. Paul Sr. was NOT happy. haha.)

But my favorite bike building episodes are the Christmas bike w/ sleigh and the Yankees bike.
The fact that these guys work so hard for charities like Make a Wish Foundation , Cancer research, Cystic Fibrosis, Childhood diseases and so many more, not to mention their visits to kids at their homes, on location at camps, hospitals and special events tugs on the heart strings of anyone with a soul. If anyone told me that my eyes would tear up when watching a show about making choppers, I would have said they were nuts. Not anymore. On at least three occasions I got all choked up watching the Teutuls (and Grandma Teutul) do their thing.

These guys are great examples of humanity without being preachy or self righteous. They just do it. And they do it in their own way, with their own style. And the kids and grownups alike love every minute of it.

If you haven't seen this show, do yourself and your spirit a favor and watch an episode. Visiting the website just don't cut it. You have to see (and hear) them in action. Paul Sr. yelling at his sons and Mikey's retorts should not be missed.

Mary J. Blige's "We Ride" video featuring OCC bikes.

Enjoy.
Robert