Nicknamed “The Thomson Beast,” NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal’s incredible 36-inch custom bike has been unveiled
Being over 7 feet tall has advantages in the NBA, but it can be difficult in everyday life.
Look no further than NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, who stands at 2.15 meters tall.
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The 51-year-old 15-time All-Star was out on his bike one day when a neighbor noticed “his mate’s bike was in bad shape,” Bike Thomson reported Instagram post.
Luckily, the neighbor in question, Terry Thomson, COO of Bike Thomson, was up for the challenge of building a custom bike for O’Neal.
In an interview with Ride a bikeexplained their product manager Mike Christensen: “We took a playful approach with the Shaq bike.
“He had no intention of giving up enduro racing, but it had to be strong.
“We wanted to create something that looks aggressive but gives him a more comfortable riding position – that was his wish.”
The end result, dubbed The Thomson Beast, was crafted from titanium and featured “Triple tree forks” with 1.3″ diameter handlebars to fit his large hands.
The wheelbase ended up being over 55 inches and included a top tube of over 29 inches.
Complete with 36-inch wheels, the stunning creation amazed even its creators.
Christensen commented, “When you get this bike on paper and you see a standover height of more than a meter, it’s like taking a minute… is that right?”
He also added, “You know it’s going to be big, but you’re not ready to see those numbers.”
Ultimately the work seems to have paid off as Shaq looked like a comfortable rider on his new ride-in subsequent clips on Instagram.
And it seems fans were equally impressed, with one commenting: “That’s what I call CUSTOM.”
Another added: “That’s freaking cool.”
While one noted that Shaq “probably never had a bike that suited him.”
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