Well I was thinking of a character concept for an upcoming SR game and I though it would be fun to play a juiced up bicycle courier. I figure I'll make him a physical adept but I need some help with the finer points. For example, are there any rules for bicycles anywhere? I'm wondering what skill you would use for doing bike tricks, catching some air, etc. Furthermore, what about using the bike as a weapon? Doing a wheelie on the front wheel and having the rear wheel swing around and smack a corporate goon in the head for example.

Just wondering if this stuff would be feasible cause the idea makes me laugh.

Be sure to name him "BMX Bandit".

Sounds fun. No rules for any of it (except 'bicycle as Improvised Weapon', maybe).

Hey, hey, the Clubs (Improvised Weapons +2) spec is pretty awesome, because it covers *anything* blunt you can pick up and hit someone with. Including gunbashes and pistolwhips.

As a side note, trolls can pick up a lot of stuff. I would totally make a troll adept with shattering blow, who's entire purpose is to rip large objects from wherever they may be, and hit people with them. Shattering blow to help with liberating, say, lightposts and benches.

This is one of those concepts that probably benefits from being built more or less "straight" but with a decent Edge score that you hold onto just for when you want to do something ridiculous. When in doubt the GM can just let you default to Agility anyway, after all.

Somehow I feel like a wheelie doesn't count as 'Clubs', esp. with bonus dice.

Wouldn't the vehicle ramming rules apply?

And now we break out the real world running speed to bicycling speed relation, mix it with the fastest running build, and what the fires light up on the road.

This makes me think of what the courier (Kourier?) bike of the 2070s would look like. Smart tires, electric boost motor with regenerative braking, partially unstable frame for trick maneuvers and easy collapsability. Probably folds up as small as one of today's collapsible chainless bikes, but with a frame as strong as a mountain bike's and a continuously variable transmission (yes, they do make those for bikes, a chainless one would be somethin' though!)

Something like that could definitely be of use to a street level character, a lot more urban maneuverability than a motorcycle. Fold it up into a backpack size and it makes a great getaway plan, faster than Kid Stealth legs on a ghoul.

There is ALLWAYS the Situational Modifier of +/- up to 3Dice !!
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Doc-Byte (Buddy of Mine and also Member here) made a Sportsgroup once :
Bicycle(Racing,Street,BMX,Tour de France),
Skisports(Snowboarding and Skis included),
Surfing (Long Boards,Short Boards)
and Blading(Rollerblades,80's Discoblades, Ice scating)
all Skills are connected to AGIlity
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HokaHey
Medicienman

Sounds like a hilarious character design for a pink mohawk round.
There won't be many rules that can be applied to this but I guess a high acrobatics skill with a specialization like "bike tricks" as well as Exotic Melee Weapon (Biking) would be mandatory for this to work
Is riding a bike considered Acrobatics, Sprinting or Ground vehicles?

Also:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFuMpYTyRjw
(yeah it is old but still awesome... also OP mages )

I think the final version looked something like this:

Sports skill group

Cycling (Strength)
Default: Yes
Skill Group: Sports
Specializations: Road racing, track racing, mountain biking, BMX freestyle, urban sprawl, touring

Skiing (Strength)
Default: Yes
Skill Group: Sports
Specializations: Downhill, super-g, slalom, snowboarding, freestyle, cross-country

Skating (Agility)
Default: Yes
Skill Group: Sports
Specializations: Rollerblading, skateboarding, ice skating, speed skating, short track, figure skating, hover boards

Surfing (Agility)
Default: Yes
Skill Group: Sports
Specializations: Wave riding, wind surfing, water skiing (maybe skysurfing)


But the skill-assignments are debatable.

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I've also created a bicycle courier, but with bioware and gentech. He's a former pro cyclist who picked up a little too much ware and was suspended by the WADA.

This is a good excuse to read Snow Crash, since it's setting is SR-like, and a courier is a major supporting character.

(...and because it's one hell of a book!)

At least for fluff you can take the Courierz Rulez Code of Conduct for 5 BP (Runner's Companion). This sounds really cool, seeing as how it is much more difficult to both ride a skateboard and use it as a weapon (you would need to be able to pull off some wicked Ollies if you tried). You might even use Enthralling Performance (Cycling) to brainwash the whole skate park.

I'll just leave this here

A Troll with max strength and Clubs(ImpWeap) could and would have vast proficiency in ripping out engine blocks and bludgeoning people with them.

Mmmyes, mmmyes.

You mean, up to -3. Never a plus!

Yeah if you want to cure yourself of this idea, watch the BMX Bandit clips. Hilarious!

Mesh

Exactly. Note also that Angel Summoner is an easy and legitimate build in Shadowrun.

I can see those bicycles are being even more popular due to they can be used off grid with no electricity, are eco-friendly, and you don't need a license for them.

Also... the stigmata of wearing tight bicycle pants, carrying around a 2-wheeler across your back does make a person look less like a threat.

Those pants might be too tight if they're making your hands bleed.

The only thing that could make this concept more awesome?

A unicycle

The only thing more awesome than that?

If the character was a robot.

Heh. First thought, when I saw the subject line.

Bye
Thanee

I'm surprised it took 11 whole posts till someone posted the actual link

Add some Ki-Ad powers to this and... I've never done anything close to this with my BMX back then.

That guy is clearly insane. He must be the real BMX Bandit!

Bye
Thanee

I love how they showed him crashing horridly a few times in lue of saying 'don't try this at home'.

Hmm, so I guess this is gonna need a little houseruling. I'm sure the GM and I can work something out

In the mean time of course I've been thinking of ways to weaponize a bicycle. Shock pads on the rims of the tires maybe

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Dark Angel yet. Two entire series of a bicycle courier in a cyberpunk setting.

you forgot "in Seattle"

It really depends on the tone and power-level of the campaign.

Your dude might be awesome in a gang-level street game.

I don't know.... As much as I like the idea of a bunch of X-Gamers taking down a load in transit (would be the coolest go-gang, in my opinion) I can't help but think of overweight mall security guards taking them down.

Does anyone else remember a movie with Kevin Bacon playing a bicycle courier?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWOCxj_qvoI

Nope, but I remember what happens when BMXers take on a Phys-Ad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzhjK3OfmcE

The same thing that happens when anyone else does.

Unless someone thinks to use a gun.

of course if anyone does this and the character is called "Golden Boy" they need to either die, or find the AMV to that anime that uses Blumchen's version of Queen's "Bicycle Race"

Ah CRAP. I just remembered that anime. Thanks man... now i had to waste some minutes trying to find the damn "race-episode" where he takes on the biker-babe... FOR SEX. And went totally fucking INSANE at the end.

And here is that part:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MWa4XVqDUc

Damn, Kintaro is AWESOME