Biker Fox: From the Concrete to the DVD
Matthew Ralph

He's recognized on an almost daily basis by thousands of motorists as the guy who happily rides his bike down a busy highway in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the same guy who has a peculiar website domain and moniker - Biker Fox - and now Frank DeLarzelere has his own DVD.

Simply titled "Biker Fox", the video is a random informercial/safety video tour de force into the world of perhaps one of the zaniest self-proclaimed extreme bicyclists around. He is after all, as his website and the video itself boldy announces, "the first and only person in the world to perfect a front flip over the handle bars of a mountain bike", a move he likes to call the "Biker Fox flip."

From the opening scene in the DVD in which the man under the bike helmet (he has four of them with him when he reminds viewers the most important thing) introduces himself on the roof of his home — "hold on, let me get up on the chimney," he announces after weaving his way back and forth on the roof with his bike — it doesn't take long to recognize how novel and just how bizarre a project this is.

To say that the average viewer of safety videos and informercials has never seen anything quite like this would probably be a safe assessment. From the onset, the enthusiastic introduction by the host (Biker Fox himself of course) and the declaration of his hope that the video will reach thousands of people and essentially make the world a better place just seems, well, strange. But as well-meaning as this somewhat confusing and always entertaining middle-aged bicyclist, who used the bicycle to lose weight and pretty much turn his life and attitude around, it is understandable why he wants to get his message across.

While it's not exactly home video fair (he will proudly tell you that he spent $40K making it), the video sums up what Biker Fox is all about in a variety of drawn out segments about obvious safety tips such as avoiding cracks (say no to cracks) and holes, sand and gravel. As obvious as these simple tips are, Biker Fox does manage to add humor and entertainment just by his enthusiasm alone. After all, those who have met him and seen him riding his bike along 71st Street in Tulsa, know that it is no act. Biker Fox just simply loves bringing smiles to people's faces, whatever the price it may pay on his body in the process.

As for Biker Fox's self-proclaimed dare devil stunts, his presentation of them is almost as interesting as the tricks are themselves. The hop, crash, and flip are all what he considers special injury preventing moves. Each is pretty self explanatory — the hop is when you hope over the handle bars, the crash a technique for throwing yourself off the bike to avoid injury and the flip a similar preventive move. More than a couple times throughout the video come the "this isn't rocket science" moments where he simply states the obvious, claps his hands and moves on. Fortunately, the video goes in quick segments (which can be fast-forwarded easy on the DVD). The Things You Should Know sements throughout offer the most random bits since they have nothing to do with anything really. It's just Biker Fox being, well, the goofy and lovable Biker Fox.

Think of Tony Little or Richard Simmons and maybe throw in a little Tony Robbins with even more spunk and the boldness to wear tight spandex the duration of a film and you might have an idea of what you're getting with Biker Fox. He loves life, riding his bike and hamming it up on the camera and it couldn't be more obvious than it is on here.

A fake arrest scene where he utilizes the Biker Fox flip onto a moving car and gets beat up by a couple donut weary cops is definitely the most random moment throughout the video, but by the tail end his inclusion of raccoons and oppossums in his speech about taking care of the environment and the wonderful wildlife is just darn right strange.

Meanwhile, the moments where he is with the people, even the somewhat scary and random bit with Jenks High School cheerleaders at a basketball game where he demonstrated his flip, seem the most true to life. He's a celebrity of sorts in Tulsa, making appearances at minor league and high school sporting events and bike shops all over town and a constant on the concrete.

Like the many novelty character personas that have come before him and even made the silver screen (Mr. T, Mini Me, etc.) this DVD truly demonstrates a character in Biker Fox that whether it remains to be isolated to the concrete in the city of Tulsa or not, would fit perfectly on a late evening infomercial broadcast on one of those channels you usually just flip through while channel surfing.

And don't expect this to be the last we hear of Biker Fox. For just as he sums up at the end of the video, you can do anything in life as long you put your mind to it. Today Tulsa, Oklahoma, tomorrow the world and what better way than through everyone's favorite new movie format - the DVD.

see related story on Biker Fox

posted 9.03.02

2002 White Elephant Productions