Wheelie bike of non-bicycle manufacturers that developed and sold add-on products, such as the Wham-O wheelie bar. Though initially a US fad, wheelie bikes also became popular in the UK, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa. Australia had its own Malvern Star Dragster, ,Brazil had its own Monark Tigrão., and in Norway, Øglænd made the DBS Tomahawk. The former The Shaggs singer Dot Wiggin recorded the song "Banana Bike" in 2013 as a tribute to her sister Helen, who died in 2006. Helen owned a yellow imported Raleigh Chopper that she used to keep fit with, that Dot found amusing that a
Merlin (bicycle company) Merlin (bicycle company) Merlin Metalworks, Inc. was a pioneer in titanium bicycle design and construction. Merlin introduced the first titanium alloy mountain bike, oversized tubesets, s-bend chain and seat stays for mountain bikes. For road bikes, Merlin commercialized the first titanium butted tubing and many other innovations. The company was founded in 1986 by Gwyn Jones, Gary Helfrich, and Mike Augspurger in Cambridge, Massachusetts They were the first to manufacture bicycle frames constructed solely from titanium. Merlin became known for their meticulous and visually pleasing puddle welds. The first Merlin frame was a mountain bike frame custom-built for the defending