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Here's Ian!!! (he tried to stop me posting this! Haha!!)

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Farrah and Ian with their lowrider Pimp my bike! By Sarah Loat Ditch your BMX or mountain bike - the lowrider is here. It's urban, it's pimped out, and this bad boy screams 'look at me!'.

Lowriders The phenomenon of lowriders is huge in the States, and although lowriders have been here for a few years, the UK has been slow to pick up the trend. In Birmingham city centre however, you might just see a group of Birmingham lowrider owners cruising the streets with their unique bikes. Ian Cumberbatch and Etienne Amion are into the urban hip-hop scene and are the first to bring lowriders to Birmingham. Lowrider phenomenon Etienne, Ian and Farrah Lowrider bikes began back in 60s America. Cars were customised with hydraulics to allow them to ride low and 'bounce'. Mexican and Puerto Ricans wanted to get involved in the lowrider movement, but most couldn't afford the expense of customising a car. They began to customise bikes by bending the forks to allow the frames to be lower, and then added colour, mirrors, bells...the lowrider bike movement was born. Michael with his 7ft chopper Michael Parinchy, 18, rides with Etienne and Ian on a Chopper lowrider; "Getting lots of attention is the main reason you go for something like this is the attention you get. My BMX gets me from place to place but sometimes it's good to get the crowds going on my lowrider." So what's the appeal of a 70's style bike to a teenager or twenty-something growing up in a technological age? Bling up your bike "It's urban, hip hop style and pretty unique here" says Michael. "I haven’t seen any being rolled around in Birmingham apart from the ones we go around on. Maybe next summer we’ll have everyone rollin' around on them. "The wheels remind me so much of the American lowrider cars and it's very hip-hop - that’s what I love about them. Especially the idea of rolling in big groups." Farrah The lowrider is definitely not just a means of getting from A to B. They're a bike made for cruising - they need to be looked at. Hip-hop stars like Snoop Dogg and Pharrell Williams are encouraging the appeal of the lowrider scene, often featuring them in their videos. Ladies love lowriders It's not just a hip-hop 'rude-boy' that's hooked on these bikes. The ladies are loving lowriders too. Not only the bikes beautiful to look at, but they also have mirrors perfect for touch-ups, or applying lipgloss, as Farrah demonstrates... And it's not just mirrors that adorn the lowrider, they can be personalised in just about any way imaginable. Farrah takes advantage of the mirrors "You can twist frames, paint them, have different wheels, spokes, mirrors, forks, peddles, spinning wheels. Each and every bike is different and everyone adds their own touch to their bike. There are 7 or 8 frame types in any colour you can imagine and you can customise it to your own style. "You can get hydraulics for them which lets the bike bounce and lowers them a whole lot. You can put soundsystems and boomboxes on them, hook up your iPod or mobile phone - even add neon lights." says Ian, who has owned his lowriders for over a year. Farrah, Ian And Etienne Ian Cumberbatch, 21, and Etienne Amion, 18 are such lowrider enthusiasts they have created their own company, BabyBoy Lowrider, to bring the bikes to Birmingham and the rest of the UK. Urban culture "Basically lowriders represents the urban culture that people wanna be a part of" says Etienne. "Nowadays as life is so fast moving, relaxing on a bike is not part of most people's day. Once people have a go they're hooked, and the attention that you get from being so unique is amazing. It’s unique to Birmingham and there are only a few stockists in the UK and we’re the only ones in Birmingham. Ian Cumberbatch Ian is keen to make the lowrider Birmingham's must-have accessory, "Everyone is fashion conscious here, its like kids who can’t afford a car, or are too young to get a licence are gonna look cool on a lowrider. "A lot of people buy them to display in their house but we wanna hit them out to people with a cool urban background coz that's where they start from. To these guys lowriders aren't just transport, they're a way of life, a style statement, a culture, or in their words "pimped-out". "We wanna introduce people to the lowriders and represent the culture with the bikes" says Etienne. "We wanna organise meetings of lowrider owners to relax and celebrate the culture in Birmingham." "The urban scene in Birmingham is getting ready for lowriders and people want to be part of it," concludes Ian, "It’ll take off." Peace in the Middle East!!!