SCUL

SCUL (once short for Subversive Choppers Urban Legion, now not an acronym for anything) is a Boston area bicycle nerd gang that builds and rides mutant bicycles, chopper bicycles, and tall bikes. It is composed of three divisions, Metro Alpha Division (MAD) of Somerville, Massachusetts, the Rural Combat Division (RCD) which is based in Maine, and the Southern Beta Division (SBD) of Providence, Rhode Island. Currently the Metro Alpha Division is the only active division.

SCUL spun off of a group called the Flying Donuts in 1995,^[1] and is organized in a paramilitary fashion with a hierarchical ranking structure, distinct naval/space terminology and a sci-fi atmosphere. Ranks are reset each year, and advancement criteria include receiving a high five from a bystander and crushing cups.^[2]

SCUL conducts "missions" every Saturday night from April Fool's until Halloween. A typical mission involves routine patrolling of the local "star-systems" (cities), getting high-fives from civilians they pass and crushing discarded soda cups on the street. Occasionally, they will stop to hone their "flight skills" with some friendly bicycle derby. Centuries (100-mile rides), Intergalactic and Interuniversal Missions (across state or country borders) have also been completed.

On August 25, 2005, the Coolidge Corner Theatre premiered the SCUL movie "Operation, Super Posi". They also made a television appearance on the PBS show Design Squad, an episode in season 1 called "Skunk'd" (named after Skunk, the founder and fleet admiral of SCUL).

In 2012, SCUL is housed by Somerville hacker space Artisan's Asylum,^[3] where it maintains a bicycle repair and modification facility, and members offer classes welding and bicycle maintenance. SCUL is loosely allied with the Rat Patrol and is similar in some ways to other bike gangs such as C.h.u.n.k. 666 and the Black Label Bike Club.

If you see them, give them a high-five and they will respond in kind.

References

External links

• SCUL website