Mary “G-Mom” Sneed is a mother, grandmother, and, more importantly, a lowrider. Being the only female member of Majestics Car Club, she decided to build a bike for her grandson, Frank Lopez. Her thought was to give him something to keep him away from the perils of the street. After looking around for a while, she found the perfect Schwinn frame for the build. Frank was involved in the build, coming up with the theme and design.
Frank’s ’63 Schwinn is called “Creepy Wheels,” and it features custom modifications by some of the top SoCal lowrider bike craftsmen of the ’90s, including paint by Jose and murals by Clifford of Air Design. The chrome construction is by Lowrider Design and the bike rides on 144-spoke 14-inch wheels.
After all of the players in the build were done and the bike was finished, G-Mom’s granddaughter, Lisa Trejo, let her desire be known to have a bike of her own. With that, G-Mom set out to build one for Lisa using the same team. The colors are many a girl’s wish, and the Betty Boop theme was firmly established with murals of the cartoon character on the frame of the ’65 Schwinn.
Frank and Lisa enjoyed many years with the bikes, but even with involvement in something positive, sometimes just being in the wrong place at the wrong time can come into play, which was the case for young Frank who lost his life in 1997 when a drive-by shooting occurred at a housewarming party that he was attending.
Frank’s spirit lives on in his bike and these days many of G-Mom’s numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren enjoy both bikes. They actually sit in her living room. Pictured are two of the many who love the bikes just as much as she does.