The “eccentric” duo-edged character of Biker Fox (yes, that’s his real name via deed poll) is one that seriously needs to be seen. In all earnestness, he does just want to inspire people by doing tricks on his bicycle in psychedelic crotch-thrusting lycra. But then there’s that
other side of his personality – the one that heckles abuse at potential customers, annihilates wasp hives bare-handed, and screams like a maniac as he chainsaws his furniture to pieces.
It’s these latter finer details that might make one apprehensive about interviewing The Fox – especially when you consider that reviewer’s of
Jeremy Lamberton’s documentary have since described him as a man whose “overwhelming rage and weirdness are deeply frightening". Heart warming!
Film critics are obviously just pussies, however, cause we definitely had a nice ol' yarn with Biker Fox as his movie premieres in Australia this week at the
Sydney Underground Film Festival. Genuine societal outsider? Happy-go-lucky psychopath? Bike enthusiast? Somebody who just really loves racoons? Apparently we got him on his best behaviour.
Emilia Terzon: So I watched your documentary last night. I love riding my bike too.
Biker Fox: Oh yeah? That’s because riding a bicycle is probably the most enjoyable thing you can do in life. People don’t understand that when you’re riding a bicycle, that it frees your soul and your spirit. You can be a kid forever.
ET: So what makes your riding so Foxy?
BF: About ten years ago, I was sitting there at 240 pounds. I had side pains and my arm was bothering me and my back was in pain. So I started riding a bicycle and lost 85 pounds. And then I thought, "That’s neat!" I really only lost the weight because I started doing crash-injury techniques. In other words, I started crashing over the handlebars without getting injured. And that led to the front flip. And once that happened, I realised the internet was kinda new and I could market that. So I decided to go ahead and try and find a neat dot com name. I tried finding biker.com, but that was taken. So I thought about what the girls used to call me when I was younger and fit and sexy. So I tried Biker Fox.
ET: So you’re like a sexy Cadel Evans.
BF: Yes! So now I have
bikerfox.com.
ET: I liked when you flipped your bike in to the swimming pool.
BF: Well, my advantage is in being able to do tricks that nobody else can do. I created the front-flip which, I can assure you, you won’t find anywhere else on film. You may find a photoshopped version, but nothing like mine. I don’t take the bicycle with me – I leave it right on behind.
ET: So what’s your real name? Will you tell?
BF: My real name – it’s a very famous proverb – is Frank Paul DeLarzelere III.
ET: That’s very exotic. So is Biker Fox your superhero persona? Or is it a case of split-personality?
BF: What you see in the movie – working my business selling muscle car parts, feeding raccoons, chainsawing furniture – that’s Frank. And then when I get on my bike, I’m just happier and I’m Biker Fox. It’s me trying to be positive, and put out a positive message that if you eat right and exercise, you feel so much younger and fresher.
ET: So you become a different person when you put on the bum-hugging lycra?
BF: Yeah. But it can sometimes carry over into my business. I can sometimes wear it in the shop.
ET: Yeah… about that – what do the people in your hometown think?
BF: Well, I’ve been wearing a lot of tight spandex which reveals all the curves. They’re not too excited in Oklahoma about me wearing yellow, pink, and blue spandex. It’s all really tight and curvy. But people in Okalahoma and Tennessee they’re all… well, they’re rednecks. I can say that! They don’t like no frills or anybody out of the ordinary. If I was living in California or New York, I would blend right in.
ET: Well, I loved your AC/DC and Pink Floyd racing tees. Very rock'n'roll. Did you party a lot in the '70s?
BF: Oh man, did I! In my teens and 20s, I partied. But I don’t drink. It was so much fun being around friends, and laughing, and choking. I can tell you: I used to get out there and date a lot of girls! But it’s kinda scary to date these days. Too many STDs.
ET: I was thinking maybe you did a lot of acid in the '60s.
BF: Oh no! No no no no!! I think I’ve smoked a joint twice. I was around all that – mescalin, acid, window plane, microdots, shooting up – but that was crazy. Those people end up in jail.
ET: You also love animals. I’ve never seen so many feral animals in my life – especially those racoons. You kept on feeding them shit-loads even when they bit you back. And the wasps’ nest! What’s with all that?
BF: Well, I will tell you. You there in Australia had a superhero just like that: Steve Irwin. He was just such an amazing, inspirational person. I look at myself and I think I would somehow want to be just like him. He was just such a nice, fabulous legend and so amazing towards animals. The best person you had there in Australia.
ET: And I see you’re selling Biker Fox tee-shirts. I want one in hot pink. Does selling your name and becoming a celebrity drive you?
BF: Oh yeah! It would be an absolute blast. It would be great to make millions of dollars and travel and cheer everybody up. That’s ultimately my goal – to be a shining beacon of light for everybody to see.
ET: So, is
Biker Fox an inspirational film then?
BF: Oh yeah! But it’s also a police story. You’ve got those cops harassing me a lot of the time. I am this happy guy on a bicycle, but I wish there was a happier ending to the film. The police have always harassed me – they don’t support what I do. The last two years they charged me with three felonies and lied and said I threw my bike at people. What I’m doing is that, I’m riding my bike and they honk me! And they run over my two thousand dollar bike, and cops would come to the scene and tell the people to say I threw it at them. Maybe it’s to do with the coloured spandex.
Watch the trailer at
bikerfoxmovie.com .