Construction of a ridiculous movie scene: The Aspen scooter ride from "Dumb and Dumber"
"Dumb and Dumber" is the best movie comedy of all time. Yes, I said it. Sit down, "Caddyshack" fans. I hear you, but you're wrong. It's "Dumb and Dumber" for so many reasons I can't even list them. Jim Carrey is at the top of his game. Jeff Daniels has come out of nowhere to temporarily become the second funniest person on the planet. The supporting cast is solid as well, and the soundtrack is a time machine to the best parts of 1994.
I haven't mentioned which locations make the movie great, in part because none of them do. The opening scenes take place in Rhode Island (visually unimpressive on screen), and the main scenes involve a road trip to Aspen, Colorado (filmed in Breckenridge).
It's not until the final stages of "Aspen" that the locations get interesting.
If you haven't seen "Dumb and Dumber" yet, you should really consider how you spend your time. To recap, Harry and Lloyd find a woman's briefcase and embark on a cross-country journey from Rhode Island to Aspen to return it. Through a series of unfortunate circumstances, they lose their iconic van with the shaggy dogs in Nebraska towards the end of the first act and have to continue their journey on a kid's mini-bike.
This is where the movie and the present day intersect. Two curious YouTubers wanted to find out if it was possible to ride a minibike from Nebraska to Aspen, Colorado - a 400-mile journey. There were numerous technical and physical challenges along the way, but in the end, it was "possible." (Note: not fun or easy!)
Finding a mini-bike that can fit two grown men is no easy task. After researching the exact bike from the movie, they realized it had to be a custom build. Normally, mini bikes are perfect for 12-year-olds who are too rebellious for a bike but too young for a driver's license. Accommodating two adults with a combined weight of 300 pounds presented a number of technical and ergonomic challenges.
The first challenge: how would they even fit on the bike? Fortunately, the film crew had the same problem, and the duo referred to photos of the actual prop. The frame was stretched considerably to fit two people with longer legs.
The next problem: how would they power the scooter with three times the weight? The mower had to be fine-tuned with a smaller "nozzle" to adjust the air-to-fuel ratio.
The team set off for Nebraska with their ready-to-go "Hog". After a few mechanical problems, they finally made progress and even almost reached the "70 mpg" Lloyd mentions in the movie.
There were some unexpected mechanical issues, especially with components that weren't meant for heavy road use. The tires were meant for garden tractors and wheelbarrows, not for hauling a 300-pound "guy" up a mountain, and each tire was completely worn out after a day's ride.
The next problem was the chain - the torque required to pull both the duo and the bike up the hill took its toll and stretched the chain considerably. It didn't break, but after three days of riding it was pretty much at the end.
The final challenge: the route, which is unfortunately not described in the movie. Starting on a country road in Nebraska was the easiest (and safest) option due to the flat terrain and low traffic.
Eventually, the team had to make a tough decision: switch to the interstate or take a dirt mountain road. The interstate would be smoother and have reliable pavement, but they would be traveling at 30 mph alongside semi-trucks (and police). The dirt road was shorter and had less traffic, but it was extremely rough. The gravel road eventually won out, but on a bike without suspension, the lower backs took a beating.
Despite the challenges, the intrepid mini-bikers made it to Aspen in just under three days.
Many of the challenges were completely predictable when two guys are climbing a mountain on a tiny bike. Their video shows much less of the pain they endured for 30 hours on an unsuspended mini bike, but somehow I want to do this tour too. I'm not sure I'd want to do it with my best buddy on an underpowered hardtail, but the climb itself looks like a blast. You get fantastic views of the mountains, and with all the free mosquitoes flying into your mouth, you don't even have to stop!
This was a big project and an even bigger journey. 400 miles doesn't seem like much until you're struggling up a mountain at 30mph on a mini bike in the freezing cold. I can't think of a more fitting homage to "Dumb and Dumber", except maybe cane fencing in pastel-colored tuxedos. I doff my orange top hat to these gentlemen, for they did a fine job.
This incredible 400-mile minibike adventure not only pays homage to the classic comedy "Dumb and Dumber", but also shows the mix of creativity, engineering and determination it takes to bring such a crazy idea to life. Just as these two YouTubers used ingenious technology to overcome challenges, you too can develop innovative solutions with the help of 3Dfindit. Whether you're designing new products or revising existing models, 3Dfindit provides access to over 6,000 catalogs of 3D CAD, CAE and BIM manufacturer models, making your design work smoother and more efficient. Start designing your next big project today!
