You might have heard of him, or even caught a glance of him riding on campus. A guy on a bike with music blasting from a boom box. It’s Bike Man.

His real name is Chris Daniels, and he’s a senior electrical engineering technology major. After finals week in December, Daniels will be taking his final ride through campus before graduating.

Daniels has a passion for building things, and that’s the reason he “pimped out” his bike a year before he came to NIU.

After arriving at NIU in 2001, Daniels was almost instantly noticed. Many people started creating nicknames for him. Students, teachers and faculty all know him as the Bike Man. At first, he thought people were mocking him and it took some time to adjust. Other names people have given Daniels are Bike Guy, Bike Lord, and Radio Raheem after the character in the Spike Lee film “Do The Right Thing.”

“I accepted it because it really was not as bad as I thought,” Daniels said. “Now, it’s cool being known as Bike Man.”

There are a number of features installed to Daniels’ bike, such as 26-inch red laser rims that change patterns. The rims can also store a 32-character text message which flashes across the wheels.

Other additions include a PlayStation 2 system with a 7.2-inch screen. There are headlights with high and low beams, blue lights and flashing taillights attached. The bike’s sound system has four speakers, a sub woofer, a custom equalizer and a bass knob.

Daniels doesn’t worry too much about his bike being stolen. He said anyone riding it wouldn’t make it too far without someone else noticing that someone other than Daniels was riding it.

The bike has turned up missing on a few occasions, Daniels said, but each time it has been returned to him. It has sustained a lot of damage over the years and Daniels rebuilt the bike several times, but it didn’t really matter to him because he looked at it as motivation.

Melanie Windland, a freshman dance major, said she finds it hilarious whenever he passes by a group of people. It’s funny to watch everyone just stop where they are and watch him ride past.

Matias Sich, a sophomore meteorology major, was surprised to know this is Bike Man’s last semester. Sich said he will really miss seeing Bike Man around campus and hopes someone else will take his place.

“Bike Man is basically like our mascot, aside from the Huskie mascot,” Sich said. “Whenever I hear that music outside or I see those spokes with lights, I go crazy and my spirits just lift. Bike Man can make any crappy day a great day.”

Some words of wisdom Daniels wishes to share with everyone are that you should not let other people get in the way of your dreams and don’t let what others have to say about you bother or distract you from accomplishing your goals.

Daniels isn’t sure what to expect of his popularity once he graduates in December. He feels that once he leaves, we all will truly know if he will be missed.

What’s in the future for Daniels? He plans to be an independent electrical contractor. Otherwise, he would try to get a teacher’s certificate and teach electronics at a high school level.

It’s been a good ride, Mr. Bike Man.

Matthew Rainwater is a Campus Reporter for the Northern Star.