Inside Old Farm Choppers by Paul Nieminen

Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
Instagram: @old_farm_choppers // @paulywoood

Photos by Enrique Parrilla @eparrillacreates
Words by Jess Nieminen

Tucked away on a quiet cul-de-sac in the northeast suburbs of Colorado Springs, you’ll find a dozen kids playing out in the street. When they hear the rumble of a motorcycle start up, they all run to one side of the pavement and quickly throw up peace signs to their neighbor, Paul Nieminen — aka Paulywood of Old Farm Choppers. They get just as excited as he does when the engine fires up, especially on the first kick.

In the two-car garage attached to the house, you’ll find his daily riders, his wife’s sporty, and whatever bike someone has dropped off that week for evaluation. But in the back of the house — past the trailer and the pickup, past the tent and the camper — is where you’ll find his best stories.

In 2018, Paul built a separate shop space to truly begin building. It felt huge at the time — brand new, with electricity and fresh poured concrete. I never thought he’d outgrow it, but here we are, seven years later, and there’s a carburetor on my kitchen table. Right next to the paint swatches, countless stickers from daily parts packages, and Old Farm Choppers tee shirts for sale.

He’s bursting at the seams in that shop, with tools meticulously placed exactly where he can find them. Paint is splattered on every shelf, lathe shavings cover the entry floor, and the kind of organized chaos that drives an OCD woman crazy. That woman is me — his wife — and the one who proudly brags about my humble builder. He really is a jack of all trades.

Paul works a full-time job during the week on top of building bikes, painting tanks, being an awesome dad, and a great husband. His honey-do list is miles long, and he somehow makes time for all of it — and for us.

Inside the shop, up on the lift, you can’t miss the 1955 Panhead chopper — the birth year of Paul’s dad. The tank is adorned with stained-glass-style soldering, a picture of a child handing a flower to his mother, and is sweetly embossed with his mom’s ashes throughout the paint. It’s a tribute bike to his past, present, and future — fully customized by Paul himself. All the paint and fabrication was completed in-house, and this tank is the only one not for sale.

Another treasure in the shop is a 2002 Twin Cam in a Paughco wishbone frame — a 70s vibe with a modern drivetrain. This build will become a daily rider once he makes room in the “front” garage, and the plan is to eventually hand it down to his son, Louie.

Louie has become the face of Old Farm Choppers and is well known in the Colorado motorcycle scene. If you’ve been to the house, you’ve likely been greeted with a high five, knuckles, and a monster truck or two straight from Lou himself. If you know Paul, you know his passion runs deep — and his little sidekick is always right there in the shop. As Paul works on motors, Lou cranks on his Hot Wheels with the same determination he sees in his dad.

Among the brewery swag and typical moto-garage decor, there’s a picture on the wall of Paul’s favorite build to date — “The Blue Ghost.” It now resides in Las Vegas, where it truly belongs. This S&S 80” Evo long chopper survived a deer slaying on a mountain road during the Ride to Raton show in the summer of 2018. He kept the Ghost upright, rode it out, and made it down the mountain pass in the rain as the sun was setting, with me right behind him — both of us white-knuckled. Beers were absolutely earned that night.

The shop space is forever growing and always crowded, but Paul somehow makes room for everyone and their bikes. He welcomes all ideas for future builds, paint schemes, and collaborations with like-minded folks. So if you find yourself in Southern Colorado, look for the yellow house in the Old Farm neighborhood and stop by.

Just be sure to throw up the peace sign for the kids playing in the street — I promise, you’ll be rewarded back.

— Jess Nieminen