Orange County Choppers

When you hear "Orange County" you may think of California, but the Hudson Valley boasts its own. And it's there, specifically in Rock Tavern, N.Y., where you'll find Orange County Choppers — about 80 miles from New York City.

Established as a business in 1999, the shop grew out of Orange County Ironworks, a steel fabrication enterprise founded nearly 30 years ago by custom-chopper builder and rider Paul Teutul Sr. OCC jumped on the custom-bike scene at Daytona Biketoberfest 1999 with "True Blue," a classic chopper built in the basement of Paul Sr.'s house.

Other signature bikes soon followed, including the Spider Bike, purchased by musician Wyclef Jean of the Fugees, and the Jet Bike. Built to honor U.S. military forces in Afghanistan, the Jet Bike was featured in the original American Chopper that aired on Discovery Channel in September 2002. Today, Orange County Choppers has garnered worldwide praise and recognition for their custom motorcycles.