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You never know what you’ll see when you’re out pedaling your bike! This flowery cyclist topiary was spotted near Goshen, Connecticut by my cycling pal Ali while she was out for a ride. Made me start dreaming of possibilities for topiary beyond the traditional forms of cones, spirals and birds. Just another reminder to always take your camera (phone) with you! Have a nice weekend everyone!
I’ve been following French cycling champion Jeannie Longo’s career since the 1980’s. I was thrilled beyond belief when she mounted the podium to accept her gold medal at the 1986 World Championships in Steamboat Springs, Colorado clad in one of my Mountain Ladies & Ewe knit earflap hats!
Last week, 52-year-old Longo powered her way to her 11th French national time trial championship win and her 58th national title, leaving riders half her age in her wake.
“A 58th title is a figure somewhat symbolic because it (1958) is the year of my birth,” said Longo. “This is the one I wanted and it really has made my season.”
Longo is accomplished on both the road and track and is an Olympic gold-medalist and twelve-time world champion. While champions come and go, she has been an inspiring and impressive constant in women’s cycling.
Despite the fact that she will be almost three times older than some of her rivals, she has indicated that she wants to ride the world championships in Copenhagen later this year. My hat’s off to you Jeannie!
Tags: bicycles, bike racing, knit, Mountain Ladies & Ew
I’ve been fascinated by bicycle gear ratio charts since back in the days when racing bikes had only 10 speeds. I enjoy comparing the difference even a single tooth can make in the size of a gear.
The Chromatic Guide To Gear Ratios poster combines my passions for color, good design and gear ratios. Its design abandons the standard grid format and places the chart inside a chainring with spokes radiating from the center. It’s a pleasure to look at – even if you’re not interested in knowing what size gear you’re pushing.
Click for more bicycle inspiration
Tags: bicycles, color inspiration, poster
Today professional cyclists will line up for the start of the famous one-day French classic cycling race, Paris-Roubaix. Often called “The Hell of the North” or a “Sunday In Hell” because of the kilometer long sections of jarringly torturous cobbles that the riders must navigate.
First run in 1896, Paris–Roubaix is one of cycling’s toughest and oldest races. Since 1977, the winner of Paris–Roubaix has received a sett (cobble stone) as part of his prize.
Here are some classic photos of past races.
An undated file photo shows Maurice Garin posing with an unidentified man. Italian-born Garin twice won Paris-Roubaix (1897-98) before winning the first edition of the Tour de France in 1903. AFP PHOTO/FILES
1928 winner Andre Leducq. AFP Photo
The peloton passes through Cardin in 1934. AFP PHOTO
You might also be interested in this post or excellent cycling photos by Chris Milliman.
Photos via: VeloNews
Tags: bicycles, bike racing, vintage
I spotted this mural with the pretty flowered bicycle propped against it on Boulevard René-Lévesque in Quebec City last weekend. I wonder if the bicycle is an intentional part of the artwork or whether it is perfect happenstance? I thought the colors were great, and the nestled birdhouses and wrapping paper patterns made the mural approachable and friendly. It’s truly amazing what some people can do with spray paint!
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For more color inspiration click here.
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Tags: bicycles, color palettes, street art
These vintage cycling toys bring back memories of my first solo adventure. Just after college I toured around Europe, skiing and visiting museums and friends, my only luggage a backpack and a ski bag.
I made two memorable purchases that trip. One was a down duvet for my bed (they weren’t available in the U.S. back then), which I crammed into my ski bag, and a toy model of a Tour de France team vehicle. The latter became slightly problematic as I didn’t want to remove the lime green Renault from it’s box, for fear that the tiny bicycles and extra wheel sets clipped to the roof rack would snap off. I ended up awkwardly hand carrying that box around, including in my lap during the flight home. It was a perfect metal replica of the Renault-Elf-Gitane team car and had doors that opened. Team and sponsor logos were plastered on its body and hood. I had never seen a toy like it before and was ecstatic that it represented Bernard Hinault’s team, my cycling hero at the time. For the life of me I can’t remember what happened to it. I hope that eventually I’ll open a long forgotten box and find it again. If I do, I’ll post a photo here!
French board game celebrating Velodrome d’Hiver, the great indoor race track of Paris.
Toy Tour de France peloton riders
1950’s toy Jeep bicycle racing team service vehicle
Toy motorcycle
Tour de France pinball game
Vintage toy that operated on batteries to roll across the floor, alternating lead riders, and which featured cycling champions
Toy broom wagon
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Photos: Cycling’s Golden Age
If you like this post, you may also like Man Tows Airstream Trailer on Bicycle.
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Tags: bicycles, bike racing, Tour de France, toys, vintage
For those pedal pushing fashionistas who abhor wearing a bicycle helmet, the new Hövding invisible bicycle helmet might persuade them otherwise.
Hövding looks like a collar and is worn around the neck while cycling. In the event of an accident, a hood-shaped airbag within the collar is triggered to inflate around the cyclist’s head. Unless sensors detect an accident, the airbag remains concealed in what looks like an ergonomically shaped fashion accessory.
The Hövding, a blend of intelligent technology and fashion will be available in the spring for about $360.00. For more info click here.
Instead of using a standard address marker to point the way to their Vermont home, an avid cycling couple transformed this old bicycle into a welcoming and playful sign, which they placed at the end of their long dirt driveway. What a great idea!
To see another cool use for old bike parts click here.
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Tags: bicycle art, bicycle sculpture, bicycles
During a tour of a friend’s workshop yesterday I spotted this poster of French bike racer Alfred Letourneur towing a 22 foot long Airstream Liner at the Metropolitan Airport in Van Nuys, California in 1947. I was immediately enamored with the photo, went home and did a little homework and discovered that LeTourneur was a champion six-day racer in the 1930’s, garnering four U.S. National Championship victories.
LeTourneur broke the world bicycle speed record in 1938 at a velodrome in Motlhery, France. On May 17, 1941, riding behind a car on the freeway near Bakersfield, California he reached 108.92 mph on a Schwinn bicycle shattering his previous record.
If you like this post you might light this one and this one.
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Tags: Airstream trailer, bicycles, trailer, vintage
This poster was created by Allan Peters for ARTCRANK Minneapolis – a poster show for people who love biking. When Allan got this project, he and his wife had just found out that they were going to have a baby. He wanted to do something that mixed that joy with his joy of biking.
Click here to see more interesting photos of Peters’ poster printing process.
To see more bicycle inspiration click here.
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Tags: bicycle art, bicycles, poster
Under the blue sky of a highly colored Shanghai, men carry unbelievable piles of stuff on their bicycles. I’d be thrilled to be the recipient of this bouquet. Oh, but on second thought, the ceilings in my house aren’t high enough!
Click to see more of Alain Delorme‘s photos of amazingly huge bicycle loads.
To see more 2-Wheeled inspiration click here.
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Tags: bicycles
My photographer friend Mary spent a few days poking around Copenhagen last weekend while visiting with her daughter. It’s no surprise that bicycles caught her eye and were captured by her camera lens, as Copenhagen has a booming bicycle culture that has reached worldwide recognition via the Copenhagen Cycle Chic blog.
The grit, graffiti and rust in Mary’s photos portrays a laid back urban environment. Enhanced by sensational colors and textures, they are very powerful pictures. Thanks so much Mary for sharing these radiant photos with us!
Photos: Mary K. Noyes copyright 2010
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Tags: bicycle art, bicycles, color inspiration
My most reliable cycling pal had some biking related misadventures last week. First, she was terrifyingly chased down by two large and fast dogs on a steep uphill. She even claims she used my renowned banshee screech to ward them off, but to no avail. Thankfully no blood was shed. But her lungs and legs are still burning!
Then, one afternoon after taking her bike for a ride on the car, she returned home and absent-mindedly drove into the garage with it on the roof rack. She totaled the carbon fiber forks and the rack. Besides feeling dumb, she’s bummed that she doesn’t have a second road bike to pedal while it’s being repaired. No Vermont cyclist wants to be grounded during foliage season!
Not to blog at her expense, but I was reminded of these funny cartoons by Rick Morrall. In an attempt to humor her through this rough patch I’m posting them just to prove she’s not the only one who’s been through cycling misfortune, and that things could really be much worse – like plastic surgery and a lawsuit…
Or whiplash and a totaled bike AND car…
Well dear friend, I hope you’re back in the saddle again soon! We still have some miles to pedal before the snow flies.
The cartoons are from Tom Cuthbertson’s 1972 edition of ‘Bike Tripping’.
If you like this you might also like this.
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Tags: bicycles
Someone with ingenuity and skill with a welding torch created this fanciful flower (or sun?) made from discarded bicycle forks. A friend snapped this photo and sent it to me knowing how I love bicycle art and rusty objects. She spotted it in East Burke, Vermont while exploring the amazing Kingdom Trails mountain biking system.
photo: Ann Howard (thanks!)
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Tags: bicycle art, bicycles, color inspiration, color palettes, rust
