Articulating the Bike Beautiful

One of mine is 'Urban Camouflage' as it's such a non-scene fixed (pre-dating the scene anyway), no-one ever notices and gives me that 'hey, you're riding fixed' look.

i love my bike to look "messed up", stickers all over it, insulation tape instead of proper bar tape, a cracked saddle fixed with the same insulation tape.
For me i want the bike to function perfectly, ride smoothly and be comfortable to ride, which it is very much so.

What this means is that i have a bike that i can use to my hearts content.
Functionality reigns supreme in my stable.

do you feel it has been shaped by an aesthetic or functionality though?

talking about this with sano yesterday, as the antithesis of the HHSB I reckon mine would fall into the plantation owner category - Old colonial English steel with a cruel streak…

Big Daddy you get one of those Sherlock holmes pipes and wax up the ends of the beard into a point before riding that honey around..

My pub/beater/lazy sunday bike - the Claude Butcher - a rather well beaten yet still riding conversion, is affectionatly known to me as my "Slope". i respect his fighting ability and it matches and my inclination when riding it.

talking about this with sano yesterday, as the antithesis of the HHSB I reckon mine would fall into the plantation owner category - Old colonial English steel with a cruel streak…

A classic 'Jules Verne'.

i dunno, wayne. high flange bling phils? deep section rims? hmm?

it's slavery, alright, but in the Chris Eubank mould. hip hop gentry, hood-squire

i dunno, wayne. high flange bling phils? deep section rims? hmm?

it's slavery, alright, but in the Chris Eubank mould. hip hop gentry, hood-squire

+1

A hip hop gentleman's bicycle.

A little something from the former colonies under the command of cold british steel

pass the courvosier

I still thinks Wayne's fixed is 'Man At John Lewis'.

Pajamas, yesterday:

Then what about bikes like Tommasito's, with its lovely handlebars?

That would be the second generation Italian immigrant under the cunning disguise of an English moustache.

mine falls into the "manchester messenger bike" look i had whilst at uni a few years back. at the time i rode mtn bikes (and still do) most of the messengers flew round on SS mtn bikes wrapped in innertubes or some other covering to make them look cheap but if you knew what to look for they were high end bikes normally.
really high saddle crazy low bars and some kona p2's runing V's for stopping.
at the time i ignored the "look". after uni i built a SS from old parts and haven't looked back since. and one day i'll post a picture. :)

I often wonder about this.

Only a recent inhabitant of London I see sooooo many people cycling really flashy bikes. I feel bad for my bike as I have parcel tape wrapped on it, bar tap on my cross bar, race blades and insulation tape covering the decals. When I leave London and bring it back to Ireland I'll be able to ride it all shiny and nice but until then I worry about it being stolen.

How do you guys manage to keep your vintage tracks with every scene accessory from being stolen?

Peace

talking about this with sano yesterday, as the antithesis of the HHSB I reckon mine would fall into the plantation owner category - Old colonial English steel with a cruel streak…

I think I was singing from the same hymn sheet as the grande padre when I specced the creamy Bob (albeit with not as speccy parts :))

Distant cousins?:

How do you guys manage to keep your vintage tracks with every scene accessory from being stolen?

I never leave my bike unattended, though I'm not in London and have no idea what a 'scene accessory' might be...

And who are the 'pretentious wankers' down there?

to the tagger of "pretentious wankers" - I vehemently dispute the pretentious bit.

@scaryeire - you don't hold anyone's gaze in a conversation for more than two and a half seconds cos you're watching your bike, triple-locked to the nearest lamppost. This means you become known as someone with shifty eyes: men come to mistrust you, women come to feel nervous around you.

^Well as long as they're coming, it's all good...^

Really?

You never leave your bikes unattended? So do you have a second bike for commuting or working and have a nice bike for the weekends and stuff? I can see myself maybe making a recreation bike but then I'd actually feel guilty for my work horse bike.

A scene accessory is just a way I describe (to myself since I have no friends interested in bikes) things like a cross bar pad, or a vintage leather saddle, etc. Things that I feel if they were on my bike would get lifted in a second.

The more I see people riding really nice painted and rimmed bikes the more I feel like I can peel off all the ugly tape and show my bike off to the world haha.

Peace

Whichever bike I'm riding comes into the office with me. They're both nice - one fixed, one geared. I've thought about the beater thing, but TBH I don't do shit bikes.

I've thought about the beater thing, but TBH I don't do shit bikes.
Word. Once you've ridden a great quality bike beaters just seem upsetting.

@BRM - you can be 'Man At Waitrose' then.