The Israeli Artistic Cyclists

Come here!

So it's not a real cyclist in the photograph alright, but nonetheless an interesting figure on a bicycle. Penny Farthing looks cool painted orange with a weirdo trying to catch a butterfly on 'em.

From the Hebrew inscription on statues, you could have inferred that the photo is from Israel. To be more precise, it is from the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv where I happened to visit a wonderful exhibition on Murano glass back in April 2006.

Since we are already focusing on the Israeli art scene, let's talk about another cycling statue. About a hundred kilometre southwards, near a town called Beersheba (or Be'er Sheva), one can find the "Sculpture Trail" in a place called Hatzerim Forest (which, in the middle of the desert, is not quite a forest at all). I was there in January 2006 (on a desert sojourn) and came across another special pair of Penny Farthing, this time with a head of a horse.

With all the horse meat that is being discovered in numerous "beef" products sold across Europe nowadays, this sculpture was most certainly ahead of his time. So next time at the bike shop, make sure your bicycle doesn't contain traces of horse DNA. Wink wink.

This bicycle make contain traces of horse meat

The Key Ringer

Open sesame

It's probably a cliché, but every lock has a key. Thus when we introduced the lock holder, it was pretty straightforward that there's also a cyclist who holds the key. In this case, the cyclist had a key ring clipped onto his jeans.

In fairness, I also used a similar feature when I was eight years of age. I guess some people keep finding it useful and comfortable. In any case, I was personally disgusted by this particular guy. He was one of those cyclists who smoke while cycling, he smelled like an ash tray and looked like a chimney. I said good riddance when the lights changed to green.

I took the photo on 20 October 2012 (exactly five days after I came across the guy with the lock) in Wexford Street (between Camden and Great George's Street). I also took a zoomed out version of the very same cyclist:

Stretching

The Lock Holder

Feelin' safe

The more cyclists are out there, the greater the threat of bicycle theft. And, fortunately, Dublin sees more and more bikes. Therefore, cyclists take things to hand or at least they take a lock in their hand.

I shot the photo in Rathmines on 15 October 2012.

Bardejov Cyclist

On the road

If I'm honest with you, sometimes the cyclist is not the focal point of my photo. So it was interesting to see the well-equipped cyclist above with all these panniers and gizmos, but what struck me most was the magnificent tower and city walls at the background...

I took the photo on 29 July 2008 in Bardejov, a beautiful medieval walled town in north-eastern Slovakia.

Pavement Cyclist (2)

Cycling anywhere

Many cyclists in Dublin disturb other road users by cycling on the pavement (apparently, it's also a policy many Irish councils promote). In past we already supplied an example of teenagers cycling on pavement. They, at least, had an excuse - they join their bicycless friend and they're still in that age that being cool matters most. Our friend above, however, had no excuse. He simply decided to break the law and cycle on the pavement (instead of breaking it by cycling against the traffic). The legs of this kind of people obviously work, so why can't they just get off the bike and walk for a few hundred metres?

Anyhow, the photo is from Camden Street and was taken on 19 January 2013.

The Mouthless Cyclist

Joe, I don't get it

The climate of Dublin is fairly mild, however, some winter days feel really cold. In order to shelter themselves from the bitter cold, some cyclists cover organs that are normally exposed, for example their mouth. The guy above looked like Mort from Bazooka Joe :)

I took the photo on Dame Street on 29 December 2012. And I took another one:

Off we go

The Bike Leaver

Leave my bike alone

As I was strolling around London, I noticed a guy making a delivery on his bike. I liked the way his outfit matched the colours of his bike and bags. Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough, for by the time I shot the photo, he had already crossed the road, leaving his bicycle for the mercy of fellow Londoners. No one attempted to snatch them though.

The photo was taken when I was walking along Eastcheap Street, between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, not far from The Monument of the great fire. It was the 4th of December 2012.