Some days are 'fast' days

When life is all a blur ... ride your bike!

Out shopping in style

I spotted this fabulous lady in town at the weekend ...

Apparently, she rides everywhere on her bike - it's her main form of transport ... love it!

Then she was joined by a friend - out for a bit of shopping by the looks of it!

David and Goliath

Now that bicycle is really plucky in my book ...

I have wanted to go and front up to that digger myself for the last few days!

From a distance ...

I had a bunch of photos that I had of Aucklanders on their bicycles ... taken from a distance ... so I thought I'd post them

Shopping

Waiting

Crossing

Raining

Crossing & Raining

Lads

Weakness

As addictions go, there are worst things than bicycles ... well that's what I tell the Husband, anyway!

I bought a new bike for daughter number two - it's a Hercules (compact)

It's in really good shape and is the perfect matched pair for daughter number one's bicycle ...

This one is called Joyrider

This brings the total number of cycles in our apartment to 8

• Me - 1950 Triumph (best bike), 1970 Peugeot (rusty pub bike)
• The tricycle - although, it's not technically in the apartment yet
• Husband - BSA (3 speed weekender), Nishiki (old school racer)
• Daughter No.1 - Joyrider (all purpose)
• Daughter No.2 - Hercules (all purpose)
• Giant Cypress - spare ... soon to go on Trademe.

Dirty, dirty, dirty

Remember the tricycle? How could you forget ...

Well she is now in bits and the frame has been for a facelift

I chose 'Alpine Blue' - a bit like the previous colour but paler and a bit more sophisticated, I think.

It looks quite weird without the wheels and such (before you say it ... yes, I know it looks quite weird with them too!)

and then a bit of elbow grease is required (as well CRC, scrapers and wire brushes) - this is the 'before' picture

These are a few of the essentials for this kind of work - surgical gloves, rags and plenty of tea!

and then ... here is one I prepared earlier, as they say - this is the 'after' picture

So I have spent the weekend up to my elbows in grease and rust ... but I'm pretty happy with the result.

Watch this space for the next instalment ... dum dum dum!

The other sort

A friend of mine wanted me to take some pictures of the other sorts of cyclists in Auckland ... so I did ...

For some reason, it just doesn't do it for me ...

They don't look very happy...

They look more like the cars than people - notice the similarity between this ladies helmet and the grill on the front of the car behind.

I think what I like about photographing my normal targets is 'the story' - who are they? what are they doing? where are they going? I can't find any story or personality in these 'cyclists'.

I also like the personal sense of style that my usual subjects exhibit. I find these cycling outfits 'generic', they say 'I'm a cyclist' ... and no more.

Style magnet

I often find very stylish people sitting near my bicycle when I return to where I parked it ...

Perhaps they are admiring the innate style of a bicycle ...

Perhaps they are simply drawn to the natural beauty of a classic bicycle

What do you do on weekends?

Weekends ...

Just crossing

Being prepared

Wearing a nice hat