Here I am back as a youth with my first big bike. A chopper with high bars, long seat and five speeds. I found an old advert of a Chessington which bears a close resemblance to my wheels. There was a big Kawasaki K sticker on the down tube.
December 11, 2023
Celeste Cycle
Simple Street Tool
This Bianchi single speed was locked to a bike rack in the City near a pizza joint we went to. The brown leather Brookes saddle adds a serious note to the bike. Repurposed lugged steel frame. What’s not to like?
December 9, 2023
Lakefront
December ride along the many blue hued waters of Lake Michigan. The horizon line was a dark edge under a crisp aired sky. Some turquoise colors were spreading towards the beach and bluffs of the Northshore. Good ride.
December 5, 2023
Slot View
Like some single frame of a zoetrope viewer I spotted a parked Bonneville in a basement garage on my walk from the office to my car.
November 18, 2023
Netflix Nite
We’re binging the latest short series on Netflix this evening. All the light we cannot see. It stars Hugh Laurie as a French resistance radio operator. His pillion is the protagonist helping efforts against the Germans. 1930’s New Map motorcycle is period correct and had a couple of good scenes.
November 12, 2023
Blue November Skies
Dune Highway to Michigan
Ride to Three Oaks MI and brunch at Violas. 5 hungry bikers sippin’ coffee and enjoying eggs, pancakes, bacon and sausage. Last few leaves of autumn hang on as we speed through the tree’d corridor within this National Park.
November 11, 2023
Express cartoon
I love the work of Carl Giles, simply known as “Giles”. He added topical visual fun to the Daily and Sunday Express from 1943 to ‘89-‘91. His annual collections were a regular Christmas present for my father. Though left leaning in politics he said he earned a good income from the right wing Express. As well as the contents of my weekly comic 2000ad, I also drew the scenes and characters in his strips.
October 30, 2023
Oot for a spin
This happy couple have had a lark ploughing through the mud. Hacky dorty!
October 22, 2023
Autumnal Hues
I needed to get the wheels spinning under me and clear fresh Fall air blow cobwebs away. Blue October sky like a bluebirds wing, trees painted with a fiery splash. It always livens the senses when the leaves last hurrah of the season flares.
I wore the open-face helmet to ensure the sensations were keenly enjoyed.
October 21, 2023
Plaything
Beautiful ride-on bike on display at the Porsche museum in Hamburg. Pillion seat include so two-for-one possible! The maker is Lenaerts in Belgium and these Indian lookalikes were manufactured in the fifties. Rather than a rocking motion of typical fairground kiddie rides this had rollers that sped the wheels around. “Sehr viel spaß” as they say in Germany.
October 7, 2023
King Crimson
Tuin g a Norton motorcycle
Founding member of progressive rock group Kink Crimson, Robert Fripp, seen here in 1971 at Hyde Park. Working with Brian Eno later in the seventies too, particularly on Bowie’s Heroes and the wonderful lead guitar riff.
October 6, 2023
Tiger Cub
400cc and will be on sale for $5,500. This is a little corker of a machine ready for urban and light off-road duties. Belter!
October 5, 2023
Things of Beauty
Whilst in the northern German city on the Elbe I visited this marvelous collection of Porsche one-offs and racing cars. Stunning beauty in all of their lines.
911’s, 356’s, Type 64 ‘Berlin-Rome’ car (the black one at the head of the post).
The curved bodywork flows in all directions like a Henry Moore sculpture. Wood forms were used to achieve this beauty.
September 24, 2023
Amsterdam Market find
– strolling along a rain drizzled Albert Cuypers Market I spied these ‘zines pinned up at a stall selling old publications. Michel Vallant stood out as something to post on the blog (sorry it’s taken so long!). The stories protagonist is a French racing car driver – however he looks to enjoy the adrenaline rush of two wheels too! It is still published (since 1950’s) and a distinguishing character trait of his is “dashing”.
September 10, 2023
Wisconsin Roads are made of cheese
Beautiful weather today and a great 200 miler over into the Kettle Moraine area south west of Milwaukee. Smooth rolling triads through elephant eye high corn. Stopped for a fine late breakfast at Whitewater, a pleasant wee town with historical downtown. Key Lime cheesecake was a fine accompaniment to the meat-lovers skillet! Good mates to ride with!
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