Oooh...Those Lines...Those Curves

Of course we all know that sex sells.  Not for nothing are photos that highlight velocipedic lines and curves called "bike porn".  

Some parts, and some types of frames, lend themselves particularly well to hints of eroticism.  The classic handlebar stem (often referred to as a "gooseneck"), crank arms come to mind for me.  And, during the late 1970's and early 1980's, it seemed that every other hub was made in an hourglass shape.

It seems, though, that some people thought hubs were sexy even before that time:

Now tell me...what do you make of a poster with a fadeout of a nude model--for a hub called Mussel-man?

Hey, it gets even better.  Read this morsel from the penultimate paragraph of the copy:

     These beautiful broad flanged hubs appeal to all riders who like to go places and do things in Olympic fashion.  Their dazzling brilliance and rugged racy lines appeal to every boy who hears the call of the open road.

A siren call?  I find it interesting that the first sentence is an appeal to "all riders" but the second is to "every boy".

With Mussel-man hubs, would he get the girl?  Would I?

Holiday Cycles

Christmas will come exactly one month from today.

We and our bicycles must be ready for the holiday season.  Now, some of you might fret that spending time on such preparations will take time away from your cycling, or vice-versa.  Is there a suitable compromise?

I remember seeing a movie called "The Electric Horseman" in my youth.  Starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda, it was like a lot of other movies that came out around that time:  The hero got as mad as hell and wouldn't let him--or, more precisely, his horse--take it anymore.  But what was supposed to be a journey of self-discovery turned into mushy, sentimental tripe about a romance between two characters played by actors who, while they looked good together, had absolutely no chemistry.

But I digress.  Not long before "The Electric Horseman" was released, the much better "Breaking Away" came to movie houses.  What if someone made a movie called "The Electric Cyclist"?  Would the title character look like the figure in the photo?

Before screening, the producers could have had a dinner with a platter that looks like this:

Note:  Photos originally appeared on CELL Bikes.

Does This Person Ride To A Cheese Shop In California?

I wonder whether he/she rides a bike:

I mean, when someone has a name like Shimano-witz, how could I not wonder?

That sign crossed my path during my ride the other day.  So did this one:

At least it was no surprise.  I actually rode to, and into,Cheesequake in my youth.  I also hiked and camped there with the Scouts.  If they could see me now...;-)

I long ago gave up trying to convince anybody who isn't from New Jersey that the park--or, at least, the name--actually exists.  When I say it, they think I'm joking or hallucinating, or that it's the name of a fromagerie on the San Andreas Fault.

Maybe Shimano-witz would ride to such a place.