16 March 2010

Bicycle Painting

UNAM Guys
I met these cool guys after my lecture at the architecture faculty at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. They are readers of Cycle Chic - I'm always humbled and amazed to meet readers around the world.

I noticed the cool paint job on the bikes and the chap on the right told me he paints them by hand. It takes four days per bike but THAT is personalising your bike in extreme style. Wicked cool. Cool bikes made cooler with TLC and paint.
Reforma Sunday Cyclechicista
Here's a friend of theirs riding one of the hand-painted bikes on Reforma boulevard on Sunday.
UNAM Guys on Painted Bicycles
And a close up. Kind of. Of the paint job(s).

11 comments:

Christa said...

Love to see these bikes around town. So much passion goes into them. Always wonder about the individual behind the bike - they must be awesome.

hebdenjoy said...

Wonderful !

The villager: said...

The people of Mexico certainly know how to decorate a bike.

gih said...

I wonder if she really know well how to ride it.

yewenyi said...

they are very impressive paint jobs. It would be good to see some over here in Australia!

Kiwehtin said...

I've seen one example of bike painting here in Montreal: a bike painted basically in red and covered completely with little flowers in thick raised, enamel-like paint. I'm always happy when I get to chance upon it.

As for the woman knowing how to ride her bike — I see two in the second picture, and both seem to have their hands on the handlebar... check; feet on the pedals, pushing down in alternation... check... Seems they have it down pat to me...

William said...

I love the time and effort that must have went into painting those two bikes. A real labor of love...

I'm also glad to see that they don't have the issues with males riding step through frames like we do here in the U.S.A. A bicycles a bicycle, and the right frame for the right job.

Cynthia said...

I've always wondered what that aversion to step-through frames is about. Seems to me the bar on "boys' bikes" is kind of, um, dangerously placed... Run up on a curb too quickly and you could damage the Family Jewels!

beck said...

Love the paint jobs! what are those bar things behind the rear wheels on the red and yellow ones?

Colville-Andersen said...

the bar at the back is a bumper. used to be a standard fixture on most bicycles. to avoid other cyclists bumping into your back wheel.

step-through bikes ARE safer. See here for why

Ramon Romo said...

The bar at the back is used as well as a stand help. You pull it down and it make the bike to stand all by itself. Very useful.