After a late start and a bleary morning on Sunday I dragged myself along to Pushies Galore, an annual festival of all things cycling. The weather was a bit suspect but there were still plenty of stunning bikes on display - everything from beautiful self-made BMX frames
through to fat bikes that are kitted up to race the Alaskan 'Bike Iditarod',
Fat bikes are a burgeoning fad in mountain biking
They were originally designed for snow and sand, but seems to be taking off as a general ride. 3.5" - 5" tyres give a natural form of suspension, but the weight of the wheels needs to be minimised by holes in the rim
Have you noticed the unusual spoke pattern? All laced to one side of the wheel, which combines with bent seat stays to help centralise the wheel but still keep the rear cassette in line with the front chainring. Craziness. Sheer awesome craziness.
From the sublime to the ridiculous, there were some great looking urban bikes as well
This one, whilst very cool, is more on the ridiculous end as it's made from almost entirely bespoke componentry. Whilst it looks lovely, in my view there are better ways to spend $5,500
The cargo bikes, whilst useful looking, had a muted appreciation
but as usual the real plaudits were saved for the old and antique bikes - this one a defence bike from the mid-20th century, complete with holster & cartridge belt.
Most people seemed to be taken by the shearers 'swag bike', carrying everything an itinerant shearer would need in the early part of last century
The swag & sleeping blanket over the front wheel would have been useful if you were riding home from a homebrew conference....
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