Tuesday, July 1, 2008

The Indelible Cleanliness of Riding: Drugs No, Tattoos Yes!

By this time I think pretty much everybody knows that Floyd Landis has lost his appeal against the US Anti-Doping Agency, thus really, really losing the 2006 Tour de France. Landis says he is "saddened" by this decision, though he may take some consolation in the fact that Rowan Atkinson has signed on to play him in the Hollywood screen adaptation of his life:


Not only do they bear more than a passing resemblance, but Atkinson also has the experience in the peloton to bring some much-needed authenticity to the film. Here he is reenacting the epic break that brought Floyd fame, and then misfortune:

Of course, as we all know, not doping is the new doping. And while Slipstream may be leading the charge, they're not the only ones drawing the proverbial "X" on their hands. VeloNews reports that cherubic wunderkind Damiano Cunego has also jumped into the pit. Not only that, but he's so committed to clean racing that "he's supporting a new anti-doping campaign and has had its slogan tattooed on his left arm. It reads: 'I’m doping free.'"

Now that's impressive. Nobody would ever get a hypocritical tattoo. Hopefully Cunego will now be exempt from doping controls and need only flash his ink when he's called. As for the tattoo itself, VeloNews didn't have any pictures, but having been a fan of his ever since he starred in Woody Allen's "Match Point," I was highly curious. So I followed the link to Cunego's campaign, but all I could find was this:

Is this what Cunego has indelibly applied to himself? To me the winking coupled with the phrasing implies not that Cunego is a clean athlete, but rather that he's doping for free, as in Lampre or some third party is paying for his drugs. I wonder if the tattoo on his arm winks too, or if he has to flex or something to get it to do that.

Unsatisfied, I hoped that maybe Cunego's own site had a picture of the tattoo. Now, if you've ever visited an Italian website, you know it's a lot like walking into some awful nightclub--lots of flash and techno. So I clicked over, plugged my ears, and averted my eyes. There was no techno, but there was the requisite animation. To save you the trouble of visiting yourself, I present you with a still from the homepage:

The piercing eyes of Damiano Cunego have been known to make competitors wilt at a thousand paces. These eyes have flattened mountain passes, melted cheese onto little pieces of bruschetta, and frightened the Epstein-Barr virus he battled with in 2005 right out of his body. Even though the heading says, "Welcome to my official website" the greeting is so at odds with his forbidding visage that I was almost afraid to click further. However, I rummaged around in my suitcase of courage, took a slug from my bidon of fortitude, nibbled on some cheese, and somehow found the wherewithal to press on.


I was happy that I did, because while I didn't find the tattoo I did find a kinder, more welcoming Cunego. This picture says, "See? I'm not just a killing machine. I'm also just a regular guy who likes to put on a black suit, style my hair, and cruise around town on my Wilier hybrid which has reflectors--for safety!" One might be tempted to say Cunego's reflector use is at odds with his lack of a helmet, but actually Cunego is wearing a"Gelmet,"which is a hair gel made of 70% silicone. The Gelmet not only makes your coif wind- and waterproof but also provides head protection in the event of a fall. It's expected to be a huge seller in Europe, Astoria Queens, and south Florida.

Despite being won over by Cunego's endearing side I still found myself questioning the validity of his anti-doping stance. Notice his stat card boasts that he's married to Margherita. Hey, if he drinks that much chances are he's doing other things too. (I'm married to Vodka so I know what I'm talking about.) Note also that Cunego's distinguishing features are that he's "A Winner!!!" Yeah, that should be tremendous help in identifying him should he do something illegal. "Officer, some rubber-haired guy on a bike just ran over my dog!" "What did he look like, Ma'am?" "A Winner!!!" In the spirit of full disclosure Cunego should at least add to his list of distinguishing features that he also has a winking tattoo that says "I'm doping [for] free."

Of course, without seeing Cunego's ink I can't tell where it ranks among the world's cycling-related tattoos. My two all-time favorites, which I've mentioned in the past, are the "Hug Life" tattoo (the "Last Supper" of cycling tattoos):

and the "Ambiguous Lance" tattoo (the jersey and shorts of Lance Armstrong and the face of Robbie McEwen, riding a Colnago, all applied to a hairy leg).

Indeed, it is a bold rider who inks his or her love of cycling permanently on him- or herself. Even the most dedicated cyclist's tastes can be mercurial--eBay is littered with titanium frames which were purchased in the '90s as "the last bike I'll ever need." As such, getting a bike tattoo is nearly as risky as getting a tattoo of a partner's name or a favorite band. There's also a big gap between the two masterpieces above (which are totally regret-proof in their brilliance, of course) and all other cycling-related tattoos, some of which you can see here. I must say though that there are some stand-outs among all the chainrings, chain armbands and black-bicycle-silhouettes-on-the-ankle you see so often, including:

The left-hand drive road bike with what appears to be either a singleator or a bent spoon for a derailleur;




The woman on a left-hand drive bike (I'm smelling a motif here);





The Permanent Product Placement (corporate version);


The PPP (indie version);





The crossed pistons (which bicycles don't have, unless you consider your legs, in which case why not a pair of crossed legs?);


And of course municipal signage.

Don't get me wrong, though. I'm a tremendous tattoo fan. Actually, I'm in the midst of getting a full sleeve consisting entirely of outdated bike parts. It's going to be all stuff like biopace chainrings, Mektronic shift levers, Girvin Flexstems, and Dura-Ace 8-speed derailleurs. I'm also getting a high-normal mountain bike derailleur on one ankle and a low-normal one on the other. I figure that should cover me either way.

126 comments:

Anonymous said...

!!

Anonymous said...

!!!

Anonymous said...

!!!!

Anonymous said...

I like the swastika aerospoke tattoo

Anonymous said...

check the blog for details on my anal party

Anonymous said...

first!

Anonymous said...

prolly - what the hell?
and why wasn't I invited?

Anonymous said...

Pack fodder again....

Cameron said...

Top 10 and boy, I need a job!

John Mark said...

I believe the woman on the left hand drive tattoo is rocking a pie plate, no?

Anonymous said...

Try to explain "hug life" to the grandkids in 25 years. Also the left hand drive spoon machine seriously needs its spokes tightened.

Anonymous said...

Holy Guacamole! Floyd not only lost, they fined 100 big ones for being an ass-hole.
If you find out who Cunego's dope sponsor is, let Floyd know; he's gonna need someone to help him out of his hole.

Anonymous said...

prolly, you admitted-and don't get me wrong i find it noble to so unashamedly new-that you have approximately 3 yrs of experience riding fixed gears (not sure what your exp is riding other kinds of bikes) in Vapors mag. i am curious how long you have been taking it in the seat as well? the anal pain and all. not that there is anything wrong w/that, other than the wind generated noise around said plundered area. but it leves one curious...

Anonymous said...

can't believe you haven't commented on this self-indulgent video

Anonymous said...

PODIUM!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

never gonna give...never gonna give...never gonna give...never gonna give...never gonna give...never gonna give...never gonna give...never gonna give...never gonna give...never gonna give...never gonna give...never gonna give...never gonna give...never gonna give...never gonna give...

Anonymous said...

or this video.

Anonymous said...

or this video

Brendan said...

Thanks for reinforcing my personal decision to never get a tatoo.. That slideshow hurt my brain.

I was wondering why Cunego didn't just go with a huge X tatoo on one of his hands though. His "Gelmet" could protect him at the Hardcore shows he's bound to start attending.

Anonymous said...

You could get a tatto of the Fixie Apocolypse on your back as well. Maybe a mushroom cloud over a Pista with pie plates???

Anonymous said...

What aboutthis tattoo, It looks like a seal of disapproval that has become so tough he grew tusks to become a walrus.

Anonymous said...

Fuck, last again.

LP said...

You could get an early jump on the outdated parts ink and go with a campy 11 speed cassette. I'm holding out for the inevitable 11-28 straight block!

Anonymous said...

I've got a pink Aerospoke tattooed on my right ass cheek. Getting some Campy Delta calipers inked on my breasts; sheriff stars on my ankles.

What is with the winged bicycle theme? I thought bikes were bound to the road. No?

I guess in tat land, anything is possible.

Anonymous said...

If you have synthetic testosterone in your body, does it produce synthetic semen? Just asking.

Anonymous said...

gonna love reading all the comments from this tonight

Emily said...

After a few years of sagging flesh I am pretty sure all tattoos of chainrings start looking like tattoos of Biopace.

Anonymous said...

Yes, actually in this month's Endocrinology Journal,I just read that Michael Ball was produced with synthetic semen.

ice cube said...

Hug Life? What the shit is that? Really? Complete with chain belt, or a broken hip. Life is equiped with a fanny pack! You have a tattoo of a guy wearing a fanny pack! Why don't you get the Hulkster tattooed on your leg in full blown action too.

Anonymous said...

Why all this hate for Tattoo?

ice cube said...

ANON 12:10

I AINT NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP
I AINT NEVER SAY GOODBYE
NEVER GONNA TELL A LIE.........

Anonymous said...

How about an Orange Julius version of this one?

Anonymous said...

Hey hey, we're taking back the Tour...don't cha know?

ice cube said...

Fixie tattoos will be in five years what straight edge tattoos were ten years ago. Something to remember a time in your life that you don't subscribe to anymore.

Anonymous said...

Can't wait to get my Campy 11 speed tatoo! I think I might make it a tramp stamp too...

Anonymous said...

clean is the new body tattoo.

Anonymous said...

Great post Snob. I'm tattoo free... and staying that way.... however I might invest in a tattoo removal business.

Too bad about all the comments and links having nothing to do with the post... how self centered.

Anonymous said...

Morgan slapped me so badly yesterday, that I DNFed the great commuter unofficial roadrace this morning.

Anonymous said...

RTMS/BSNYC

The pistons end in what looks like crudly drawn femurs rather than some mechanical part. Suggesting the wearer is implying some piston-like performance in her/his legs.

This is probably one of those vague tattoos that the wearer was hoping would facilitate conversations with strangers and help the wearer overcome his/her shyness. Sadly it just looks like poorly mixed metaphor.

Anonymous said...

"The Gelmet not only makes your coif wind- and waterproof but also provides head protection in the event of a fall. It's expected to be a huge seller in Europe, Astoria Queens, and south Florida."

Priceless !

Anonymous said...

Unrelated to this post, but not to BSNYC material, while the fixed gear apocalypse is clearly underway in most places, my town seems largely unaffected.

As someone who prefers fixed gear, I'm not a fan of sick bar spinzz and recognize the stupidity of such. However, in my town, it appears an even dumber trend is arising, which is BMX commuting.

Its trendy kids on BMX bikes that use them for no other purpose than to ride around town, some for quite a long distance. And to add to that, I saw a 40-something year old man riding one with his seat as high as his handlebars. Is this happening anywhere else or is my town like sore on the disease of bike culture?

The Robot Engineer said...

If you use Google to translate the page into english, it says "I'm FREE Doping" Ha!

http://translate.google.com/translate?sourceid=navclient&hl=en&u=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2edopingfree%2eorg%2ffront%2dpage%3fset%5flanguage%3den

Anonymous said...

I'm getting a zen tattoo to go with my zen bike once I reach enlightenment.

Anonymous said...

tit is a flip flop hub. read the rest

Anonymous said...

i'm getting a butt tattoo in the shape of a butt on my butt.

Anonymous said...

re: entertainer,

No TOES INCLUDED!

priceless.

hoon said...

perfect timing. i just got my bike related tat...

Anonymous said...

I use to have a "Gelmet" back when I raced in the early 80's, but now it's decades later and most of my hair has fallen out so I'm sporting the hairstlye of other old bikers, the "Reverse Mohawk".

Anonymous said...

I am troubled by the sheer number of tattoos in that slideshow on hairy legs. Isn't shaving your legs the first step in real commitment to the sport? Shouldn't that come long before the decision to demonstrate your unwavering dedication to the sport through a tattoo? Isn't shaving your legs temporary? Isn't a tattoo permanent? Will any of these badasses still be riding at 50? 60?
P.S. Nice try, Snob, but we all know that you orthodox have a Biblical prohibition on tattoos, the mark of Molech.

BikeSnobNYC said...

wishiwas...,

Is "Molech" Kosher mole (as in mole poblano)? Has Streitz gotten into the Mexican food racket?

--RTMS

Anonymous said...

The girl on the left handed bike tatoo: Is that a hammy, or a REALLY fat calf?

Anonymous said...

i like this tattoo......it's right above my asshole. gives gates something to focus on.

Anonymous said...

This one belongs in BSNYC Greatest Hits: Volume II. I'm still laughing.

Back in 1992, my friend Mike got a huge Pearl Jam Tattoo on his leg in. At the time it seemed like a really bad idea . . . I wonder how it seems now.

Anonymous said...

It's funny how some of you make fun of fixters for following trends, and at the same time shave your legs. Why do you shave your legs? Does it decrease wind resistance? (Do you shave your arms also?) Does it makes the scabbing less painful? (Do you never fall on your arms?) Or does it just make you fit in with the roadie crowd?

Just sayin'

Anonymous said...

Wtf! That's a guy & a girl hugging? Geez, I thought it was two chicks. That's the problem with these fixie dudes.

Roadies in lycra leave nothing to question.

Erik said...

Viva Cunego!

I'm getting my "I'm married to Elizabeth Banks" tattoo this weekend.

BikeSnobNYC said...

ant1st,

Dave Moulton says it best with regard to leg shaving.

--BSNYC

bikesgonewild said...

...frilly, mi amore...i hope you'll like the bgw 'hearts' frilly on my shaved roady calf...

Anonymous said...

Ditto for my cheeky 'Property of BGW'.

Anonymous said...

frilly, I'm pretty sure that those are two girls hugging, especially since "hug life" is in rainbow colors.

Anonymous said...

Ant1st, I shave my legs for the same reasons you shave your nutsack; tradition, and it looks better.

Anonymous said...

Snobby - That's the first good explanation I've heard/read. It does stink of vanity/fitting in though. I, for one, will continue to wear my hairy legs, arms and face proudly. Screw tradition.

Anonymous said...

Merckx, I used to shave ye ole nutsack, untilt one day figured it would be a good idea to do it while drunk. The wounds got infected... to make a long story short, I'm now a double Lance.

Anonymous said...

shaving your legs makes you a girly man.. I did it a couple times for some races then stopped because it's just weird... sorry unless you're getting paid to race and are told to shave you look really dumb off the bike with silky smooth girly legs...even if they are huge like the hulk...

Anonymous said...

tattoo! hug life, yes! free drug yes!
shaving hinders the process of scabbing. vice magazine had a good piece on it...
-just putting some polysporin on it

bikesgonewild said...

...ya...i guess some guys are just insecure that way, huh ???...

...c'est la vie...that's french for "that's your problem, not mine, pal"...

Anonymous said...

BGW - It's hard to claim a dude in spandex with hairy legs is insecure. The spandex does emit an aura of confidence that permeates through the hair.

as an aside, it's nice to see some non fixter bashing around here for once.

Keep up the good work.

Anonymous said...

BGW - by the way, I'm french. That's a free ammo gift for you. Let it rip!

Anonymous said...

Where you guys at? Do I smell that bad?
Or is a dude with hairy legs that repulsive to you?
Oh well, I'm going home to take a shower, we'll see y'all tomorow.

bikesgonewild said...

...bashing, ripping ???...to what purpose ???...

...vraiment, ami, vous etes francais ???...c'est malheuresement, but real friends won't hold that against you...

...moi ???...i'm gonna take my shaved legged, spandexed ex-pat canuck ass out for a ride (here on canada day) on my cyclo-cross bike...that's right...zut alors, even though it's off season !!!...

...that's the nice part about being a grown man & i'm just that kinda guy...

Anonymous said...

Left Side Drive on the Bike Tattoos: Is it because these are drawn on the paper which is transferred to the skin as an outline for the tattoo - hence a reverse image?...

Educate me...

Stevious said...

Mountain bikers don't shave their legs (or wash regularly).

Anonymous said...

this posting sucks dick

Anonymous said...

We are the Cyclists

Anonymous said...

just gay...you guys are just gay

Anonymous said...

you are the faggots

Anonymous said...

bike snob has a dick face.

Anonymous said...

how you like me now.

Anonymous said...

Ha Ha, its true! I just tried to get some info from Marzocchi's web site and it is all Flashy. I couldn't find anything I was looking for, but it did inspire me to go rub one out.

Anonymous said...

Why do cyclists shave their legs? here's a new reason to add to the pile: Some years ago I used to ride, at least in the winter months, in black lycra tights.

If I didn't shave my legs, then after about a mile or two my leg hairs would somehow find their way through the lycra, to create a 2cm thick layer of blondish fuzz overlaying the shiny black tights.

This is not a good look. It really isn't. Please take my word for this. No, really: don't try this at home. You have been warned.

Anonymous said...

Ant1st: A shower? I thought you said you were French. A shower is like Kryptonite to a Frenchman, n'est ce pas?

urchin said...

I think that must have been a 'Thug 4 Life' tatt, with an snowballing, ill-conceived do-over after some time in the joint...

Anonymous said...

ant1st is that a french bath or are you going to use water. Didn't want you to feel left out.

Anonymous said...

If I remember correctly, two things applied to straight edge tattoos. The first being that they were purchased with massive amounts of change picked up in a mosh pit. The second being that the recipient of the tattoo invariably got hammered about two weeks after getting one.

Anonymous said...

Why not crossed legs, you ask? That's the wrong question. Why not UNCROSSED legs! I'm getting a tattoo of Sharon Stone from "Basic Instinct" on my perineum ... like, now! Thanks for the thought-provoking something something.

sprider said...

ant1st, as "baron daguerre said..." said, it's not the "confidence permeating through the hair",

it's the "hair permeating through the lycra".

It's tradition, that's the way it is.

Mongo Pusher said...

I use my lime-green Magura hydraulic cantilever brakes as glow sticks at all Italian themed bicycle raves.

Anonymous said...

Ant1st: to tie it all up in a neat little bow, I am reminded of the Fat Cyclist's observation that shaving your legs is like a tattoo that you have to get every 3 days, over and over again.

Daddo said...

Tradition, tradition! Tradition!
Tradition, tradition! Tradition!

Who, day and night, must check his legs for long hair,
Make sure he's got a sharp blade, say a little prayer?
And who has the right, as peddlar in the house,
To keep barbosol in the shower?
The Cyclist, the Cyclist! Tradition!
The Cyclist, the Cyclist! Tradition!

Who must know the way to shave around a knee cap?
A hairy knee cap, a bumpy knee cap?
Who must have smooth legs all muscle and bone,
So other riders don't give him dirty looks?
The Cyclist, the Cyclist! Tradition!
The Cyclist, the Cyclist! Tradition!

At three, I started riding bikes. At ten, I raced a race
At twenty three I shaved them, don't I look pretty?
The Cyclist, the Cyclist! Tradition!
The Cyclist, the Cyclist! Tradition!

And when he gets a cut who mends and tends and fixes,
Preparing his legs to ride and pick up shiksas?
The Cyclist, the Cyclist! Tradition!
The Cyclist, the Cyclist! Tradition!

Anonymous said...

I did not realize you guys were such traditionalists. It is amazing how many of you will end up spending hundreds of hours of your life and god knows how many dollars in shaving cream and razors shaving your legs just because cyclists have always been vain and in need of emulating their heroes.
Now back to those stupid-trend following fixters...

Anonymous said...

By the way, thank you all for the education in leg shaving history and theory.
I'm a little less dumb than when I woke up yesterday.
Long way to go though.

tuppercole said...

I always enjoy that shaving legs is the ONLY thing that racers aren't defensive about. It's the non shavers that are tryig to prove something all the time. But god forbid you question whether a six grand bike with $2000 wheels is really necessary to drop out of a cat 4 crit...

Anonymous said...

Heh, this must be in tribute to his "coffee bike."

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2023/2291204917_b4f77edb0c.jpg?v=0

Anonymous said...

SD - I think the 6K bike with 2K wheels is a bad analogy. Ask someone why they bought a 6K bike as opposed to a 2K bike, they'll tell you it's nicer, weighs less, looks cooler, goes faster... So there is a defineable benefit to the 6K bike over the 2K. The leg shaving thing, apparently, has no benefit. I think a better comparison would be the hipster who gets a bike and chooses the fixie. Why did he do so? Was it for better performance, better price, training value... no, it was cause that's what all the cool kids are riding. Why do you shave your legs, cause the cool kids (pros) are doing it. Let me know if I'm wrong. about that.

tuppercole said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
tuppercole said...

Yawn... I was just commenting on defensiveness. 6K, blah blah blah.
Show me a 6K bike that is faster than a 2K bike, and I'll show you a guy with lots of time to train, as well as money.

veloben said...

Andrew,

You are a regular Sheldon Harnick.

Anonymous said...

Interesting tattoos and i think they are great!!

Anonymous said...

SD - Levi's current TT rig, as opposed to a used version of one he used 5 years ago, both ridden by Levi. Which one is fastest?

Anonymous said...

100th

Anonymous said...

SD - I do agree on the yawn though.
Snob - Let's get the new post up!

DP said...

The pistons have bones for connecting rods, which gives some sort of symbolic meaning of the legs being a machine. Perhaps he is bionic.

Jim said...

and at the same time shave your legs. Why do you shave your legs?

There are practical reasons but the tradition exists along with a hundred other little things a serious, committed road cyclist does, in order to send a signal about their riding to other riders. It shows a committment to a culture of skillful road riding. It's not entirely snottiness; safe group riding in a big pack requires a lot of conformity to the group's habits, and like bib shorts, a clean bike, proper hand signals, and riding in a straight line (and many other little things) shaved legs send the signal that you're willing to do some work to fit in with the group. There are guys with shaved legs who are awful group riders, and some hairy legged guys who are fine. But the hairy legs send a message when you roll up to the start of the ride, "I don't care how you do things here, I reject your habits." That rider is going to have a tougher time being accepted and trusted by the group, and will find riding a little tougher because the draft doesn't work as well when nobody will move within 3 feet of him. 90% of group riding is about how everybody else in the group reacts while moving; you rely on them to act in a predictable manner. The group matters more than the individual, and this becomes increasingly true as the group does harder and more dangerous things, e.g. 30 MPH+ pacelines, fast echelons in a heavy wind, 50MPH+ mountain descent, etc. You probably have to witness a single good race or group ride crash with 15 people hitting the deck, a half dozen collarbones busted and a few green stick fractures to really take this idea to heart. Otherwise, I can see how it just looks like silly faddishness, like a top tube pad or something.

Anonymous said...

Jim, so it's more like a rite of passage, or secret handshake?

tuppercole said...

Trick question. TT bikes aren't really bikes, they are two wheeled torture devices devised by the Bicycle Industrial Complex to extract money from dentists. It's revenge for a painful root canal Mike Sinyard had years ago.

Anonymous said...

Jim said...
shaved legs send the signal that you're willing to do some work to fit in with the group.


Oh, please.

Leg shaving is for two reasons: one, less painful scabbing from leg abrasions, and two, less painful massage after a race from pulling on hairs.

No one wants pain from a rub-and-a-tug.

As for tattoos, nothing quite says, "I've given up hope to land any real job or spouse, so I might as well do body graffiti." And thus, millions of individuals now sport the infamous Celtic "tramp-tag", barbed wire around the pectoral, or other hundreds of various Celtic symbols no one in Ireland puts on their body. One can only wonder how much Harley Davidson has spent to pay people to disfigure themselves to carry their corporate logos, surely this must be the reason for the low R&D spending.
But for many, H-D and cycling company logos say "Bad-ass", but to me, only one thing really says 'bad-ass', which is why I tattooed this to my face.

Anonymous said...

da plane!...da plane!!

Anonymous said...

SD - true dat.

Dylan said...

I have sad news.... Cunego did not get an actual tattoo... as I first suspected when I heard about this, it is a stick-on FAKE tattoo.

from cycling news: Lampre's Damiano Cunego will race the Tour de France wearing a stick-on tattoo on his left arm, which says 'I'm dopingfree'

I guess he is really showing the world he is dedicated, but can easily scrub it off in the event of a botched piss test.

tuppercole said...

ant1st, If you agree that your faster bike argument was stupid, what the fuck did you bring it up for then? Listen, go on some group rides, fast ones. Try to rub out 10 races this year. Do the training races next winter, then talk to us about leg shaving.

mmmkay?

Anonymous said...

on top of the fact that the tat is a stick-on it actually is the graphic BSNY references in this post!

According to cyclingnews:
The fake tattoo, a smiley featuring the message, can be bought on www.dopingfree.org

Anonymous said...

I thought you might like this crank sizing tattoo...
http://jpk.infiniteregress.org/wp/?p=876

Anonymous said...

funny article made me laugh gonna subscribe

Adam said...

Kick A$$ Blog doood.
Reflectors on Damiano's wheels?! If he is rollin' those in the TDF, fine, if not what the...the wink, nice call on that...

Unknown said...

You are the god of pure nastiness. Excellent piece BSNYC!

Anonymous said...

Intersting that you noticed the left side drive train. Yes it was applied backwards mostly because it looked better that way. I wasn't too concerned that it was backwards. It is art after all. As far as the spoon derailuer, I'd not thought it looked like a spoon but I do realized that it does
have a funky shape. I personally was amazed that to see that much detail in the drivetrain. Thanks for taking the time to post it on your blog, I almost feel honored.

The guy with the backwards spoon derailuer.

go boo boo said...

Wow! Excellent post.

gwadzilla said...

classic as usual

Casey said...

Considering tattoos are a form of fashion expression, maybe ya'll will be interested in some more bike fashion... Check out Neighbors Project's lastest neighborly guide: "How to Ride Your Bike in Style". This Instructable will show you how to ride in everything from a tutu to a tux. Find it here:
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Ride-Your-Bike-in-Style/

Anonymous said...

don't know much about tattoos or motorcycles but i think the crossed pistons and chain ring are reference to V twin MCs.

Anonymous said...

I suspect the drivetrains that appear to be right-side are just photographed in mirrors

el7osiny said...

Thank you for the wonderful effort

إني تذكـرت والذكرى مؤرقـة * مجـداً تلـيدا بأيـدينا أضعـناه
أنَّى اتجهتَ للإسـلام في بـلـدٍ * تجْده كالطيرِ مقصـوصًا جناحـاه
كـم صرفتنا يـدٌ كنـا نـصرفها * وبات يـملكنا شعب مـلكناه
بالله سل خلف
بحر الروم عن عرب *

بالأمس كانوا هنا واليوم قد تاهوا
وانزل دمشق وسائل صخر مسجدها * عمن بناه لعل الـصخر ينعـاه
هذى معـالم خرس كـل واحـدة * منهن قامت خطيبـا فاغرا فـاه
الله يعلم ما قلبت سـيرتهم يومـا * وأخطـأ دمـع الـعين مـجراه
يا من يرى عمـراتكسوه بردته * الزيت أدمٌ لـه والكـوخ مـأواه
يهتز كسـرى على كرسيه فرقـا * من خوفه ، وملوك الروم تخشـاه
يا رب فابعث لنا من مثلهم نفـرا * يشـيدون لـنا مـجدا أضعنـاه

el7osiny said...

Thank you for the wonderful effort

إني تذكـرت والذكرى مؤرقـة * مجـداً تلـيدا بأيـدينا أضعـناه
أنَّى اتجهتَ للإسـلام في بـلـدٍ * تجْده كالطيرِ مقصـوصًا جناحـاه
كـم صرفتنا يـدٌ كنـا نـصرفها * وبات يـملكنا شعب مـلكناه
بالله سل خلف
بحر الروم عن عرب *

بالأمس كانوا هنا واليوم قد تاهوا
وانزل دمشق وسائل صخر مسجدها * عمن بناه لعل الـصخر ينعـاه
هذى معـالم خرس كـل واحـدة * منهن قامت خطيبـا فاغرا فـاه
الله يعلم ما قلبت سـيرتهم يومـا * وأخطـأ دمـع الـعين مـجراه
يا من يرى عمـراتكسوه بردته * الزيت أدمٌ لـه والكـوخ مـأواه
يهتز كسـرى على كرسيه فرقـا * من خوفه ، وملوك الروم تخشـاه
يا رب فابعث لنا من مثلهم نفـرا * يشـيدون لـنا مـجدا أضعنـاه

el7osiny said...

Thank you for the wonderful effort

إني تذكـرت والذكرى مؤرقـة * مجـداً تلـيدا بأيـدينا أضعـناه
أنَّى اتجهتَ للإسـلام في بـلـدٍ * تجْده كالطيرِ مقصـوصًا جناحـاه
كـم صرفتنا يـدٌ كنـا نـصرفها * وبات يـملكنا شعب مـلكناه
بالله سل خلف بحر الروم عن عرب * بالأمس كانوا هنا واليوم قد تاهوا
وانزل دمشق وسائل صخر مسجدها * عمن بناه لعل الـصخر ينعـاه
هذى معـالم خرس كـل واحـدة * منهن قامت خطيبـا فاغرا فـاه
الله يعلم ما قلبت سـيرتهم يومـا
* وأخطـأ دمـع الـعين

مـجراه

يا من يرى عمـراتكسوه بردته *

الزيت أدمٌ لـه والكـوخ مـأواه

يهتز كسـرى على كرسيه فرقـا * من خوفه ،

وملوك الروم تخشـاه

يا رب فابعث لنا من مثلهم نفـرا * يشـيدون لـنا مـجدا أضعنـاه

el7osiny said...

Thank you for the wonderful effort

إني تذكـرت والذكرى مؤرقـة * مجـداً تلـيدا بأيـدينا أضعـناه
أنَّى اتجهتَ للإسـلام في بـلـدٍ * تجْده كالطيرِ مقصـوصًا جناحـاه
كـم صرفتنا يـدٌ كنـا نـصرفها * وبات يـملكنا شعب مـلكناه
بالله سل خلف بحر الروم عن عرب * بالأمس كانوا هنا واليوم قد تاهوا
وانزل دمشق وسائل صخر مسجدها * عمن بناه لعل الـصخر ينعـاه
هذى معـالم خرس كـل واحـدة * منهن قامت خطيبـا فاغرا فـاه
الله يعلم ما قلبت سـيرتهم يومـا
* وأخطـأ دمـع الـعين

مـجراه

يا من يرى عمـراتكسوه بردته *

الزيت أدمٌ لـه والكـوخ مـأواه

يهتز كسـرى على كرسيه فرقـا * من خوفه ،

وملوك الروم تخشـاه

يا رب فابعث لنا من مثلهم نفـرا * يشـيدون لـنا مـجدا أضعنـاه

2013 1st! said...

My chainring tatoos are never pretty but at least they wash off.