Collection: Bikes, bikes, bikes
Whether it’s the wind blowing through our hair or the blurred surroundings as we rush through the city or a country lane, it’s no surprise that we’ve all been fascinated by cycling since bicycles were introduced in the 19th century in Europe.
The invention of the bicycle has had an enormous effect on society, both in terms of culture and of advancing modern industrial methods. Despite this I think it’s safe to say the majority of us have a strong and personal affinity with the bicycle, I remember clear as day the first time I managed to steer myself down the back lane outside my house without stabilisers as my sister looked on proudly. I must have been five years old, but as silly as it may sound I still continue to bask in the glory of my achievement every time I get on a bike.
So as I normally do, browsing through Europeana seeking out interesting and quirky collections, I came across this intriguing collection of people proudly posing with their bikes, both professionals and everyday folk. The photographs were taken in Spain in a number of different towns between the 1930s right through to the 1960s and are from the Archivo de la Imagen de Castilla La Mancha – a collection of over 20,000 public domain images from Spain.
I hope you enjoy these joyful photographs as much as I did discovering them! Please share your most memorable moments on a bike in the comments section below.
One of my presiding bike memories is when I was practising for my Cycling Proficiency Test, aged 10. I was cycling along a canal – nice and straight and easy – and thought I’d practise my hand signals. I held out my left hand as if to turn left, no wobbles, all fine. Then I swapped and held out my right hand, leaving my left hand on the handlebars. I wobbled, lost my balance and lurched to the left towards the murky waters of the canal. The only thing that got between me and a soaking was a handy tree, which I got tangled up in instead!