Mexico City revisit: even more bike rack!

While this may not be as festive as D.Ceasar's festooned party bike rack of nearly two years ago (where does the time fly), it still packs a colorful punch in the capital city of Mexico, found over by the famed Basilica of Our Lady Guadalupe. 

Red, orange, white, yellow and chartreuse round out the array of colors used to corral churchgoers and tourists at this religious mega-plex in the heart of Mexico City. Just lovely - and a fiesta just waiting to happen. Well, maybe a low-key, toned-down, respectful fiesta. 

Here, you can see one of the many buildings of the Basilica in the background, as the bike rack waits quietly for deployment.

Bike rack was not confined to the outdoor areas, too. Used to block off tourists from interrupting mass (which I probably still interrupted...my bad), it came in more subdued black colors to blend in.

And, for added artsy charm, actual bicycles in a bike rack. Not my favorite kind of bike rack, but bike rack none the less. You know what I mean.

For having both super colorful bike rack and the more somber bike rack under one spiritual house, TWO bicycles out of four.

Ca c'est bon bike rack for Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras was last week, and while I didn't get to go celebrate it in the Big Easy, B. Becnel (aka "Spicy") was there to usher in Lent the way it's meant to be - with a couple of hurricanes and hand grenades, beads, masks, Zulu coconuts and festive king cake-colored bike rack! 

Super impressive showing here of the colors; while I've seen some great spray-painted bike rack in my team, none are so committed as these. Now, only if there were a plastic baby painted onto one of these every 100 pieces of bike rack or so...would that mean the next Mardi Gras, you have to bring the bike rack? 

And, no Bourbon Street shot would be complete without the post-Mardi Gras damage, beads and booze and bike rack and all. You can practically feel the hangover just looking at this photo.

For bike rack that screams "laissez les bon temps rouler," I think it deserves FOUR bicycles out of four.***

*** Note: someone recently said to me that every post I put on here gets four out of four bicycles. Look, I'm generous, but not THAT generous. It just happens that the photos I've been getting lately are some stellar examples of the genre. If you want a healthy showing of less than stellar bicycle ratings, check out the tag "San Francisco." 

Colorful and crazy Egyptian bike rack

Wild and crazy bike rack as featured in Cairo, Egypt - I'm guessing this was pre-revolution, as things look pretty peaceful in the background. We have J.Infazon to thank for the colorful candy-striped variety as shown here.

The signage on the bike rack indicates that it belongs to the Giza traffic authority - and who knew they'd have such a flair for color? I'm starting to think that the only people who like their bike rack in steel gray tones are Americans; there are much more colorful versions to be found internationally (such as here, here and here, for starters). Its been awhile since we've seen panache on this blog.

And not just one color scheme - I mean, green and white. Okay. But orange and turquoise? Who do those Egyptians think they are, the Miami Dolphins?

For the juxtaposition of the bike rack to the Cairo cityscape complete with palm trees swaying in the background - THREE bicycles out of four. What bike wouldn't want to be racked to these lovelies. Only pyramids or a damn mummy in the background could top this.

Rockefeller Center Christmas tree bike rack extravaganza

Merry Christmas (Eve) to everyone reading this blog (all five of you...thanks Mom) - and now, for a special edition post.

Yes, N. Lynch came through for me and got some ridiculously awesome shots of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree - which is the gold standard in holiday festivities and imagery - and even more importantly - HOLIDAY BIKE RACK!

It's a Christmas miracle!

Only something as important as the largest Christmas tree known to man would require a double-barricade of custom bike rack, AND the standard steel version covered in logo'd fabric. Amazing.

Look. I know some of you are going to be all "but the stuff around the tree is fencing, not real bike rack. But it fits the qualifications, no? Let's take a look:

1. It could rack a bike if you stick the tire through the bars
2. It's moveable (it even has those kick-plates that some bike rack have)
3. It's barricading something.

Yup. Works for me!

I also love that it's painted in green and gold. How festive.

Merry Christmas everyone, and if you're lucky, I might manage to find some New Year's Eve themed rack. Will it be passed out on the street 10 minutes to the ball dropping, wearing a little tuxedo hat and sporting a noisemaker? Let's hope so.

And now, for the rating: twinkly lights, color-matched to the holiday with matching covered steel bike rack, the double barricade, and the fact that I'm feeling generous after a breakfast burrito brought to me by my sister: FOUR bicycles out of four. Top that, Santa.