Thanksgiving Day parade bike rack. So topical.

I've been hanging on to this goodie of a post for quite some time now, as it's very seasonal and pretty much appropriate exactly one day a year. But friends, that day is TODAY and I'm so excited to present...Macy's (tm) Thanksgiving Day Parade Bike Rack!!!

This treat is from M. Goodman, who actually sent this to me last year but I felt like it deserved prime-time placement for the holidays. As she is one of my favorite people in the whole wide world, not only am I thankful for these photos but for her as well, as she keeps me sane when I am trying to navigate a 12-passenger van and pick up a pizza in rural Iowa.

Anyway, the bike rack featured here is from New York, where the huge parade inflatables are stored, overnight and protected from harm using your standard-issue bike rack. Pretty awesome, if you ask me.

Of course, the bike rack is somewhat secondary to the inflatables themselves. While in the photo above, we have some cute, very PG Christmas ornaments - classic stuff. I only mention the MPAA rating as the next photo, to the right, features Mr. Kermit the Frog in a weird, compromising position. I'm sure he's, uh, totally upright for the parade, but for storage...yikes.

 


So while I'm here - thank YOU to everyone who has sent in photos (and continues to do so) the last two-plus years. Could not do it without everyone. And that's as mushy as I get.

Ahhhh, bike rack. So versatile. For basic bike rack doing what it does best, THREE bicycles, but minus one for the weird storage of Kermit. What would Miss Piggy say?!

Fancy New Orleans Bike Rack

It's been awhile, bike rack lovers.

The bad news: prime advance traveling season is currently over.

The good news: prime advance traveling season is currently over, so I can catch up on the tons of bike rack posts everyone has sent me recently.

If you've sent me a photo, I'm working on the posts as we speak. So keep sending me those photos. And there are some amazing bike rack photos to talk about! Bike rack porn. Bow-chicka-wow-wow.

Ahem. This is a family blog!

Back to the business at hand. The lovely and very talented A. May-Sealey has sent me a photo that I think really captures the grace and flavor of New Orleans that you just won't get anywhere else.

Again, more fancy bike rack. They just keep getting fancier and fancier! What will they think of next? Will they come in solid gold? (Oh wait, that has already happened.)

I love that this is weathered but still very lovely. Which is exactly what New Orleans is - a little weathered, a bit beat down but still able to stand tall, proud and unlike anything you've ever seen before! Poetry in bike rack.

And for that - THREE bicycles out of four. The only way this thing gets better if there's a po' boy attached to it. (Mmm.)

Urban bike rack in Montreal

This is a post I've been meaning to put up for some time now, but I think I was saving it for a special occasion - well, that time is now. Thanks to A. Watson for a very artsy submission, straight from Canada, eh? (Couldn't resist.)

She found this masterpiece in Montreal (as it so eloquently says on the bike rack itself), which combines my two of my all-time favorite things - fun, colorful graffiti and, you guessed it, bike rack.

Because this is Canadian, I think there might be something lost in translation. Is this is a squirrel that's chirping? Is it a cartoon bubble expressing his preference of moves in Tic-Tac-Toe? Either way, it brings some color and joie de vivre to otherwise homely gray steel.

Which brings us to the next question - is this bike rack guarding the tiny little bush from further harm? (I mean, you have to squint a bit to see it, but the green shrub is back there.) Does it need two pieces? Is there a rogue army of gardeners prowling Montreal in search of unnecessary pruning?

Anyway. For bringing us such stellar compositions of urban life in a sort-of foreign land: FOUR bicycles out of four.

Joyful advance people and bike rack. (Or snow fence.)

Today's post doesn't so much feature bike rack as the main attraction, but serves as an accent for advance people enjoying the moment.

To the left is my very dear, darling Z. Javaid, who is celebrating not only a very large, very perfectly framed flag (god help us, but that's a whole other blog just waiting to happen) but a successful trip in Las Vegas. Framing her perfectly timed jump is some all-American bike rack.

Next up is A. Evans and J. Quinn, and while no bike rack is in this photo, they are frolicking through Cleveland, Ohio, happy as clams (if clams could skip, hold hands, and wear clothing). Pretty awesome. I am including it here not only because I find this shot to be full of happiness and life, but also because the hint of snow fence (a distant cousin of bike rack) really adds a shot of color.

For happy shiny Advance people holding haaaands....FOUR bicycles out of four.

Getting fancier in Chicago

Today's quick bike rack nugget is from N. Cohen, with a side of guest star H. Johnson (well, her foot anyway). She spotted this fancy bike rack in north Chicago, down by the river.

Bike rack, hanging out, by its onesies. Why? What for? Why is it so pretty? Who knows? Who cares!

Bike rack: Getting fancier every day.

For fancy bike rack with, as Nora points out, Democratic-themed Toms on, THREE bicycles out of four. Next time, we want to see Houston in there!

Loads of bike rack in Charlotte

And I do mean, LOADS. North Carolina, you are so lucky.

My dear and lovely R. Fitzgerald spotted this gem for me at the post-Democratic National Convention this past month. So. Much. Bike rack! I feel like this is probably the party game most applicable to me. (Instead of jelly beans in a jar, "Guess how many pieces of bike rack are on this flatbed; the closest guess is the winner!")

To be fair, J. Dach (who has to be in the top 5 contributors to this site by far) knew that miles of bike rack were needed to pull off a successful event. In fact, he even sent me an article about how much bike rack was necessary. Whoa.

And, while this bike rack also belongs in my previous article about super-tall bike rack, this iteration was also spotted in Charlotte flanked by D. Gifford, who just barely stands taller than the gray steel.

For a towering load of bike rack that literally stands taller than the rest (other than the Giff) - THREE bicycles out of four.

Bike rack, Seattle style

In honor of my love of the Pacific Northwest and R. Lee's birthday, today I am featuring the lovely scenic bike rack he spotted in Seattle recently.

I have to say, this is an interesting development. Never have I seen bike rack joined up with a bench to create all-purpose barricade. It's as if it's just a continuation of the bench. Or is it a continuation of the bike rack? Who knows. Who cares?

I'm guessing this bike rack was meant to keep people OUT of the fountain, which is kind of a dumb premise to begin with. And fairly unsuccessful as there is a KID in the pool (hence the red arrow, he's a little hard to see here).

Ralph mentions there's a sign on the bike rack - which states, clearly - "do not drive on the fountain." Um, okay, we'll try not to do that?

And, of course, the "b-side" of the fountain. Thanks man! Way to deliver.

For giving us oddly placed and totally useless bike rack - unless, you know, it really DID prevent people from driving over the fountain (again, ?!?!) - THREE bicycles out of four. 

Tall bike rack spotted...well, just about everywhere

I haven't done a themed bike rack post in a while, and finally it got to critical mass - apparently tall bike rack is out there, and my dear eagle-eyed readers have been noticing. Well, here's a round-up of some crazy large bike rack!

First up is another J. Dach special, spotted at Soldier's Field in Chicago - super duper tall bike rack! It practically resembles a door, and serves as such for this stairway. Good luck getting through that when it's locked into place.



The next is from P. Bauer, who spotted this iteration in Chicago as well (what's up, tall bike rack Chicago) - here at Wrigley Field right outside Pat's ridiculously baller apartment. (Side note - who has a SEGWAY in their apartment? Pat and Jack, that's who.)




OK. As as a delicious finale, here's one featuring the very lovely D. Barnes in her BRATW debut, as photographed by the equally lovely J. Quinn. And no, folks, this piece is from Milwaukee, which is also in the Midwest...is it because the folks from the heartland tend to be taller and thus, the bike rack matches as such? Are the bikes bigger? Or are the obstacles just larger? So many questions. So little time. All I know for sure is that D has some killer pants on. Oh yes grrrrrl.

Tall bike rack. Coming to a town near you, if that town happens to be in the Midwest.

Because I like my bike rack to be tall, grey and handsome (don't read into this too much, folks) - THREE bicycles out of four.

Baller bike rack in Oakland

Of course the shiniest, most pimped out bike rack would come not only from Oakland, California (I would do a North Bay hand-pump represent-thing here if I weren't, you know, SOCAL 4 LYFE) but also from R. Montoya, who is kind of a big deal as well.

I've never even seen gold bike rack before. Either this was a subtle shout-out to the Olympics this year and America dominating the medal count (USA USA USA etc) (I think) or someone got upset with C3PO and recycled him into something more useful.

And, in a stellar example of using bike rack to really, really block off a crowd, the Giff sent in another Oakland pic. Pretty awesome. I don't really envy the person who has to dismantle all of that (there has to be at least a few hundred zip-ties holding this puppy together) but I admire their handiwork. Hats off to you, bike rack constructor, you.

For crazy bike rack configurations and allowing me to finally, FINALLY insert a Star Wars reference in this blog, FOUR bicycles out of four. "Hella" nice work, NorCal dudes.

Hot and sweaty bike rack in Virginia Beach

This fancy piece of bike rack on the beach was sent to me from my dear V. Sanders a few weeks ago. I don't think I've ever seen such fancy scroll work on bike rack before, and it's even in a different color! Very lovely.

Even more confusing is why there's fencing that's behind the bike rack, or if the bike rack is protecting the fencing and then the railing behind THAT, but hey, whatever it takes to keep the masses from the beach. Kind of overkill, no?

Anyway, thanks for the fancy rack, Valentine, and as always, keep the photos coming people!

For totally unnecessary gilded and scrolled bike rack - THREE bicycles out of four.

Feelin' fancy free in New Caanan

Continuing with the fancy bike rack theme, this one comes to us via the lovely A. Muglia. She points out that in New Canaan, Connecticut, that bike rack is not only freshly painted but is also somewhat decorative. And a little dainty. Kind of like Alice herself!

I love that this type gracefully swoops up at the corners, as if to bestow a bike-racked smile upon the viewer. Such a gentle way to block off parking.

Anyway, thanks for this delightful installment. I don't think we've had so much hoity-toity bike rack but apparently it's out there.

For fancy smiling bike rack - THREE bicycles out of four.

Bike rack bicycle. That's all I have to say.

I've already posted this on Facebook, but it bears re-posting (original post from BuzzFeed here). This is the ultimate in irony - the bike rack bike! Thanks to Royal Sherman for lookin' out on this beauty.

I don't know where this is from or whether to high-five or slap the dude that made this, but I know it belongs on this blog. (Guessing from the long, blurred-out license plate on the vaguely Euro-looking car, I'm guessing this is from...Europe. You can just call me Sherlock Holmes now.)

Well done. Well. Done.

But this begs the question - is there a seat on that thing or is he just riding the metal bareback? Because, uh, ow.

I don't even know what to do about the ratings. My brain has just melted thinking about it. I guess it has to be FOUR bicycles out of four, right? IT'S A GODDAMN BIKE RACK BICYCLE. I think my work here is done.

The Black Knights rise again...on bike rack

This edition of BRATW comes to you courtesy of my BFF (x1000000 'F's) Royal Sherman - he spotted this excellent edition at Westpoint Academy in New York.

When you think custom bike rack covers - this has to be the gold standard. Tight fit, no puckers, and an excellent logo screened on to it. I mean, that is some fancy stuff right there. And I really wouldn't expect any less from the fine folks in the Army and from my darling Royal.

For having such awesome bike rack covers, FOUR bicycles out of four. We salute you, Westpoint bike rack. We salute you.

Gorgeous Chicago sunrise as seen through bike rack

The inimitable J. Dach (getting a lot of post-time in lately) sent me this beautiful photo, and he really just summed it up nicely:

"The sun rises over downtown Chicago and a piece of bike rack as the NATO summit kicks off."

Such a lovely sentiment. Who knew the Dach was such a poet? (Maybe we all did.)

For bike rack in silhouette, with the skyline beautifully framed and the probably ridiculously early hour Dach had to be up to get this: FOUR bicycles out of four.

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.

Bike rack and a Burt Bacharach hit in San Jose, California

(For the original Diane Warwick hit, you can listen along here.)

Do you know the way to San Jose?
I've only been once, so I'd probably lose my way
Do you know the way to San Jose?
I'm going back to find some bike rack in San Jose

S.J. has a great big airway
Put a plane down near and far
In a year, maybe two, they'll get to a star
Years turn over slowly, how they never lack
And all the bikes that never left
Get racked and locked to this bike rack

Do you know the way to San Jose?
A. Evans does, she showed me this is where she stayed
She wasn't born and raised in San Jose
But she went to find some piece of (bike) rack in San Jose

**************

Bike rack and more at Moffett Federal Airfield. And now I have this song stuck in my head for the rest of the day!!!

For bike rack that looks like it regularly just racks...bikes, but is kind of a curious combination of stationery rack and the moveable barricade...TWO bicycles out of four. Mostly for the ambiguity. And because I will be wandering around now like a freak singing a song from the 1960s. (La la la la laaaa la la....oh man.)

Also, a shout-out to my sister of the traveling (red) pants, A. Evans. I heard she likes to dance.

Tiny wee bike rack in Exeter, New Hampsire

Today's hilarious bike rack adventure comes from J.W. Slider, who is not only a very talented writer but also excellent at spotting my favorite barricade. My friends are the greatest. Anyway, he found this variety in Exeter, New Hampshire, just hanging out in a room, waiting for its closeup.

Not sure what this is used for -  a little hard to get the scale of this thing, but it appears to be no taller than 2.5 feet tall. This is not the first time we've seen bike rack in miniature - remember this fine specimen from El Paso, Texas? I guess there's a demand for it somewhere...is it used to keep tiny horses at bay? Little kids? (Me? I am admittedly five feet tall, so this would take me a second or two to hop over.)

For bike rack that's barely over two feet...TWO bicycles out of four. One for each foot it covers. Thanks Slider!

Eric sexes up some Thai bikerack

My darling E. LoVecchio is shown here on his vacay earlier this year to Southeast Asia, where he stumbled upon some bike rack in the wilds (literally, in the wilds - this is at the Ko Lanta Wildlife reserve in Thailand) and thought he'd go check it out.

Shirtless.

On a Vespa. 

But wearing a helmet! (Safety first!) 

Very sexy. Well done.

It's also on wheels, with a slightly faded red paint job and some snappy signage. Great find.

FOUR bicycles out of four. I mean, I gotta give the man four, as he agreed to let me post this thing on here. 

Bike rack in Columbia. Insert your own scandalous joke here.

Bike rack that can tell a story? I believe that all bike rack has seen its fair share of action, but maybe none so infamous as the pieces here.

My darling B. Becnel (aka "Spicy") has sent me a photo of some innocent-looking bike rack from Bogota, Colombia. Simple, adorned with the slightest bit of caution tape from a past endeavor. With a bonus Jesus Christ gazing down upon the bike rack, from its Jeep and livery feed perch. So sweet. So simple.

J. Dach also sent me some Columbian bike rack but from the slightly more notorious Cartagena, clad in virginal white paint and a slight logo splashed across the front. Clustered together, ready for deployment, to be spread amongst the masses...ok, so the jokes write themselves. But all white bike rack! 

Big thanks to the guys and to everyone for continually sending me awesome photos - I promise to be posting more often on your favorite barricade product. 

For tropical and topical bike rack - I ran out of bicycles so I'm giving it TWO bicycles, instead of the four I promised it last night. (Insert groan here.)