One of my favorite photographic collections is bicycles or just bikes. Bicycles imply two wheels and some in my collection have three.

I have three bicycles: a mountain bike, a cyclocross bike (think road bike meets mountain bike), and a folding bike for travel. The following images will show you how unique bicycles can be and how very creative we humans are.

I love bikes because they are so functional,  have so many parts to them that call to my sense of design and pattern, and are just plain fun.

And just to be clear, I haven’t grasped the E-Bike craze yet so the ones you see here are all human-powered.

These two images were taken in New Orleans last year on our epic 50-day road trip East. We happened to be in the city during a Jazz Festival and found live music and artists throughout the Latin Quarter.

Our Christmas tree decorations include several bicycles. We found this one in the Amana Colonies outside of Iowa City on our epic road trip last year. We left it there.

Moving closer to home, these two images were found in the Phoenix area.

While walking the artisan district of Cave Creek, AZ I spotted this beach cruiser acting as a sign for a local gallery.

While at the Phoenix Chinese Festival one spring I found this rig locked up. I’m assuming the owner is of the homeless population and has a nice way to get around.

Moving on to California, we’ll start in Novato, north of San Francisco, and end up in San Diego.

This little tricycle was in the corner of my cousin’s home in Novato. Because there is nothing in the image to show its size it could very well be a real bike for a real kid. But it isn’t. It’s only about 18 inches high and clearly a decoration.

Moving down the coast to the classic beach cruiser, found in the classic beach towns of  Stinson Beach and Bolinas.

A  beach cruiser typically combines balloon tires, an upright seating posture, a single-speed drivetrain, and steel construction with expressive styling. It is common to customize them with accessories including fenders, lights, and saddle bags.

Cruisers were the most popular bicycle in the United States from the early 1930s through the 1950s, and have enjoyed renewed popularity since the late 1990s.

This surfer was heading to the breaks in Morro Bay.

And finally, in San Diego, this cruiser was locked to a post. Note the rusty chain.

The next set of images comes from Kathmandu, Nepal. We were there for a few days both before and after our Everest Base Camp trek in October of 2018.

A local bike shop.

Just…wow. The load, the traffic, the lack of space, yikes.

Rickshaw originally denoted a two- or three-wheeled passenger cart and began as a pulled rickshaw, which is generally pulled by one person carrying one passenger. The first known use of the term was in 1879. Over time, cycle rickshaws (also known as pedicabs or trishaws), auto rickshaws, and electric rickshaws were invented, and have replaced the original pulled rickshaws, with a few exceptions for their use in tourism.

In the market sections of Kathmandu bicycles and tricycles were used extensively.

This bike was found in Dubar Square. Oh, the stories it could tell.

I’ll end this bicycle journey back home, or at least close to my beloved Flagstaff.

These are our folding travel bikes.  They literally fold in half and fit behind the front seat of our truck and camper so as not to be easy prey for bike thieves on our adventures. We call them clown bikes because of the little 20-inch tires. In this picture, they are at Grand Canyon.

The simplicity of bicycles is one thing that draws me to them. This is a solid-colored single-speed parked at the University in Flagstaff.

While on a photo workshop recently, we went to a local nursery to photograph flowers. Viola’s is a local favorite because it focuses on flowers that can survive in Flagstaff. I love it because they use bicycles as decoration throughout the property.

Another beautiful cruiser locked up in downtown Flagstaff with its leather seat and grips.

And last but not least, a cruiser bike casting a shadow at a street fair in Cottonwood.

Bikes, they are everywhere. I hope you enjoyed traveling the world with me and going on a bike hunt.