The folks at the Pentax Forums recently inaugurated the Exclusive Photo Gallery, where the best of forum members’ photos will be showcased. And I was delighted to see that the very first photo accepted into the Gallery was a shot of a bicycle. This wasn’t just any bicycle, either, but a real veteran. It turned 50 this year. The owner-photographer is Croatian Mario Brljak, and here’s the picture that launched the Gallery, showing his bike parked outside the Varaždin Sports Arena (click on the photo to open an enlargement in a new window):

Isn’t it a beauty? A classic fixed-gear, go-anywhere, do-anything machine, boasting a lugged steel frame, rod front brake, generator light, fenders and a rear rack. This bike has history, too. Here’s what Mario has to say about it:

This is a bike made in 1960. The year is engraved on the rear wheel axle. It was made in the Yugoslavian Fabrika Bicikala Partizan (Partizan Bicycle Factory), or FBP. Partisans liberated Yugoslavia from the Germans and Italians during and after World War II, so in a communist country, what other name could you expect? Of course, there’s no more communism in Croatia!

My father got the bike very cheap, for the price of two coffees, just to illustrate how inexpensive it was. The bike was in terrible shape with rust everywhere. Two years ago during my summer holidays I spent two weeks and the equivalent of USD100 to get new bearings, chain, tires, etc. My neighbor, who is a master mechanic, helped me restore it. It’s now painted in half matte black truck paint. The mudguards were chromed, as I discovered when I removed all the rust and dirt from the surface, but the chrome was nearly all gone and it was too expensive to get it chromed again so I painted the mudguards as well. Besides the chrome, everything else was in perfect condition—under the rust, dirt and grease, that is! Excellent workmanship on these bikes. Today’s bikes don’t last 10 years, and this one is over 50 years old.

What a story! It’s always wonderful to see an old bike brought back to life. Many thanks to Mario for letting us reprint this striking image. When he’s not studying medicine, he’s out and about, camera in hand, perfecting his photography. I’d say those efforts have paid off, wouldn’t you? Visit Mario’s Flickr gallery to see more of his work.

We love our bikes, right? And we never tire of looking at them. At least I don’t, and if I’m to judge from what others tell me, I’m not alone. So each Sunday I’ll publish a bike-related picture. Most of the time it will be a photo, but don’t be surprised if a few drawings and paintings get added to the mix from time to time. I might even include a sculpture or two. (OK. A photo of a sculpture.) Anything, in short, that evokes the world on two wheels. And don’t be shy. If you have a picture you’d like to share, just email it to me. I’ll do the rest.

 
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