Cards in spokes for pictures, why?
04-02-08, 09:27 AM
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Illuminator
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Cards in spokes for pictures, why?
Hey, ive noticed that on almost all bike pictures on sites like velospace, everyone seems to stick a few cards, or pictures in spokes. But I dont seem to catch the idea behind it.. any help =P?
04-02-08, 10:36 AM
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Pics?
04-02-08, 11:55 AM
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Yeah, I just saw that on Velospace. I've never seen that before. Must be a local phenomenon.
04-02-08, 12:36 PM
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From what I understand, spoke cards are one of a few things:
used as ID in alleycat races, since you can't tell what the number is unless the bike is stopped.
Sometimes, they're given out or made to commemorate events aside from races, i've seen a few cards which were commemorating a bike movie screening.
something kids/people have done to make their bikes sound cooler.
some part of fixie/messenger culture (which is perfectly fine with me!), but also of which there are plenty of cool-seekers willing to fall into the fad over.
used as ID in alleycat races, since you can't tell what the number is unless the bike is stopped.
Sometimes, they're given out or made to commemorate events aside from races, i've seen a few cards which were commemorating a bike movie screening.
something kids/people have done to make their bikes sound cooler.
some part of fixie/messenger culture (which is perfectly fine with me!), but also of which there are plenty of cool-seekers willing to fall into the fad over.
04-02-08, 12:54 PM
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Ask this question over in the Fixed/Single-Speed forum and you will no doubt (a) get a dissertation-length semiotic analysis of the significance of spoke cards, related to other trends in popular culture as well as to, say, Babylonian cunieform writing on stone tablets as a precursor of spoke cards, and (b) start a 9-page flame war over who had spoke cards before they were cool, what spoke cards are cool and which ones are not, who is "old skool", who is or once was an authentic bike messenger, who is pimping out and commercializing bike culture and who has the most obscure Japanese spoke cards.
When you get down to it, though, they're just decorations.
When you get down to it, though, they're just decorations.
04-02-08, 03:39 PM
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Illuminator
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Wow, lol. Thanks for so many answers. And yeah, from what I noticed, only fixies had em'.
04-02-08, 06:27 PM
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04-03-08, 08:41 AM
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It's to psyche out the other fred (make him think that you race in alley cats).... Same reason why he has time trial aerobars on his full suspension x-mart bike with 3" knobbies.
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04-03-08, 12:01 PM
#17
Road Runner
When I was a kid (OK, early 1950s), we used to use clothespins to hold old playing cards in the spokes to make our bikes sound like motorbikes. Or so we thought. 
04-03-08, 12:19 PM
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hello
04-03-08, 12:44 PM
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04-03-08, 12:48 PM
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For the most part they are ID/rider #'s for alleycat races. The decoration factor does come into play now though. Collect them all/ trade 'em with your friends to create the laminated disk wheel with the secret picture.
