Tuesday 12 June 2012

ABC Wednesday - Velocipede

What every velocipede requires is an ingeniously placed velopomp. The word velocipede was coined by Nicéphore Niépce to mean any human powered vehicle, the name never advanced out of the Victorian era in English and we embraced the name bicycle.  The French however shortened it into a word that seems to embody speed - the Vélo.  I think this sign may be a combination of French and Flemish  but it leaves no doubt what it is to be used for. All the velocipede racks in Belgium have a pump and we sat in a café in Sint-Niklass  watching this pump being lifted up and down to fill tires.  No need to carry a pump on your bike when when is always close to hand.   Belgium is definitely a place of velocipede lovers
 and I have never seen so many bikes in one place as outside the station in Ghent, they were stacked as far as the eye could see,  this is only a fraction.. They cluster outside the station
.
and then spread out into the surrounding streets.  I wonder what the collective noun for bicycles or vélos is, perhaps a pride, for the Belgians seem mighty fond of them.  But with so many perhaps it can be difficult sometimes to find where you've parked it so perhaps the best way is to vamp it up
with flowers.

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a ride through the alphabet  from A to Z

8 comments:

Kim, USA said...

Oh my gush me too never seen so many bicycles like that. Great post thanks for sharing.

Kim,USA

Reader Wil said...

Well this could have been taken in my country. Every Dutchman rides a bike. I don't know what I must do without my bicycle! I have no car and cannot drive. I don't miss it. When I was young I cycled from the Netherlands to Bristol.

Great post! Have a great day tomorrow!
Wil, ABC Team.

Roger Owen Green said...

we need more a friendly bike policy in the USA!
ROG, ABC Wednesday team

Unknown said...

Holy cow that is a lot of bicycles! I love it! Great picture. Perfect for this letter!

Meryl said...

Great velo shots! I too have never seen so many bikes in one shot, and loved the one decked in flowers!

Alex said...

What an amazing grouping of bicycles - I guess you'd better remember where you parked!

Chubskulit Rose said...

Nicely decorated,.

Eye View
Rose, ABC Wednesday Team

Black Jack's Carol said...

I also get around most places by bicycle (except for trips with Bill when we go in his truck) so this was a fascinating post. Really enjoyed the "vamped up" bike :) I like the IDEA of so many bikes, but the REALITY might be frustrating as I can VISUALIZE myself searching and searching to find my bike.