Any exploration into the definition of a "Proper" bike requires a trip to
Plato's Cave to contemplate his Theory of Forms and the highest and most fundamental kinds of reality, as "Only knowledge of the Forms constitutes real knowledge." Or, you could just click
here on the megathread to see my bike.
Call it predictable and safe, call it lacking a certain
je ne sais quoi, but it establishes a baseline reference. Nothing is out of proportion. The tubes are not fantastical shapes. There is no disharmony in geometry, no crass advertising to spoil the view or sensibilities. Observe also the lack of paint, so often a springboard to bad taste.
While it won't be everybody's idea of a pinup, it should be helpful in the larger dialogue to be had about æsthetics and the beauty of truth.
Originally Posted by
WestPablo
A "Proper" bike is owned by the Rothschilds, ridden in the Hamptons on a sunny summer afternoon, where you can place your fixie unlocked, just outside the Almond Al Fresco Bistro. You can there have your server stand by your side, as he spreads Grey Poupon upon your Oscar Meyer Weiner!
Spot on, old chap. No matter how much money one has to blow on Grey Poupon, one can never truly "own" beauty. We can merely cluck at the absence of it, with tongue relocated to cheek.