I take photos of interesting bicycles frequently. They are out in the open, they're fair game. If someone questioned it, I'd do what you did above - I'd explain I loved bikes and tell them why I like theirs. I remember looking at one bike with a friend and a guy rushed up on us telling us to get away from his ride. When we explained we were bike guys, he instantly cooled off and we had a good conversation.
Originally Posted by
Chicago Al
The bike, being out in public, has no reasonable expectation of privacy.
This is a real source of pain for certain celebrity bikes, which can't go anywhere without a gaggle of photographers or 'bicilipaparazzi' following them around and (arguably) making their lives impossible. A hot-tempered young bike, once a member of the 'Brat Bike Pack,' achieved some notoriety some years back by smashing a photographer's camera, but that only got it more attention.
The worst is when one of those bicycles is photo'd in public without any tires and then complains about privacy. Well why was it in public so brazenly without tires?