Before the Girl from Ipanema, there was the Bicycle from Copacabana. 1940s.
It's been a while since we've released Subversive Bicycle Photos, not least because we fear that our bicycle tires will get slashed in the middle of the night by the automobile industry for uncovering secret photo documentation about how cycling used to be normal in every city in the world. This is, however, the age of Snowdons and Assanges and we have been inspired to keep on at it, despite the consquences.
While we are slowly chipping away at the bizarre but nonetheless prevalant misconceptions that bicycles are a new-fangled intruder in cities and all the ridiculous comments like "people won't cycle here... it's too hot/cold/hilly/", they remain a hurdle. Despite over a century of evidence to the contrary.
Do NOT let these photos get out. Use a proxy server in Tajikistan when viewing them and delete your cache. Nobody must know that cycling was a normal transport form in Rio de Janeiro. It's our little secret. Especially don't tell the president of the Brazilian national oil company Petrobras. She was quoted recently that she "loves traffic jams. They're good for business."
Lord knows what she'll do if she sees these photos from the 1940s.
Bicycle parking on Copacabana Beach, 1940s. We love the classic Danish Bulldog child's seat.
Rio de Janeiro. 1940s.
Thanks to Zé Lobo and Tiago for the photos. They're probably hiding somewhere in the Amazon as I write this.
For more photos that you MUST NOT VIEW, here are some from Los Angeles, Canberra, Queensland, New South Wales, Vancouver, Singapore, Dublin.