By John Marsh, Editor & Publisher
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m sometimes a harsh critic of some of the cycling products that show up unannounced in my mail, or via delivery service. So when one arrives that brings a little bit of joy to my day when I unpack it, that seems a good enough measure to warrant telling you about it, too.
What I first thought was yet another book turned out to be a really cool self-contained set of 22 illustrated retro cycling-culture postcards. Yes, postcards. Remember those?
They’re illustrated by David Sparshott, a London-based illustrator and cycling enthusiast.
The postcards are glued into the nifty package just like the pages of a notebook, so you can tear out one to use while leaving the rest in place. The cards themselves are on a nice, thick stock. And for folks like us, bike lovers, cycling lovers, roadies and race fans, there’s ample goodness here.
From a Bianchi Specialissima rendering to one of the famous Mondrian-inspired La Vie Claire jersey alongside a Brooklyn Chewing Gum jersey. From the wildly futuristic and mantis-like Lotus Type 108 track bike to the Peugot D3A 1952 Camion Balai “Broom Wagon,” with an actual broom poking up from the rear ladder.
I don’t want to spoil the potential joy you’ll have thumbing through each card individually, so I won’t list or show any more.
I fully intend to take these cards with me on both bike- and non-bike-related trips and send them to friends and family. Or just use them as an excuse to dash off a hand-written note to someone — something I almost never do anymore. At $12.99 for the package of 22 cards, it’s a deal.
The set will be available in March online from publisher Laurence King: www.laurenceking.com
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