Standing the bike upright

N1TRO

Right! I know this is an age-old problem and a near impossibility as far as physics go, but...

Imagine you ride by a particularly scenic spot and you'd like to take a picture of your bike in front of it. Yet there's either nothing to lean it against or the thing you'd be leaning it next to just doesn't cut it. In short, you'd like the bike to appear as if it's standing upright by itself. Anyone got any gravity-defying tips or tricks on that matter?

Anonymous

The way the pro photographers do it is to nail the rim to the floor. Just keep 2 spare tubes with you to get home again

g00se

Axle support and photoshop

debeli

I'm pretty sure this is a spoof thread, but I'm a sucker for these things....

If you really feel the need to do this, then find a rock or lump of wood or similar and wedge it under a lowered pedal. With a little careful balancing (and anyone to whom these issues are important will have infinite patience for these things) you will get the bike upright - or a degree or so off - and picture-ready.

But taking a picture of your own bicycle? Really? With a view behind it?

pblakeney

Debeli wrote:

I'm pretty sure this is a spoof thread, but I'm a sucker for these things....

If you really feel the need to do this, then find a rock or lump of wood or similar and wedge it under a lowered pedal. With a little careful balancing (and anyone to whom these issues are important will have infinite patience for these things) you will get the bike upright - or a degree or so off - and picture-ready.

But taking a picture of your own bicycle? Really? With a view behind it?

That is the correct serious answer.
But why spoil the view?

N1TRO

You can always just take the picture as it is, with no bike in the frame and no delicate balancing required. It's the obvious thing to do if you want to capture the moment. But some people might enjoy photographing their bikes in different settings and backdrops - I for one take my DSLR with me from time to time and look for cool spots to shoot, it makes for a nice variation to the routine.

I know it's a silly thing to talk about, falling over is the only thing bikes do if left by themselves. Apart from maybe getting stolen. Bit I'm thinking maybe one of the tens of people who visit this blog regularly, there might be someone who's thought about this before and bodged together a solution.

darkhairedlord

Throw the bike in the air wait for it to fall, then take your shot just as it lands.

fudgey

Use 'The Force'

Readily available from Wiggle, comes with free Haribo (usually)

bbrap

Take a garden cane with you (tape it to the top tube), stick it in the ground and use that to balance against (you can hide it behind the down tube it you angle it right).

supermurph09

Set the camera up on timer, hold the bike upright, then dive out the way just as it's about to go off. Or failing that, if you have a friend who can make themselves invisible I'd take them along.

seanorawe

One of those clip on bike stand things? Clip it to your chain stay and use as and when you need it.

CiB

You need the bloke on the left to hold it up while you take your snap.

seanorawe

CiB wrote:

You need the bloke on the left to hold it up while you take your snap.

What was the name of this show?

daniel_b

seanorawe wrote:

CiB wrote:

You need the bloke on the left to hold it up while you take your snap.

What was the name of this show?

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) IIRC.

de_sisti

Daniel B wrote:

seanorawe wrote:

CiB wrote:

You need the bloke on the left to hold it up while you take your snap.

What was the name of this show?

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) IIRC.

Used to be shown on Sunday afternoons in the early 70s. I wonder if it'll be repeated on one of the
cable channels after the re-run of the Avengers. You know, the one with the characters of Emma Peel
(Diana Rigg) and John Steed (Patrick Macnee).

kingstonian

Figure out which way the Earth is rotating, and then let the bike fall against the Earth's rotation - it is bound to stay upright.

bianchimoon

darkhairedlord wrote:

Throw the bike in the air wait for it to fall, then take your shot just as it lands.

but make sure you're using a very high shutter speed, or you will have to ride home on a blurry bike

CiB

De Sisti wrote:

Used to be shown on Sunday afternoons in the early 70s. I wonder if it'll be repeated on one of the
cable channels after the re-run of the Avengers. You know, the one with the characters of Emma Peel
(Diana Rigg) and John Steed (Patrick Macnee).

Last I heard SyFy had bought the rights a few years ago and were planning a remake but with an up-to-date feel and only a nod to the original. Good thing too; it was fun, but hopelessly crap both acting and 'effects'. Btw it was first shown towards the end of 1969 on Friday nights in the midlands on ATV. Other regions varied, and none showed the whole run.

N1TRO

Splendid suggestions all, though they were beaten by a plastic cup...

Granted that that bike probably stands upright by itself in the first place.