Bid to Buy David Byrne's 'Bicycle Diaries' Folding Bike on E-Bay

August 10, 2009

Versatile musician and cyclist David Byrne has used a bike as his main means of city transport since the 1980s. With the release of his book Bicycle Diaries next month (in the U.S. - UK release August 5) he will highlight an even more specialized obsession of his - he biked around more than a score of cities with a folding bike, and highlights his experiences in the book. Now the 'scratched up, rusty in spots' Montague folder that Byrne did his world-tour biking on will be auctioned on E-bay to the highest bidder, with the proceeds going to the London Cycling Campaign.

"If I were a sentimental guy it would hold sentimental value," Byrne says, "but for me it would be nicer if that sentimental value were transferred to cash money that will be donated to an appropriate cause."

Bike rack by David Byrne in NYC via downstream @ flickr.

Byrne is the quintessential city cyclist, and his impressionistic glimpse of the world from a folder bike in Bicycle Diaries will probably help further fuel the current popularity of urban cycling. The book, according to the Guardian:

"is not the place to come if you want to know how to fix a puncture or what bike to buy...it may though, make you want to buy a fold-up bike."

And now Byrne's decided to support the urban cycling cause even further, at least in London, by auctioning his Montague. Here's where you can bid on the bike until August 16. Current bid stands at 820 British pounds. Here's how he describes this bike:

"The frame folds in half easily, in seconds, which allows the bike to go into the luggage compartment of a tour bus, or the back of a van or hatchback car. I changed the original handlebar stem to one that goes a bit higher, for better city riding. If the front wheel is removed with a quick release, it will fit into a small car trunk or taxi. Dismantling the bike for air travel takes a bit longer — about 15 minutes once one knows the ropes. I purchased a plastic semi-hardshell flight case for it from Montague (Dahon makes flight cases too), which allowed me to bring it along as a second piece of baggage."

Note: Photo of Byrne on his bike via www.davidbyrne.com.