Lindsay's Two-Wheeled Tattoo

Bike messengers are daily presences in Manhattan and, in the summer, if you are lucky enough to spot one that is not whizzing by on the street, you can see some pretty interesting ink. In almost four years of Tattoosday's existence, I don't think I've ever featured a tattoo on a bike messenger, as they tend to be at work and/or in motion whenever I feel inclined to stop one.

However, last month, I was fortunate enough to catch Lindsay in the lobby of my office building and she shared this tattoo on the outside of her right calf:

This is one of nine tattoos that Lindsay has, and it seemed most appropriate to share, under the circumstances.


She says that this is a complete piece, despite many people mistakenly thinking it's not finished. She found the art on which it is based in an issue of Dirt Rag magazine. She explained that she worked with her friend Shawn Ramsey, who helped her take the original image and convert it into a tattoo:

"I worked in a printing shop at the time, so I printed this on a 8 by 10 to scale it so you could see how it fit in a magazine ... then [Shawn] finished it and it became a full color piece ... I really liked the sketch."

Lindsay also wanted to give a shout-out to Kenny Brown at Jack Brown's Tattoo Revival in Fredericksburg, Virginia, who she called her "favorite artist ever".Work from that shop has appeared once before on Tattoosday, here. Check it out, it's an awesome tattoo.

Thanks to Lindsay for sharing her cool tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

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Madison's Classy Bicycle

I met Madison last month on the 59th Street subway platform in Brooklyn.

She has "9 or 10" tattoos and selected this one to share:

I don't generally describe the people who volunteer their tattoos here, but it's worth noting that Madison is petite, which ties into this tattoo. She rides a bicycle, although the one pictured here is more of a vintage-style two-wheeler.

When I asked why it says "stay classy," she laughed and said, "I'm a tough little chick, but I stay classy".

This tattoo was inked by Victor at Studio Enigma in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

Thanks again to Madison for sharing her classy tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Belinda's Penny-Farthing

At the end of May, I spotted Belinda's unusual bicycle tattoo on the 34th Street subway platform during Friday afternoon rush hour:

Of course, I asked her about this piece on her left ankle, since it isn't too often you see old-fashioned bicycle tattoos on people.

Belinda explained tha a while back she had gone on a pilgrimmage to Spain, which included a 100-mile trek on bicycles. This design is of the "high wheel bicycle" that was introduced in the late 19th century and is more commonly referred to as the penny-farthing. She told me that this was a much more efficient bicycle than had been seen before. The larger wheel allowed it to travel better, although the falls from a much greater height were a problem.

Belinda added,

"The purpose of the pilgrimage was not religious but more a curiosity to see this path (the Way of St. James) that people have been taking for hundreds and hundreds of years just because of faith. I felt it was a great way to see the real "Spain" by riding through the small villages and woods...we ended in Santiago de Compostela..."

This tattoo was inked by one of the artists at NY Adorned. Work from Adorned has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.

Thanks again to Belinda for sharing this cool tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!