Photos of PRESIDENTS ON BIKES

CHALLENGE! Can you add to this photo archive? How far back can we go?

Extra credit for vice presidents or candidates who lost their presidential bids; Sara Palin on a bike anyone? Michael Dukakasis on a bike? Spiro Agnew (super tough!)?

(Please identify them by name and dates or other info.)

Lets start off with our current Prez and lead 'em backwards...

BARACK OBAMA (44th president; 2009-Incumbent)

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Permalink Reply by Jason Greenberg on June 10, 2013 at 5:51pm

GEORGE W. BUSH (43rd President, 2001-2009)

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Permalink Reply by Jason Greenberg on June 10, 2013 at 6:01pm

And more at Bike Lane Living

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Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on June 11, 2013 at 12:29am

Jason, love this thread!

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Permalink Reply by Jason Greenberg on June 11, 2013 at 11:27pm

Thanks Lisa!

I think the "politics of representation" here is interesting. Photos of presidents on a bike (although usually carefully controlled by their "handlers" and PR people) present them in an alternative format from the power business suit "executive look" that is 98% of their presentation. On some level it "humanizes" them... its also interesting to compare each photos' level of artifice. Compare the ones when they were actually president (See Nixons' whole family staged artfully right in front of the Jefferson Memorial rotunda) as opposed to earlier in their lives when they were not president (see Mitt Romney as a young man, riding a bike in an incongrous, uncomfortable business suit and tie. His sleeves are halfway up his arms! Maybe he was on his way to work?) and probably less planning and control went into staging the photo.

Lisa Curcio 6.5 mi said:

Jason, love this thread!

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Permalink Reply by David P. on June 12, 2013 at 4:48am

I think the first photo of him is enough to earn President Obama the title of Fred-in-chief.

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Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on June 12, 2013 at 5:06am

Parodied from this:

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Permalink Reply by Jason Greenberg on June 13, 2013 at 12:35am

We had that one of Gerald Ford on a bike as a babe, now here's Obama:This one has been in heavy circulation on the internets already.

And technically this one doesn't count as its a TRIcycle, but who wants to split hairs so finely...

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Permalink Reply by Jason Greenberg on June 13, 2013 at 12:52am

Thunder Snow, by jove, I didn't think it was possible before 1817, the birth of the bicycle (or at least the earliest "velocipedes") but you've brought us all the way back to our first president! Huzzah!

GEORGE WASHINGTON (1st president; 1789-1797)

And in the gallery of (our most famous) Presidents on bikes here is a cheat:

ABRAHAM LINCOLN (16th president; 1861-1865)

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Permalink Reply by Jason Greenberg on June 13, 2013 at 12:58am

Love the pipe!

Nothing staged or Hollywood about this photo...just a day in the life of an immaculately dressed and coiffed couple.

Jason Greenberg said:

Another Ronald Reagan (with first wife--but not "First Lady"-- Jane Wyman)

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Permalink Reply by Jason Greenberg on June 13, 2013 at 1:29am

George Dubya Bush has probably had the most photo ops on bike of any president. Here are a series showing his mountain biking with a few teams and his mighty clean TREK: