French photographer Thierry Penneteau has penned a heartfelt memoir about his lifelong relationship with bicycles, weaving together childhood memories from the Beauce region of France with observations from his extensive travels around the world. His personal narrative explores how bicycles serve as universal symbols of freedom, work, and dreams across different cultures and continents.
Penneteau's story begins in his youth in the agricultural fields of Beauce, where he and his friends developed deep connections with their bicycles. They would tinker with the machines, customize them with new colors, and transform them into extensions of their personalities. "It resembled us, sometimes happy, sad, playful, tired, or full of energy," Penneteau writes, describing how the bicycles seemed to mirror their owners' emotions and experiences.
During his childhood, Penneteau recalls how he and his friends were drawn to distant roads and paths that beckoned toward France, Europe, and the wider world, though they were too young to venture far from home. This early fascination with travel would later define his career as a photographer, taking him to major cities and remote locations across multiple continents.
Throughout his extensive travels from Paris to Hanoi, and including stops in New York, Santiago, Buenos Aires, and Kathmandu, Penneteau found bicycles everywhere he went. Since he couldn't bring his own bicycle on these journeys, he began documenting the bicycles he encountered through photography. His images capture how these machines adapt to different cultures and purposes, sometimes transforming into pedicabs or tricycles depending on local needs.
Penneteau observed that bicycles serve multiple roles depending on the country and context - functioning as tools for work, recreation, transportation, and even romance. He notes how young people around the world use bicycles to escape parental supervision, much as he did in his youth, while lovers use them as vehicles for shared dreams and experiences. The photographer emphasizes that whether it's a women's or men's bicycle, each person finds their own unique relationship with these machines.
In his concluding thoughts, Penneteau connects his personal bicycle journey to contemporary environmental concerns. He points out that in response to societal changes and climate challenges, urban planning policies are increasingly promoting environmentally friendly transportation options. For those who own bicycles, he encourages dusting them off for daily use as a first step toward sustainable mobility.
For people without bicycles, Penneteau suggests that now is an ideal time to purchase one or take advantage of bike-sharing systems that have become prevalent in many cities. He concludes his memoir with an encouraging message: "In short, ride your bike, get out and about, and have fun while protecting our beautiful planet." His work can be viewed at his official website, thierry-penneteau.fr.
