Wheels of Wonderland

Last Sunday I happened by something odd-looking in Republic Square Park on 4th Street and Guadeloupe in Austin. Further inspection revealed a large monarch butterfly-shaped contraption with fabric wings in yellows and oranges, lit by the low, warm sun of the spring evening. It sat on a perch on a hill in the southern part of the park, the nearly-taught fabric wings moved with the breeze. At the bottom of the structure was a platform where two diamond-plate truck bed boxes sat. If one were to look down on the butterfly, it would look like a triangle pointing forward.

The platform was wood in a steel (aluminum?) frame on wheels – a trailer. It was pulled by a bike.

Then I saw the large praying mantis and the larger still worm or centipede creation. Both were mobile and bike-powered.

The latter creation had large, white ribs maybe 7 feet high. Each or almost each had a bike seat and handlebars. Looking down I saw pedals and joints and wheels. The entire thing was bike-powered and flexible.

And there were the two 1980′s BMX bikes with matching Mongoose Motomags attached side-by-side with steel rods. The forks of the bikes were connected with tie rods similar to what one finds in a car.

Two guys dressed in all black were juggling white canes while women in strange costumes applied finishing touches on their stage make up while looking into a mirror leaned against the shaded side of a tree.



To my right, someone rode up on a unicycle. He explained this was a production based on works by Lewis Carroll called “Wheels of Wonderland”. The production was presented free of charge to the public by Austin Bike Zoo and was directed by Rudy Ramirez. The unicycle-riding guy balanced near me heading in the direction of what became the stage. He was juggling knives and I told him his act was pretty sharp.

After the show ended, a medium-sized child in good spirits walked over to me. She asked if I saw her pink, sparkly shoes. After a careful study of the immediate area’s grass and warm beige gravel sidewalk, I told her I didn’t see them.

“When you step they light up,” she explained. Her tone turned a little more serious. “They have Hello Kitty on them and they’re pink,” she said.
I told her if I find her fancy shoes I might wear them, since they sound pretty cool.
At the time, I had my bike shoes on which seem to make my small-ish feet look smaller.
“I have small feet, your fancy shoes might fit,” I joked.
The child studied the size 41 Sidi Dominator 5 shoes I had on while taking occasional looks to the ground.
“Yea, you do have small feet,” she confirmed with the usual innocent profundity one hears from kids.
I really wouldn’t steal shoes from a kid or anyone, especially pink Hello Kitty shoes that light up as one walks.

It was still pretty funny.

I love Austin.

Wow, and all I was doing was riding around on a nice day