Bike against a wall

On Instagram, we are greeted daily by many inspiring images, reels, and stories that fascinate us. We discover people sharing their cycling experiences, from fantastic journeys to cozy social rides. We can feel their passion and get excited by their latest cycling gear. Personally, I often search for pictures of bicycles to see how people have chosen to assemble their components to create the most impressive or harmonious bike. Here, I frequently use the hashtag #baaw (bike against a wall) which, at the time of writing, has well over 600,000 posts. When people share images under this hashtag, it often involves presenting their bike in the most visually appealing way possible. It's an art to make the bike look perfect, and there are numerous tricks to achieve the desired appearance, especially if you want likes and admiring comments, it is crucial to present the bike in a way that attracts attention to your profile. On Instagram, you also find dedicated pages like @loves_road_bikes and @roadbikestudio that share pictures of bikes in the classic “bike against a wall” position.

Below, I attempt to provide the ultimate step-by-step guide to the perfect #baaw photo.

Bicycle

The most crucial aspect when creating a #baaw photo is undoubtedly a clean bicycle. There's no excuse for a muddy or dusty bike, it needs to shine if you want to impress the masses on Instagram. Give your bike some tender loving care with a good wash and polish so that it looks razor-sharp. You can advantageously apply an auto coating to painted parts, or if it's a matte finish, you can wipe it down with a detailer like Muc-Off Matt Finish Detailer, which I personally use, to maintain a nice matte look. The tires can also be treated with auto tire shine, so they too look as good as new. It's about presenting your bike at it's best, and a clean surface is key to an impressive photo.

Drivetrain

An important point is to ensure that the bike is positioned with the drivetrain facing outwards so that the chain faces you. This ensures that the technical elements and components are visible and helps to highlight the bike’s dynamics and functionality in the picture. It adds an extra dimension of detail and showcases the essential components of the bike.

Crank Arm

Before you take the photo, it's important to ensure that the crank arm is aligned with the chainstay, so they form a straight line. The crank arm should be horizontal or slightly below horizontal to create a harmonious expression in the image, presenting the bike in the best possible way. These fine nuances illustrate your sense for photographic aesthetics.

Water Bottles

Whether to have water bottles in your bottle cages is entirely a matter of taste and up to the individual. If they are not there, the bottle cages become more prominent, which may be desirable. Personally, I prefer to have water bottles on my bike, as I believe it gives a more harmonious expression. However, I choose bottles that complement the bike's appearance and avoid those that look old or worn out. And remember never to have two different water bottles on the bike.

Valves

When positioning the wheels, think of them as a clock face and ensure that the valves are in the 6 o'clock position. It is also important that any logos on the tires are centered over the valve stems. This attention to detail—no matter how insignificant it might seem—makes a big difference in how your bike and your image as a whole are perceived.

Gears

To make the bike look absolutely perfect, I recommend shifting the chain onto the big chainring, as well as down to one of the smaller sprockets on the cassette. Avoid at all costs cross chaining, which creates a skewed chain line and, for the discerning observer, indicates a lack of insight into bike mechanics. I have been guilty of this myself, and it did not go unnoticed among the cycling community online.

Background

#baaw pictures are one of the types of pictures I have taken most during my time on Instagram. Many of you who have followed me over the years can probably especially remember those of my pictures with graffiti or murals in the background. I have also used nature and architecture as background elements. It is important to me that the background is not boring but instead contributes to making the picture interesting and lively, yet without taking focus away from the bike. You can also create an extraordinary picture by using an invisible stand like "The Photographer's stand". That way, it looks as if the bike is standing on its own by magic.

Positioning

Make sure the bike is perfectly upright, and take the picture from an angle that provides a symmetrical representation. This creates visual balance when there is uniform distance to the bike on both sides of the image.

Editing/Post-processing

The final touch is your post-processing of the image. You can advantageously use Adobe Lightroom to color grade the image, to achieve a more artistic expression by reducing color saturation or enhancing shadows in the image. Additionally, Adobe Photoshop Fix can be used to remove any small imperfections in the image, such as road signs or other elements that "clutter" the scene.

Hashtag

Now you need to find the right hashtags for your pictures. It's obvious to use #baaw and #bikeagainstawall, but also find other relevant hashtags. Here's some inspiration: #cyclinglife, #roadtonowhere, #cyclingculture, #outsideisfree, #cyclingphotos, and #fromwhereiride.

Finished

Now you are ready to share your #baaw picture on Instagram. When you upload it, it's important that the primary image is of the entire bike, and you can advantageously add more pictures in a so-called carousel, where you show different details from the bike. Below, I have attempted to provide some examples of beautiful detail pictures that can enhance your bike's presentation.

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