Photo Diary: Bike Scene

Yo Ermanno, great to connect. Can you please tell us about the focus of your work over the past few years?

Most of my work revolves around the bicycle subculture and the environment that surrounds it. In the last five years, I've been dedicated to documenting and engaging with the fixed-gear bike and BMX community in the UK.

How did your fixed gear documentary project begin?

It started in 2020 after I'd spent six months in London with my bike. I began cycling around mainly alone due to COVID-19 but eventually got in touch with other riders. By mid-2020, small social bike rides had started to occur, and I began joining them. This allowed me to meet a diverse group of people and see a variety of bikes, each uniquely customised by their owners.





It sounds like the urban cycling scene in London is pretty welcoming...

It is welcoming and friendly, and if you also have a fixed gear bike, there are high chances that you will be cheered with a “hey bro.” 

What are your favourite aspects of the fixed gear and BMX communities, and how do you convey these in your photographs?

They both mix my interests and passions, and the friendliness of the scene makes it even easier to stick around. I spent my young age with skateboards and longboards, riding hills around northwest Italy, and cycling around as well. I discovered fixed gear bikes around 2013. I remember enjoying the clean build of the bike without cables, water bottles, brakes, and other stuff. Since then, I never really stopped being involved. Riding these bikes is really fun. When I moved to London, I started joining some evening rides where I met most of my friends today. I loved the vibes, custom bikes, talking nerdy about components, and riding all together...

BMX was different. I used to visit the House of Vans quite often for skate events, and there is where I discovered the BMX scene. Open and friendly like the fixie one, but they were flying high instead of skidding around. That’s it, I fell in love, haha. In both communities, there are always other videographers and photographers around, so it's great to link with them as well and talk about visuals. 

I document a range of things including portraits, bike details, actions, and events. I started with what I loved most—riding and capturing what was happening around me.

Have you published any work or zines?

Yes, I've self-published three zines—one about BMX and two about fixed-gear bike tracklocross. I also have two more zines currently in progress.

Can you give us a sneak peek into the themes or stories of your upcoming zines?

Again, one is about BMX, but with more focus on the riders, with some stories and portraits.

The other zine is about the Alleycat races I’ve been to and documented. I want to give it a more narrative touch, more people and stories, plus of course lots of bikes. If I reach enough material, I’d love to opt for a small book instead of a zine, so stay tuned.

What gear are you rolling with at the moment? Do you have a go-to camera setup?

I shoot both film and digital. For digital, I use a Leica M10. For film, I use a Leica M6 and a Mamiya 7 for panoramic and 6x7 formats. I primarily shoot black and white film, using Kentmere 400 and Kodak TX 400.

When did you first pick up a camera?

My first time was probably at the end of middle school. My uncle gifted me an HP point-and-shoot. I didn’t know exactly what I was doing, but I enjoyed taking pictures to review again later. 

You sure have upgraded your gear from a HP point-and-shoot, haha. In your opinion, how important is equipment, from both a photography and cycling perspective?

This is a Pandora's box question, haha. I can answer for myself, but I think it's a very personal question. 

I like to fiddle with my camera. I like the tactility and engagement I have with it. The tool is part of the process, and especially with film, a specific camera helped me to develop my approach and vision more than another one. 

Once, I had to do a shoot for a company, and they gave me their camera, a very expensive high-end camera. I wanted to throw it out the window, haha. Too many buttons, too much fuss around. I like simple things. That camera didn’t stop me from taking home the work, but I really had no feelings about those pictures.

The bike is similar. A super high-end bike will always work, as will one of those council rental bikes if I’m just strolling around or commuting. I can go from point A to B, but the council bike is just a tool without a soul. My bike is the only orange Aventon in London. I have changed components over time, and it's MY bike. It's not just a tool anymore; it brings memories and feelings with it.

So, as a short answer, for me, the equipment is important, yes.

What have been the biggest events you've documented so far?

The two biggest events I've documented are FixedFest in 2021 and The Great Alleycat of London in 2022. I'm looking forward to this year's Great Alleycat of Ljubljana, which will be particularly exciting as it will be my first time travelling with my bike.

For those reading who don't know, can you explain what an Alleycat race is?

The Alleycat is a checkpoint race across the city on open roads. When the race starts, the organiser gives each rider a manifest with a list of checkpoints to reach and photograph. Then each rider needs to figure out the best way to ride to all of them. The fastest to come back to the starting point wins.

It is a bike courier game that, based on Wikipedia, saw its first race on October 30, 1989, in Toronto. Now some of the big ones, like The Great Alleycat of London and the Monstertrack of New York, see riders training properly for those. Competition is getting high!

What drew your interest to photographing Alleycat races?

Over time, I became more curious about Alleycats, so I began following them as much as I could. I documented the races, the parties, and the people involved.

What advice would you give to aspiring photographers who want to document urban cycling communities or subcultures in general?

Join the rides, be kind, don’t be too intrusive, especially at the beginning. Ask before you shoot, enjoy the vibe, and get to know people around you. If you take pictures, share them. They will be happy to see your photos and to see you pointing the camera at them again later as well. 

Check our more of Ermanno's work below and follow him on IG, here.