What’s Wrong With This Bike Tattoo? (and no, the answer isn’t ‘everything’)

What’s Wrong With This Bike Tattoo? (and no, the answer isn’t ‘everything’)

Ahh, tattoos. At least in 2020 in the UK there should have been a downturn in the frequency of questionable tattoo decision making. And of people from the UK going to Vegas for their impulsive tattoo choices. Isn’t that right, Mark?

mark bike tattoo
Mark has always insisted it’s tax deductable

Anyway, that was just a warm up for your eyes. We’ve spotted this doing the rounds on social media. And then Sharp-Eye-Charlie spotted something that’s wrong with it. We know it’s difficult, but take a closer look.

Spot the ‘deliberate’ mistake?

We’ll give you a clue: there are plenty of components that haven’t been included, so it’s not something missing. It’s not something that could be adjusted either, like the position of those bars. And it’s not a moral judgement over the merits of tattoos, or road bikes. There’s an actual technical wrong thing in there.

Place your answers, actual or comical, in the comments section below. Anyone with a login can swipe the image that will appear below if you’re logged in and find out what Charlie spotted.

Ready for the answer?

Swipe left.

Did you spot it?

One toe clip is on backwards.

A great tattoo, ruined?

Of course, these days it’s often possible to correct dodgy tattoos so maybe our subject above could pay a visit to the parlour that fixed this.


Singletrack Merch

Spinelines Whiteboard Shirt

Spinelines. Those out of context statements on the spine of every mag.  A selection of sometimes dumb, sometimes inappropriate, but always hilarious comments made in Singletrack Towers.  Nowadays we keep…

Singletrack Sponsored Features

Who says you need to travel far to have a big sky adventure?

Sanny heads out from his front door to prove you don't have to travel far to have adventures.

18 Bikes

At 18 Bikes we specialise in mountain bikes but with two NVQ level 3 qualified mechanics we are able to work on any bike, whether that’s your sunny weather road…


Join our mailing list to receive Singletrack editorial wisdom directly in your inbox.

Each newsletter is headed up by an exclusive editorial from our team and includes stories and news you don’t want to miss.

Exclusive editorial & early access to reviews before they go public

Sign up to our free newsletter

We appreciate how handing over your email address is a mark of your trust in us. Check your inbox for our confirmation email and click the link to activate your newsletter.
We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.


Meanwhile, in the forum..

Nothing found.

More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments.

More posts from Hannah

26 thoughts on “What’s Wrong With This Bike Tattoo? (and no, the answer isn’t ‘everything’)

  1. Aside the two pedals from the same side, the nipples are at the centre of the wheels, where they should be at the edge 🙂

    Oh, and everything. Everything is wrong.

  2. If I had a Singletrack tattoo somewhere visible, would you pay me an annual fee for advertising?
    We pensioners need to consider innovative fundraising.

  3. Yep, toe clip is on the wrong way round on one of the pedals – first thing I spotted.

    Then I started looking closer and harder, thinking I’d missed something else less obvious.

    I feel really dirty now. Euggh…

  4. It depends doesn’t it, it may look like the pedal’s half way up the crank, but that could easily be a depiction of the strap ( as anyone with clips remembers they fall upside down), you could argue the tatoo artist should’ve said something to the client, but if he’s content with it, who are we to judge?

  5. Judging by the length of the chain links and where the chain meets the rear hub, 4 tooth sprocket? Not even SRAM would do that.

Comments are closed.