Miniature cyclists in metal
The collection by the Belgian brand Bernard & Eddy consists of miniature cyclists cast in metal, with a distinctly retro look. They are 54 millimetres tall and weigh 30 grams, and they find a spot on a windowsill or bookshelf without any trouble. A single rider is a subtle piece of decoration in your interior. Or collect a whole peloton. It makes an ideal gift for anyone who loves cycling.
One rider is a beginning, not an end
Put out a single rider in the colours of your country. Or two riders side by side, fighting out the sprint. Line up the four jerseys of the Tour de France: yellow, green, white and polka dot. Or put together a breakaway of your favourite countries, with a Thirsty One trailing a little way behind. The more riders, the more it starts to look like a real bike race.
Made to be played with too
The cyclists by Bernard & Eddy are not only there to be looked at. You can use them in a board game such as snakes and ladders. Or mark out a course in the sand and commentate on the race. The riders are tested to the European toy safety standard EN71 and suitable from age 3.
The jerseys
Every rider is hand-painted in the colours of a country or of a symbolic cycling jersey. There are the national champion jerseys of Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Germany, for example, and the rainbow jersey of the world champion. From the Tour de France come the yellow, the green, the white and the polka dot jersey; from the Giro d'Italia the pink jersey and from the Vuelta the red one.
Men and women
The collection includes both male and female riders. That reflects a cycling world in which the women's peloton has found an audience of its own in recent years, with the Tour de France Femmes and classics that are now followed as closely as the men's. Every rider has a first name that refers to a famous cyclist: Miguel, Freddy, Erik, Johan and Marco among the men, and Jeannie, Pauline and Elisa among the women.
Five riding positions
The men come in five positions, each with its own character: the Rider rolls steadily along, the Sprinter lies flat on the bars, the Climber stands on the pedals, the Winner throws one arm in the air and the Thirsty One drinks from his bidon.
From the Tour de France caravan
Miniature riders first appeared in the 1930s, when the organisers of the Tour de France wanted to put the national teams in the spotlight with a publicity caravan. They were popular for years, but were largely forgotten by the start of this century. Bernard & Eddy brought the tradition back. The brand is the brainchild of a graphic designer born in the 1970s, when the Tour was at its peak. The figurines were in his head long before they became a drawing, and eventually a 3D design from which the first mould was made. Of his own work he says:
“I try to bring something universal about sport, travel and dreams back to life. It is the world of the Olympic Games, the football World Cup, the heroes of today and yesterday.”
No sponsors, just flags
You will find no sponsor logos on these cyclists. The brand itself puts it this way: “long live the flags. Bernard Hinault is French, after all, Eddy Merckx is Belgian, Joop Zoetemelk is Dutch, Miguel Indurain is Spanish, Marco Pantani is Italian.” Beyond their national origins, these champions have become legendary figures. That makes the figurines a fine gift for the true cycling fan, and something that captures a child's imagination too.
