What wizardry is this?

[Doseone]

Below is a (fairly poor, sorry) scan from this months Pro Cycling, but it's pretty typical of bike pics.

How do they hold it up? I can guess at maybe a stand or a piece of wire that is photoshopped out, but does anyone actually know for a fact how they do it?

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

It's a hocus pocus Focus.

 

[Andy_R]

Tell you what, it doesn't have team GB's really really round wheels

 

[pplpilot]

Blue tack.

 

[Piemaster]

Cameraman poses bike in place then runs really fast to the camera and takes picture before the bike falls over. Easy.

 

[Canrider]

Skyhook.

 

[simon.r]

One of the spokes on each wheel is actually 6 feet long - it extends through the rim and tyre and embeds itself in the wall.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I have long wondered this. I imagine that if it isn't done digitally, then the key is that you are looking at the bike side on, so there will be something behind the wheels, out of sight holding it.

 

[hotmetal]

Ah, the power of Photoshop. Who said the camera never lies? Cloning out the supports (especially with a fuzzy background) would be 5 minutes' work. Hey, the background could even be a picture, and the bike's just leaning on it!

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Hey, the background could even be a picture, and the bike's just leaning on it!

The way the bike is lit, you would see the shadows on the background though. I still reckon they must have some sort of special stand they put the bike on.

 

[ColinJ]

That doesn't look like a genuine picture to me. Look where the wheels apparently rest on the wall ... The tyres seem to have flat bits where they touch the stone. I think it is two images merged together!

 

[simon.r]

I've just stopped myself Googling the answer - I don't want to know, I like a little mystery in my life