I'm sure that something like this would have been a common sight back in the 1930s and 1940s. A bicycle with books strapped to the back, heading to school or a regional university, and a basket upfront to collect a few groceries from the store on the way home.

Of course, we're not in the 1930s and 1940s anymore, and I'm afraid that this is not a functional bike but rather a piece of nostalgia repurposed for a functional reason.

This is outside the Elephant Boy Cafe in Bong Bong Street, Bowral. A little bit further along you can see another doorway. The cafe has closed off its 2nd door using this bicycle as a barrier to ensure that everyone enters and exits through the main door. I imagine that it makes it easier to ensure that everyone is seated and pays their bill.

Regardless, I thought that it was an extremely charming and nostalgic addition to the streetscape.
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Update 01 Aug 2024: Apparently the Elephant Boy Cafe had quaint and charming old style décor of a kind that you would expect from the bicycle. Book lined walls, globes, the various accoutrements that you may find in a 1930s library. The problem is that a lot of the more recent reviews praised the décor... but décor only gets you so far. The reviews about the food and the service were rather less glowing, generally.

And so, the business is now "Permanently Closed". Based on TripAdvisor reviews, this happened some time between September and December 2023. According to Google Street View, the building is now home to a café called Franquette Creperie.