2011 UCI World Cup

Still sorting through photos.
But here's an idea of it...

Lately...

So I was recently interviewed.

It came at the end of "Bike Month",
which was kind of a flop, at least in my little mind.
And I was sucking motivation
like a monster truck sucks high octane.

It reinforced my feeling as the "token bike commuter",
that only pops up during bke month.

Sometimes it just sucks going by bike.
Gotta go across town,
the sketchy part of town,
late at night.

Don't want to walk around with cleats,
and the only bike with flat pedals is the dirt jumper,
that's single speed.

Oh,
and you have to bring a ten pound art book with you,
and really don't want to walk around with a messenger bag?




There I was,
pedaling my ass off.
Didn't get jumped.
But it sucked.

Tired off being the "bike guy".
There's the "photo guy",
the "art guy",
I'm even more of a "family guy", in a lot of ways.
But my name isn't Peter,
and as big as I am,
he's still got more poundage.

But I'm just "the bike guy".
So disappointed with it,
I deleted this blog.
(luckily blogger is an easy girlfriend to get back together with)
Restoring the flickr account,
F me!
I''ve always admitted I'm an idiot.
oh-well.
I'm back after my self imposed exile.

I'm also a "dog guy",
actually more of "the guy who's wife rescues all of those dogs".
That's my usual introduction to non-bike people.

Kink BMX!

well....
Blogger doesn't want to upload sequence.
So this is all you get:

How high is your hop?

Kink started their East Coast Tour today.
Today was a good day.

Photo of the photo

The guy with a camera
rarely ends up getting photographed.

My plan of "no plan" worked quite well.
My slacker attitude in sorting years of photos
bit me in the ass real hard like.
So I'm off to see the man on fixing this computer.
Photos up tomorrow!

A big thanks to John Bulmer,
super cool guy that was down for sharing a car,
along with secret spots and tips.
And Corey Tucker,
for being so cool to drive two random guys
with cameras all over the countryside.

*These photos by John. Click names, get links. Simple huh?

Awesome day!

Battenkill back ON!

Images from last year.
This year will be in the usual unplanned style.
Meaning there is no plan.
Cameras in bag.
Run around the course for eight hours.
See what I end up with.

Like taking a last minute flight to Vegas.
With $100 in your pocket.
And no place to stay.

Tour of the Battenkill, last year.

Last years photos,
sadly I won't make this year,
with even more people to cheer on.
So, rehashing....
Better planning already in the works for next year!

Kink BMX

Maybe you never rode a 20",
if so, I'm sorry.

That feeling of being a little kid launching off of
sketchy homemade jumps,
THAT'S the feeling alot of us are still chasing.

So I get to help set up when the Kink team
hits the local shop in a couple of weeks.
What's cool about it?
It's been a couple years since I've built ramps,
and just as long since I've ridden a 20".
But there's the access I hope to get the following day,
with camera in hand.
And the satisfaction,
IF they like what we can come up with in a day.

I can still recall vividly,
the first bmx/freestyle demo I went to....
actually still have a couple pics scanned from it.

Playing with fire

With the warming weather,
and the higher gas prices,
the "fire season" for altercations is almost upon us.

I'm still on the fence about Critical Mass.
The principle and message, yes.
The people that sometimes show up,
not who I would vote to represent me,
or cycling.

But I'm sure others probably think the same about me.

Choices or Not.

LOVE Carlin.
Simply put.

Choice

I'll readily admit,
somewhere,
deep inside,
I'm a hippy.

While searching for movies,
I found this:


And it's one of the main reasons I ride (commute).
Yes, it's selfish fun for me.
But I also have a choice to say
FUCK YOU!
To bad drivers,
lame automobile manufacuters,
oil speculators,
and all of the lemmings that go with that nonsense.
That's all!

Chasing Legends!

This is a MUST for this years Bike Month!
Question is,
can I get it into a theatre?

Murder of Couriers

Trailer for another: out of Vancouver

Courier Breed

Starting the,
well it's not a task,
but something I do for Bike Month.
This year I need THREE movies to show.
Or, a bunch of shorts.
I figure I may as well post them here.
Comment or suggest away!

Courier Breed - A Documentary on Boston's Bike Messengers from Brendan Coughlin on Vimeo.

Quests:

Seriously psyched on this: WTF
or Whisky Tango Foxtrot from Van Dessel.
A couple guys rock the Country Bob for single speed,
and I like the downtube on the older model,
and the arched top tube on the newer model.
So I thought I'ld look around their site,
and I don't know how I missed this:

Actually,
I know how I missed it.
I haven't seriously purchased or looked at a magazine
for a year or so.

It's something I've been working on for a while,
kind of like a 'self-improvement' thing.
I'll save that for another post.

But the Whiskky Tango Foxtrot?
Awesome!
Bright 1984 Haro Master green? Favorite!
And arched top tube? Sweet!
But even better is the split at the end of the top tube!
Back in, ohhhh that 94-98' time frame
I had a KHS Fleetwood.

It needed a little longer top tube,
but it was years ahead of it's time!
But I just didn't appreciate it, so I sold it
(and all of my mountain bikes and tools)
when we bought the house.

(sigh)

I even really, REALLY, miss the mountain bikes.
In such a small town,
I figured I'ld see someone on one,
and offer to by it back. But nothing.
Anyways.... it's easy to get rambling on that one too!

But the WTF could easily be a monster cross,
or a 29er.
Better put it on the back burner for now!

it's NOT parkour!

TRIALS!
plus some bmx skills.

Makes you want to set up another bike,
any reason to have another bike, right?

Well worth the time though!

Under your shop floor

Does your local shop have a basement?
Probably didn't even think about it.
Maybe it's filled to the rafters with old bikes
and parts.

Or new bikes in boxes,
waiting for a new home.
Or maybe...
there's odd sounds.
And you notice a mechanic or two are missing...





A quick little session while bolting together
The Fat Bastard.

The Fat Bastard:

Posting away...

The latest post I pulled out for the TU.
It has a particular rehashed stench to it...
Sorry.

Can't see it.

before the projects start
the shop bench needs to get cleaned off.
parts need sorting.
but first the lights need to be replaced.

I jumped into the middle of things
and realized,
I can't even see around the work bench.
something that will be my home away from home...
away from home through the winter months.

and since we jumped right into the REALLY cold
at the start of December...
it looks to be a long winter.

But the project list has begun.
And I said no more art shows for a while
(feeling VERY UN-inspired)
that didn't last long,
as I'm scrambling to drop for another show...
today.

There seems to be so many pots on the stove,
that I've resorted to tossing cans of crap
all over my figurative kitchen.

more to follow...

Fall in love again...

"hey, we do a late night group ride. wanna come?"

"uhhh, sure!"

STOP.
Right there, I need to learn to ask more questions.
Those questions that you ask yourself a half hour before
you head out the door.
There are no expectations. Which is good.
But there is no info. either!
And that is my fault.

I don't want to sound like some dork.
Too many questions might get an UN-invite!

So I split my gear into:
light & quick bare essentials.
and
messenger bag (everything including the camera).

I had no idea.
The worst case on one end:
off season roadies, out for a late night hammer sesh.
Which means I'll get dropped in a couple of miles,
and solo my way home.

or the other worst scenario:
the super casual urban ride. Which means you won't even
warm up (an issue when it's freezing out).



Sometimes I just luck out!



There was casual.
There were beer breaks.
A quick pace.
Lots of characters.
Familiar faces.
And mud.


Equate it to:
a Cat. 4 late night cyclocross race
through unknown trails
without enough lights.

Simply awesome.!

That's what riding is about, FUN!
No one gets dropped.
If someone flats, then it's time to break out the beers,
and share some stories.



I need to loosen up sometimes.
And as they say
just "enjoy the ride".