Boston Love

Boston was good.
Although I didn't make it to any shops.
It was a kid's vacation,
and they enjoyed it.
And so did I.

I'll have to post more,
later.

Got back,
just in time for more snow.
Worked a few days.
Now it's a week off to redo the kitchen,
the entire thing.
Pretty unnerving.

It's one thing to put together stuff for
other people, but my own?
I'm stressed, and it's just starting.

Boston

Boston for a few days.
Plenty of things on the 'to see & do' list,
but we'll see what I do.

Updates to follow.
Maybe.

One Good Day

Or two.

It was just a tease though,
as the cold has returned.

The cold becomes a mental barrier.
I spend way too much time in my head
thoughts that don't result in action,
just thoughts.

Like spending all day watching a bad
rerun, my personal non-bike Groundhog Day.

Puppy Bowl!

I rarely watch the Stupor Bowl,
and this years halftime
was a pleasant slap to the face
of taste.

But the closest I've got to celebrity
in this house,
three of the puppies
from the commercial for ESPN's
PUPPY BOWL!

We just picked them up an hour ago.

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.

Clean Yourself Up.

This has been one of my
longest breaks from the bike.

It's rideable in the morning,
then frozen over by evening.

You learn little things,
like riding the HIGHEST car traffic
streets, and riding IN the lane.
Why?
The engines and exhaust
keep the sleet at a temp JUST above
freezing. So you can creep your way
home.

And the local bus system
has become my 'spare tire'
in a couple ways.

Just happy the bike racks
are on ALL buses,
ALL year.

Monkey on My Back

Actually it's a fat
extra fingered cat
named Ruby....

But the figurative monkey
could be the snow storms
or my lack of motivation
or maybe my general laziness.

I dunno.

All I know is I'm surrounded by bikes
in various states of dis-assembly.
The motivation to get out and ride
is not helped by the blankets
of slippery stuff outside.

I must be part bear
since hibernation seems so logical.
The daydreams that help pass time
used to be filled with parts lists,
road trip plans,
and race dates.

Now that time has been hijacked
by schemes to build a motorcycle,
while I grow my ass in front of the
Dumb Box.

The Fat Bastard had sat patiently
at the shop, waiting for the decisive
ride to determine where to cut the
steerer.

The Beer Buddy lays scattered across
the work bench. The hardest part still
not completed: picking out the color.

Green with envy!

The Fat Bastard is wrapping up!
Next week may provide some time
to go through it.
But as of today,
it's a rider!

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.