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July has been a busy month for me. When I wasn’t on the road, I was out and about here in Austin with my Mamiya 7ii shooting portraits and other randomness. This set is heavily focused on the 4th of July party at Yellow Jacket Social Club but also includes a few bike portraits. I hope you enjoy!
Tools of the trade:
Mamiya 7ii
Kodak Portra 400
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been really wanting to bring back A Day in 10 Photos but part of that is contingent upon me carrying a camera everywhere I go. Sometimes, having a DSLR or a rangefinder is great but more often than not, I just want something pocket-sized. My Yashica T4 has seen plenty of use over the years but I wanted a “no care camera”. One that I can get an insurance package for and not give a shit about.
After extensive research, countless reviews and multiple trips to the camera store, I walked into my local shop, Precision Camera and bought the Sony RX100. I haven’t had a digital point and shoot camera since this blog first started back in 2006, so it’s kind of a novelty. I don’t want this post to be a review of it just yet, because I haven’t used it enough to really offer any insight. End introduction…
Today I woke with the sun, met some friends at a coffee shop and rolled out to one of my favorite rides: Crumley Ranch Road. 60 miles, 4,000′ of elevation and a great way to log miles and burn calories. Ben, Josh, Carl and I all vibed really well the whole ride and then went about our business the rest of the day*.
This set is lacking a few more photos to complete the story but everything is a learning process. Check out some narrated photos in the Gallery!
*in reality, the last three photos are from last night, when I first got the RX100, but you’ll let that slide right?
Luke is one of my favorite people here in Austin because he’s a road racer that doesn’t appear to be a road racer. Stereotypes aside, Luke enjoys touring probably more than racing, but he still races road and cross. Most of which, end with him on or near the podium.
Living in Austin can overwhelm you sometimes with how competitive the road scene is, but there’s nothing better than leaving town to ride away for the weekend, which is where Luke’s All City Space Horse comes into play. He leaves his Mr. Pink behind (sounds dirty, huh?) and ventures out on this bike, fully loaded and ready to do nothing. Right now, it’s set up with a Pass & Stow front rack and a Freight porteur rack bag. Oh and a super bent Brooks!
It’s unfortunate that Luke broke his wrist during prime camping season here in Austin, so once the temperatures drop a bit, I’ll probably be spending some saddle time with him outside the city. Although I must admit, even though we’ll be touring or camping, I might have a hard time keeping up with this powerhouse…
Check out more photos of this well-seasoned bicycle in the Gallery.
As you can imagine, Austin has a fairly small cycling scene when compared to other major US-cities. Every time you go for a pedal, you’ll bump into someone you know. A few weeks back, I ran into Jacob on the pedestrian bridge and took some photos of him for the Austin Rapha Survey. His Bridgestone is one of the most “well used” bikes in my circle of friends.
Check out two more below!
When Ian at Icarus moved to Austin, Texas, I don’t think he anticipated working on this many local frames. Or that Chris would put down two deposits at once: a lightweight road bike and a fendered, touring / commuter. This is the first out of the queue, a modern, steel road bike with a matte paintjob and a few clean details. Nothing extravagant, but also nothing simple.
Chris is a father and he works full time, so riding is always a last minute, unplanned endeavor. He was looking for a little inspiration to sneak in an hour or two when he could and Ian built him just that. With a Zipp cockpit, seatpost, Chris King R45 to HED Belgium, Fizik Kurve saddle, Campy Chorus 11 speed and King Cage bottle cages, it’s up there in the “dream bike” category…
Happy Merckx Mondays! This Recent Roll post is brought to you by David Flores and Division 1, a new shop on the east side of Austin, Texas. The guys at D1 flew Mr. Flores out to paint this massive Eddy Merckx mural on the eastern façade of their new building. It’s impressive!
Tools of the trade:
Mamiya 7ii / 80mm
Fuji Pro400H
To help promote their new Bare Walls Art Contest, Empire and Collateral BMX posted up Tommy Dugan’s section from Bad Idea. This is one of my favorite BMX parts of all time. So much energy!
Check out more details for the Bare Walls Art Contest here!
A few weeks ago, on June 2nd, the Austin cycling community came together to help out a local racer and bike messenger named Luke, who had broken his wrist in a crash while racing. Beat the Clock Cycling Club threw one of the biggest alleycats I’ve been to here in Texas to raise money to cover his medical bills (yay America!). Local businesses like Flat Track Coffee, The Liberty and Cycleast showed their support and people from all over Texas showed up on a sunny Sunday afternoon to RACE…
Check out some narrated photos in the Gallery!
Tools of the trade:
Mamiya 7ii / 80mm
Kodak Portra 400
Austin, Texas is a superb place to live in the summer months. If you can stand the heat, which many can not. Let me tell you, no matter how hot it is where you live, it’s hotter in Texas, because, well, everything is bigger in Texas. Part of living here is having access to swimming holes and this place in particular has been on my list for some time. It’s close enough to our house and seemed like a perfect day trip for Lauren to take on.
As with anything new and unfamiliar, bicycle camping, touring and even day trips can be a daunting task for people. Lauren’s never really done anything like a bicycle camping trip, so we took it one step at a time. The right mix of mileage, hills and hauling had to come into play.
We left before it was too hot and were home before it was hotter. We made a picnic, got sunburnt and swam. She got to officially christen her Icarus and I got some great photos of it all. Anyone with a spouse or a partner who rides knows the feeling of seeing them happy on a bicycle…
Tools of the trade:
Mamiya 7ii / 80mm
Kodak Portra 400
This isn’t cycling related at all but last month, a bunch of close friends of ours here in Austin had a rad weekend at a getaway “cabin” called the Plant at Kyle. A year ago, Lauren won a free weekend there in a raffle, so we saved the coupon until a prime springtime date. This Lake/Flato-designed facility housed 10 of us while we soaked in the sun and kicked back. It was the perfect ratio of nothing to something.
I haven’t said this in a long time, but see the rest of the photos I shot at my Flickr!
Tools of the trade:
Mamiya 7ii / 80mm
Kodak Portra 400
Leica M7
Zeiss 28mm f2.8 T*
Kodak Portra 400
… and they mean business for the Red Hook Crit Navy Yard. Three guys from Division 1, a new bike shop on the East Side of Austin will be there racing. More on their bikes tomorrow!
In a lot of ways, my first Geekhouse Woodville touring bike served as a catalyst for me taking cycling more seriously. It was my first custom bike and provided me with ample motivation to just get out there and ride. The first major tour being Portland to SF and from there, I took it on numerous other trips here in Austin. When it was stolen last year, I began planning out a replacement with Geekhouse. There were some things I wanted to change, but mostly I just missed having a touring bike to ride around on.
As it sat en queue, I couldn’t decide on how I wanted it to function. Initially, I wanted a dirt-drop 29’r pack-bike tourer for riding the MTB trails here in town, but then my Independent Fabrication took over that role, so I revisited what I loved the most about my first touring bike. The riding position is what I would consider traditional but having acquired the Bruce Gordon Rock n Road tires, I wanted to make sure it would roll at least a 50c. I also opted for external cable routing and passed on the S&S couplers.
I’ve had great luck with the SRAM XO rear derailleur and its 11-36 range matched with a compact crank. This time I went with White Industries VBC system and a Force front derailleur, converted to a top-pull. With a 50 outer ring and 32, inner, I’ll have a wider range than I would with a triple. Chris King classic hub on the rear and a SON hub with matching Edelux lamp on the front for light.
Paul components throughout: Tall and Handsome post, Touring Cantis. Other components include a Thomson seat post collar, Brooks Swift saddle, Salsa Cowbell 2 with SRAM barcons, TRP levers and MKS Lambda pedals. With all the Made in the USA bling, I got Marty and Brad at Geekhouse to fabricate a one-off custom stem as well as front and rear racks. The beauty of the front racks lie in their low-rider detachable hangers on the front…
I always load front and low on trips. The bike rides a lot better since the handling isn’t compromised as it would with a rear load and these low-riders are low. My large panniers sit about 6″ off the ground, which is perfect on a 43c tire. On top of just looking amazing, these racks weighed a lot less than the Tubus system I had been using previously. The fork is another highlight: internal cable routing for the Edelux lamp and the segmented shoulders have rack attachments.
Even with all those details and that component list, a build can still go south with a bad powder job. Brad really knocked this one out of the park. Olive Drab green with a matte clear adds to the utilitarian / military aesthetic I wanted. I’ve been scooting around town a lot on this beaut and took it on a few trail rides last week and am in love. Even the ride out to shoot these photos was super dreamy…
I still need to dial it in though. The derailleur cables are now routed under the tape, mostly to make it easier to mount a Swift Industries Ozette randonneur bag. I’ll also need to splice some more chain so I can use the 50t with more of the cassette but for now, it’s riding really well.
That said, it’s not a touring bike until you’ve at least camped on it and summertime in Texas will provide ample opportunities. Right now, I’m just pumped that it came together so well. Many thanks to PAUL, Bens Cycle, Chris at Mellow Johnny’s and the Geekhouse crew for making yet another dream come true.
… also, buy renter’s insurance! Most plans will cover your bikes when they’re stolen!
Chris and his self-made touring bike, in Kyle, Texas during a recent weekend getaway.
It doesn’t matter where you call home, make the best of where you live. Whatever the weather. Whether if it’s pouring rain in Portland, or hot and muggy in Texas, put in some miles to compensate for the excessive drinking!
Tools of the trade:
Mamiya 7ii / 80mm
Kodak Portra 400
If you live in Austin and like to race bikes, this might be your only chance to win a race. Why? Because the dude who always wins races (road, alleycat, ss cross, whatever) is out of commission. Luke Kalloch broke his wrist a few weeks back in a road race and has accumulated a hefty surgery bill. To help him out, Beat the Clock Cycling Club is throwing a benefit race and after-party. Luke is one of the nicest (fast guys) you’ll ever meet, so come out and show your support.
I can guarantee this will be a rad event!
I had to swing by Icarus Frames ( @IcarusFrames ) today to pick up a few things and while I was there, I got to see some of his latest handywork. This 1×10 commuter cross frame is heading up to Boston and while the customer didn’t want anything too fancy, Ian added some clean detailing. The fork will be an ENVE cross and it’ll be heading out to paint shortly. Part of me really loves seeing a frame in this state but a good coat of paint always brings out the details.
Check out a few more shots below.
Photos by Jacob Rader
This past weekend, I spent my time hanging out with some great people at what is best described as a “luxury cabin in the middle of nowhere”. Texas is like that: a thirty minute drive south and you’re surrounded by nothing. One of the people who spent the weekend with us, surrounded by cacti was Jacob Rader. He’s been a friend for a while but it’s not until you have nothing else to do but talk (and drink), that you really make a connection with someone. As someone who also can’t leave the house without a camera, I can appreciate his lovely work.
Follow his Flickr, for what it’s like to live and ride in Austin, Texas.
As I travel more each month, the time I spend at home in Austin is really precious. I’ve been really enjoying the Mamiya, shooting portraits and some of the randomness that I come across. I was going to find some more meaningful way to display these photos, with some theme of “weekends” but I’m too tired from this weekend’s activities…
I hope your weekend was rad and I hope you enjoy!
Tools of the trade:
Mamiya 7ii / 80mm
Kodak Portra 400
I’m even surprised I had the time to walk around SxSW for an afternoon but I did anyway. Something about the shitshow that descends upon this sleepy little town is very alluring for a person who likes shooting photos. The freaks mix in with the locals and the homeless cope with it the best way they know how. I lost one roll of exposed film somehow, so you’ll have to make due with these…
Tools of the trade:
Mamiya 7ii / f4 80mm
Kodak Portra 400
