PROLLY IS NOT PROBABLY

Bike Minimalism Awards 2012

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The 2012 Bike Minimalism awards have been announced. I want to thank Mikko for putting this together. I’m honored to be in the list and stoked for all the companies involved! Check out the 2012 Bike Minimalism Awards here!

Megadelux Interviews Ian Sutton of Icarus Frames

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Here’s something unrelated to bikes but related to frame builders. I shot some photos last week of Ian from Icarus Frame‘s recently completed Triumph moto for Megadelux. His interview is now live on their site, so head over and check it out! Usually, I sway from moto content but a lot of people expressed interest in seeing more shots of this beast when I posted my Recent Roll photos earlier this month.

Recent Roll: Of Usability and Accuracy

When I buy a new camera, I like to use the weeks spent here in Austin to work out its nuances and familiarize myself with its basic operations. There’s nothing worse than missing a shot because you’re fumbling with the lens, or trying to be sharp with focus. A rangefinder is still new to me, having used SLRs more, I’m used to seeing through the lens for focus. You set up your shot, make focus and what you see is what you get. But not with a rangefinder.

I’m much faster this way and yet there’s something about the ergonomics of the smaller, rangefinder body that makes the learning curve very shallow. After two rolls, the camera feels better in my hands. The lenses move with ease and I don’t second guess myself. I’m planning a big trip in March and this will be my primary camera of choice, along with the Hasselblad.

But first, I have to get this camera’s use dialed in. So I shoot what I know. Faces, favorite places and subjects that I’m comfortable with. Because when you shoot a photo of even the simplest thing with a Leica, it just looks so good. Now if I can just get some decent panning shots!

See more in the gallery.

Recent Roll: Hawaiian #Naturevibes

Over the past few weeks, I hadn’t had much time to get out and shoot with the Hasselblad, so when we went to Hawaii to see Lauren’s parents for the Holidays, I made sure to bring it. Like the digital Gallery, there are no bikes here, just #naturvibes. Enjoy!

PiNP 2012: A Year in 55 Photos

In 2012, PiNP’s content was like a pinball machine. It seemed like every other month, I’d find myself in another city. Some familiar, some new, but I traveled everywhere with my bike and camera in hand, ready to see what was out there. Throughout these travels, I formed a lot of strong friendships with a lot of incredible people. Some of which have become my best of friends. We rode hard, we partied harder and somehow, I managed to keep the year in focus.

Here’s the PiNP 2012: A Year in 55 Photos…

Happy New Year

It’s a New Year and while you’re making your resolutions, remember you can always ride more. For 2013, I’ll be focusing more on what you want to see, just like in years past. Over on the PiNP Facebook, a good discussion is brewing about the site’s content and honestly, I agree with most of it. The new year is a great time to set goals and to reflect on the previous year. I always want the readers to have a voice in the content I provide here.

So far, all the feedback makes sense. PiNP has always been a cycling blog that has always posted about all forms of cycling. During cross season, there will always be more cyclocross videos and photos. Sometimes there will be a lull in fixed freestyle videos and photos, or track bike videos. But just because I haven’t posted about them for a day or two, doesn’t mean they’re falling off. I’ll never post a video for the sake of posting one. With only 10 posts on the front page, I have to be mindful of what’s presented on the site.

I’d also like to thank the advertisers. Without their support, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do. I know ads are a sensitive subject, but most media survives on them. Look at magazines, or television. I pay for everything out of pocket and supporters of PiNP make that a possibility. I’ll never have pop-ups or annoying gifs, or anything that distracts you from the content. And unlike other sites, I do not take money to post videos or products. I always try to be fair to the readers.

This isn’t meant to be defensive, I just want to use this opportunity to say that I care about what you guys want to see. It’s my job! This year, I’ll continue to listen, so email, comment or submit. If you have thoughts, either hit up the Facebook thread or leave a comment below.

I hope to meet more of you this year! Thanks and don’t forget to ride!

Hawaiian Holidays

Today is our last day in Hawaii visiting Lauren’s family. Her parents have lived on Kaua’i for eight years and they aren’t lying when they say that they’ve done everything there is to do here. Truth be told, over these past two visits, I believe we can check most of it off the list as well.

This trip was very relaxing. We had no great plans, no itinerary and best of all, no expectations. I will say though, my last-minute decision to not bring my cross bike was a horrible idea. Turns out “it’s been raining all day” translates to a shower here and there, for five minutes. The next time we come here, I’m definitely bringing a bike!

I’ve compiled some photos from our ten days on Kaua’i. Don’t expect any bikes, just lots of #Naturevibes. The highlight was having access to the nesting Albatross… Enjoy the weekend!

In Hawaii for the Holidays

This week, I’m in Kaua’i visiting Lauren’s parents for the holidays. I’ll still be posting (mostly this time of day) but since this is a family vacation, my days will be spent hiking and doing tourist stuff, not sitting at the computer.

I’ll be posting photos up at my Flickr periodically and on Instagram, so check them out and I hope everyone has plenty of time to spend with friends and family.

2012 BikeMinimalism Awards

The guys at BikeMinimalism posted a ten part survey for their 2012 Awards. Head on over and cast your vote.

Recent Roll: Test Roll Contax G2

I recently got a screaming deal on a Contax G2 with the Zeiss 45mm and 28mm lenses. The 45mm is arguably the best piece of glass, ever and the Contax G2 has been hailed as the best rangefinder ever, even beating out the Leica models (so they say).

While some will argue a rangefinder should be MF, I kind of enjoy the AF. Once the camera came in, I headed out into the night to capture some of the vibes on the East Side of Austin. Later, I brought it to Colorado Bend State Park on a day trip with my parents, who were visiting from North Carolina. The results from my first test roll of 3200 Delta black and white resonated through my scanner yesterday.

Check out some wonderful randomness in the Gallery and I can’t wait to shoot more with this camer.