PROLLY IS NOT PROBABLY

Recent Roll: Cali is Not California™

While I was in California last month, I worked on a few pieces for the Rapha blog, loosely-related to the Amgen Tour of California, with emphasis on loosely. You’re not going to see any pain face pros, just Regular Riders who we met along our trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco. There’s more on the way, but here’s the first edition of Cali is Not California™!

I’m not the best raconteur but Jeremy Dunn is and he did an exceptional job at profiling some of the people we surveyed, so do yourself a favor and check it out at the Rapha Blog!

Tools of the trade:
Mamiya 7ii / 80mm
Kodak Portra 400

Recent Roll: Luke’s Surgery Benefit Alleycat

A lot of people showed up. So many that they ran out of packages and manifests.

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

Recent Roll: Day Trip Date

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

Recent Roll: Local Access Only in Melbourne

This is that moment where you wake up with the sunrise and spend the first 30 miles chasing riders who are stronger than you.

“Local access only” is not to be confused with “locals only”. If there’s one thing to be said about Australians its that they love to show visitors how great their land is. Land is something that’s very ethereal these days. Tourism changes the way one interacts or engages with a place. For example, a surfer would have a very similar experience as a cyclist in Australia but a businessman or businesswoman might have a different perspective altogether.

As cyclists, we look for the most anti-social areas to socialize. No one wants to chat on a busy street. #NotBeachRd. We look at cities differently and while many people prefer the beaten path, some head out down roads with no KOM, no segments and no social scene. I’ve been very blessed to be given such a unique view of Victoria and over the years have met some great guides.

This roll of film was lost. Ok, not lost, just in the bottom of my film container in the fridge. It contains some moments from rides, a Black Breath show in Melbourne and some other randomness. Check out the narrated photos for the full story.

Tools of the trade:
Yashica T4
Fuji Pro400h

May Your Weekend Be Rad

KyleTexas-26

KyleTexas-33

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

Recent Roll: Garrett Chow and His FEA Specialized Venge

Recent Roll: Garrett Chow and His FEA Analysis Specialized Venge

I’m still filing through all of my film photos from the 2013 ATOC but wanted to share with you a few showcasing Garrett Chow and his own FEA-inspired Specialized Venge. Without going too much into what an FEA model is, or Finite Element Analysis, I’ll give you a basic rundown. In a 3D software like Solidworks, an FEA charts the areas of high-stress or load. FEA readouts are essential when prototyping a new frame or component. They allow the designer and the engineer to address areas of high stress.

On a bicycle, these areas tend to be in the bottom bracket, seat mast or seat tube extension and the end of the forks. Garrett used the FEA diagram to become a literal paint sceme on his bike. Some areas have clear lines of demarcation, while others are almost faded into each other. It’s a truly incredible paintjob and the whole time we were walking around the San Jose stage of the ATOC, people were literally picking their jaws up off the ground.

I shot a few portrait-style photos with Garrett on his bike and maybe one day I’ll end up shooting it in more depth, but for now, check out a few more below.

Tools of the trade:
Mamiya 7ii / 80mm
Kodak Portra 400

Recent Roll: Get Out This Weekend

ChrisGSC
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

Recent Roll: Not All of China Was Terrible to Ride In

Autosave-File vom d-lab2/3 der AgfaPhoto GmbH

Here’s a photo of Jeff from Factory 5 riding down an open road somewhere west of Shanghai. After all the smog (which is still visible in the background), trash and shitty roads, sections like this were a gem… I’m ramping up to my book release and gallery show in SF on June 15th. More details to come.

Tools of the trade:
Yashica T4
Neopan 400

Recent Roll: Marc and His Team Chica Sexy LOW MKII Track Bike

Andrew Low has been working on a prototype track frame unlike any of his other bikes. These frames are simply put: team-edition racing machines. Some details are consistant with his other bikes, while others are not. Marc’s LOW is one of four in existence, being raced by Team Chica Sexy in SF. The geometry is true track, with steep angles, a short wheelbase and an aggressive saddle to bar drop. You can barely see the compact geometry in these photos but the top tube does indeed slope back.

Marc brought this bike out one of the last days I was in SF so I could shoot photos of it and from what I can tell over on the LOW Instagram, these are getting closer to production…

Tools of the trade:
Mamiya 7ii / 80mm
Kodak Portra 400