Boss got a bike

I always find it strange when people talk about how long they have been riding bikes because, I always figured, everyone learns to ride a bike when they are a kid. I can see asking more specific questions like "How long have you been riding a track bike?" or "How long have you been commuting by bike?" as understandable because those aren't things that we take for granted. I was shocked when my boss told me that he hasn't ridden a bike in over 4 years because he seemed like the type that would ride sometimes. Recently he'd been asking me more and more about bikes and then he told me that he was planning on buying one. I really envied him because he was going to go through all the fun of waiting until it finally got there and that feeling is something unto itself. There's always a little bit of disappointment when you finally get what you have been waiting for but it disipates quickly when you hop on and ride. He picked it up from the local shop and was ready to go instantly, even bought a helmet. He called me up and we worked out a meeting point. He had bought a 2009 Giant seek which seems like a pretty cool bike and looks like a sturdy. I know that $600 in the cycling world is a drop in the bucket for some but to a regular person you always want to get your moneys worth. We stopped for a beer and got to do the "let's look over this bad motha!" tough guy thing. I felt like he had the hood up and we were getting the IROC ready for a trip to jersey to pick up hair spray girls. We were being tough. We headed down to the river and talked some more about biking and how it doesn't get easier because the more you do it the further you want to ride.

VH1

A ride to remember

Another night and I wanted beer, as I was on my way home, because the train was so crowded and everybody was very stinky. I wasn't stinky because, as one is in one's own mind, I'm not lumped in with everyone else. I got off the train a stop early to grab a cold one and make my way to the bike shop where my wheel was being repaired and my seat nut stem fudge thing is on order. Turns out they forgot to fix my wheel and my seat nut is "on the way" which is when I held it all in and told them it was cool. Enter the son who, upon seeing me, grabs, incorrectly, a carbon wheel from the building rack and apologizes. I tell him I am happy to even be let in the shop and he gets to work on my wheel. I wish it were the carbon but the lurker says you'll get hit by lightning if you ride them so it must be true. I looked through the hat bin and head off to grab some more beers. I grabbed the recent release, without meaning, lager for the guy who is truing the wheel and head back. I pass him the beer and, being Japanese, he dis acknowledges them. He goes on and on about the wheel as I listen and wonder about some of the vocabulary. I asked him a couple of times and they, the father, mother and son laugh because the onomatopoeia are killing me. I left with a new quick step cycling cap and a free wheel true true method man. My pension will buy a frame from that store. so happy that I bought the brooks there. Then I was at home. I was on on my way to place where people shouldn't ride bikes and that is way further away from the place where people shouldn't drive cars, yet they do more than we do. After a beer and a tyre replacement, the good Dr. needed a new skin, we were on our way. to the ends of sanity. Where we all wear north face and devour human souls!!!!!!! Or at least where we all have expensive bikes Christ like balance while emitting a beep beep beep stylistic like " I remember 10 years ago" massage to your senses. So we took group photos that made about as much sense as the previous sentence. I took a sick pleasure in calling them all together for more and more group pics. They were all so happy to do it, likes Nazis to kill or Italians to eat pasta, they crammed themselves in again and again to have their picture taken. and again I hope you note, if it's published, that the good Dr. held up my steed in the rear for all the pics that he could. Then I went for another beer and the bike tried to kill a Run dmc inspired Christmas tree After that we, the royal one, returned to where the ride had begun. I found a wheel and a shirt, panicked that thieves might come so I tried to find the owner. After calls and riding I remembered that, being Japan, you can leave wheels and shirts laying around because it's safe. Thank you for how safe this country is and have a merry Christmas. I wish I could bring the benefits of CA and JP together so we could have great beer, food and outdoor contests of strength that end in great food and beer. At home yet home sick.

SNOW!!!!

you'd think everyone around here had an extra chromosome with the way drivers were acting on the roads yesterday. ridiculous. fun ride regardless, though verrrrry slow. 15 cm yesterday, although today was sunny, but the flurries have already begun and they're talking 15-20 (depending on proximity to and position around the lake) overnight/tomorrow morning. the photo's not mine, but it's a good one - this isn't dawn or dusk, but midday at king and bay. so much for the sun...

Another dimesnion of riding

On the way to work today I had a very fun and interesting experience where several worlds crossed, linked and fled. I was coming up to the best scariest part of the ride where traffic jam meets hill and bus lane when I noticed a starbucks goer mount his sidewalk locked fixed bike and begin to pedal. Imagine worrying about a fart whilst riding public transit and that will give you an indication of about how much thought I gave him. I got caught at light where I was forced to notice the dollar value of yet another kind of bike rider that has more money than me. The road rider or fxxk head as I have come to know them. The evil scowl tucked under a $300 helmet as they click in and check their eye pods to make sure their rolling stones are rolling. I knew the roader would take off and leave me wondering why I hadn't invested in more than cut off dickies on this frigid 16 degree morning but he didn't..... he waited for what seemed like a female orgasm, mythically long, and then the fixed gear rider pulled off of the sidewalk in front of us. He rode the road. I have seen many a thing during my commute but a fixed rider on the road, in the morning, pedalling blew me away. I guess he felt the same kind " I am fxxked now, shit son" feeling because he began to pedal backwards and skid and fishtail and skid and check coffee and skid. The road rider held and held and held so I figured they both were retarded and passed and passed. I gave the fixed rider a "why the hell did you even bother trying to ride on the road" type look and then I heard a scary guttural challenge uttered from behind, not without comedy. I had that monster from the closet is chasing me feeling and didn't want to look back until the road guy expensive bike rider passed me shouting, in English, ATTACK! We road to the top of the hill and kept going throught the city. We talked and he was a funny fxxker because we live near to each other and he kept telling about how far I ride. I liked trying to keep up with him and he liked talking so it was great till we hit the core and split off. At that point in my day I didn't know that the best thing ever was waiting at home. The lurker had picked this up and gave it to me as a present. I had no idea what to make of it so I decided to slay a dragon with it and the dragon turned out to be beer despite having to work early tomorrow. The tool can adjust anything on a bike and even turn into a bikestand!!!!! I will scan and save the details later but that's not all! It can be used by ninjas as weapons! Oh, how they fought! But this is a truly special post because this is post where I finally reveal the lurker to you all, as in gee. This is the post where you can lay eyes upon the the pure nakedness of the LURKER>>>>>>>>>>>

Goals: Putting it off

After firimly setting my sights on completing a metric century on my panasonic this Friday I ran into a tiny disaster while adjusting my saddle. A spring like metal shaving fell the the floor and my seat pin slid easily out coaxed by the slight magnetic charged tip of the screw driver. An expletive was uddered under my breath, the little on was within ear shot, and I knew I would be off to several stores. Seo, the closest shop tried hard but couldn't come up with the part and they aren't a Panasonic dealer so the order would take a while. My trip to the hardware store ended fruitlessly and I only, like princess leia, only had one hope left. It was off to Jingane to see what they had. As it turns out that nut is proprietary and will take a week. Expletive beer return to shop. The younger of the older guys is there and gives me an earful about not being around the neighbourhood anymore and that he had a present for the young one. The present is a new BMX for little kids that he can ride when he gets a little bigger. I was happy to take it off their hands for free since we just had to pay $45 to throw away 2 TVs. I am still heading out tonight but the lurker is going to ride solo and I will be riding my commuter. If I can pull 100 tonight and then commute the next six days in a row I will be able to justify cycling shorts to myself for X mas. Sometimes my groin hates and throbs through out the night.

No rain no rainbow

We have been having some really poor weather lately with lows nearing 15 celcius. Last night was probably the coldest ride home so far this year because I actually had to wear my jacket and second guessed my decision to ride to work in shorts. Once I was on my way I was alright and with a quick stop to have a beer and take in Tokyo tower I was feeling alright. This morning is another story, though, as it's pouring rain and I don't feel like getting sick before this weekend, going after a straight metric century. I will take the day off my bike and do the ride and read warm train. I don't ride to work because I have something to prove but because I honestly enjoy it. The people around me complain about the train, traffic, crowding etc. and I still have arm tan and under eye sunburn. Sure, they laugh at me when I have deep red line around my forehead from my helmet hat combo but they also complain about their weight and how lethargic they feel in the same breath. Morning wood at 30 should never be taken for granted and is seldom neglected in this, the nether, region. I posted a picture of some bike stuff just because I liked it and always remember to ride both bikes with the occasional dose of BMX in there. Maybe it's dorky (no doubt in my mind that it is) to have 2 panansonic cycling hats because they are the same brand as my frame when I should be wearing a campy or something for fashion but I don't care. Winter in Tokyo is Indian summer in Ontario and I don't take that for granted, over 400kms since the 8th of this month and I work full time.

Ride report; meeting people

On Saturday I had to go into work because we were holding a party for the clients at our branch and the staff is remarkably useless in those kinds of situations. The clients pay and teachers stay to have a few drinks and talk while the staff walks around being generally useless. I was going to take Saturday of but instead I was on bike to work at 10am. After the party there was some leftover beer that fell into my bag and started weighing me down on the trip home so I started looking for a spot where I could dispose of it. I took a quick detour to a park where you can find a lot bikers, skaters and people there to hang out. I was surprised to find so many people there at that time. There was a group riding fixed gear bikes and they were quite friendly. I talked with them and I got to ride two of their bikes. I think one was a brooklyn machine works which was pretty fun. It was like a commuter that could do bar spins. I am not really into tricks, at all really, but those guys were having fun and taking advantage of the unusually warm night. I have to give people props for getting out there and riding while other people lay around the house wondering if the gym is crowded. Maybe I should try and make it back there to ride with those guys some day. Thanks to Sven for sending the pictures.

Ramsberger sez:

this is just straight up dope.

got it from ecovelo.

New Yorker cover

this caught my eye in the mailbox yesterday. i like it. santa in a bike trailer. the wave of the future i say, the wave of the future...

I should have gone riding tonight

CadelGay De France Interview on Versus - How annoying was that to watch? It's worse than riding by the porches dealership everyday. The have some sort of moots comooter in the window that, I guess, comes free with every Porsche you buy. Not getting into it. This on the other hand is pure class and just goes to show how self righteous black people are. Don't be some flunky drop out rapper or a ambivalent pro golfer when you can be the president of the area between Canada and Corona land. Sure Michael Jordan may have shown kids the road to the devil but at least he, in my estimation, thought a stand alone Cadillac was worth something. These guys, however, don't. I guess a caddy ain't ish if it doesn't have dayton rims. I sure hope Tiger Woods doesn't make his Caddies carry 20 inch (50.8 cm CDN) rims while he is lugging his ultra lightweight nike golf bag around.

winter comes to hogtown

bad play on the title of an even worse movie - the point is, last week, the temperature was at -9, there was a blizzard thet i had to ride home in, and snow is still on the ground. it has warmed up considerably, and this week temps are supposed to hover around 3, mainly rainy. while we're definitely not in the grips of winter yet, it has shown it's face, and so have the bad drivers, who seem to forget how to drive in wet, snowy, icy conditions EVERY year. i now realize why - when you are in a car, the environment is always the same - the car feels the same, until you hit black ice and you're spinning out of control and have no idea what to do. however, on a bike, you are part of the environment, and any difference in rtoad conditions immediately affects the course of your ride. wet roads cause wet feet and, if you don't have fenders, a big dirty strip up your ass. snowy, icy roads immediately cause a cyclist to slow down, otherwise, you're going to go down.....hard. your bike responds immediately and often harshly to the weather conditions, and you as a PART of your bike, must react accordingly. and a good cyclist will anticipate rather than react. to make a long post even longer, i wanted to share this comic strip that was going through my head the whole ride home in the blizzard. i saw many drivers faces twisted and squinting, and a disturbingly larger amount completely complacent and blank, as if nothing outside had changed. and i noticed that the whole ride home i was smiling.
taken from Rick Smith's awesome daily strip yehuda moon & the kickstand cyclery. i highly recommend it, and there's almost a year's worth of archives to read on the cold days ahead. one of the first things i check every morning with my tea...

Gone Fishin

I think that this may have been posted before but nevertheless here it is. This video is fun because, no matter what kind of bike you ride, this makes you want to go and ride. We might only have a handful of days left before the weather isn't as pleasant as it has been but riding through the winter always makes Spring better. I would rather ride in the cold and rain than take months off only to return to the saddle bloated and lifeless. I had some time so I checked other blogs that might have something to do with cycling and I came across this I took my bike out for a spin for the first time in 08. It was a nice little boot. Got some errands done and ran into an ol’ buddy of mine which got me thinking which is a quote from a March 31st post. I guess livng in Canada can be tough and biking through the winter may be one of the slushier hardships that we have to deal with BUT staying off your bike until April! It sounds as though someone didn't wanna get their girl jeans all gross and salty. But I live in Tokyo and winter here is a prolonged Indian summer so I guess I don't have much to say.

Get the FXXK away from my bike!

In spirit of protecting our bikes I think that we need to come together and set aside our differences once and for all. If we all realize that there is only one common enemy in the fight against bike theft and work to rid ourselves of him, and her, forever. Yes, that enemy is the the GTFAFMB hippy. Setting: Streets of the city that you live in. Scenario: Whilst leaving a convenience store, where you were purchased some juiced to offer the gods of re hydration, you happen upon a hippy and his overweight companion pouring over your bike as some unshaven college intern fumbles with the manual focus on a Canon GL1 that has seen better days. You question the hippy as to his motives and he explains how he is making a video of how easy it would be to steal your bike. Naturally the GTFAFMB lump rises in your throat, as you have had several bike parts stolen to date, and you to the hippy to kindly fuck off and go film women walking home at night. A dim black light bulb appears above the hippy's head as realizes there are several other video he can make and all would have the "blame the victim" thread in common. He saunters off leaving the intern, who will later become the fat girls sustenance because she lent her last $10 to the hippy, and you unlock your bike but not before looking over your shoulder several times. I actually thought that GTFAFMB should be GTFAFMBYFH but the "you fxxking hippy" seems a little redundant. Besides getting away from some body's bike shouldn't be limited to hippys. To date the same hippy has made seven other short movies all with a different intern. They are as follows:
Children that would be easy to kidnap
Stores that are easy to rob
Old people that are a cinch to push down
Sofas that are easy to crash on
Gullible teenagers who buy shake
Interns who think filming me will lead to a job( still in production)
Cars that are easy to steal

No handlebars

This was one of things we watched while drinking the other night and, while slandering it, I swore I would even remember it becuase it was lame. I guess I just don't think that anyone is really going to do anything positive through hip hop or grafitti, I said it. Sure people, like me, will hear it but how many will take time out the daily grind to care. Besides, rage against the machine was 15 years ago and they didn't have an impact so why would this band?

not bike related

but a clarification:

I felt wrong

for skipping out on the Friday night ride. Not because I felt obligated or that I didn't want to ride, because it's always an epic time, but because Julien was so much fun. He was the funniuest thing I've since the blues brothers. The Dr. is in surgery and the lurker( see previously attempted post) came over so we searched bike stuff and got beer. I shot a polaroid and he scrammed. I guess it would be wierd to head over to your friends house and watch Rasmussen videos while the silently prepped a polaroid camera and lighting. Kayo insists the gee made the suspiria t-shirt and didn't buy it.

Another year and 200% up in the friend factor

which is a msileading title to a post because, by most people's reasoning, I should have a boat load of friends and like minded thinkers waiting in the wings. To break it down real clear and slow for ya I am gonna fight through the haze between the keyboard and me i.e. beer. The only thing I have to get off my chest a.s.a.p. is that I hate cyclists coming the wrong way in the lane whelst checking/writing a text message.

Now on to the Veloween, Haloween or make up wearing gay night with a BORG that encouraged the race to pace to hasten by insisiting that we use his bike with cat speedometer meow mix. Last year A2C and I rode on Haloween and only he had done the zombie make up thing. This year it was four people, two of us with zombie make up and a mind for the exorcising. Push pedal go!!!!!!!!!!!!! We met up and the smoking lurker seemed a little less than happy that I had, despit making ads and posting them on the interweb, only come up with two other riders. I need to re check this post tomorrow because I just went to the store and bought more beer. The lurker, himself, just showed up and this post is getting harder and harder to finish. To give the reader a timeline this post started at the end of world war two and I am typing this line when microwaves were invented. In the interest of holding interest, interested yet? I am going to post random pictures from the ride and hope that I get the captions right. A2C and his friend that he hasn't seen in two years. some crimes. why haven't you called or hung or hung out with me? MJS crew did wheelies and let me ride their bikes, which was fun because mine is sooooo high performance it's tiring. You can find these guys on

new gear/halloween recap

well, it's raining here and my day off, and i realize this post is a little light in the loafer, but i feel like a schlub for not really contributing anything on here. life goes on here, as expected - biking everyday, adding a layer of clothing as the weeks fall off the calendar, and a few small purchases to upgrade the bikikle.

MKS touring pedals, i'm in love:

a new rear rim (after the old one was unceremoniously warped by a completely clueless ancient yp driver in a minivan who believes that you don't have to look at oncoming traffic while making a left hand turn through an intersection. tarded):
$100 was demanded and recieved, as i was certain i was going to have to purchase a whole new wheel. but polly, my bike guy and the one who i bought the original wheel from, offered to rebuild the wheel using the same hub and spokes and putting a new rim on, for just the cost of the rim (no labour) - $20. so i made $80 on that one. last time an asian struck me, i was travelling by a different mode, but i made $60, so by that logic, the next time, i should make out with a clean $100.

well, that's it, except for a few leftover shots from halloween:

my jack menacing byn'sme, on the 1st annual dusk till dawn horror-thon party evening.

same nite.

saaaaaame niiiiite....unnnnnhhhhh.

walking to the halloween party. me on the right. dead presidents? what!

at the party, with amy.

Sorry

I guess it's that time of year when we all decide that it is far too cold to do anything outside of the house and all the leaves have been raked up, son. I have been riding my bike. That's pretty much all I have to report on because everything else is in the news. Company is going down, possible job cuts, Obama is president, we have watched Twin peaks from open till close and Julien shows no signs of stopping. I have been riding and I alone am, more than a little, disconcerted at how much I have changed. I haven't though no matter how many times I watch this I always think I could facking kill him on the dead frame bike with a backpack on. Pinch cycle is back!

Vancouver

Working a dead end job gives you a lot of time to catch up on other things. Unfortunately, in my case, other things means youtube and season 3 of Dexter. I should be reading or studying or if all that falls through I could work. In my travels through the zeitgeist mind of youtube I came across this video. After all the riding I've done this year I feel I have earned my membership in the friendship circle of cyclists and cats. I have no idea what that means but it could mean another beer and I'll be riding more BMX in the back parking lot.

nuit blanche

supposed to be an all night art event, but ended up being more of a bike around town for 5 hours, punctuated by various stops for bevvies in parks. good times, and probably better than the originally intended event. got home at 5 am, slept in, and tired for the next day or two...but worth it.
wish you were here...

street art

2 blocks from my house.

Forsaken

Who knows why but after a summer of riding and hating the rain we threw in the towel on a night of pleasure pedals for cans of beer due to the wind. What a freaking lame excuse we pulled out but it was the best we could do. I guess most cyclists would look down on the lurker and me for not feeling like riding after commuting by bike all week in piss poor rainy conditions then trashing a breezy Friday night ride for piss, in a can. yet we did so like it or lump it. After several beers and few arguments we headed over to the trendier sites that offer fashion sense over riding and felt upon the vimeo links. I'm not sure what vimeo is but I am dead sure it doesn't have Urkel dance links. There we found people doing stuff on bikes that we both laughed at and then claimed we could do. To those guyses dismay we found out we could do their tricks and to our dismay we had fun doing it. Thus.........the no hand skid whilst drinking a beer. We went through 3 beers taking this.

Zombies abound

Here it is. The second installment of the pre scary night ride. I have no idea how many people will show up and I myself will be surprised if it actually happens but a boy can dream.

idle days

The sign has a list of rules to follow while you are in the parking of 711. Most of them are common sense and you would follow them whether they were posted or not. Making noise for example. How many people do you know go to a 711 in the suburbs late at night and start screaming or setting off fireworks? Not too many I hope. We had our post ride beer and laughed at how it would be fun to adjust the sign with lewd comments or change the pictures etc. The background music to our conversation was the loud idling of a truck while the driver was inside slaving over the microwaves provided to make his supper. He must have been rick to let a behemoth of a vehicle like that run unattended because gas prices are getting higher and higher everyday. After preparing his tasty cup noodle and sticky rice he came out to chow down while sitting in the driver's seat. I half expected him to have a beer with his meal because he seemed like the kind of person who wasn't content with just breaking one rule. We continued talking about how it would best if we did a 100km ride before November so we would be in shape for the winter to come.


After ditching our juice bottles and cans we decided to head to out to around the neighbourhood to see if there were any other interesting things around. It was then that we noticed that Goldilocks had thought it best to have a little post nosh nap. At this point in time the truck had been running for just under an hour. Sweet. With all the ECO life and save the world garbage floating around in the media today I was glad to see that not everybody is buying the hype.