punks rock.

bullshitting today at the bike shop, where i'm working a few odd days a week to slow the draining of my checking account, Allan Dias came up. Allan Dias the bike mechanic...or if you prefer, Allan Dias the bassist for PiL. This guy. The one in the middle.



His is a pretty interesting story. What no one at the shop seems to know is what exactly happened to him--musically. apparently he wrote and produced much of PiL's music while he was with them, and so it's a bit hard to understand his just dropping out. i'd definitely like to get to the bottom of it, but i can't imagine i ever will. In talking about it, and scouring the internet for pictures, video and the like--i came across this gem. gotta love johnny rotten. in the whole process i rediscovered a band i really like, which for me is the best part of the story.



fuck tom snyder. how do you host johnny rotten on your talk show, and have no idea what you're in for? enjoy.

some kind of human loser...

i like bikes. i like my bikes. i like to ride them, so i really like it when they have two wheels. one of my bikes, sadly, has only one. i might feel a bit better about it if the wheel had been stolen--the problem is i'm just not sure what happened to it. i could easily have left it leaning against my car in one of the many times i've given that bike a ride instead of the other way around. all i know is, i've got three bikes--and only five wheels.



i love kids in the hall but i found this video via trackstar

oh and...one more.

woah.

so, as far as bikes go...i really missed the boat on this. Alta was a new project about four years back. i don't really think that's the point though...it's the advertising images that have captured me. things that don't look right--done right--often look...well, kinda neat. taking the time to make the impossible possible is a noble endeavor. this pursuit of what if is one way to retain your childlike sense of wonder...and i respond with a smile everytime i see it.



kinda reminds you of the triplets of belleville, no?

as good as it gets.

i fucking love maryland. it's been a while since i've been back for a visit...so perhaps i had forgotten that. i got a healthy dose this weekend. full of riding, scenery, tasty beer and food, good company, and ton's of laughter. by far the most epic and photo-documented element was sunday's ride. i think my pictures tell it better than my words can.


spoke cards, liquor, and organization courtesy of james.










via single speed outlaw

seriously.

it doesn't take much more than awareness--so think twice, which is a pretty good rule for just about everything.



via snob

…why is it that folks don’t like cops again?

a repost from ride lugged.



you can like or dislike critical mass...but regular people go jail for shit like that.

what the fuck?
what the gothamist?
what the snob?

dope.

finnish people really do know what's up...design wise anyway. checkit.



this was one of the most striking, but it's not my favorite.

via prolly

too lazy to ride a bike?

don't sweat it, big brother has you covered...and by that i mean google. i've got very mixed feelings about this latest google maps/street view toy. on one hand it's encouraging. google continues to offer more cool and useful things aimed at the relatively internet savvy american. which is good, at least until they set their sights on something a bit more sinister than world information domination. on the other hand it feels a lot like second life...and by that i mean that i mean virtual lameness. it feeds the idealistic inkling we are given as we're growing up. you've probably heard it a hundred or so times, "you can be anything you want". regardless of what precedes or follows to qualify it, you eventually grow up to find out that line simply isn't true. at least least not in the literal sense. go play...



...or better yet, go ride.

oh baby i like it raw...

i've been riding a ton lately, like a few hours every day, and i'm not sure quite why. maybe i'm trying to make up for the race i missed last weekend (my car and i are still in the process of making up). maybe i've found a once lost bottomless pit of energy and motivation. maybe i'm just in that kinda mood...like a junkie for pedaling.



my. hands. are. raw.

i don't mind one bit.

virkistävä...

i don't often get to ride in the rain.

it's bad for the trails. so, if it's raining or been raining--i'll opt for the road bike. yesterday, about ten minutes into my ride, it started like cats and dogs. for a moment i thought about turning around, ending my ride prematurely. i didn't. i think i made the right decision. i managed to lose myself a bit more than usual--which is a major reason i ride to begin with. a cool refreshing brush with branches every so often--heavy with refreshing rain drops. the challenge of extra slickery roots and rocks. it was mucky, dirty, and delicious.

it reminded me just how good it can be.

vertigo

i'm pretty geeky about bikes. recovering, but geeky none the less. it's ok, i'm not embarrassed to say it. NAHBS, as it's abbreviated (north american handmade bike show), was held in portland last weekend. i don't need much of an excuse to scour the internet for pictures of bike related anything, a trade show is more than enough--nevermind a trade show that's focused on more unique, more well-made, more beautiful bikes. so scour i did...only it wasn't the same...less oohs, less ahhs. not that i was disappointed, just focused. i was intent on finding any and all coverage to be had on Vertigo Cycles. 

about a year ago a friend of mine decided it was the right time to make a dream come true. his dream of making titanium bikes, for a living. knowing it wouldn't be easy, make him rich, or leave him with all that much free time...he did it anyway. i can't think of another person i know more apt to make bikes, and make them well. it makes me feel so. 

proud is probably the word i'm looking for. proud and maybe also envious. i'm proud of how far Sean has come in year of building frames, and envious that i'm not welding frames in my garage.