We stopped for air on campus.
Later, we rode in an elevator...
...to the roof of a parking garage.
Might make a thing of it.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
bike club
Went on a little ride around town with friends last night.
We stopped for air on campus.
Later, we rode in an elevator...
...to the roof of a parking garage.
Might make a thing of it.
We stopped for air on campus.Later, we rode in an elevator......to the roof of a parking garage.Might make a thing of it.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
the last day
My last day at Pedaller's Express was pretty fun. I needed to make some equipment substitutions, but it didn't rain and I was on time.
Arriving at the Weekly office with other PedEx-ers, pre-dawn. Dana's on Long Haul #2 for a.m./p.m., Ja's using the Tri-Hauler for the campus route, and I'm on Black Beauty with a trailer for downtown/Whiteaker. Numbers vary every week based on special events and such, but we deliver about 8,000 copies between the three routes.
Signing off bundles for the first of three legs (50 papers per bundle; in this case, 1,875 papers). The first leg of my route is the heaviest. It hits the bus station and the bars right off the bat.
Click the photo to enlarge. You'll see the kid on the left's sign reads "JUST CLOWNIN AROUND." He was standing outside the Hilton on 6th & Oak, wearing a clown nose, in full hobo-chic. At eight in the morning. On new year's eve. Love this town.
Scrawlings on the periodicals rack at the Red Barn on 4th & Blair. I like the first half better and try to read it every time I stop there.
Last visit to Eugene Fastener. I'll really miss their impeccable service. If you ever need a nut, bolt, etc., go there. Or go if you work in retail and would like to be inspired.
"Hey, are you gathering firewood on your bicycle? Can I take your picture?" She just laughed. Be this woman and know goodness.
Final assignment was to take the little Swift Folder and the huge ten-foot trailer to pick up three 4x8-foot sheets of 3/4-inch plywood. Pretty fun. The worker who brought it out on a forklift and helped me strap it down couldn't stop saying "sweet!"
Bikes of Eugene:
Spotted outside Farmer's Union, 5th & Olive. Very interesting: BMX frame, coaster brake, suspension fork, super-tall seatpost, stem, handlebars. Tape everywhere. No lock.
Outside Grower's Market, Amtrak parking lot. Really old Schwinn with many original parts. Smashed but probably semi-functional basket. Unembarrassed.
Finally, a couple fun videos:
Andrew's practical, comfy fixed gear. Note handy basket and high handlebars. Love the flag (his truck bears the American stars and stripes).
Tom's ski bike. This man lives other people's dreams.
Arriving at the Weekly office with other PedEx-ers, pre-dawn. Dana's on Long Haul #2 for a.m./p.m., Ja's using the Tri-Hauler for the campus route, and I'm on Black Beauty with a trailer for downtown/Whiteaker. Numbers vary every week based on special events and such, but we deliver about 8,000 copies between the three routes.
Signing off bundles for the first of three legs (50 papers per bundle; in this case, 1,875 papers). The first leg of my route is the heaviest. It hits the bus station and the bars right off the bat.
Click the photo to enlarge. You'll see the kid on the left's sign reads "JUST CLOWNIN AROUND." He was standing outside the Hilton on 6th & Oak, wearing a clown nose, in full hobo-chic. At eight in the morning. On new year's eve. Love this town.
Scrawlings on the periodicals rack at the Red Barn on 4th & Blair. I like the first half better and try to read it every time I stop there.
Last visit to Eugene Fastener. I'll really miss their impeccable service. If you ever need a nut, bolt, etc., go there. Or go if you work in retail and would like to be inspired.
"Hey, are you gathering firewood on your bicycle? Can I take your picture?" She just laughed. Be this woman and know goodness.
Final assignment was to take the little Swift Folder and the huge ten-foot trailer to pick up three 4x8-foot sheets of 3/4-inch plywood. Pretty fun. The worker who brought it out on a forklift and helped me strap it down couldn't stop saying "sweet!"Bikes of Eugene:
Spotted outside Farmer's Union, 5th & Olive. Very interesting: BMX frame, coaster brake, suspension fork, super-tall seatpost, stem, handlebars. Tape everywhere. No lock.
Outside Grower's Market, Amtrak parking lot. Really old Schwinn with many original parts. Smashed but probably semi-functional basket. Unembarrassed.Finally, a couple fun videos:
Andrew's practical, comfy fixed gear. Note handy basket and high handlebars. Love the flag (his truck bears the American stars and stripes).
Tom's ski bike. This man lives other people's dreams.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
my bag runneth over
Today it became official. Wednesday is my last day at CAT. As we know, times are tough in America. Nothing personal. It's the economy, stupid.
So I made some preparations.
The food bank on 7th & Van Buren. Take a number, fill out a form, make anti-establishment chitchat with the other patrons. When they call you up, hand over the form, sign another one, and basically take as much food as you can carry.
On my way to University of Oregon Human Resources to pick up some applications, I stopped at the bookstore to chat with some friends. I met Gwen and her practical cruiser. Coaster brake, kickstand, chainguard, fenders, wide saddle, low top-tube, basket, comfy handlebars.
Also, neat skull accents:
So anyway,
this bag is full of stuff.
Including job applications.
And free food.
Cookies, granola, bratwurst, yogurt, bread, beans, peanut butter, beef stew, rice, beets, potatoes, canned salmon.
Not five loaves of bread and two fishes, but enough for five thousand men, beside women and children.
They might only touch the hem of a messenger bag: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.
So I made some preparations.
The food bank on 7th & Van Buren. Take a number, fill out a form, make anti-establishment chitchat with the other patrons. When they call you up, hand over the form, sign another one, and basically take as much food as you can carry.
On my way to University of Oregon Human Resources to pick up some applications, I stopped at the bookstore to chat with some friends. I met Gwen and her practical cruiser. Coaster brake, kickstand, chainguard, fenders, wide saddle, low top-tube, basket, comfy handlebars.Also, neat skull accents:
So anyway,
this bag is full of stuff.
Including job applications.
And free food.Cookies, granola, bratwurst, yogurt, bread, beans, peanut butter, beef stew, rice, beets, potatoes, canned salmon.
Not five loaves of bread and two fishes, but enough for five thousand men, beside women and children.
They might only touch the hem of a messenger bag: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
afterthoughts
Shots that didn't make it into other posts.
Thrifting with Nic, the Schwinn and the Rainbow @ Eugene Jeans. 13th & Oak.
He found this neat windbreaker.
Courtney's woodblock.
New coffee table book.
Hudson's garbage bike.
Sean's 75th Anniversary Puch. In the rain...
Thrifting with Nic, the Schwinn and the Rainbow @ Eugene Jeans. 13th & Oak.
He found this neat windbreaker.
Courtney's woodblock.
New coffee table book.
Hudson's garbage bike.
Sean's 75th Anniversary Puch. In the rain...
Thursday, December 25, 2008
moms are great
But a mom who reads your blog is greater.
She got me a bag. A sweet, huge, bag. I was actually surprised, even though I may have said something about needing a bigger bag in a previous post.
It's a Timbuk2 Classic Messenger X-Large. Much more affordable than the Seagull, and still holds a lot of stuff. The Seagull XL is 4,620 cubic inches. Timbuk2 is crafty about their bag volumes; they rate volume in TPRCV, or Toilet Paper Roll Capacity Value, and the dimensions are measured as the bag lays flat. My new bag is rated at 20 TPRCV.
To bridge the gap, I know my old Chrome Mini Metro is 1000 cu. in. and holds about five or six rolls.
The requisite "exploded view."
Top-left are bags of dried organic fruit from Hummingbird Wholesale to hand out on this day of giving: three pounds dried mangoes fillets (Mexico), three pounds dried nectarine halves (Washington), six pounds deglet noor dates (California). I had originally brought these in a big grocery bag.
The rest of the stuff had been in the orange backpack. Socks, razor, patchkit, multitool, minipump, Grado SR80 headphones (Thanks dad!), external hard drive, Campy coffee table book, Kesey novel (Thanks, Hudson!), laptop computer, mess of wire.
Everything fit in the bag, with room for a change of clothes and a towel. My brother had his own way of testing the capacity:
She got me a bag. A sweet, huge, bag. I was actually surprised, even though I may have said something about needing a bigger bag in a previous post.
It's a Timbuk2 Classic Messenger X-Large. Much more affordable than the Seagull, and still holds a lot of stuff. The Seagull XL is 4,620 cubic inches. Timbuk2 is crafty about their bag volumes; they rate volume in TPRCV, or Toilet Paper Roll Capacity Value, and the dimensions are measured as the bag lays flat. My new bag is rated at 20 TPRCV.To bridge the gap, I know my old Chrome Mini Metro is 1000 cu. in. and holds about five or six rolls.
The requisite "exploded view."Top-left are bags of dried organic fruit from Hummingbird Wholesale to hand out on this day of giving: three pounds dried mangoes fillets (Mexico), three pounds dried nectarine halves (Washington), six pounds deglet noor dates (California). I had originally brought these in a big grocery bag.
The rest of the stuff had been in the orange backpack. Socks, razor, patchkit, multitool, minipump, Grado SR80 headphones (Thanks dad!), external hard drive, Campy coffee table book, Kesey novel (Thanks, Hudson!), laptop computer, mess of wire.
Everything fit in the bag, with room for a change of clothes and a towel. My brother had his own way of testing the capacity:
a reader made my christmas merrier...
...by sending me an email! I spied local Mike Seager taking the lane on 29th & Willamette a few days ago. Caught and chatted with him and gave him my card. He sent me a link to a fun video he helped make. Skip the two minute mark to see him making heroically bad cow jokes, then watch the rest.
He also knowledge-checked me on my advice for riding in the snow:
I'd like to see a video of that.
So Mike's a prety neat guy. Read the whole email here.
He also knowledge-checked me on my advice for riding in the snow:
I read what you said in your blog about riding in the snow - and I have say it's just what you are used to. I worked for the Bikes At Work people...for over 2 years pulling 9 foot 600lb trailers of recycling in the snow and ice, usually in single digit temperatures. I just had huge knobby snow tires and got used to my front tire plowing (like a ski) while putting all my weight on my rear. I also had to learn to never lean into turns in the winter.
I'd like to see a video of that.
So Mike's a prety neat guy. Read the whole email here.
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