Skitching - It's Timeless

Today on my way to work I got off at Embarcadero BART again. I was thinking about stopping by a downtown store to buy some more pants for work, but I got got up talking to Jeremiah and "Battle Ax" Mike at the statue. One of those clear, blue, perfect days where messengers don't know how good they have it.

I had some time to kill so I rode all the way up market. Chaz, a messenger transplant from Portland, caught up with me somewhere around 1390 Market and we started racing. Dude is fast, [er than me] but he doesn't have gears, so I had the advantage.

I turned up Van Ness and proceded to catch a few different skitches, just for the fun of it, up Van.

Last Sunday I learned that my late Grandfather used to skitch trucks growing up in Los Angeles in the 20's. Pretty stoked about that.

Sign reads: Bicycle Parking Prohibited

I was running late so I decided to get off at Embarcadero, the first place BART stops in the city, and race to work instead of waiting a few more stops which would put me closer to Bike Nut.

Even though I was late, I swung by the statue after running into Kalman of Spirit Courier, on his fixed gear heading the same way.

Biking to work from downtown was invigorating. I may be missing the messenger job less these days but I'm sure as hell loving city car wrestling more.

Plus the skitch I caught from Broadway and Stockton about a quarter of the way into the Stockton Tunnel was grand. 40mph was fast enough in that decaying tube, wearing sunglasses that blinded me. K-dawg from work told me the other day that the tunnel's full of asbestos. Nice.

I've been taking fewer photos since I switched phones.

I used to work for a translation company in Japan where there are a lot of bicycles:

Critical Mass / Becoming a Square

I must be turning into an L7. On my ride home from work this evening I ran into critical mass, and "damn" was my first thought.

The almost critical mass of cyclists was careening towards the Broadway Tunnel and I knew I had to beat them in to salvage my commute, which I did with gusto. [By using the word "gusto" my Tycoon Status has been revoked.]

Here's a picture I snagged from John who was apparently in the tunnel:

Goldsprints Again

Did another Goldsprints last week. I was tired. Saw a bunch of East Bay friends, a bike shuttle buddy, and plenty of messengers I used to see more of though, so it wasn't a total loss.


GoldSprints @ Mike's Bikes Berkeley - 10/16/08 from Mike's Bikes on Vimeo.

In the Middle

There was a crane in the middle of Montgomery street the other day.

Men in Tights / Backhanded Compliments

I'll admit it, I was flattered when coming back from a ride in the city, exiting Ashby BART a woman, worse for wear, asked me "if I wasn't worried about getting raped wearing them tight, tight shorts".



To be honest, the thought hadn't yet crossed my mind.

Incongruous

I found myself at Walgreen's this evening and was somehow drawn to the "bike section". Hella generic parts and such. Pretty much just "Bike Gear" brand, priced very low. So it was surprising to spot a three pack of tire levers by Park Tool, one of the more well known "serious" bike tool manufacturers.