old time rockin unicycle

castro disco!

Chai Wallah

My dear friend Greg with whom i frequently exchange stuff asked me recently if I had a teapot for his new house. I did, a stainless steel 2L harmonica kettle in fact, that I never used. I rode the kettle on down to my friend.

Excuse me miss, is that a teapot up your bum?

Along the way, I stopped by the post office and when returning to the bike I saw two downtown ladies admiring my rig. When I approached, they asked if i was a chai wallah. I wish. "chaaaaiii, chaaaaiiii, chaaaaaiiii," I'd say.

Fairytale Wedding

From NYC's Transportation Alternatives comes this gorgeous wedding photo. TA staffer marries long time member. Love.

ola sombra

Market Street Improvements

Photo credit: Neal Patel, SFBC

I am absolutely elated about the Market Street Improvment trials that will begin tomorrow by closing eastbound car access on Market, 7 days a week for the next 6-12 months. Last week, car traffic was backed up as traffic diverting signs were installed. Tomorrow, as I commute down Market Street, I'll ride with less cars, less stress and a big ass smile on my face. Here are a few questions that haven't been answered about this most awesome of city planning projects:

• Will the west bound bikes be on the left of the west bound cars?
• How will the right turns at 6th, and 8th be enforced (we all know signs and barricades aren't enough to stop eager and frustrated drivers)?

I'm so looking forward to tomorrow's commute and providing feedback on this brilliant project. Happy Day!

Pass and Stow

I've got to have a front carrier because it's the best way to carry things. I have been trying a few racks out in search of the perfect match and my lack of success thus far has got me thinking about dumping a quarter grand on a pass and stow. Expensive, but considering it's got low rider pannier mounts, a hefty deck, and is hand filet brazed in San Francisco, it's not such a bad deal. Especially attractive is this image from their blog. I've got an affinity for p&s and for dead rats. Maybe this is a capybara.

Death Monsters Ahead

Guerilla activism courtesy of a special friend.

Foxy John's

My friend Kevin took this picture of Foxy John's in Dublin, Ireland, a holistic bike shop. Speaking of bikes and beer (and hardware), Tour de Fat is tomorrow. Snowball is all dressed up and so will be I. G'night and Cheers!

Rivendell vs. Soma Part !

In August, I bought my first new bike since I've known anything about bikes and it was a lot of work. I knew I wanted a mixte, which narrowed the choices down to just three, or so I thought.

Soma Mixte
Rivendell Mixte
Rivendell Betty Foy

Turns out, I missed Riv's last call for their mixte regular- the $2000 frameset with heart shaped lugs that are so beautiful they make me cry.

But there was still the Betty Foy Rivendell, which also has heart shaped lugs and checks in at $1000 for frameset.

Betty's Lugs

And then the Soma a mere $450 for frame and forks.

A Good View of the Buena Vista

Coming Soon: Find out exactly why I chose what I chose.

All Dressed Up Nowhere to Go

If you read my diary you might know that I was planning a five day bike touring trip to Napa for the Princesa's wedding. The plan was foiled as my partner slept through the launch time and the safety buffer.

self portrait with sleeping dude

Desperate to make it to the event, I decided to go alone and take the bus to Santa Rosa and ride 30 miles the day of the wedding, which started at 4pm.

snowball waiting for the bus

Plan B was foiled too, as there were already two cyclists waiting at the first bus stop and when the bus arrived, there was only a double rack. I ended up driving a ZipCar to the wedding, but at least my date woke up in time to go with me.

Chicks and Bikes

Lately I've been thinking about what kind of bike blog I want to be. Thinking too much is no good, sometimes you've just got to act. So here's to one of my favorites. Chicks and Bikes, all pics nothing else. Special thanks to Chain Thug and Captain Crank for their beautiful montage of ladies with wheels. Visit often.