The Radavist

I remember seeing this frame listed on the Signal Cycles blog as being for sale. It was a tad too big for me and besides, I didn’t need a new cross bike. Someone out there did and eventually, the frame made its way to Austin, Texas, where it was built up by Minor Baker, a local racer. When I saw it at the Bicycle Sport Shop Six Shooter, I thought it looked familiar and sure enough, it was Shannon Skerritt’s old pit bike! I’m stoked to see another piece of rad steel at home in Austin. Check out more in the Gallery!

In the world of cross bikes, there’s something just inherently honest about a single speed race machine. It’s gotta be the big, knobby tires, cantilever brakes, unicrown fork and no-nonsense utilitarianism, right? Wrong. It’s pink and it’s a Vicious Cycles! This bike in particular is over 10 years old and it has been raced extensively over that time period. It’s been wrecked, loved, hated, spit on, puked on (maybe?) and it’s still alive, begging for more. When I was at the Bicycle Sport Shop Six Shooter, this was one of the first bikes that caught my eye.

See more in the Gallery!

It’s the end of Summer. That means my busiest time of year is finally over. After finally combing through all my random film scans, I’ve pulled together a big photoset filled with shots from all over the globe. From Zurich to Columbus, there are some gems in this one. See for yourself in the Gallery!

Tools of the trade:
Yashica T4 / Leica M7 28mm / Neopan 400

This past weekend brought the first cross race of the season to Texas: the Bicycle Sport Shop Six Shooter. Since my first cross race at the end of last year’s season, I’ve been looking forward to this event all summer. I spend so much time on my cross bike during the off-season, that it’s only natural for me to push myself and it, to the test. After getting a good night’s sleep, I cleaned up the bike and headed out to the course to see what Austin had prepared for us.

Turns out, the BSS Six Shooter broke records this year. It was the biggest turn out to a cross race in Texas history. Now, I know that may not seem like a big deal to the Northwest or Northeastern United States but it was a huge turnout. My class had 80 racers register! It was a bit intimidating, but I just broke free like a demon and ended up winning. I guess ripping through the woods really is a great form of “training”. Since I was blasted the rest of the Saturday, I decided I’d shoot photos on Sunday and cheer on my friends.

There were thrills, hella funny spills (sorry Josh, I had to) and good times were had. Check out more in the Gallery!

These days, I can never decide if I want to race, or shoot photos at events like this. Last night’s Cycleast and Beat the Clock Cycling Urbocross looked so rad. Half singletrack and half bike path sprinting seemed like a 50/50 fun to pain ratio for me. I can eat up dirt just fine but I don’t have the fitness for long, paved straight aways. On a whim, after showing up in plain clothes, I entered the race and was doing fine sitting in second until I got a pinch flat. So it goes. At least I got to take a few more photos!

This set is weird. Half of it is of a local racer’s Black Cat SSCX and the other, pre, mid and post race photos. Either way, it’s a bit of radness everyone can enjoy. Check out more in the Gallery! Many thanks to Cycleast and Beat the Clock for putting on this event. See ya next week…

Each Wednesday night, for the next three weeks, Beat the Clock Cycling will be throwing some short and fun cross races in Austin. Dubbed “Urbocross”, this series is part alleycat style race and part traditional cross circuit races. Last night, a good number of people showed up as the sun was setting on the east side of town to take part in the 20 mile race. Sure, speed counts, but like all alleycat races, your route will make or break you. That and making sure you get your manifest signed at all the check points…

I had fun shooting this race and everyone had fun racing. That’s a win / win if you ask me. See ya next week, Austin. Check out more photos in the Gallery!

July has been a busy month for me. When I wasn’t on the road, I was out and about here in Austin with my Mamiya 7ii shooting portraits and other randomness. This set is heavily focused on the 4th of July party at Yellow Jacket Social Club but also includes a few bike portraits. I hope you enjoy!

Tools of the trade:
Mamiya 7ii
Kodak Portra 400

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been really wanting to bring back A Day in 10 Photos but part of that is contingent upon me carrying a camera everywhere I go. Sometimes, having a DSLR or a rangefinder is great but more often than not, I just want something pocket-sized. My Yashica T4 has seen plenty of use over the years but I wanted a “no care camera”. One that I can get an insurance package for and not give a shit about.

After extensive research, countless reviews and multiple trips to the camera store, I walked into my local shop, Precision Camera and bought the Sony RX100. I haven’t had a digital point and shoot camera since this blog first started back in 2006, so it’s kind of a novelty. I don’t want this post to be a review of it just yet, because I haven’t used it enough to really offer any insight. End introduction…

Today I woke with the sun, met some friends at a coffee shop and rolled out to one of my favorite rides: Crumley Ranch Road. 60 miles, 4,000′ of elevation and a great way to log miles and burn calories. Ben, Josh, Carl and I all vibed really well the whole ride and then went about our business the rest of the day*.

This set is lacking a few more photos to complete the story but everything is a learning process. Check out some narrated photos in the Gallery!

*in reality, the last three photos are from last night, when I first got the RX100, but you’ll let that slide right?

Luke is one of my favorite people here in Austin because he’s a road racer that doesn’t appear to be a road racer. Stereotypes aside, Luke enjoys touring probably more than racing, but he still races road and cross. Most of which, end with him on or near the podium.

Living in Austin can overwhelm you sometimes with how competitive the road scene is, but there’s nothing better than leaving town to ride away for the weekend, which is where Luke’s All City Space Horse comes into play. He leaves his Mr. Pink behind (sounds dirty, huh?) and ventures out on this bike, fully loaded and ready to do nothing. Right now, it’s set up with a Pass & Stow front rack and a Freight porteur rack bag. Oh and a super bent Brooks!

It’s unfortunate that Luke broke his wrist during prime camping season here in Austin, so once the temperatures drop a bit, I’ll probably be spending some saddle time with him outside the city. Although I must admit, even though we’ll be touring or camping, I might have a hard time keeping up with this powerhouse…

Check out more photos of this well-seasoned bicycle in the Gallery.

When Ian at Icarus moved to Austin, Texas, I don’t think he anticipated working on this many local frames. Or that Chris would put down two deposits at once: a lightweight road bike and a fendered, touring / commuter. This is the first out of the queue, a modern, steel road bike with a matte paintjob and a few clean details. Nothing extravagant, but also nothing simple.

Chris is a father and he works full time, so riding is always a last minute, unplanned endeavor. He was looking for a little inspiration to sneak in an hour or two when he could and Ian built him just that. With a Zipp cockpit, seatpost, Chris King R45 to HED Belgium, Fizik Kurve saddle, Campy Chorus 11 speed and King Cage bottle cages, it’s up there in the “dream bike” category…