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Free Press coverage

2012-01-30T10:18:00.000-08:00

The weekend edition of the Free Press had a feature on my good friend Thom Fougere, who is currently exhibiting his latest designs at IDS. I shot photos of his furniture as well as a portrait. I was really excited to see the editors chose to run a full-page spread with four of my photos. It's always nice to see your stuff in print.

Special Delivery

2012-01-21T14:15:00.000-08:00

A lot of good things came in the mail yesterday.

First, I got a delivery from Wheelbuilder.com, which means I can finally test out the new wheels. Fixed for fun and winter, freewheel for racing.

I also got two printed brochures back at work that I've been helping on. Both feature photos I shot on the cover, as well as several inside. The first is for Frontiers North Adventures.

The second is the Manitoba Film and Music production guide, which is typically used by film location scouts from around the world when looking at producing movies in Manitoba. I pitched the idea of breaking out things you might find in a location scout's bag - not necessarily literally, but just a collection of things to get the idea across. We made the shot in MFM's cove. Lots of fun..

2012-01-11T11:38:00.000-08:00

I recently spent some time lacing up a pair of wheels for my single-speed cross bike project. 32-spoke Phil Wood hubs in black, DT Swiss Revolution spokes, brass nipples and H+Son's new TB14 box section 23mm rims, all with a nice black finish. I just need to get a cog and these guys will be ready for some action. The 23mm rim will be great for riding single-speed cross, and when paired with skinny tires in the summer will result in a nice round tire profile, rather than a bulbous shape that happens with pairing 23/25 tires with a 19mm rim. I haven't checked the final weight, but whenever using Phil Wood, the goal isn't exactly to have the lightest wheels around. That said, I think they are a great combination of outright strength, weight, and dependability, and should last pretty much forever.

A few phone photos from lacing and truing.

2011-12-05T11:42:00.000-08:00

On the way to work.

Industrial Revolutions

2011-12-01T12:23:00.001-08:00

Whaaaaaaaat!!

2011-11-21T13:12:00.000-08:00

Well this looks like fun.

2011-11-21T11:34:00.000-08:00

A few photos from a trip I took to the Spirit Sands in Spruce Woods Provincial Park.

St. Malo Video

2011-11-08T10:26:00.000-08:00

I'm not much of a film maker (note the awesome shifter cable slicing the frame in half), but maybe this will help ease you out of cyclocross season. Thanks Josh and Phil for the good times. Check it out in HD on vimeo if you like.

Untitled from markreimer on Vimeo.

St. Malo Provincials Report

2011-11-07T12:57:00.000-08:00

It feels strange now that cyclocross season is over. Since it pretty much takes up the majority of my fall, between weekend races, cleaning and tuning my bike during the week, uploaded photos after the race, etc... I can feel a noticeable absence when there isn't the next race to get excited about. And it's really too bad, because I feel like I'm just getting to the point where I can really compete now. I guess that's what happens when the race season is also your training for the race season..

All that said, the last race ended on a pretty high note for me. Since it was Provincials, I wasn't racing with my usual gaggle of B-racers, but rather with a bunch of dudes who are a whole lot faster than I am, including Craig, Daniel, and Dylan. And I was also racing for over an hour, rather than 45 minutes. With a total of 9 guys in my age category, I was guessing I'd place around 6 or 7th, with the three A-racers taking the top three spots and a couple B-racers above me who normally leave me in their dust.

I got off to a surprisingly lucky and great start - sitting right behind Craig in 4th position. This is only notable because I'm normally starting races around 20th place, or as in the case of Dark Cross, 70th place. This is the fist time I've seen what it's like to ride at the front of the pack. And man, is it ever a lot nicer to see a train of people behind you instead of fighting to get past people who bottle neck the course. Unfortunately, I quickly became one of those people when I got tangled up in the super-strong course tape (AGAIN) and ground to a halt in the middle of the nauseatingly twisty colon section. I immediately lost 10 positions before I could get back on my bike.

However, all was not lost. A lap or two later and I caught up to Josh and Phil. We had our own race within the race for the remainder of the event, with Josh giving a huge attack right after the run-up that nearly ended it for the rest of us, until Phil and I put some distance over his single-speed on the straights. Then on the last lap, Josh caught us again just before the colon, and passed us on the run-up. I knew it was important to be the first one out of the sandpit on the last lap heading into the finish, so I passed at the elbow in the sand and rode to the finish. I think my overall place was 4th (correction it was apparently 5th). That's what I find most addictive about cross - there are so many races within the race. That and the excellent heckling courtesy of Thomas Epp.

I didn't take as many photos this time, likely due to the fact that I wasn't watching a 60 minute race as per usual. For what it's worth, here's a few.

Great expression Hal!

It was hard to tell if Brad was pushing Tomek up, or using him as a ladder.

My hope for next year's cross season is a lot more sand pits

Not sure how they are smiling while going up this thing.

After much heckling, Tomek attempted to ride up the run-up

2011-11-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

Cindy and I went to the Duck Mountains to camp. It's good to spend time in the woods. In the middle of the night, we were woken up by a howling Coyote just outside the tent.

Churchill, Polar Bears pt. 2

2011-11-01T12:27:00.000-07:00

I've got a few more photos from my trip up to Churchill for Frontiers North Adventures last year. If you follow them on Facebook or read their blog, you may have seen these start to trickle out.

We started out by boarding their company plane early in the morning at the Winnipeg private hanger. I was allowed to wander around the runway, which felt pretty strange honestly. The people boarding here were shooting a 3D film about polar bears.

We headed North over some beautiful Manitoba lakes and rivers during sunrise.

This is Luke Tedaldi - a filmmaker from NYC. We worked together for a few months prior. He was shooting film, and I took care of the stills.

This little husky pup was chained up to a store on the main drag in Churchill all day, every day. Apparently the owner leaves a puppy outside to attract tourists, or so I was told. It was really heartbreaking. Several locals told me such stories, so I made it a point to give him as much attention and love as I could while I was there.

He seemed endlessly fascinated with the inside of my boots

Churchill is all polar bears.

We headed out to an old fort with canons facing the bay from early Canadian history. These guys patrolled the area and had huge shotguns on them at all times for the inevitable bear encounters they face day to day.

The first day I spent exploring the town. The railway is a key port in the town.

This plane is dubbed 'Peggy. Apparently it took off way overloaded, turned around and didn't quite make it back to the landing strip.

Churchill has a polar bear jail. Any bears found in the town are locked up until the ice comes, then they are let back into the wild for the winter.

Luke setting up for a video vignette

This was my hotel room. I spent many many hours here trying to save corrupted memory cards that got soaked by the wet snow while shooting. Thankfully I was successful.

This was the first bear I saw. I was expecting to see endless white tundra. Chalk it up to be niave - the snow was a few weeks away.

Luke shooting the town

Cool old snow...thing

Guests arriving via rail.

Heading out to the tundra for the first time in a Tundra Buggy. It's basically a school bus with monster truck tires. So cool

Holes in the ice? Who cares, straight through!

This little guy was hanging out right beside our path.

People up there always say there is nothing like looking into the eyes of a polar bear for the first time. I fully agree.

This is the Tundra Lodge. It's kinda like a train, only with massive tires.

Luke and I were working 18 hour days. We got a little stupid looking after a while.

Walking through the halls of the Tundra Buggy generator room to join the crew for an end-of-the-day drink.

We were very lucky to have seen some baby bears. This one was curious and adventurous, often wandering away from its mother.

But they were still good pals.

And liked to copy each other.

So beautiful.

This just gives you an idea of how close you can get.

How do you stay entertained for 10 hours sitting on a bus all day in the cold? Guys like this.

Ready to pounce. Bears pretend to be sleeping or lazy until prey comes within striking distance. They are very cunning carnivorous. I've even heard of them covering their black noses with snow for camouflage.

Each guide has their own way of attracting the bears curiosity

Anytime anyone goes on the ground, shotguns are in hand.

This guy was basically the polar bear whisperer.

On board the buggy.

Finally, snow!

I've never been around so many photographers at once before.

I love this guide's face. Kinda Clint Eastwood-esque

Telephoto lenses everywhere

This bear was particularly ghostly.

Hard to believe these guys can be so goofy when they're also so vicious.

Ouch.

Brian, our guide, took us everywhere. He was amazing, Luke and I owe him so much.

Luke in the waning hours.

The weather finally started coming in.

Life saver.

Bears playing.

The bears love to spar. It's how they get strong and ready for hunting during the long winter. It's all in good fun, but sometimes they get really, REALLY aggressive.

Lots of bears = happy guests

It was so wet with the snow, I had to improvise some waterproof camera techniques...

Tundra Buggy up close

Other than watching bears, you can also go dog sledding in Churchill. I've always liked Huskies, but it wasn't until Churchill that I truly fell in love with them. Something about these dogs... wow. I don't know what it is, but they are so amazing. And the level of trust they have with their owner is amazing. At a word, they drop on their backs and show one foot at a time while he would pull the ice from their paws and check them for muscle strains. Their relationship was amazing.

OBVIOUSLY this guy was my favorite. He looks like he's up to something.

The second a harness comes into view, all the dogs loose it. They run around and howl and jump with excitement hoping it's their turn to pull. If they don't get picked, they get all sad and mope about. Once their tied to the sled, they jump a few feet in the air and tug until the sled is cut loose.

The puppies looked sad to be stuck inside.

So we kept them company..

Ready to go!

Here's my favorite guy again! And the white dog next to him is his father. Both have the coldest blue eyes I've ever seen.

Father.

Son.

Goofing around.

I also shot some portraits of the guides. In near gale-force winds. Here luke straining to keep my lights from blowing away. A great time for a photo of him.

The result.

Just outside of town. Look closely...

Luke went for a closer look and sunk to his waist.

Always a guide at our side.

Can't wait to go back some day.

Halloween at the Camp

2011-10-31T17:46:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was Halloween at the Camp - a halloween cyclocross race at Camp Assinaboia. Highlights included:
- KK flying head over heels during an ill-fated attempt at the log barrier. Wish I would have caught that on camera.
- The first lap of the B-race going over the whoops. Being in a fast-moving train of riders heading into those for the first time is awesome. Much like Chris and Graham, my first time over was side-by-side with another rider. No room for mistakes!
- Being heckled by Chris - What are you doing way back here?? - and finding the legs to pull away in the last lap.
- Seeing people look very confused when people yelled Go Brad as I passed
- Chris and Graham's neck-and-neck battle right till the end of the race.

Here are a few photos from the A-race.

One of these days I'm gonna get a front wheel right in my lens and break my nose.

This guy's helmet was a great touch.

Bad luck

Thanks for the light!

Newest recruit!

Good times

Highlight of the whole race. Next to KK's crash, of course.

Southern Cross Report and Photos

2011-10-19T21:57:00.000-07:00

The Altona Bike Enthusiast Society (ABES) put on a great cyclocross race this past Sunday with Southern Cross - a fast and wild ride featuring some nasty head-winds, a steep climb, and a deep and treacherous sandpit. This was my first year riding Southern Cross and I have to say it was awesome. Colin and I rode out on our motorcycles, which gave us an early indication that the wind was going to be brutal. I didn't get a chance to pre-ride the course, but it didn't end up mattering much as the route flowed really well and I wasn't hit with too many nasty surprises.

The nice thing about getting into a sport for the first time is that you have a lot of 'firsts' early on: first race, first time finishing in the top half, first time in the top 20, etc. This race was no different, as it was the first time I placed in the top 15, finishing 13th in the men's B race. The key for me was the bane of many others.. the sandpit. I saw a lot of guys get bogged down halfway through or flip over their bars. I'm not sure why it was different for me, but the sandpit was the one place I could consistently make-up time. Plus it was just super fun to ride through. Unfortunately I'll be missing Crosstastic but I'm feeling good about the last few races of the season. Who knows, maybe if I'm lucky (or nobody else shows up to race) I'll crack into the top 10 before the end of the season.

The A race was awesome to watch as usual. I can tell it's getting late in the season because the quality of light has changed. There is no warm yellow hazy light as the sun gets low anymore. Instead it's turned clear and blue with harsh shadows. Winter is coming for sure.

Here are a few photos from the day. Sadly I forgot to bring spare memory cards (seriously..) so they are almost entirely from the A race.

I wish I was doing this when I was a kid..

Amazing volunteers who made the day run perfectly.

One of the best things about cross - all about having a good time.

Thumbs up during a warmup lap.

They started in pretty much the same order they ended.

This was a cool addition as well - bunny hopping over a railway tie right at the start of s small climb. I can't believe I didn't blow a tube here.

Is it just me, or does Ian look freakishly like Johan Museeuw when he races?

This was a fun and tough punchy climb.

Johnny with the pain face.

The peanut gallery

Hal winding through the curvy section before the climb.

There was only one really small section with mud, but it was deep enough to be a bit risky.

These barriers suited me better than Menno Cross, but it's still something I've got to practice before running them like this.

The infamous sand pit...

This guy (I believe his name is Terry) ate it so hard right in front of me. I hope you got all the sand out of your ears.

And finished off with a sprint. Awesome.

All these photos are available in higher resolution should anyone want. Just leave a comment and I can email them to you.

MennoCross Report

2011-10-01T18:50:00.000-07:00

MennoCross - It was awesome. The course was super fun, great turnout, great fan support, great racing.

My race stunk as I had one of the worst crashes I've ever had, but not bad enough to keep me from finishing the race. I was leaving the straightaway behind the garden and pushing through the 90 degree right-hand corner. The wind threw the yellow course boundary rope into my handle bars and it firmly wrapped itself around my dropbar. Immediately after it pulled my bike into a tree, forcing my front wheel sideways and throwing me firmly up-and-over the bars and into the gravel. It hurt, a lot.

After the race a rider who was behind me approached me and said he thought I was knocked out cold and maybe he should stop to see if I needed CPR. He elected to continue racing instead, but I don't hold that against him.. I got up and fixed my bike with the intention of walking back to the finish and DNFing. My wheel was a bit bent and I had road rash all over my right side. Not sure why I changed my mind and kept riding, but it's probably because DNFing is geese, so I kept going and finished the remaining three laps. I pretty much finished where I started, somewhere around 30th, which is too bad but oh well. I got passed by maybe 10 people when I crashed and managed to catch most of them by the end. That's bike racing I guess, either way it was super fun and great practice.

The A race was amazing. One of the things I love about the MennoCross course is how many places you can watch people ride on the same lap. I took a few photos, which was a challenge in the harsh light, but I think they do an adequate job of passing on the spirit of the race. Can't wait for the next one!

2011-09-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

Saturday Morning, USGP from jamie kripke on Vimeo.

Beautiful video from the US Gran Prix of Cyclocross on Saturday, November 13th, in Fort Collins, CO. Can't wait for tomorrow! Watch full screen in HD, worth it.

2011-09-30T08:14:00.001-07:00

SRAM neutral service car - Grande Prix Cycliste de Montreal

The breakaway, the chase

2011-09-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

The breakaway and the chase on the Côte de la Montagne

2011-09-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

Two more from Quebec City - Jesus Herrado Lopez and Philippe Gilbert.

2011-09-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

If you look HERE, you can see me perched on the cliff taking this photo.

Four more rolls to scan.

Churchill and Polar Bears

2011-09-27T08:09:00.000-07:00

This time last year I went up to Churchill to shoot polar bears and Tundra Buggies for a client at work. I've had to sit on the photos ever since for work-related issues but I can finally start to share some of the amazing things I experienced while up on the tundra. Being in Churchill was unlike anything I've experienced. It truly felt like being out in the wild - the town shuts down at night and kids are not allowed outside because the world's most predatory bears commonly wander into town. Guides walk around with shotguns. Its really quite surreal.

I went up with a coworker to shoot video and still for our client's upcoming marketing year. You can see the first video we made here, which was made to kick-start a presentation at a travel trade-show.

Here are a couple quick photos from the trip - I'll be posting a lot more in the near future.

Dark Cross Report

2011-09-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

As you all know, or should know for that matter, Saturday was Dark Cross, arguably the crown jewel of Manitoba cyclocross racing. I'm new to cyclocross, having only tried two races that I don't even consider real attempts: mennocross last year on a $5 bike and smooth-soled road shoes, and the nordic cross race at the Belgium club, where I did a bit better but the results were not recorded and I had two mechanicals. So for me, this was my first real crack at racing.

Going into the race, I was nervous of not being able to keep pace, or even being lapped. I've been so focused on getting my motorcycle together this summer that I haven't been doing as much riding as I wanted to. On top of that, because I'm new to cyclocross, I was started at the back of the field. And I mean the BACK. There was not a soul behind me, and 67 riders in front of me with no great passing opportunities until the end of the circuit. In the end, none of that mattered. I rode as hard as I could the whole race (as one does in cross) and managed to finish 22nd - 3.5 mins down from the lead. For me, that was better than I ever would have expected. I had my own 'race within a race' with a few other guys that lasted until the last lap, and was able to pull away in the last half of the lap and sprint it out with Luc. It's safe to say I'm hooked on it and can't wait for the next one.

Here are a few photos I took during the day:

2011-09-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

Winnipeg to Vancouver – Under a week.

Finally put together a post on my motorcycle trip I took in August. Some of these photos have been around already, but here is the full story, start to end.

Before I start with the trip log, let me provide some background. I am new to motorcycling. I got my license in May. At the same time I was working on getting a ’78 cb750 running properly and insured. Long story short, I made some dumb first-time buyer mistakes and ended up with a lot more work than I thought. My plan had always been to ride to my friends wedding in Vancouver in early August. Things were looking grim but about 5 weeks before the wedding I found a cryptic ad on Kijiji for a ’74 cb750 for $400. Brand new tires and a few other parts, so I figured I’d have a look. Turns out the bike was in fantastic shape! All it needed to pass a safety inspection and get on the road was a carb rebuild, swing arm bushings, and some minor electrical fixes.

The carbs had carb bodies mixed and matched from different styles of cb750 carbs, so they were impossible to sync. As a result, some cylinders were running way richer than others and the PO had burned some of the headers sadly. But I managed to find the correct bodies and put together a full matching set of carbs. I slide the carbs on, put in new plugs, and it fired up first try. A few weeks of insurance headaches and I was on the road!

Really this trip was a stupid idea from all perspectives. I had next to no riding experience. I was taking a bike I got a few weeks earlier for a song and had no idea if it would die on me a few hours into the first day. The night before I did the valves and installed an electronic ignition a day or two before that. But hey, you don’t get much of an adventure if you don’t have any risk, so I tossed caution to the wind and loaded the bike up with a tent, backpack and duffel bag packed with tools and spare parts and hoped for the best.

Here is the bike up on a stand in a friends garage. This was the night before leaving. It looks so shiny and clean here. I'd fix that soon enough.

Also, the original plan for this trip was to meet two friends of mine – Alex and Andrew, who were riding a cb350 and cl360 from NYC to Vegas, then North to Portland where we’d meet up, and ride east together. More on that later.

Day 1:

I got up on Tuesday morning to heavy cloud cover. Time to see if my old rain jacket still worked. I left at 8:30am with my first stop being Portage la Prairie, about 80km away. Cindy's Dad promised me a pancake breakfast to get me off on the right foot. Before I got there I hit a MASSIVE thunderstorm that turned the fields into lakes in minutes. That was my first time on the highway in the rain and I couldn’t believe how much the rain felt like little paintballs when they hit. And my bags slide halfway off my bike four times. I also had a stiff headwind and I ride with no windshield. It took maybe ten minutes for me to think “how the hell am I ever going to make it three thousand KMs like this…WHAT HAVE I DONE??”.

I saw the rain coming so I pulled over and put my rain gear on and tried to get a better luggage strap system working. The bags stayed a bit better and other than my feet, I stayed dry too thankfully. 20 minutes later I pulled into Portage la Prairie and the clouds parted. I dried my gear out, borrowed some more straps from Cindy's Dad and we figured out a reliable way to strap the bags down while keeping them reasonably accessible.

I was on a tight deadline to get to Vancouver. I left on Tuesday and the wedding was Friday. It was already noon so I was way behind schedule. I got back on the bike and pointed myself towards Brandon. When I pulled over for gas in town, an elderly gentleman in full Red Devils patches was sitting on his Harley next to me. I don’t know many bikers but I always assumed Harley bike gang types wouldn’t be too interested in talking with me, but he immediately came over, noticing a GoPro on my handlebars, and said “dude, killer camera, I’ve got one too, totally killer. Have you got any killer shots lately?” The use of the words killer may seem a bit unsettling but this guy was so nice and showed a lot of interest in the cb750 as well. That held true for the entire trip. Everyday I’d have several people come up and tell me they used to have that exact bike, or their Dad did, or they always wanted it, or something along those lines. I had people pull up next to me on the highway and give a bike thumbs up and point at the bike. It was sweet.

Speaking of the bike, I have to say I was amazed at how well it ran. With all that gear on the back and only minor tuning I could cruise at 140km/h into the wind with more power in reserve. What a feeling – the first time to ride for a sustained period of time at that speed, with the wind in my face, nothing but open road ahead of me with my tent and pack behind. I felt like a true nomad, able to go wherever I want whenever I want… so long as I get to Vancouver by Friday..

Speaking of first times, I also learned that my bike has no warning whatsoever when I hit reserve at highway speeds. I had a hunch I was running low on fuel so I pulled over and headed towards a gas station on a side road. As soon as I rolled off the throttle the bike sputtered and died. The bowls were drained so it wouldn’t turn over when I flipped to reserve. I managed to coast right into the gas station and up to the pump. Lesson learned!

Shortly after leaving the gas station I had a minor close call on the road. One of my bag straps must have come loose as it managed to get snagged in my rear wheel. It wrapped around the axle a few times, pulling the seat down towards the wheel like a winch. It caused the whole bike to get sucked down very quickly, then the strap snapped and shot the bike back up. I thought I had blown a tire or something, as it was such a violent shake. I managed to pullover safely and unwrap the broken strap from my wheel without too much difficulty. That was the last of my bag problems. I had enough of close calls and wasn’t about to die at the hands of a duffel bag or bungee cord.

(please excuse the quality of the photos from my phone)

I took this shortly before pulling into my campground. Sunrise and sunset are glorious in the prairies.

The rest of the days ride was pretty uneventful honestly. It’s the prairies – what can really happen? I stopped in Regina and Moose Jaw. Got the bike up to 160km and it still felt solid with all the stuff on the back. I camped in Moosejaw for the night - $18 for a night, can you believe that? I’d never have stayed there if it wasn’t for the fact that it was dark and cold and I was exhausted.

Here is my campsite:

Day Two:

I got up early the next morning and loaded my stuff back onto the bike. I decided to check the chain tension as I heard from my friend Alex on the cb350 that he threw his chain on the first day. Only my second time setting chain tension. It took my three times to get it right. By the end of the trip I could practically do it with my eyes closed. That was the most recurring issue I had on the trip – I’d have to set the tension every few hours. More on that later…

When I pulled into a station for fuel I noticed I had developed an oil leak where the oil lines enter the engine case from the reservoir tank. I filled it up and strapped a bottle onto my pile of bags in the back. Truly a site at this point – I’m covered in dead bugs and wasps, riding a filthy 40 year old bike with fluids dripping out and an few oil bottles on the back. Yes. When I was leaving the gas attendant came out and said “A 750 four from Manitoba heading west… doesn’t get any better than that”. Truer words have never been spoken!

Today I had no headwind. What a difference! My average speed went up and I was much less tired after riding. I started hitting some rolling hills and getting higher up. I noticed the bike started running a bit rough and am guessing it was due to higher elevation. I know its running a touch rich so perhaps that made it worse.
Towards the end of the day when I started looking for a camp site, I hit a seasonal moth outbreak near Beaver Creek provincial park. It was raining moths. I had to clean my visor off minute or so, occasionally having to pull over because it was so bad. I ended up missing my turnoff because I couldn’t see anything and got totally lost.

I pulled into a campsite off Waneta Highway and setup my tent in the dark. My flashlight died in my backpack I guess so it was tricky, but the view when I woke up was amazing:

Day Three: Mountains finally!!

When I woke up and checked my chain tension, it had stretched from 1.5 slack to around 5cm of slack. The chain was dead, time for replacement. There was nowhere to buy one though so I had to make it to Vancouver first and change it there.
I set the tension as best I could and headed up the #3b and then the 22. The 22 was amazing, That was one of the most fun roads of the whole trip. I wish I didn’t have all that heavy luggage on the back so I could really rip through it! While riding I passed a guy on a CBX – actually the only Honda cb I saw the whole week. It sounded amazing, obviously!

Continuing down the #3 my bike could barely make it over the highest sections of the mountain passes. I was scared the bike was dying – this was it! It really was a fantasy to think I could make it all the way to the coast! I’ll have to leave it here and bus home in shame. Turns out it was the altitude, of course. I made it up to the peak eventually and the further down I descended the harder the bike would pull. By the halfway point I was flying. It was unreal. Almost no traffic at all, and they only car I’d get near was going at least 150km down the pass. It felt like I was flying. That pace held all the way to Vancouver. I was really thankful for having bought a cb750 as a first bike. Anything smaller and I wouldn’t have been able to keep pace with the rest of traffic, which I think would have been more dangerous than riding that fast.

At this point I’m three days with no shower/clean clothes. I was a few hours behind so I rode straight to a restaurant that my friend and his wedding party were at to celebrate the night prior to the wedding. Turned out it was a high end restaurant, and I walked in covered in dirt, bug goo, oil, stinking like gas and ass. It was awesome.

The bike dropped ¾ litre of oil when I checked after dinner. Seems that when I ride it really hard for a long time it drops. Regular highway its fine, but mountains or high speed and it gets low.

Picked up some oil and pizza.

I rode to visit another friend in Burnaby, getting there around 1am. I counted on staying at his place but long story short I was SOL on that department and had to stay at a hotel. Big time bummer as I hate hotels and paying just to sleep.
Day Four: Dropped the bike

Today was a frustrating day. I went to a Honda dealer and bought a new o-ring chain. I didn’t’ have a chain tool so I asked him to sell me one that would work with the chain I bought as well. I bought the chain and tool, threw away the packaging to get it to fit in my bag, and rode back towards the wedding. I pulled into a café next to the church where there was a beautiful Moto Guzzi café racer and a Ducati Monster parked beside each other. I stopped in the stall next to them, kicked the kickstand down, and leaned the bike over. To my surprise it didn’t stop where it usually does, but kept leaning over. Further and further it leaned. I tried to lift it back up, but with all my gear on top it was at least 600lbs. I couldn’t hold it and down it went on its side, inches from the Moto Guzzi. Gas started running out of the cap and oil leaked from somewhere. I ran into the café and yelled for help. Turns out the café was owned by a husband/wife duo, who owned the bikes outside. They ran out and helped me lift it back up before I lost all my fluids. I was really embarrassed and annoyed but they helped me find some humour in it and laugh it off. Zero damage whatsoever, so no point in letting it ruin my day.

The café owner also took at look at my chain and pointed out that the tool I had required a rivet crushing tool… which I do not have. I had already driven a ways from the shop and did not have time to attempt to return the chain or get the proper tool so I was SOL. He pointed me towards the Bent Bike – a junkyard style shop down the street. The guys there cut my new chain to length… only re realize they didn’t have the right tool EITHER. Now my old chain was cut off, the new one was cut to length but could not be installed. I ended up having to buy a second chain from them to install just so I could get out of the garage. Granted it was way cheaper and they gave me a deal on it because they felt bad. In the end it was a good thing – I didn’t have new sprockets and by the time I rode back to Winnipeg the cheapo chain was a bit worse for wear. I ordered new sprockets so next season I can put them on with the o-ring chain.

The Bent Bike:

The rest of the day was spent at the wedding, where everyone seemed really interested in hearing about the trip. The bride's father even let me use his shop to change my oil and give the bike a tune-up the next day! Which brings me to:

Day Five.

I started the day by riding to the bride’s fathers shop (restores old cars, so it was sweet garage). I ended up dumping oil all over his floor like an ass but we got it cleaned up. I was horrified to find a pile of metal filings in my oil filter housing. They were magnetic mostly. I had actually had two people ask me on the way to the coast why my engine “sounded that way”. Not a nice thing to hear. Keep in mind I have no point of reference, I don’t know what a good cb750 engine sounds like. I did all the routine maintenance before leaving (cam chain, valves, timing, carb clean and sync) so I figured it was good to go. There was really nothing I could do about it except drain all the old oil and get as much crap out as possible, put in a new filter and hope it made it up. I tried setting the cam chain tension with the engine running method and noticed the bike got a lot quieter right away, so I’m wondering if the loose chain caused some wear and tear. The engine was also partially rebuilt before I bought it with only 100km’s or so on it, so it could have been breaking in. Who knows. More on that later.

With no deadline ahead of me now, I could take my time on the way home. I rode through Hell’s Gate, took the #1 to Kamloops, then got onto the #5 and headed North towards Jasper Park and the Icefields. I saw so much incredibly beautiful country side.

My goal was to get into Jasper and to some hiking, then head back home. I camped in Wells Gray Prov. Park, which I highly recommend.

Day Six. Rain.

I woke up to rain. I packed up and tried to keep my stuff dry but it was useless. I rode to Jasper and was shivering so bad I was bouncing all over the bike. I had every piece of clothing on I had brought – three pants, sweater, leather jacket and rain jacket. Still so cold.

I new I'd need help warming up later.

I pulled up to the Jasper Park entrance and went to pay for the entrance and my credit card was missing. I had no other way to pay or get home. My stomach dropped. I looked down and it was underneath my front wheel (!?!?). It was so misty that I couldn’t really see anything and all I wanted to do was be somewhere warm and dry. I made it to Jasper and saw two guys on dual sports hiding behind a gas station under an awning. I pulled up and asked if I could join them. They were on their way home after riding to the arctic circle. They had tons of awesome advice and one of them even offered his couch to me for should I ride through his home town in Alberta. One thing I learned more than anything is what amazing commradery exists between motorcyclists. Other than the occasional badass try-hard, everyone I met was so friendly to me, offered advice on my bike when I needed, suggested roads and places to check out, and in general were nothing short of amazing.

We sat there for an hour or so until the clouds started to part finally. I headed to the Icefields Parkway and made it to the Athabasca glacier. It was just before sunset so nobody was there. I hiked up to have a look. The shear size of the ice and mountains, coupled with the fading light and absence of people made me feel incredibly small. This was the first time I really felt alone. Being in the mountains has always made me feel better than anywhere else, but looking at that glacier that has existed for thousands of years had a strange and lasting effect on me.

I walked back down to my bike and rode to a nearby campsite. There was one spot open so I setup my tent. My sleeping back had become totally soaked as I had forgotten to wrap it in a plastic bag before strapping it onto the bike. I tried to start a fire but the wood was soaked. Here I learned another thing that is awesome about motorcycles… The gas tanks are easily accessible. I setup the wood, took out some spare fuel line, sucked fuel out of the tank so I had about a foot of gas in the tube, and soaked the kindling. Tosses some burning paper in and boom! Bonfire in a second. I pulled out a bottle of Southern Comfort and warmed myself up while the fire dried out my sleeping bag. From my campsite, if I looked left I saw the moon rising through mist in the mountains. If I looked right, I could see where the Athabasca glacier forked through two peaks, and a thunderstorm was coming in and I saw a few lighting bolts flash across the sky. I thought to myself how I felt like I was living in a movie. I had that feeling you get when you discover something that makes you so happy and satisfied that you have the feeling that your soul is overflowing. I knew then that there would be a lot more motorcycle trips in my future.

Could not be happier.

After my gear dried out I passed out half in the bag so to speak. I woke up and it had rained all night. I set out back down the Iceway, and ran into my two dual sport friends again at a gas station. They recommended some great roads worth taking, so I took my time to explore and stay in the mountains. I rode back up to Hwy 1a, then back west and south to #3. The whole day was just spent seeking out the twistiest roads I could find. My goal was to end up in Waterton for the night. I still hadn’t gotten any hiking in due to the rain, so I thought that could be my last chance.
Waking up to rain:

I hadn’t allowed myself enough time so I ended up arriving at the park gate around 11pm. It was really dark and a car hit a deer in front of my shortly before. I wanted to get off the road as fast as possible. The park attendant informed me that there was no room in the campground anymore and I couldn’t stay in town. I asked if there was a hostel and he said yes, so I elected to look into it. Either way I had to eat. I pulled into town and had some pizza. I asked about a hostel and nobody knew what I was talking about. Turns out there was no hostel. I had no more money so hotels were not an option. I had to either leave (yea right) or set my tent up somewhere. Waterton is one of the most popular national parks in the country so camping illegally there isn’t so easy as there are lots of part patrols checking for tickets. I ended up setting my tent up right beside someone else’s in the middle of the campground. My tent was a little concealed by a tree and table. I figured I’d wake up before the morning patrol and try my luck at camping for free. Unfortunately the tent next to me snored so loud that he sounded like a dying bear. It was freezing cold and I had a horrible sleep. But I woke up at 6am and was packed by the time people just started to get out of their tents. I had a beautiful sunrise and some quiet time. It ended up being the best morning.

Morning routine in Waterton - 6am. Set chain tension, check fluids and tires, pack up.

Day Seven.

I found oil leaking out of my valve cover. Turns out that all the bolts were only finger tightened… (which I only realized when I got home) What else haven’t I discovered about my bike yet I wonder? I rode to the Red Rock Canyon for a morning hike. Last year I went to Iceland for two weeks and dropped my light meter on a rock, shattering it (I shoot mostly with older cameras without a built in meter). I had a brand new and considerably more expensive electronic light meter with me this time. I didn’t want to have a repeat of last year so I put the meter in a padded case. However I didn’t zip it up, or pay enough attention to make sure I was holding the case right side up…. You see where this is going. It fell out of my case, bounced down a few rocks, and landed in the canyon stream. I jumped down into the stream and pulled it out, but it had already been fully submerged. I pulled the battery out right away and tried to dry it out completely, but my picture taking was over for the morning regardless.

I did manage to get a few nice photos though.

I packed up and headed back to the highway feeling really mad at myself. Then I rounded a turn, and a Grizzly bear was sitting off the shoulder eating berries! But no, I couldn’t take a photo, my meter was soaking wet. Gah!

I watched the bear for a while until too many other people came and made a crowd. I headed east, homeward bound. I continued to loose oil and was loosing confidence in my bike. Broken bike, broken camera, leaving the mountains… I was feeling pretty low at that point. I headed east and rode as long as possible without stopping. I didn’t’ feel motivated to stop and explore anymore. I was worried about loosing oil, the metal flakes I had found in the housing, the chain, and a few other things. I just wanted to get home and fix it. My goal was to hit Regina.
Leaving the mountains is always hard.

I pulled into Regina around 7pm and I started getting a weird grinding sound whenever I downshifted or shifted into second. I thought ‘oh great, no my bike is really done, and only 6 hours from home’. It turns out that the new chain had stretched so bad in the first half of the day that it would scrap against the engine case when I would shift. I set the tension and the problem went away.

I tried to find a camp ground but they were all around $20. One of them was in a car wrecking yard. $20 bucks to sleep in a junk yard? No thanks. I kept driving to the next camp ground, and the next, and the next, until it was dark and I was only 4 hours from home. I decided to find some caffeine and make an all or nothing bid to get home – Waterton to Winnipeg, 1,325 in a single day. The headlight on my bike blows so I found the best way was to sit in between two semi-trucks. I could use their headlights to see around and in front of me a lot better than on my own, plus they might scare away animals before I got to them.

I made it home safely at 2:30am. $400 motorcycle and around 6,000km. First bike, first ride over 60km, first time riding in the rain, first time riding with luggage, first time riding in the mountains. Definitely not the last trip. Cindy and I are talking about riding two-up to California next year if the bike is up to it.
Hope you enjoyed the story and the photos, and please feel free to ask questions!

Gear I brought:

Before:

After:

Cheap MEC duffel bag – put my stuff into grocery bags to stay dry.
• Medium and Small ratchet with extensions and sockets from 8mm-18mm
• Metric wrench set
• Large adjustable wrench
• Large and small Phillips and slotted screw drivers
• Allen wrenches
• Small vice grips
• Adjustable pliers
• Two tire irons
• Zip ties
• Carb bowl gaskets
• Clymer book
• Spare fuel line
• Two oil filters
• Multimeter
• 14 guage wire
• Electrical tape
• Spare set of plugs
• Funnel
• Spare fuses
• Cotter pins for rear axle
• Oil drain bolt crush washers
• Leatherman mutli-tool
• Spare front and rear tube
• Small bike tire pump
• Pair of dress clothes and shoes, rain gear, one change of regular clothes
• Passport
• Pipe + tobacco for those late nights around the fire
Cheap MEC backpack – I tried using this as a tank bag. It was nice to have the weight up front but it kept sliding down, pushing my legs apart, so I put it up top in the back.
• Inflatable sleeping pad
• Camera – Hasselblad 500c/m, two film backs, 80mm f/2.8, 50mm f/4, Sekonic L-758dr meter, and loads of film.
• Rain cover for the bag
• GoPro Hero with some mounts
• Journal
• Flashlight
Tent – North Face Mountain 25
Sleeping bag
Manfrotto Tripod
The only tools I ended up using were the ones required for setting the chain tension and oil changes. I could have left 90% of this stuff at home, but I guess you have to always be prepared…

2011-08-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

Great video on some of the origins of mountain biking, featuring Gary Fisher looking pretty awesome.

Riding Solo

2011-08-18T20:44:00.001-07:00

Untitled, a photo by theworldisours on Flickr.

On August 9th I left for Vancouver on a 1974 Honda cb750. I had purchased the bike a few weeks earlier for $400 and with the help of some friends and a lot of time spend reading and making mistakes, I got it running. I returned to Winnipeg last night after putting in around 6,500km over a week. I went from Winnipeg to Vancouver, then Jasper, Banff, Waterton, and home again. In this photo I've got the bike up on a stand in Colin's garage while he helped me install a new electronic ignition system and set the valve clearances. Full report plus photos and video to follow shortly.

2011-08-04T09:20:00.000-07:00

I took these while Cindy and I were hiking down from Hekla - Iceland's largest active volcano. It has erupted every ten years on the dot for decades and was due for an eruption when we climbed. Really there is very little risk, but it sure makes your hair stand on end at times. While descending, large patches of fog rolled down the side of the volcano, covering the razor sharp lava flows. I dragged Cindy through one of these flows in the interest of taking a 'short cut', not knowing they were practically impassable and could shred your boot soles. Mental note: stick to the path next time. Click on the images and you can see full-resolution versions.

2011-07-18T08:19:00.001-07:00

Absolutely enormous database of Eddy Merckx photography. Not just race photos, but personal photos as well. Worth a look!

'74 cb750 Project

2011-06-30T09:44:00.000-07:00

This is my latest project - a 1974 Honda cb750 K4. I picked up the bike for the price of the tires. It was mid-way through a restoration by the previous owner and was not running. I had to fix a few electrical issues, rebuild the carburetor and replace one of the carb bodies, and some general maintenance/tuning. Now it's about 99% done and ready to safety! West coast here I come.

RRR/FGBC TTT

2011-06-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

Last night was the RRR/FGBC team time trial. JP, Lyle and myself entered as a three-man team, none of us having ridden a team time trial, and Lyle never having raced at all! The first lap was a learning experience as we figured out how to work together as a team, and almost immediately after crossing the start line for lap two we had a incident involving a crossed wheel and Lyle went down hard. He got off with no serious injuries, just road rash and some bruises, and kept a great attitude throughout the whole incident. In the end we won for being the team with the greatest 'trial', so it was all worth it. Right Lyle?

Tom K and Lyle got well acquainted as he tended to his injuries..

2011-06-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

Several months ago I was sent a message on Flickr randomly by a designer asking if I'd donate an image for a report being published about climate change. Fast forward a few months and I'm pleased to share that one of my favourite photos I took while in Iceland last year is being used as the cover image for the Global Footprint Network's 2010 Annual Report on climate change. The Global Footprint Network is a nonprofit organization that works to measure human impact on the Earth in an effort to promote more sustainable living practices around the world. The report will be published world wide and I'm pleased to have been asked to participate. You can see the report and learn more here.

2011-06-01T07:43:00.000-07:00

Home made chips, the best I've ever had.

I went up to Falcon Lake for the FGBC annual Spring Ride. This was the first time I'd ever tried riding a mountain bike on trails. It was actually the first time I've even ridden a bike with suspension. We went out on a nice six hour ride on Saturday that was a nice mix of technical trails and rolling hills, and even a few ladders thrown into the mix. It didn't take too long to start to get the feel for it and I'm looking forward to riding a lot more. Only low part of the day was ripping my derailleur in half and destroying my rear rim, an unsuccessful single-speed attempt to ride back, and a long walk home. Still, not enough to ruin a good time.

2011-05-11T12:46:00.001-07:00

“If our young men miscarry in their first enterprises, they lose all heart. If the young merchant fails, men say he is ruined. If the finest genius studies at one of our colleges, and is not installed in an office within one year afterwards in the cities or suburbs of Boston or New York, it seems to his friends and to himself that he is right in being disheartened, and in complaining the rest of his life. A sturdy lad from New Hampshire or Vermont, who in turn tries all the professions, who teams it, farms it, peddles, keeps a school, preaches, edits a newspaper, goes to Congress, buys a township, and so forth, in successive years, and always, like a cat, falls on his feet, is worth a hundred of these city dolls. He walks abreast with his days, and feels no shame in not ‘studying a profession,’ for he does not postpone his life, but lives already. He has not one chance, but a hundred chances.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance

2011-04-29T08:41:00.000-07:00

Cindy and I visited her Dad in Portage la Prairie a few weeks ago. He's got a sweet car.

2011-04-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

Went for a ride with Ben so he could try out his new bike. We checked out the new bike path that starts on Silver near Polo Park. The path is great - super smooth, winds through the airport landing strips, through a forest, and eventually ends near Portage Ave and the perimeter. We stopped to enjoy a Trois Pistoles beer before the turning back. Lesson learned. A 9% beer does not go well mid bike ride.

Bruxelles Race Report

2011-04-19T09:29:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday was Manitoba's own version of a spring classic in Bruxelles; a small town roughly 200km south-west of Winnipeg. This is the first time I've ever ridden a formal road race and was looking forward to it all spring. Last weekend was Brad's 70km gravel road race and it was more than anything a humbling experience. I was dropped 15km in and didn't catch anyone until about 500m from the finish. Though I was somewhat disappointed with my riding, it was still super fun and I figured if anything it would be a good training ride for Bruxelles.

I arrived in town an hour early to scout the course. I elected to bring my road bike instead of the cross bike and immediately regretted my choice. I tried to switch my slicks for some narrow cross tires and my Gios didn't have enough clearance to fit them. Stupid mistake, should have checked before. The course was wet and squishy gravel with ice and snow separating the two vehicle tracks. The sand stuck to my bike like glue and I could feel the resistance build as my brakes got clogged, and then the bike would spring forward when it broke free.

As for the race, I got stuck at the back of the pack due to my poor starting position and there was no way to pass the slower riders until later down the course. By this time the main Cat 4 group was way up the course and I wouldn't see them until the race was over. I did manage a better ride than last week though, averaging 25 minute laps and an effort I was pretty happy with. Hopefully by the next race or two I'll be able to stay with the group for most of the time. All in all it was a lot of fun, a good learning experience, and great to be able to ride somewhere with actual hills.

Here are some short videos from the race. One is from the neutral lap in the beginning, and the other is at the start of the race.

2011-04-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

Since I was a kid I've always wanted a motorcycle. I'm not sure why I never bought one earlier, but for some reason it always seemed like it wasn't really an option. That all changed when I was in NYC earlier this year and my friend Andrew had just bought a Honda cl350. I was shocked at how cheap he bought the bike for, and that he was able to strip nearly the entire bike down and rebuild, repair, and rewire it with zero previous experience working on motorcycles or vehicles in general. I love getting my hands dirty and figuring out how things work, so that was enough for me.

After looking for a few months on Kijiji and either being too slow to reply or not able to afford what was being sold, I found a Honda cb750K Four in Carrot River, SK (aka the middle of absolute nowhere). Cindy and I jumped in my parents truck and started on what was supposed to be a 14-hour roundtrip drive. Turns out the truck engine decided to die off 50K from our destination, late Saturday afternoon in a one-block town 3 hours North of Yorkton (the closest 'major' town). After walking into a hotel bar with the only pay phone in town and sharing our plight with the patrons of the bar, we were kindly told "hah! well you're fucked!". It was looking like we'd have to stay in the hotel bar for the night until a mechanic shop nearby opened up. Possibly not until Monday.

Thankfully we found an autobody shop that was closed but not locked, and the owner was working on a car for his son. He managed to fix the truck enough to get us home in exchange for nothing but pizza money. Sometimes you just can't beat a small town.

Long story short, I got the bike back home and couldn't be happier. It sounds like a complete beast. There are many things I need to fix/change/tune-up, but I knew that going in so it's no big deal. Here's how it looks thus far:

2011-02-23T14:49:00.000-08:00

First flat after the torturous single track section along the river.

I think there were around 60 bags of chips in the house, and around 250 beers.

24 hours of winter racing and Clint, brought to you by FGBC's Sloth Cross. This weekend taught me that Clint Eastwood is in some really awful movies. Like really bad.

2011-02-23T14:15:00.001-08:00

Winding down the weekly ride at the clubhouse. The bike rack can get a bit crowded..

2011-02-23T14:08:00.000-08:00

I found these two frames on a roll I had sitting in a camera I rarely use. Its from a bike ride in late fall. Makes me wish I could skip through spring and summer and get right back into autumn.

2011-01-25T14:08:00.000-08:00

This winter marks the second year I've decided to ride my bike year-round. I can't stress enough how much better the winter is now that I don't feel stuck inside for 6 months of the year. I actually like biking in winter just as much as the summer. It may be awkward to bike in proper clothing and annoying to slip and fall in the loose snow when the streets aren't ploughed, but riding on the frozen river and the little trails along the riverbank while the snow is falling from the trees is really unbeatable.

Last year I rode a bike I got for $30 from some garage sale. It did the trick I suppose, but was super heavy and a bit bent, not to mention too big for me. This year I've built up a Surly Steamroller for the winter. Its reasonably light, built like a tank, and has frame-saver applied to keep it from rusting apart. I'm running it fixed as I find it way easier to ride on icy roads that way. The tires are 35mm Continental Speed Kings - good on the trails, but definitely a lot fatter than needed for general winter riding. The saddle is a Brooks Swift which I'm trying to break-in during the dead of winter. Not smart.

2011-01-23T11:55:00.000-08:00

I have recently been introduced to the pleasures of making coffee using a pour-over setup. I got these pieces from the Social Coffee & Tea Company from Cindy this Christmas after trying it at my friend Nils' place. While I can't explain why it tastes better, I can say without any doubt that the quality of coffee is vastly superior. I also enjoy using the hand powered grinder - while it takes a lot longer to grind the beans, it's for whatever reason more satisfying. My Dad suggests it must be a Wolseley thing. He might be right.

John Cunningham Climbing Ben Nevis 1976

2011-01-07T14:48:00.000-08:00

Can it get any better?

2011-01-07T09:16:00.000-08:00

I've started saving for a motorcycle. This is big news for me. I've wanted one since I was a kid and it's finally a real possibility. I'm looking for something along the lines of the bikes below, the Honda CL350. Simple, affordable, really easy to customize, and cheap to insure. Maybe something with a bit more power, like a cb450 or 750, but that's the general idea. I can't wait to strap my tent and pack on the back and go on weekend adventures exploring everything I can find. Hopefully I will have one purchased by early spring if things go my way..

Last two photos are by Benji Wagner, check out his great motorcycle photography.

2010-12-22T12:35:00.000-08:00

It's winter, and that means bottom bracket maintenance.

2010-12-21T13:18:00.001-08:00

Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse from William Castleman on Vimeo.

It's too bad about the cloudy weather last night, looks like we really missed out..

2010-12-20T14:34:00.001-08:00

Bilenky Junkyard Cyclocross 2010 from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.

Wow, I wonder how many flats there were in this race...

2010-12-20T10:09:00.000-08:00

A look at what can be found in my bag on most days:

Bag: Fjallraven Vintage 20L
Rouleur cycling magazine - truly the most beautiful cycling magazine in the world
Muji notebooks, card holder, pencil case and world map handkerchief
Shop class as soulcraft - currently halfway through and really enjoying it.
Hasselblad 500c/m, extra film back and polaroid back. Various 120 film.
Sekonic L-758dr
Spare bike tube, compressed air inflation system, multi-tool, patch kit, Portland Design Works 15mm wrench
Leatherman multi-tool
Pipe, matches and tobacco
Keys, wallet, iPhone
Scarf

2010-12-13T08:32:00.000-08:00

I could really go for a nice fall bike ride right now.

2010-12-13T08:24:00.000-08:00

Taken in a park somewhere in upstate NY.

2010-12-13T08:21:00.000-08:00

Overflow water from a geyser in Iceland. This water is nearly 100 degrees Celsius!

2010-12-13T08:17:00.001-08:00

Peaking into the editing room of Villi Knudsen, filmmaker and documenter of volcanoes in Iceland for decades. If you ever go to Iceland I HIGHLY recommend going to his theatre and watching his films, but most importantly talking to him after because he is a very interesting man. He also appreciates a good Hasselblad.

2010-12-13T08:15:00.001-08:00

2010-12-13T08:12:00.000-08:00

I downloaded a light-meter app for my iPhone while waiting for a plane, and am pleasantly surprised that it is spot-on!

2010-12-13T08:03:00.000-08:00

Last time I was in NYC my friend Andrew (who is an excellent photographer) took me on a road trip to upstate NY to pick apples and check out an awesome gallery - Dia Beacon

2010-12-13T07:59:00.001-08:00

Yes.

2010-12-02T19:38:00.000-08:00

Two different views from two different bedrooms. One is from my work's NYC apartment that I get to stay at from time to time and the other is from my home in Winnipeg. Both are beautiful in their own way.

- Remember, you can click on any of these photos to see them larger.

2010-11-20T13:23:00.000-08:00

^ Downloadable Wallpaper

Incorporated a few of my favourite things into one: Iceland, photography, and cycling. I took this photo in August while in Iceland. A few seconds earlier I dropped my trusty Sekonic Studio Delux light meter and it shattered into many pieces. I was understandably bummed out and it made shooting with my Hasselblad rather difficult with no other way to meter than with my FM2's internal meter. I lost a number of photos because of that.

As for Bespoke Cyclecraft, we're in full winter conversion mode now. I love biking in winter. What you suffer from the cold you more than make up by having something fun to do outside, not to mention developing ridiculous bike handling skills. Speaking of which, I rode all last winter on summer slicks and didn't fall once. I decided last night that I'd put on some nice semi-knobby tires made special for winter and cross. This morning I got a bit cocky and promptly flew off my bike. I'll consider it a half fall as I jumped off my bike mid-fall and stayed on my feet. That's what I get for messing with what works. I'm looking forward to a lot of long winter bike rides this season. I think it will do wonders to pass the time and shake off any seasonal blues.

2010-11-20T13:09:00.001-08:00

Jokulsarlon, Iceland. Can you tell this was my favourite part of Iceland?

2010-11-20T13:08:00.002-08:00

Jokulsarlon, Iceland.

2010-11-20T13:08:00.001-08:00

Jokulsarlon, Iceland.

2010-11-20T13:07:00.000-08:00

Jokulsarlon, Iceland.

2010-11-20T13:06:00.000-08:00

Jokulsarlon, Iceland. 2010

2010-11-20T13:05:00.000-08:00

Southern Coast of Iceland, 2010. I've never felt stronger wind in my life than right here.

2010-11-17T13:11:00.000-08:00

Iceland, 2010

2010-11-17T12:58:00.002-08:00

Iceland, 2010

2010-11-17T12:58:00.001-08:00

Iceland, 2010

2010-11-17T12:57:00.000-08:00

Iceland, 2010

2010-09-15T14:12:00.000-07:00

2010-09-15T14:10:00.000-07:00

Some places in Iceland had very red roads.

2010-09-15T14:09:00.001-07:00

2010-09-15T14:08:00.001-07:00

2010-09-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

2010-09-15T14:06:00.000-07:00

2010-09-02T07:20:00.000-07:00

Iceland, 2010

2010-09-02T07:19:00.000-07:00

Iceland, 2010

2010-09-02T07:15:00.000-07:00

Jokulsarlon, Iceland. Hasselblad with Polaroid back.

2010-07-28T09:16:00.000-07:00

Found somewhere on the Internet.

I really want to have a motorcycle similar to these one day. Cindy and I are talking about getting our motorcycle licenses together next summer. I dont' think anything could be quite as fun as a motorcycle road trip.

2010-07-19T13:53:00.000-07:00

I love her hair.

2010-07-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

Cindy and I are going to Iceland in three weeks so we got a new tent! Naturally we had to test it out first. The tent is made by The North Face and is the Mountain 25 model. it's a four-season tent so I'm looking forward to trying it out in winter too. We set it up in Cindy's Dad's backyard. It rained both nights, the first night being an epic thunderstorm that beat down hard on the tent. The next morning we were perfectly dry with no condensation on the tent walls. Looks like we'll have nothing to worry about!

Really cool and simple system for distributing the tension on the guy-wires

Cindy loves ginger ale..

2010-07-06T07:25:00.000-07:00

Putting together my second Gios Torino Super Record. I went down to Lifesport and was pleasantly surprised by all their NOS stuff kicking around the basement, including a mint Tommasini with a full polished record grouppo!

2010-06-25T13:59:00.001-07:00

2010-06-25T13:47:00.000-07:00

2010-06-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

Reading, photographing, coffee drinking, relaxing in the woods.

2010-05-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

One of the things I've always loved most about cyling are the bikes themselves. A bicycle is a beautiful machine. Specifically, I've always had a preference for steel bikes. I think they are elegant and stylish in a way that newer carbon frames can't match. They have a timeless, almost poetic quality that makes me daydream about an older, golden age of cycling.

I've been learning a lot about frame design and the history of bicycle construction as I slowly teach myself how to build frames by hand. Of all bikes I have ever seen, from ornate custom hand-built one-offs to factory run models, no bike comes close to the Gios Torino Super Record frames from the 70s and 80s. I can't even put my finger on what makes them so great. There are no carved chrome lugs or flashy details, they are all one colour. In fact, every Gios frame ever made has been the same blue colour. But for whatever reason, that bike in particular has always had a strange attraction for me.

I saw these bikes for the first time when I watched "A Sunday in Hell". The movie is a documentary of the 1976 Paris-Roubaix bike race where Roger DeVlaeminick and his team are riding on Gios Torino bikes for their Brooklyn team. For years I have wanted to build a bike up just like his: a Gios Torino Super Record with a full Campagnolo Super Record group set. As of five minutes ago, I finally found one with the right price and it's being shipped over at the end of the week. There is a bit of work that needs to be done to get it up to my standards, but nothing that some time with a buffing wheel and maybe even a repaint down the road can't fix.

Here are some of my favourite pictures of the bike in action in its heyday.

The man himself:

And finally, my future bike:

2010-04-26T08:47:00.000-07:00

Cindy and I went to visit the cabin last weekend. I shot a bunch of 120 but here are a few digital photos that I liked. I'm looking forward to scanning a lot this week.

Also, Cindy and I bought tickets to Iceland! We are going from August 11-25, two weeks of tenting, hiking, exploring, photographing, and adventure seeking!

2010-04-24T13:27:00.000-07:00

One of the things I plan on doing this summer is learning how to build a bike frame from scratch. I've been reading a lot of frame builder's blogs, watching videos and reading books as well as talking with some friends who are experienced welders to get an idea of what is involved. I've started to put together the pieces I'll need now, and the first package arrived in the mail this week with my front and rear dropouts as well as bottom bracket shell. The front dropouts are modeled after the Cinelli dropouts that slide over the fork tubing rather than inside, and the rear dropouts are horizontal track dropouts with stainless steel faces bolted on. I may replace those by brazing on stainless faces instead as the bolts are a little strange in my opinion. Other than that, I just have to decide what kind of tubing I will use as well as find a brazing torch. If it all works out hopefully I can start making a few more for friends!

2010-04-10T13:42:00.000-07:00

Ever since I was a kid I've loved organizing things in my bags. I love taking all the tools out of my tool box, cleaning them off and putting them back in. I have five camera bags and five back packs. I just like organizing things in bags. I recently went to a North Face demo sale where all their products were 50% off with no tax. I picked up this new bag plus a cycling backpack.

This is what I like to carry with me every day.

Hasselblad 500c/m with an 80mm f/2.8
Spare film - here I have Ilford HP5, Fuji Reala and Fuji Pro 160C
Sekonic Studio Deluxe light meter
Vivitar Ultra-wide and slim 35mm
Keys
Kryptonite lock
15mm wrench for removing wheels
Allen keys, tire lever, patch kit and compressed air tire inflator, (way better than a mini pump)
Moleskine with pen
Wallet
Iphone
Hat

Also, should this type of thing interest you, please go check out this photo series by Atlanta-based photographer Jason Travis about what people carry with them!

2010-04-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

The 2010 Paris-Roubaix bike race is tomorrow. It has been my favourite race since I took up an interest in cycling. 260km on cobbled farm roads in France. Lots of crashes, punctures, dirt and drama. It starts tomorrow at 3:45am and ends by 10am. In preparation I watched my favourite documentary, A Sunday in Hell.

2010-04-10T13:20:00.004-07:00

2010-04-10T13:20:00.003-07:00

Roots.

2010-04-10T13:20:00.001-07:00

My lover.

2010-04-10T13:19:00.003-07:00

2010-04-10T13:19:00.001-07:00

2010-04-10T13:18:00.002-07:00

Montreal.

2010-04-10T13:18:00.001-07:00

As happy as I am for summer to be on its way, I truly love the cold.

2010-04-10T13:17:00.002-07:00

2010-04-10T13:17:00.001-07:00

2010-04-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

Hey, it's Thom!

2010-04-10T13:14:00.000-07:00

I just got this bike back from powder coating. As much as I loved the green, it was getting overrun with rust so now it's a deep metallic purple. Purple haze to be exact.

2010-02-18T12:42:00.001-08:00

2010-02-16T19:57:00.000-08:00

Skating on the river.