far behind.

as i drove home tonight from an old friend's house, i realized, here i drive ALOT. i am in cleveland for the weekend, which is where i grew up. the cd player in my car seems to skip more than just a few beats; a third of the way from point a to point b, i turned up the radio. it was a certain brand of funk, and it was nice.  i wondered if this was the music they danced to when you were my age.

i wanted something familiar to listen to; this is a long drive for someone with nothing to think about* would have been appropriate.  scroll, tune rather, to something else. i found myself recognizing alice in chains on the hescher station that is still going hescher strong. this music must have been a contributing factor to my teenagey ears, i figured.

song one, black hole sun, followed by some garbage that sounded like linkin park. is this what we feed our children? flabbergasted at my inclination to this catchiness, i let it play through. during the next song, it occurred to me this was the soundtrack of a lebronless cleveland. as i entered my suburbalness, i turned the miami sound machine back down. just then, this came on:



if you so please, sing along: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4QL0L9fgbg what am i talking about - you mouroners probably already know the words.

and

lebron, if you're reading this, we look forward to your return. i comprehend the difficulty of your decision. i respect that it was yours. i am grateful to have celebrated in cleveland during the time of your reign. i hope you enjoy miami as i did. you'll be back though, and the city we both call home shall call itself a champion.

not a dad yet, but if i was....

...i would have asked for this for father's day:

le tournamints

check out this pair of mint condition le tour III's:
this couple has been happily married for thirty-two years, and spent nearly their entire lives by each other's side. i met the two a few weeks ago; after spending a few hours getting to know them, my ex and i took them out on a double date of sorts to the milwaukee art museum for the monthly after dark event.

the theme happened to be 'comfort' this time around; it featured complimentary massages by neroli spa, lots of beds to sprawl out on, and a live dj to keep the tempo. this past month's installation was on the american quilt. i must admit i was not terribly interested in this as much as indulging in such a lavish social experiment.



this is the view bedside:

a breathtaking glimpse of the roof structure of the lobby, by the spanish born archineer, santiago calatrava.

overall, simply a beautiful evening of absolute relaxation with my ex girlfriend along with le tournamints...what more can you ask for?
it was a schwinn schwinn situation.
___________________________________________________________________

unfortunately i had to say goodbye to the candy tangerine couple earlier this month. i was reluctant to see them go, and my ex was even less happy. in our time together, they reacquainted me with the art of riding for leisure, both in style and in comfort. dove bars, leather bound spring loaded saddles, full chrome fenders, and a few gears are a great alternative to the destination bound minimalist fixed commuter.

on the bright side, my ex recently decided to take me back, but not without a request to build her a next bicycle in the likeness of the le tour III mixte...which reminds me...

...a friend who builds bicycles in chicago has suggested a competition to build your next girlfriend's bike. rules and regulations can be found @ http://lugschicago.blogspot.com/search/label/bike%20challenge. based on the timing of my break up to make up, and when the mixte for my ex, ex-girlfriend (the exes cancel one another out) was conceived, i believe i will retroactively qualify for this ordeal.

i know what i stand to win, that goes for my (re)elation ship, too. i'm on a boat, and it looks a little something like this:

(re)opening tomorrow!

in an urban environment, the bicycle is no longer just another mode of transportation; it is an icon of social responsibility. those of us who commute in the city are aware of the bicycle's changing significance and rising popularity. with every revolution of the wheel, cyclists embody a growing movement towards sustainability. now, more than ever, people are choosing to trade in their seat belts for helmets, and embracing this responsibility.

(re)cycle green(er) is a progressive storefront installation exemplifying the ecologistics of six bicycle builders, who have reinterpreted this icon in an environmentally responsive way. functional art is achieved through a collage of components, once donated or disposed of, then reconstructed and reassembled by local (re)cyclists. second-hand frames become the canvas for the hyperbolic extensions of cycling green. through the process of reduction and renewal, each bicycle is resurrected as an icon of self-expression.

the biconography in this installation is set on a major artery in the city to raise awareness, not only for cycling, but for the inherent sustainability of (re)cycling. (re)cycle green(er) is visible 24/7 in the showPODs of pilsen east through june 4th. these are located in the 1800 block of s. halsted st. in chicago.

an opening reception will be held tomorrow at 1900 s. halsted st. on friday, may 14th, in conjunction with the monthly 2nd fridays event. featured (re)cyclists will be on hand to share their vision and process in the (re)creation of these six unique bicycles. the installation is made possible by podmajersky, inc. and the chicago arts district to demonstrate that the most efficient form of human transportation can be even green(er)!

peroni beer, burkes beverages, & ristorante al teatro are proud to co-sponsor this event along with izze and southern beverage. new accessories by organic bikes will be raffled off at the opening.

word choice.

last week i made what has become a pretty routine trip to chicago. since i moved to milwaukee 8 months ago, i put the number of miles between here and there on my hand-me-down car x20. its a good idea i didn't move any further. in two weeks i am going to ride it for the first time.

chicago is a great town, but i am mainly loyal to milwaukee. i like it better here, and i am not the only long standing resident of cook county that thinks so. its just nicer up yonder. i think the general lack of congestion, the inexpensive nights out, and the ability for small businesses to survive here have a lot to do with it. i will return with an official verdict once i have had a summer presence here. chicago in the summertime is tough to compete with, however what they lack is the riverwest 24 (july 30-31).



so back at it, hyah. i was in chicago for a couple bicycle deliveries, one bicycle pick up, to get a few parts, and perhaps a new bicycle to convert... maybe thats why i have a tough time liking chicago...mostly bicyness whenever i am in town. it seems like i am always telling a friend that i have not seen in awhile that i am on my way out. last weekend i spent three nights there, none at my old loft. the first night with efren, the second with jimmy, and the third with jeremy.

i like a change of scenery but its tough to relax when the sojourns are so short-lived. you have to always be three steps ahead in regards to what to pack, the tools you will need, and all that other bourgeois.

the trip began at a local shop. its currently goes by the name 'lugs.' even if i wrote this email when it wasn't 2am, it would likely still be closed. yeah, you know the spot. so after picking up a few parts with ron (the owner) friday afternoon, i decided to hang out in the shop for a minute. there is always a degree of surrealism being there. it tends to suck you in. the atmosphere is entirely calm, and conversation there is the polar opposite of forced. lets call it a speakeasy.



well as these things tend to unfold, there is usually a bit of alcohol involved. i went next door and chose wild turkey in order to stir up some resentment for an encounter i needed to make. you see, a brazen fellow by the name of shaun down the street at 'connect chicago' thought it would be wise to email me his irrational vulgarities a week prior. he chose to call the bicycle i had on display at his venue a 'relic,' and he asked me to come pick it up after his one of his employees decided to joyride the display bicycle for a few months.

i needed to collect the once pristine white fizik sadddle, white zaffiro tires, 144bcd signature crankset, and hand built, custom laced track wheelset on my 1974 raleigh competition. aware that i would not receive my bicycle in the condition i left it in, combined with the fact that i was underway on a custom project for shaun that was specifically powdercoated for him, i was none too happy. so wild turkey 101 and a round table amongst fellow bike builders, who are well aware of the value of a rare older bicycle (or relic, ha), seemed like an honest preamble to dumping more fuel onto bridge that shaun had already burnt. does anyone else catch the irony in his store named 'connect chicago?'

did that happen? not friday night. a handful of usual suspects came through, and in the single lamp that illuminates what part of 'lugs' need be lit, we had few beers and passed around the bourbon. echoing my (re)sentiments, questions came up like "what?" and "who does that??" the general aura of comradery put me in a mood all too amicable to be spoiled by a guy who terminates relationships via the internet. in any event, i realized that there would be a better time for picking up my bike and opted to enjoy the good company at ron's shop.



then we got to talking. word choice game #1 was the new name of his shop. the name 'lugs' and original 'ride chicago' left something to be desired. ron mentioned the prospect of a name that involved the word velo. the supporting cast, including myself, all agreed that this was a term oversaturating the cycling industy - kind of like the word organic in the realm of conscious eating. it just doesn't hold any weight these days.

i proposed he change his business model to a njs/keirin store and call it 'keiron.' bikeith and kieron. take another step; we could partner up and and form 'bikeiron.' though this was beyond clever (or merely another choice coincidence), ron isn't as narrow-minded to work strictly with the japenese track standards. seeing that he is more into vintage english models, i offered up a name once conceived for a bike shop in milwaukee, by the name of 'standforth.' it has that air of liberalness and activism, a hint of old english, and bodes well to the low lit ambiance of a speakeasy.

somewhere or another, the word 'sell' got me in trouble. "its not about sales," according to ron, "its about relationships." i tripped up later and incited another clarification from ron when i used the word 'customer.' ultimately, i ended up getting chastised for choosing the word 'used' bicycles. around lugs, they prefer the term 'rebuilt' when describing their bicycles.



after the diatribe, i came to understand ron's philosophy and his phonetics. it makes sense; we ought to have a certain level of dignity for our craft. relationships come first hand and are worth more than making a few cents. i wonder what ron thinks of the word second hand.

these are a few of my favorite things vol.1

stress on the word favorite. i cannot take credit for all of these...



a messenger in california. he stopped to see if mark needed a tube. mark took a picture of this awesome chainguard. the pant leg(s) rolled up...strictly style points. i want to try this someday, just to see how loud it is? have the united colors of bicycle parts caught onto this yet? when they do, you will see me rocking a turquoise one, but not until then.



this piece of art just makes me smile. another inexpensive way to make something amazing. things that scream simple always appeal to me....except girls, unfortunately. i'll leave that one right there.



greenery in bucktown! my friend used to live on the second floor. only three years ago the vines were only on the east side of the building. look at this chia-rrificness. who wouldn't want to live here.....hey yeah, its 3 blocks up on your right hand side. look for the three story bush.



mother's polish. yeah i like bar end shifters too. odd thing is, i don't really like gears. but this picture is about mother's polish, and indeed, there is no shine like mother's. with a terrycloth towel, you can make your bits look better than new. the personal satisfaction that comes from seeing your own skewed reflection in any sort of alloy is unmatched. i need to ween mark off of it, he is obsessed!



this garment is top shelf in my wardrobe. this came all the way from bangkok. thank you noel. graphic t-shirts aren't really my thing, but if you put a silk-screened image of a super hot hipster girl in tubes socks on it with the first cursive font known to man, well, what can i say? the pista, eh...i prefer to pretend all bianchi's are lugged.



fixed gear beer!! pbr laying second fiddle in the background. i have to thank danielle for introducing it to me. of course this is pure milwaukee genius. i stumbled upon several of these half empty in a trail trying to find the milwaukee messenger invitational. a long night of karoake the night prior had me struggling to make it to breakaway before the race took off. if you like gumballhead by three floyds (and i love it), you will enjoy this 22oz-er from lakefront. its good as ale.



and last but definitely not least, the guerrilla approach to cycling advocacy. how brilliant is this? these are all over the place in wicker park. this sort of thing, from the idea to execution to actualization, is pure chicago genius. if there's anything i hate more than driving in chicago, it's parking in chicago. what a pain it is to walk half a block in the wrong direction when its freezing out just to wait 45 seconds for the flipping receipt to print out. oh and thanks guys for taking away all the spots to lock up our bicylces because theft isn't already a problem...

b(ack)log.

i have been experiencing a writer's block. until a few days ago, blogging was one of those things i could not convince myself to sit down and do. much has transpired and the material to share has been ample, i've simply not had enough immediate relativity to relay these experiences in a literal fashon.



my lifestyle of late has also caused a bit of a rider's block. it feels like i spend so much time crafting and criticizing bicycles that often times the end product is hardly enjoyed. that's no good, according to the general public and at times to my general well being. here's a good idea of one of these projects:



this bicycle was broken down to the sum of its parts, sandblasted, and suspended in space as a three dimensional diagram. it was designed to educate and inform those who are less familiar with the mechanics of a bicycle of its beautiful simplicity. anyone can be a (re)cyclist...



i was asked in an interiew recently what this means. to me, a (re)cyclist is a bike savant whose satisfaction of riding is equalled by the satisfaction of restoration. in many cases, the term 'rivalled' is a better choice for 'equalled.'

this time of year is hectic for the (re)cyclist - the beginning of a new season means lots of new projects, and its challenging to stay on top of it all. recently, almost everything has been on hold due to the demands of curating the streetside installation called (re)cycle green(er).



as the curator, i learned an invaluable lesson of what this role truly means. it means making it happen, and there are many fulfillments when you are both an artist and a manager. i tend to want to have a hand in it all, and this ultimately means some long hours. the installation was no small endeavor, and i couldn't have pulled it off without the support of a few friends who did more than was asked of them to ensure the opening was a success.



couple of shout outs: first, to john podmajersky and cynthia west for offering me this opportunity to occupy these galleries and advocate cycling to the community of pilsen and the city of chicago. to my good buddy mark who took this initiative under his wing in so many ways, making sure all the galleries were painted, helping me create each of the pedestals, and engineering the exploded diagram. billydavid, thanks for welding up each of the channels to ensure our bikes are secured. jeremy, your infinite design wisdom, calmness, and facilitation services are invaluable. michael, i owe ya one for delivering all those palettes. danielle, your pixelated t-shirt design was amazing, and i appreciate your help with the inner tube chalkboards. mom, everyone enjoyed the pbr, thanks for the snacks too. efren you deserve a big hug for putting the bench together and the delicious post show bbq. thank you to each of the recyclists, whose work speaks for itself. lastly, my gratitude extends to my friends and each of you who came out to make this event a success.

if you were not able to make it for the opening, you can go to the 1800 block of south halsted in pilsen and take all of this in any time throughout the remainder of this month. the bicycles are visible from the sidewalk in 7 showpods, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

for those of you who are not in town, i present the following builds:


showpod 1 features a track bike interpreted as a turntable by adrian.


showpod 2 features a 1971 hand painted raleigh competition by billydavid.


showpod 3 features an rrb fixed gear conversion by ron.


showpod 4 features a fuji track frame accented with hardwoods by me.


showpod 5 features a sillgey bike polo frame by mark a.


showpod 6 features an original 1981 panasonic ar-6000 by mark w.