"Way Back Home"

Maybe you're one of the nearly 2 million people whose watch this video already, but if you're not you need to, and if you are, you probably want to watch it again.

Bike Istanbul: the helmet cam.

Biking in Istanbul is crazy. But you could say that about biking in a lot of urban areas. Somehow it doesn't accurately denote the full significance of cycling in Istanbul. Thankfully, my roommate Seth set out to document a fairly normal ride.

Biking in Crazy Istanbul Traffic from Michael Butterworth on Vimeo.

Bike Istanbul

After six months of mentally debating it, I finally caved and bought a bicycle to ride in Istanbul. I bought this bike from the Bike Bazaar in Fatih. It's a mountain bike and it has gears, which makes it the polar opposite of the fixed-gear track bike I rode in the States (in fact, I am a little apprehensive that some of the fixed-gear only bike gangs I've rolled with in America are going to track me down and exact gangland revenge on me for betraying "the cause". I'm banking on the ability to coast down steep hills to evade them... and yes, I completely realize how ironic that statement is.) Anyway, it's a Whistle which is an Italian company but it is manufactured in Turkey which means I was able to dodge the 40% import tax on foreign goods. Plus it feels good to ride a Turkish-made bicycle in Turkey.

Seth (who also bought a bicycle) and I broke them in by riding from the Bazaar in Faith all the way to Bebek (with a detour in Beşiktaş up what is possibly the biggest hill I've ever climbed) then back down to Örtaköy from Bebek. Not counting the detour, it was over 15k. For those of you not familiar with Istanbul geography, it looked something like this (except contra picture we took the Galata Bridge).

Definitely feels great to be back on a bike. Prayers for safety in crazy traffic are appreciated.

According to this article, I could be the 11th fixed-gear rider in Istanbul.

Bike Snob on 3rd Wave Coffee

My favorite online cultural commentator, Bike Snob NYC, recently offered a rather biting critique of third wave coffee in New York. As a bike-loving coffee snob, I love seeing cross-polination between my rather esoteric interests- even if it isn't always self congratulatory admiration.

Hey, there's nothing wrong with fancy coffee (just like there's nothing wrong with fancy cars or fancy 29ers) but if we really took our coffee seriously in New York we'd still be purchasing it for pocket change and drinking it from paper cups on the way to work. Turning the drinking of a beverage that wakes you up in the morning into a lifestyle is the complete opposite of being "serious." It seems to me that if you want to sit around all day doing nothing except obsessing over the plant you're consuming then marijuana would be a more appropriate choice. Coffee is for working; "Wednesday Weed" is for not working. In that respect we should be copying Amsterdam and not Portland.

Funny because it's true?

No Cassettes

As a (mostly) traffic law abiding bicycle commuter, I do not necessarily condone reckless cycling in heavy traffic. Regardless, this footage is quite impressive.

NO CASSETTES (JASON CLARY) TRAILER from FonsecaFilms on Vimeo.

Thought of the day

Latte art is to coffee what track standing is to bicycles.

Rain

Although I was successful in beating the rain to Quills, I was not as successful in waiting the storm out at Quills, so it was a very wet ride home.

Thankfully I always keep a back fender on my bike. Also, fixed gear bikes are actually practical for riding in the rain, since I can control my speed without relying on moisture-impaired calipers.

My Seagull messenger bag passed it's most rigorous test yet, as evidenced by the fact I'm updating my blog with my completely dry MacBook. When they say waterproof they mean waterproof!

Oh, trackstand in the pouring rain waiting at the CSX? You better believe it.

Acrobiketics

Just saw this on The Rex.  It's good to be reminded that being able to trackstand at traffic lights isn't that special.  

Assertive Cycling

The latest issue of the Leo has a very good editorial by Jackie Green, co-owner of The Bike Courier, an area favorite bike store and courier service.

I found his recommendations for surviving in Louisville traffic very beneficial:

"Ride 4 feet away from parked cars. The sudden opening of a door from a parked car will either take you down immediately or cause you to swerve away from it and into oncoming traffic that did not expect you to be sharing the travel lane.

Don’t let local bike lanes lull you into a false sense of security — they are often poorly designed and full of debris.

Adopt a controlled yet unpredictable riding style to keep motorists alert to your presence and maneuverability. Riding predictably lulls drivers into thinking they know what a cyclist is going to do. Cyclists often swerve quickly and without notice to dodge glass, roofing tacks, potholes, missing utility caps, squirrels and pedestrians.

Ride within your comfort zone. If you must ride the sidewalks, ride slowly, carefully, courteously and watch out for motor vehicles traveling alleys, drives, parking lots and intersecting streets. Many accidents and deaths happen when cyclists are hit from behind. At times it is safer for cyclists and wheelchair users to ride against traffic.

Focus on the threats — motor vehicles and road conditions — not the signs and the lights. Lights and signs do not kill cyclists, motor vehicles do. "

Milwaukee Bikes

Creative camera work and killer soundtrack. Breath of fresh air for fixed gear videos.

Milwaukee Bikes Promo #1 from Ride/Relax Productions on Vimeo.

Cliffnotes

Northstar, Seagull Bags, Paradise Garage, Urban Outfitters, Luck Bros. Coffee Shop, and the North Market.

Posing with Drew and Paul for a Polaroid portrait- in uniform with bicycles.

Introducing Drew and Paul to the craziness of the Monday Night Ride, which featured the return of the police helicopter.

Calling 911 for the first time in my life when a drunk kid lost control of his bike and smashed his face.

Logging in over 40 miles in one day with the GNC.

Delicious send-off brunch at the ill-named German Village Coffee Shop.

Pop Culture

I have now joined the ranks of fixed-gear hipsterdome. It took almost four months of layaway payments, but I am finally riding my brand new Raleigh Rush Hour, which I have affectionately named "Jackie" (after two of my heroes, Jackie Chan and Jackie Kennedy).
Another recent acquisition of mine is the new Sigur Ros album, "með suð í eyrum við spilumendalaust". In this album, the Icelandic post-rock collective explores new sonic soundscapes while maintaining the ethereal, other-worldly atmosphere that made them an international sensation. My personal favorite track is "Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur", which ends with a full symphonic build which I think is best described as angelic. While the album departs stylistically from their earlier work, I have no doubt that fans of "Takk" and "( )" will embrace this new direction.