Mr Fink has a man-crush on Mr McQueen

The Fever . . .

Standoff Fever to be precise . . . 

What to do with those leftover plastic cores at the end of Tressostar bar-tape roll?  Make standoffs for your Ostrich front bag of course!

They make for a snug fit, while leaving you hands plenty of bar-gripping real-estate.  One of these days I'll give them a few coats amber shellack so they'll match the color of the leather.

Two Tickets to Carradice

My Carradice Nelson Longflap saddlebag has arrived and I have to say it's pretty damn cool.  I was worried about the dreaded Carradice leg-bump, but it turned out to be a non-issue.  However, when loaded the bottom of the bag interferes with my cantilever brake cables so I felt some hacking was in order.

I made a standoff out of a 2" PCP coupler wrapped in leftover cotton handlebar tape, and attached it to the bag with a short Rivendell Irish Strap.  The standoff gives it plenty of clearance off the cable.

For good measure I took a 1/2" dowel and used it as a spar in the bottom of the bag.  It's held in place by 2 small wood screws.

In all, I think it looks great--and it's a close match for my Ostrich randonneur bag.  This should be a perfect set-up for a 2-3 day credit card tour.

Bidness Time

Grandpa Buys Me Lunch

There's no such thing as a free lunch . . . except when Papa's paying.

[Ann's Coffee Shop - Menlo Park, California]

Bunkers

I'm Digging . . .

My Vans:

I've decided my toes are too ugly for flip flops.

Missing L.A.

After a few weeks in cold foggy boring pretentious old San Francisco, I can't wait to get back home to good ol' L.A. 

Cranes of the Dogpatch

Canon TX + Cross Processed Agfa = Green Gold

The New Practicality

It should be noted the the phrase "The New Practicality" was coined by the every intelligent and witty Daniel.  In describing the new standard for a "hip" lifestyle, he used the phrase "the new practicality".

Wearing jeans that don't fall apart after 6 weeks of wear?  Practical.

Boots made in America and built to last?  Practical.

A fixed-gear bicycle that tears up your knees and wrecks your back?  Not practical.

Hand crafted, well made anything? Practical.

Kitsch and Tchotchke?  If it's not sustainable, it's not practical.

Enjoy.