Chad's Do-It-All Traffic

This bike was finished this past spring, but it's been making the rounds on the internet recently. I even found it on a Scandinavian site recently. Can't tell what they're saying, but it looks enthusiastic.


Been listening to:
Esbjorn Svensson Trio - Tuesday Wonderland
Iron and Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
Le Loup - The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nation's Millennium General Assembly
Traffic - The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys

Georgia's Bike

Another fresh commuter. Enjoy.










Been listening to:
Magnolia Electric Co. - Sojourner
Ra Ra Riot - Ra Ra Riot
Harry Nilsson - Nilsson Schmilsson
Madlib - Mind Fusion 3

New Traffic Fixie

Right out of the frying pan, this one is - and it's hot.
Keep an eye out for it in the SoCal area, its new home.


been listening to:
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
Pacha Massive - All Good Things
The Verve - Urban Hymns
Little Brother - The Commercial-Free EP

Dent!

Just made myself a quick chainstay denting tool. It could be a lot slicker, but has worked very well so far.

Been listening to:
Stereolab - Emperor Tomato Ketchup, Mars Audiac Quintet
Son House - The Original Delta Blues
TV On the Radio - OK Calculator (I'm hooked on these guys...)

baseball

I enjoy the game because it is a beautifully designed game; it is a beautiful game to watch. But primarily because it makes me feel American, it makes me feel connected with this culture. And, I think that there are only three things that America will be known for 2000 years from now, when they study this civilization, and they are the constitution, jazz music, and baseball. They are the three most beautifully designed things this culture has ever produced.

-Gerald Early, from Ken Burns' "Baseball, Inning 1"


been listening to:
a lot of TV on the Radio: "Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes," "OK Calculator," "Return to Cookie Mountain"
Electrelate: "The Power Out"

Chupacabra

I am pleased to introduce to you the Chupacabra, a staggering creation from Traffic Cycle Design, LLC.

Designed in coordination with Goat (David Yost) of the Riding the Spine tour, this beast has been tailored for long-distance mountain riding. It sports a stout, stiff geometry, 26" x 4" tires (with an actual diameter of 29") , disc brakes, and an internally geared rear hub. It is also compatible with the rack system made by Xtracycle, allowing its rider to carry loads in the hundreds of pounds.

It's not your everyday bike, but my opinions of it have improved significantly since I started the project. Not only would I insist on a similar steed if I were embarking on a long mountain ride, but a slimmed-down version would be excellent for doing errands around town. It could carry all the groceries you'd need for a week, and could also be outfitted with a child (or spouse) seat.

What's with the name, you say? Wikipedia has a decent article on the chupacabra, a little creature known in the Americas for killing and drinking the blood of farm animals, especially goats. With the size and mass of this vehicle, I expect it to have a similar (although more invigorating) effect on my friend Goat.

You can see more photos at my personal website, where you can also look at some of my other creations .

Banana cell phone cover

I want one of these.




Been listening to:
J Dilla - Ruff Draft
Deerhoof - Milk Man
Brightblack Morning Light - Epynomous
Bob Woodward - Bush At War Audiobook edition

Haiku

a series of haiku I wrote on February 25-26.

a calm, gentle arc
drifting on a snowy street
I make my way home

snow falls no longer
compressed, it is soft, smooth
and shows me passage

they don't salt the roads
and all the better, I say.
May I have this dance?

What is this girl doing?

Who knew that Brooks was - artsy? sexy? perverted? ballsy? - enough to post this photo in the "press" section of their website. It's called "Made In Downing Street," and shows a naked woman straddling a bike that's decked out with Brooks gear. She's standing in front of the residence of the British Prime Minister and holds what looks like a cardboard sign above her head.
It's definitely an attention getter regardless, but I'm confused as to what it's supposed to mean. Is the peace symbol on her hip supposed to be significant? What's on her sign? Why is it named "Made In Downing Street?"
Anyway, I think it's an interesting photo. Enjoy.

Kids & Philosophy

Been listening to the Diane Rehm show on podcast, and just came across a very interesting episode. Diane talks to Marietta McCarty about her new book, Little Big Minds. Not having read the book myself, I can't vouch for it except for the author's explanation - which I thought was right on. She argues that children as young as kindergarteners can get a lot out of very serious philosophical discussions, and backs it up with personal experience.
Having been exposed to philosophy at an early age myself, I can only agree completely.
You can hear the show here.

Being foregn bike-free!

Last week, I finished work on my first Traffic Cycle Design MTB. I've built two MTBs before, but those went to a friend that's doing a long-distance mountain tour. So this is the first that I'll ride, and I'm pretty excited about it.
It's not fully built up yet, but I should have most of the parts here within the week.
I've posted a photo gallery of the bike at my homepage.