Do you have a commuting boundary?
Risley Landing, 20 April 2024. Canonet QL17 GIII/Fomapan 400
Recently over at Carfree Rambles, Stasia talked about a job listing that interested her, but that the distance from her houseāover 20 milesāmade it too far for her to consider applying, no matter how good the position could be.
I realize that 20+ miles is not so super far for maybe an average American commute which is done by car. Inā¦
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On the ends and potential beginnings of blogging eras
Baltimore Woods, 30 March 2024. Olympus OM-1n, OM Zuiko 35-70mm f/3.5-4.5, Kodak Pro Image 100
Itās a topic Iāve brought up before: There was once a great number of bicycle blogs that concentrated on everyday, urban cycling. When I really got into blogging at the end of 2010 (this blog had been launched five years before, but up until then I posted sporadically and haphazardly), I was motivatedā¦
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Tweed Ride 2024 Report: The end of an era
Portland Tweed Ride group portrait at Overlook Park, 21 April 2024. Ricohflex Dia TLR/Kodak Gold 200, cropped from the original.
Portlandās Tweed Ride started in 2010. This was the year a lot of Tweed Rides around the world started up, as the original London Tweed Run happened the year before. There was a lot of enthusiasm in 2010, and the crew of ride leaders for that one did a good job inā¦
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On the mental geography of a city
From Waud Bluff, 31 March 2021. Olympus OM-1n/OM Zuiko 35-70mm zoom/Kodak Pro Image 100
A couple weeks ago Jonathan Maus over at BikePortland posted about the āPDX Sidewalk Joyā map, a guide created by a few people highlighting the weird, interesting, and cool things that can be found on Portland sidewalks. I always love stuff like this, as does Jonathan. I think he was expecting a āWow! Cool!āā¦
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On cult bicycles and Bromptons
Mount Tabor, 18 March 2024. ashica YFāYashinon 50mm f/1.8āKodak Portra 160
Since I got my Brompton 2 1/2 years ago, my radar has become more attuned to whatās being said about this eccentric British folding bike. Some of this is because I sought it out, especially when I was trying to figure out how to bring my Brompton to Japan. And some I just come across because I follow the blogs of a fewā¦
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On growing older, finding the energy to do what you love, and bike camping
12 April 2024. Olympus OM-1nāOM Zuiko 50mm f/1.8āKodak Portra 160
Itās Tuesday April 23rd. If I had stuck to my plans, Iād be waking up at Ainsworth State Park in the Columbia Gorge, on my first bike camping expedition of the year. But instead, Iām at home. What exactly got me here, or more correctly, what didnāt get me there? The weather is beautiful, sun and highs around 70F/21C, so thatās noā¦
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Vintage vs. new in "analog" hobbies
Last month Danny over on the Fountain Pen Chronicles lamented the decline of the vintage fountain pen hobby.
Interest in vintage pens is waning at a time when interest in fountain pens is growing. Why is this? ā¦Society and its love affair with the BSO syndrome (Bright Shiny Objects) ā¦ it is all about the latest and greatest new stuff, the desire to have the first, changing taste, the love of aā¦
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Where have all the "urban knickers" gone?
Me rockinā a pair of Aero-Tech Designs knickers at Overlook Park, 18 Sept 2023. Camera: Olympus XA2 Film: Lomography LomoChrome Color 92 (ISO 400)
From time to time Iāve lamented the lack of practical bikes on the market. When I really got this blog going in late 2010, it seemed like we were on the cusp of a Practical Bike Revolution, where smartly provisioned steeds would carry us all throughā¦
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A reflection of my Austin visit, 3-11 April 2024
Downtown Austin skyline, 4 April 2024. Olympus XA/Kodak ColorPlus 200
From April 3 through 11th, Emee and I were in Texas, with the majority of that time spent in Austin. This is the third time Iāve visited the stateās capital. The first was in 2005, right after spending part of the winter in Tucson. The second was in 2018, when Emee, her kids, and I visited during Thanksgiving. Iāve beenā¦
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Three months in with the Yashica YF, and a reflection on my rangefinder stable
Well, look at that: A vintage rangefinder with a fancy leather bag. Soā¦urban.
On my birthday last August, Emee gifted me a Yashica YF rangefinder. It needed some TLC before I could really go to town with it, so I dropped it off at Advance Camera and picked it up after I got back from Tokyo in January. The Yashica YF is a pretty rare circa 1959 machine that uses interchangeable lenses with theā¦
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Austin Trip 2024: Journal Comic Report
Hey all, just got back from Texas. Yesterday was brutal: We were supposed to catch an 8:30 AM (CDT) flight out of Austin, connect at San Diego, and then get into Portland around 1 PM PDT. But that flight leaving Austin got delayed by seven hours, necessitating two reschedules of the connecting flight. We didnāt get into Portland until 11 PM! Add to that waiting for an hour for baggage that neverā¦
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Journal Comix, 10-11 April 2024: Austin and the eclipse
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Relief map of the Driftless Area, USA
by u/mushroomgnome
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Viewing the solar eclipse deep in the heart of Texas
Hello, folks. Iām currently in Austin. Emee and I came down here late last week. While Emee always has an excuse to visit this Texas town, as she lived here before moving to Portland and still has friends here, this time we came here specifically because of the eclipse. While Portland was just outside the totality portion of the 2017 eclipse, I was stuck at work, only catching 97%. While this isā¦
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The return of the Raleigh Superbe, and a ramble to Johnson Lake in "Adventure Mode", 29 March 2024
Well, this is embarrassing: There now seems to be a pattern where every year my Raleigh Superbe is out of commission for three or four months. In 2022, I snapped the rear axle, last year it was a broken spoke. This year (or technically last year) it was a flat I got on my December 23, 2023 ride I did after Coffee Outside. When I noticed that the rear wheel was losing air, the light was dim and Iā¦
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Things Spotted in Austin, 4 April 2024
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