20120229

Car, Unfortunately

Due to circumstances beyond my control, coupled with the fact that I tend to put the health of my friends a bit higher than bicycling on my list of what is important in life, I've yet to be able to bike to work this week.  To put it bluntly, it sucks, but it makes me appreciate my bike much, much more.  It also makes me hate everyone else driving much, much more. 

I experience a slight bit of stress when I ride on streets, mainly stemming from the fact that LA drivers enjoy telling me to go procreate with myself, informing me that I am making them at least five seconds late to Starbucks, and suggesting I change my mode of transportation to a horse.  Most days though, my ride is awesome, and I tend to run into some decent human beings who make my day a bit brighter and help restore what tiny sliver of faith I have left in humanity. 

They say that commuting by car is quite stressful, and I can attest to this.  Between constantly having to worry about idiots not signalling, trying to cut me off, and treating the speed limit like it should be the number posted multiplied by two, I get to work a bit frazzled, cursing at the fact I wasn't able to ride on such a beautiful day. 

You're not clever for speeding up in the turn lane and then merging over at the last second.   You're an asswagon if you think that expensive car puts you above using blinkers.  Your children are perfectly capable of walking a mile to school; you do not need to drive them in your massive SUV on a daily basis.  The time it takes me to get to work by car is cut in half when school isn't in session, mostly because of the lack of soccer mom SUVs chauffeuring at most one child and three small dogs to school. 

When the light turns green, I don't enjoy waiting ten seconds for the cars that are running the other red lights to finish going through the intersection. 

How do people deal with this every day?  I can't remember how I was able to cope with driving on a daily basis, which is something I used to do.  That part of my life is shrouded in utter unhappiness, brought on by lack of bicycle.

Anyway, some good news!  

LA will be getting 832 miles of bikeways in the future!  Granted, mostly it seems like they will be Class III style, meaning not dedicated lanes or trails, but signage informing motorists they yes, yes we can legally ride in the lane.  Even still, this is good news, and will hopefully encourage more people to ride, which I am always okay with.  

Here's to hoping I will be riding to work tomorrow.  At this rate, I might actually have to put gas in my car soon...like some sort of animal or something.

...maybe I'll sneak out for a late night Leap Day ride later.

2012 Distance Count: 337 Miles | 542.4 Kilometers

20120228

I must do this!

I'm trying to figure out the logistics of getting to the ever so awesome looking Marathon Crash Race that Wolfpack Hustle is putting on.  

Image via Wolfpack Hustle
It's basically a 26 mile race that takes place prior to the LA marathon.  3 AM...closed streets...freedom and LA spread out before you...

Not to mention riding with a ton of awesome people.

My current problem holding me back from registering is that I need to figure out how to get to the starting location in Silverlake.  Now, the obvious solution is by bike, but my problem is it's quite far from me, and it is a race...I'd like to get there and at least have some chance of winning.   I'm certainly not going to drive there, because the finish line is on The Strand, which I can just take back to my apartment.  It seems like attempting to find a ride at this point is my best bet.  

I'm really hoping things fall into place for this one.  Looks like an awesome good time. 

2012 Distance Count: 337 Miles | 542.4 Kilometers

20120225

All The Right Angles

The light was perfect today to get a few shots of the District.  So that's exactly what I did.




Plenty more where that came from!

20120224

Carbon Vs. Aluminum

An enjoyable video that I found on carbon vs. aluminum!



I've always been a fan of steel, and it seems like there's all sorts of carbon horror stories, but this restores my faith a bit.  I would love to see a comparison of certain types of carbon though...

Get out and ride this weekend!

2012 Distance Count: 337 Miles | 542.4 Kilometers

NAHBS and Weekendy Things

There's a slight, tiny little sliver of a chance that I might actually make it to NAHBS next weekend!  Sacramento is near my hometown, and while flights are still looking like they're going to be a bit too expensive, I'm going to keep an eye out for discount flights.  If I do happen to make it, I'll bring my camera and take as many photos as I possibly can.  Driving is a bit out of the question, due to time and the current sad state of my car.  

As it is Friday, I hope all of you will be out enjoying the weekend soon!  I have a few bike related plans - the District is finally getting its own saddle and I plan to do a decent amount of work on the Nishiki Ultimate now that I finally have a stem. 

I also have the rear wheel half built, so that's good.  All I need to finish that bike are brakes, a front derailleur, a freewheel, and spokes for the front wheel...wow, I'm almost sort of done!  

The Takhion is also most likely coming back from the welder, and all that one needs is a wheelset and a cog before it's good to ride.  It'll be velodrome only, mostly because I want to ride it but not destroy it in the process. It's currently at the welder because it seems like there was a lot of stress put on the handlebars at some point in its life, and one side cracked during the test ride.  Poor bike :/.  

Both the Nishiki and the Takhion will also need saddles and pedals, but those are easy and swappable.   

I'm seriously considering backing a really cool Kickstarter frame jig that was linked via Reddit.  Check this out:

Image via Kickstarter
Granted, I don't know how to weld, though that's changing soon.  Since every single jig I've looked at out of curiosity has been massive and expensive, this seems like a good idea, especially for someone who's just beginning (and doesn't have too much room)!!

Also, I know that there are a lot of things that show up on Kickstarter.  I only give attention to and or back those that I feel are innovative and useful, I promise!  

Happy Friday everyone!  Go ride a bike!

2012 Distance Count: 337 Miles | 542.4 Kilometers

20120223

On Attitudes

People seem to have a predetermined perception about road cyclists: mostly, that we're pretentious dicks.  Roadies run signs.  Roadies look down on motorists.  Roadies look down on any other type of cyclists.  Roadies aren't polite, etc. etc.  

I used to always defend my fellow roadies - I'd insist that they're just riding defensively, and trying to focus on the ride and their speed.  Perhaps they ride professionally, and as it's their job, of course they're going to take it seriously!  

Once I started being serious about commuting though, I realized something.  Commuters will talk to you.  Say hi, ask how your ride was, wish you a good day.  Most people out on a casual ride will do this, and even the roadie commuters I meet (I'm one of them!) are kind and courteous when out on a ride to work.  I meet the coolest people this way! 

The roadies though?  The roadies will only glance at you to judge you by your bike. 

And you know what?  I know exactly why.  You get into this strange perception on a fast road bike, something that you don't get riding a fun single speed or a casual commuter.  It becomes about speed, about beating the guy in front of you, about being the fastest.  When I ride my geared steel commuter to work, I often see roadies out training for a race, and almost instantly I feel like I have to beat them.  I have to show them up.  And granted, I've passed my fair share of kitted out, carbon riding racers on my steel, fendered commuter.  And I'll be damned if I didn't keep up my speed just because I couldn't get passed.  And yes, I did start to look at other "regular" cyclists as nothing more than obstacles.  It's a strange thing that happens when you're on a road bike, and I'm not sure how I feel about it.  

The point is, I can be a completely different rider depending on the type of bike I'm riding.  And now that I'm aware that maybe I'm being a bit of an ass when I have the ability to really get some speed going, I'm going to start actively working on keeping my friendly, "hey-I'm-on-a-single-speed-wheeeeee" attitude even if I'm out in the go-fast mindset.  

Even though most of the cheery "hellos!" I offer up to other roadies while riding is met with nothing more than a grimace before I shrug it off and leave them in the dust ride on ahead, I'm still going to try. 

Also, I think it's good to change up the ride once in a while.  It keeps you humble.  And mountain bikers!  Mountain bikers are the friendliest people!  And really, I think it's because with mountain biking, it's not about speed.  

So, if you're out on a road bike today, smile and wave at the next cyclist you see.  Heck, even just smile and nod. 

Image via Art By Comics


2012 Distance Count: 330 Miles | 531.1 Kilometers

20120222

TiGr!

A while back someone linked me to a pretty sweet Kickstarter idea for a new type of bike lock.  Unfortunately, by the time I got to the link, the project had already been funded (which is great!) but I hadn't been able to donate while it was still being funded...so I couldn't get in early on this super cool lock.

Image via Oregon Manifest
Anyway, it seems that the site for it is officially up for the aforementioned TiGr lock!  The TiGr lock, which I've been pronouncing "tiger," is a titanium band that weighs much less than a traditional U-Lock and promises to be much tougher.  From the videos on the site, they seem more difficult to crack than a traditional U-lock.  I'd love to see them go up against something like the Fahgettaboudit, so I am curious as to the results of the third party testing.

Image via TiGr Lock


I love that it can grab both wheels, isn't a million pounds, and can fit on a bike frame.  I think paired with a U-lock for added security, it could be a good system.  Of course, I'm not one to leave my bikes locked up for more than a few hours, and when I'm at work or at home, they're always stored inside.  Call me paranoid!

Nonetheless, I hope these locks do well, and I applaud the ingenuity here.  Who knows - perhaps I will be reviewing one soon :]! 

2012 Distance Count: 316 Miles | 508.6 Kilometers

20120221

A Couple of Photos

I hope everyone had a good, long weekend!  I got to help troubleshoot a belt drive problem at my local bike shop, so I'd say I had fun.  Also took the Takhion in to be welded, and once I get it back I can finally finish that build.

Not too much that's new, so here are a few photos to kick off the start of this short week.

My "Shop."  The Kickstand tag is from my Yehuda Moon books!

The belt of my district, which still needs a name. 
2012 Distance Count: 309 Miles | 497.3 Kilometers

20120217

Stop Signs

Alright, there's gonna be a rant.  So for those of you who prefer something a bit more light hearted on this lovely Friday, here's a hilarious video of freestyling with an old steel step through frame.


Now that you've seen that masterpiece, I'll rant.

It seems like what we need is more education.   For both motorists and cyclists, really, because lets face it - there are an equal number of ignorant people out there on both sides.  Yes, there are plenty of angry motorists who rage at the cyclist legally taking the lane, but there are also a fair share of stop sign running loonies who cut off otherwise people driving perfectly legally. 

Yesterday I was riding and something interesting happened.  I stopped at a stop sign and was honked at by the car behind me.  There was another stop sign a few feet further up, and I stopped again.  The car behind me angrily honked twice before speeding off after I proceeded through the intersection.  This was not the first time I was honked at for stopping at a sign when I was legally supposed to.  I don't run stop signs. 

So we've got a class of motorists who get angry at cyclists for stopping at signs and obeying the law.  Fantastic.

We've also got a class of motorists who are obviously (and rightfully so) miffed at the cyclists who blatantly run the stop signs.  Now, there's a difference in running a stop sign when there's no one else at the intersection...and running them when the four way intersection is full and backed up.  And to be fair, these cyclists royally piss me off too, whether I'm in my car or on my bike.  People seem to expect cyclists to run signs - I can't tell you how many times I've come to an intersection and motorists wait, despite the fact they have the right of way, and seem completely baffled when I come to a stop and wave them through.  It seems to completely throw them off.

When I do happen to be riding with another cyclist who I see running stops, politely informing them that they should be stopping usually yields little more than a rude gesture or ignorant shrug.  I've only ever met one other cyclist who stopped at the stop signs with me - and we exchanged mutual respect for each other.

We need more education.  Cyclists need to know that bikes have to follow the same rules as cars, for stop signs as well as other things.  Motorists need to know that we are not only supposed to stop, but stopping and waving us through when it's not our right of way (though appreciated) can be dangerous. 

Come on guys, we're better than this.  If we demand the same rights as cars, we need to follow the rules.  Stop at the stop signs.  If that's too hard for you because it is so difficult to get moving once I stop then at least freaking stop at intersections where there are cars.  Have I mentioned I hate that argument?  That it takes too much energy to stop?  Really? 

And motorists: we have certain rights to the road.  Yes, I know some of us can be pretentious dicks, but every time you blow a sign, go over the speed limit, cut one of us off, or don't signal, you're disobeying the law as well. 

2012 Distance Count: 309 Miles | 497.3 Kilometers

20120216

Beautiful Morning

After the storms yesterday, the air is clear, and you can actually see the Santa Monica mountains!  There are still major sand dunes covering The Strand, but since I've been commuting on the District, I've got no problems with it :]

Not to mention the photo of the day in the LA Times is this gem:

Image via LA Times
Aaaaand 300 miles!  Woohoo!  

2012 Distance Count: 302 Miles | 486 Kilometers

20120215

Bike Vs. Car

Perhaps if I didn't live in this sprawling expanse that is Southern California, with city stretching on for miles and miles with a complete lack of bicycle infrastructure, I might be able to give up my car completely.  I envy people that live in places like Portland who have never owned, nor felt the need to own a car.  There is enough public transportation and bike infrastructure to get around - not to mention the city is designed so that you don't need to go very far to get essentials.

There are small areas here that are bike friendly-ish.  Long Beach is bike friendly.  Parts of Venice and Santa Monica are fairly bike friendly.  The sharrows on Hermosa Avenue probably qualify Hermosa as bike friendly.  But for the most part, you're on your own here.  And sometimes I need to go fifteen miles just to get to a hardware store.  It's expected.  Car culture is eminent here - cycling is an "activity," not a mode of transportation.  People live in their cars and see nothing wrong with driving fifty miles each day for their commutes, then complaining about the traffic.

If I sound cynical and bitter, it's because I am.

But the point is, I can't give up my car completely.  I'm sure there are people here that have, but I don't feel safe doing so.  It's not a matter of distance, it's a matter of insane raging motorists with a lack of education who feel it's okay to lash out at a cyclist from behind the wheels of their machines.  It's a matter of the gangs that hang out on the bike trails at night, attacking cyclists to steal their bikes.  It's a matter of a city where building more freeways and parking garages will always be more important than adding a bike lane to the street where all those cyclists keep getting hit. 

Nonetheless, I still try to be a "low-car" person.  I'm in a very walkable area, I bike to work as often as I can, and my weekend activities rarely include driving anywhere.  So I decided to do a bit of an experiment to see how many miles I am putting on my car vs. my bike.

So far this year, I've put 295 miles on my bikes, collectively.  So far I've put 244 on my car.  Admittedly, I am scratching my head trying to figure out where those 244 came from - a few trips (maybe once a week) to work, a few to a friend's place who lives far away, etc.  I guess it really adds up.

If I can keep this up, maybe I can get more miles on the bikes than I get on my car this year. 

Yep.  Gonna do it.

2012 Distance Count: 295 Miles | 474.8 Kilometers

20120214

Bookman Lights

The other night when I went to take the District out for its maiden ride, I realized with a sinking feeling in my stomach that I don't have any spare taillights.  For some reason, my apartment contains approximately four spare headlights in various lumens, but not a single spare taillight.  I guess I've always been more concerned with being seen from the front as opposed to the back, although the taillights on the current bikes are by no means bad - we run Cateye and PDW in my house. 

Not wanting to be silent and invisible from the rear, I ran the fifteen feet from my front door to the awesome store I live behind and proceeded to acquire a pair of Bookman Lights, which I've been admiring in the window for a while, but wasn't able to justify until right at that moment. Not because they're expensive - it's $30 for a set - just because I have a lot of gadgets already, and I'm trying to quit. 

Image via http://bookman.se/ - I didn't know they made red!  Now I want red!  
Bookman lights are these neat little lights that will attach just about anywhere on your bike using an elastic band, like so: 

Image via Materialicious

They may look small, but they are formidable, and quite bright!  They have three settings - slow flash, quick flash, and solid, and they're waterproof (and quite stylish!).  Granted, the front light doesn't make a good "see-the-road" headlight, but for city biking, these little lights will certainly get you noticed. Also, the elastic band lets them fit on any size seat post, fork blade, handlebars, downtubes, backpacks...wherever, really. 

Anyway, I highly recommend these, even just to carry as spares.  

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!!

2012 Distance Count: 288 Miles | 463.5 Kilometers

20120213

District: First Impressions

Between wheel building, working on outside projects, and general around the house chores, my weekend was kind of crazy awesome.  It was also the first weekend in a long time that I was able to go out on a ride, with no destination in mind - purely to ride for the joy of it, which is something I don't get out and do nearly as much as I should.  

I did also have a pretty good excuse to ignore some of my other duties and hit The Strand though, as can be seen by my previous post.  I wanted to test the District for a good fit, as well as check all the mechanics to make sure everything was peachy.  I planned on going out around the block, and ended up doing a round trip work commute!

I'll do a much more comprehensive review later, but I did want to talk about my first impression.

I've always had a slight aversion to anything without gears.  Fixed gear bikes are extremely, extremely fun to ride - but the idea of having a bike for actual riding without gears scared me a bit.  I should also say that I've always ridden steel, and generally always ride in the highest gear possible.  I'm a big fan of going fast.

So when I hopped out on the District, I was a bit taken back by the fact that I could no longer bomb on the straightaways.  The bike is light, nimble, and silent - but no matter how much I wished it, it wasn't going to go any faster.  So I was a bit frustrated.  Then I got over it.

And once I accepted the fact that I was going to go this speed, everything made sense.  

I was enjoying the beach.  The sound of the waves crashing at night.  I wasn't worried about having to downshift.  I was riding along on this silent, beautiful machine, and suddenly had this amazing appreciation for the world around me.  I was by no means going slow, but I was slower than usual, and was just enjoying the ride, getting used to the bike.

Before I knew it, I was at the turnoff that I usually take to go to work.  There are a few hills on my way to and from work that quite frankly, suck.  I wanted to see how this fifteen pound bike would fare.

And never have a climbed a hill so fast, and with so little effort.  Same with the more difficult hill, coming back.  It was nothing.  I didn't stand up in the saddle, let alone break a sweat. 

As I descended down the final hill back to The Strand, going undoubtedly faster than I've ever gone before.  I felt a kinship with this bike.  I've never ridden anything quite like this, and I can definitely see myself using this bizarre, belt driven, carbon beast as my everyday ride.  I'm going to keep working on it, making slight adjustments - maybe up the gearing a bit.  But for now, this is the kind of bike that I'd hop on a train and travel with.  This is the kind of bike that I'll take on weekend rides with friends, on a leisurely Saturday afternoon.  

When your only complaint is that you don't break a sweat because the bike slows you down just enough to notice the world around you...well, yeah.

You and me, Bike.  We're going places.  Now, you need a name.

2012 Distance Count: 281 Miles | 452.2 Kilometers

20120211

:D



2012 Distance Count: 268 Miles | 431.3 Kilometers

20120210

Superbe

There are a lot of "you know you're a bike nut when" things out there. 

- You know you're a bike nut when there are more bikes than people in a household.

- You know you're a bike nut when you have no idea how much a gallon of gas costs, and haven't for a while.

- You know you're a bike nut when you can pull a crank and readjust a deraileur, but have no clue how to change a fuse.

I realized yesterday that I have a few good ones to add to this list:

- You know you're a bike nut when you can't spell "Superb" without adding an e at the end out of habit.

- You know you're a bike nut when your phone's autocorrect dictionary changes words to the names of famous brands or parts.  I'm derailleur right now, but I'll be over there in a Shimano.

There are lots more, but you get the idea.  

Seriously - e at the end.  Looks so much better than "Superb."

The point is, this amazing derailleur showed up at my house last night, after I'd been trolling eBay for a while trying to find the right one for my racing bike.  It's not NOS, per say, but it might as well be - the bearings are as smooth as butter, and it's a beautiful derailleur.  I honestly can't believe Suntour isn't still around. 

Really, their components were simply Superbe.  Teehee. 

I'm done.  

2012 Distance Count: 266 Miles | 428.1 Kilometers

20120209

Yehuda Moon!

These lovely books arrived from the Kickstand Cyclery last night!

These will be oft read and well loved.
They are full color and very well printed, and even though I've read the entire comic online (more than once!) I'm quite happy to be able to curl up with a cup of tea and read the printed versions.  I'm also glad that Yehuda Moon is still going, and I will continue to support them as long as I can.
If you haven't already, check out Yehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery!
2012 Distance Count: 259 Miles | 416.8 Kilometers

20120208

On Brakes

I have a love for shiny things that go fast.  It's why I love both bicycles and concept cars, with the difference being that I can afford bicycles.  I also have a thing for components - especially strange, obscure, weird components that are often proprietary and a handful.  It's one of the main reasons I have such a thing for Takhions.  But today is all about brakes.   

I often find myself drooling over Campy Delta and Shimano Dura Ace AX brakes.  They're different and unique, and I love them for it.  Some people swore by them in their day, and others admitted a lack of stopping power and problems with proprietary allen wrenches and brake pads.  Nonetheless, I've always liked how "different" they were.  There are whole subspecies of derailleurs, but brakes are (usually) pretty straightforward.

I got sort of excited when I learned about integrated brakes in TT bikes.  I mean, how cool is this?
Image via www.bicycling.com - I wish I knew someone with these so I could photograph them myself!

There's more where that came from!            

And of course, after Bike Hugger did a write up on EE Cycleworks brakes, I had to go an investigate them further.  They seem like pretty solid brakes, but they are by no means cheap - though they are lovely!  This is going on my list of Someday-Components.  That I will have someday.

And then Magura had to go and and make these sexy brakes.  I mean, look at those brakes - look at those levers - just.  Want.  Nustbike has some great photos of them here.  Looks like these are also going on that list.  Oh, and they're hydraulic. 

Image via Gizmag!

Right now, I'm running old Shimano 600/Ultegra brakes on my commuter (with the original brake pads, to boot!), and I feel like my stopping power is generally fine, though I rarely get rain here, so for dry they're fine.  The brakes are quiet, easily adjustable, and also beautiful.  I certainly don't need new brakes, or any new components for that matter, other than a few random parts for some of my projects, but I still enjoy drooling over the possibilities.

And hey, brakes are easy to upgrade in the future. 

Anyway.  That's my rant.  I really just wanted to talk about brakes.  

2012 Distance Count: 245 Miles | 394.3 Kilometers

20120207

32!

There's a stretch along Hermosa Avenue heading south each night that I can just fly over.  It's near the end of my ride, and usually I try to push myself to go as fast as I can.  Sometimes I'm a bit tired, so I don't go all out, but last night, I was all charged up and completely in the zone.  I was out of the saddle, sprinting in my highest gear, just flying.  I barely noticed the car alongside me, until I came to the stop sign.

I stopped, and the car stopped next to me, with the window rolled down.  

"Dude!  32 miles per hour!  Nice!"  He gave me a thumbs up!

I thanked him, then promptly went home and ate everything that I could find. 

2012 Distance Count: 238 Miles | 383 Kilometers

20120206

From the LA Times...


Whether you believe he is guilty or not, winning the Tour de France seven times is pretty amazing.  
Also, while we're getting amazing weather for commuting here in Southern California - anyone commuting in the real winter weather has my respect.  

Photo from the LA Times 



You snow commuters are my heroes!  

2012 Distance Count: 231 Miles | 371.8 Kilometers

20120204

Just Hangin' Around


Now the wonderful people of The Bike Shop and I get to figure out eccentric dropouts, custom belt driven drivetrains, and a exactly what kind of bottom bracket that is.

[The District sleeps alone tonight~]
Lets do this!

2012 Distance Count: 224 Miles | 360.5 Kilometers

20120203

A Sneak Peak...

...of what's soon to come.

Why, hello there.

It's lighter than the box it came in.

2012 Distance Count: 224 Miles | 360.5 Kilometers

20120202

The Dreadnought Has Landed!

I am lucky enough to be one of those people who lives behind a shop that sells bike accessories, as well as other amazing and wonderful things.  I also had a bit of a dilemma: the path I take to get home is not very well lit, and my headlight was a dinky little thing I bought for $15 or so as more of a "be seen" as opposed to "see" measure.  Living in the bay, this was fine.  Here, I needed something beefier.  

Thankfully, said awesome shop sells Portland Design Works accessories, and I had been eyeing the Cosmic Dreadnought for a while.  110 Lumens seemed like a good amount of light, and $65 seemed like a nice price.  So I went ahead and ordered three.  
I swear they're not all for me!
Once I've used this light for more than one ride, I'll post a comprehensive review.  But so far...HOLY CRAP I CAN SEE EVERYTHING.

2012 Distance Count: 224 Miles | 360.5 Kilometers

Potholes

So I fell on the way home last night.  Apparently what happened was that I was attacked by a rogue pothole on The Strand that caused a part of my fender to come loose, which in turn got caught in my rear wheel, causing the rear wheel to lock up and me to fly over the handlebars.  It was good times.  Really, I hit the pothole because I have a terrible headlight and can't see anything, but that's a different thing entirely.  

However, it seems that the part of my fender that caught the tire tore a good chunk off of it in the process.  

Really, I have no idea if it's still rideable.  That didn't stop me from riding on it to work today, but just to be safe, I ordered a new tire last night and ran this one at a lower PSI than usual.  It seems okay, and no flats so far...soooo...
Thanks for making sturdy tires, Tufo.
I met a woman on my ride to work today who's been commuting daily by bike for 32 years.  You go girl! 

2012 Distance Count: 217 Miles | 349.2 Kilometers

20120201

Stencils

The apostrophe bothers me.
Man, I hope the city leaves these up.  I went around last night with my camera and took photos of all the stencils - there's this one, "Lookin' GOOD," "You're Awesome," and "Nice Bike."  I'll try to get them off of my camera and uploaded as soon as I can. 

I got called a bitch today.  I also got whistled at.  So it evens out, I guess. 

2012 Distance Count: 203 Miles | 326.7 Kilometers
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