Trail ride 2008

The first day the river was low enough to cross under I-196. Ordinarily, this time of year, it's flooded under at least 4 feet of scummy water.














Yes, I do cuff my jeans. I feel enlightened.

Back on the street

The first ride on this single-gear bike was great. It's quiet, light, and very maneuverable.














The Fulton Street ARTisans Market takes place on Sunday mornings.














Waiting for a friend in East Hills.














Inside Gaia, right before the veggie hash came.

New paint job

The blue demon has been stripped down and repainted.














with no shifters, no rear brakes, and no excess of wires and metal parts, it's lighter, a little more consistent, and a lot more fun.



















Thanks to Woody Guthrie for some inspiration.

Kind of a drag

I got a new tire at Village Bike Shop but I brought the wheel in by itself. Not knowing what clearance there was on the back brake, they gave me a regular 700x25 tire. This was obviously met with frustration when I put the wheel back on and had to ride home from work with a screeching noise and no rear brakes.

Different view

I'm switching every so often to the Graflex Graphic 35 camera I got from my grandpa recently. The camera is a few decades old, as the pictures seem to show.














The future site of Founders Brewing Co., right across the street from the bus station.














I made it as far as Eastown but got a flat tire on the way back. This is in front of the steaming fountain at Rosa Parks Circle.




















Perhaps the curse of the flat tire will retreat to the depths, from whence it came.

New look, same great taste

The Blue Demon is currently under repairs. I'm giving it a new paint job and converting it into a fixed-gear bicycle. I've got a new road bike now, though. It doesn't have a name yet. It's a gold Schwinn Letour.














Sign up at the Bloom Collective and check out some decent reading material for a change.



















I got a nifty idea for some DIY. Did you know you can make your own cologne for under $10?














I'm still not making it up early enough for breakfast at Marie's, although who cares when you can get tabbouleh (at least the parsley) from just down the street.














Frederik Meijer Gardens. The chocolate exhibit is still going on. My free piece melted on the way home. One of these days, I'm going to make it farther.



















Some delis let you fill up a bottle with tap water. Pretty cool.

Bloom Collaborative opening

After work I raced over to Grand Rapids to cover the opening of the Bloom Collective. The vegan potluck started at 6:30 p.m. It's not a good idea to show up later to a potluck.














On Monroe Mall, the Wobblies were here.














Outside the Wealthy Street Theatre, Grand Rapids Community Media Center, IGE complex.














Cherry Hill Market, on the way home.