via flickr puck ananta :: via milanofixed

Life is like riding a bicycle – in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving. During one of my visits to ILT,  I came across one of Jessica Rose’s better drawings,  inspired by this quote from Albert Einstein which is so true.

Miss Rose is quite the busy bee, selling her original art, drawings and photoshop overlays at her several outlets at very reasonable prices. Everything she makes has  a very up beat character. Have a look at her other work if I got you interested!

As Mr. Gordon  say’s “Being positive is not just a nice way to live. It’s the way to live.” Here a portion of his 11 reasons to be positive.
It’s taken from 11 Benefits of Being Positive, if you’d like to read his article in full.

1. Positive People Live Longer – In a study of nuns, those that regularly expressed positive emotions lived on average 10 years longer. (The Nun Study)

2. Positive work environments outperform negative work environments. (Daniel Goleman)

3. Positive, optimistic sales people sell more than pessimistic sales people. (Martin Seligman)

4. Positive leaders are able to make better decisions under pressure. (Heartmath.org)

5. Marriages are much more likely to succeed when the couple experiences a 5 to 1 ratio of positive to negative interactions whereas when the ratio approaches 1 to 1, marriages are more likely to end in divorce. (John Gottman)

6. Positive people who regularly express positive emotions are more resilient when facing stress, challenges and adversity. (Several Studies)

7. Positive people are able to maintain a broader perspective and see the big picture which helps them identify solutions where as negative people maintain a narrower perspective and tend to focus on problems. (Barbara Fredrickson)

8. Positive thoughts and emotions counter the negative effects of stress. For example, you can’t be thankful and stressed at the same time. (Several Studies)

9. Positive emotions such as gratitude and appreciation help athletes perform at a higher level. (Heartmath.org)

10. Positive people have more friends which is a key factor of happiness and longevity. (Robert D. Putnam)

11. Positive and popular leaders are more likely to garner the support of others and receive pay raises and promotions and achieve greater success in the workplace. (Several Studies)

There is no pleasure in having nothing to do,

the fun is in having having lots to do and not doing it.

That’s right, I’m putting my Bob Jackson Vigorell Track frameset on sale.
Last August, I finally ordered my first track frameset, a custom made frame and fork built by Bob Jackson.

Bob Jackson Cycles of Leeds, UK has been a very respectable framebuilding company known for delivering fine quality bike frames, both road and track, since 1935.Their Vigorelli Track frames are in high demand so building the frameset took a little longer than expected as well as finding the right parts for the bike.

Understand my deep disappointment when in January, after the snow and salt had finally disappeared, I took my Bob for it’s first ride, it proved too big…
All the measurements were done correctly before ordering but appearently my upper body is not as well developed as my lower, meaning that it’s too short for the frame size.

But my “heartache” can give you the opportunity of owning a true Bob Jackson Vigorelli Track frameset, at a very reasonable price!

Here are some details:
Bob Jackson Vigorelli Track 24″ (61cm) steel frame and fork
• Paint finish Metallic Oro Ricco
• Hand built using Reynolds 631 oversize tubing for added rigidity
• Fully cast bottom bracket shell, crown & dropouts (120mm rear dropout spacing)
• Comes with a set of bottle fittings, a seatpost bolt and drilled for a front brake (39-49mm)
• Frameset is capable of taking  tyres up to 28mm
• Includes a  5 year guarantee and a bottle of touchup paint

The frame has been reamed and faced by a professional bike shop in order to make the headset and bottom bracket fit, at an additional cost of € 60.

The frameset is in absolute mint condition since I only rode it a few times.

Asking price € 325,- for frame and fork

The pre-installed head set is a 1″ inch NOS Campagnolo Record that I only sell with the frameset for € 35. A brand new Nitto RB-021 bar (not in the pictures) will be for sale as well, like the headset, without any real use. Those could be yours for € 30. Both pretty good deals!

If you are interested, the bike is still built up as shown in the pictures (and there are more, just ask), so you can take it for a spin.
You can contact me at: niek [at] fogchaser [dot] com

After last year’s great succes, this is the second time Ted Young-Ing will be organising the annual London Tweed Run. A social ride with a bit of style it is dubbed. Wifey and I just got happily registered for this swell event which nicely falls together with her birthday on the 11 April! Now we need to get our attire together and get her track bike ready…

Some information taken from the website www.tweedrun.com:

This year’s Tweed Run will be on 10 April. We’ll be setting off at 12 noon, on a comfortable-paced 12 mile ride which will take in the sites of Jolly Ol’ London. The Tweed Run is a civilised day out, not a race. We’ll make plenty of stops along the way, including a stop for a spot of tea in Kensington Gardens. We’ll be riding on open roads, but the wonderful Tweed Run marshals will be on hand to offer encouragement, expertise, and a hand fixing any ghastlies that might happen along the way. The ride will end in the City of London, with a bit of a party. We should have you home in time for dinner.

More details of the ride will follow.

Have a look at these pages  get an idea of the relaxed atmosphere:

Tweedrun’s Photostream on Flickr

Brooks Saddles news item on last years Tweed Run

Tweed Run on Facebook

Nice article on A Continuous Lean by Michael Williams

Chrome Metropolis
The last few months I have been looking out for a worthy alternative to my Chrome Metropolis bag. For more than a year I have been using this bag for daily commuting, running errands, hiking and what not and so far it has treated me fine. The bag has lot going for it. Manufactured by Chrome Industries in the USA  it is definitely quality made. It has plenty of storage space and it is sturdy with a thick Cordura outer shell and independently suspended  tarp liner. The stabilizing strap works well, keeping the bag in place on your back even when fully loaded. So far it has lived to its claim of being waterproof because I have been using it in our treacherous dutch weather numerous times without the contents of the bag getting wet.
One thing that I started to dislike though is the weight that is being put on one shoulder (my left) as a result of the single strap design. I have heard more people, mainly messengers, complain about this. Another thing is the lack of padding on the back. Soon after I started using it, I put in a piece of 10 mm foam which added the needed comfort.

Ortlieb Velocity

Before the Chrome Metropolis, I used a Velocity bag, made by german bag manufacturer Ortlieb, which is actually a smaller daypack version of their well known and burly Messenger bags. Like the Chrome it is a sturdy bag but a lot more simple in design. It’s actually just a big waterproof container that lets you fill it up. It uses a roll top closure to keep everything in at bay from the elements. The backpack design with its two shoulder straps, waist belt and sternum strap made carrying a load stress free.
The bag with its capacity of 20 liters offerers enough room but for those moments I needed more, it fell short. Also the fact that besides coming with a small document holder, it has no compartments didn’t quite work for me. Or maybe it is just a matter of becoming more organized…nah.

In fact I was looking for the best of both worlds. The roominess of the Chrome Metropolis and the ease of carrying of the Ortlieb Velocity. Maybe I even wanted a little more…

Drumroll please… Let me present the Mission Workshop Vandal Cargo Pack

A few weeks ago I read John Prolly’s rave review on the Vandal and after doing more research on their website, I got so stoked that I needed to check out the bag for myself.
THIS had to be the bag I was looking for! I got in touch with Bart Kyzar of Mission Workshop about getting the bag to the Netherlands. Shipping to Europe is always expensive but lucky for me, he and co-founder Mark Falvai would be visiting Holland in days to come.
Last week I actually got to meet the founding fathers of Mission Workshop at their hotel in Amsterdam. They are two cool and down to earth guys who are fully committed to their business and products, out there to bring the best bags possible to the market, not only sticking to the cycling scene but also serving the outdoor and mountaineering market.

Overall
When they presented me the Vandal in person, I was taken aback by the way it has been designed, so much detail has been put into it!  I am a huge sucker for quality made products and the Vandal definitely fits in that league. Extremely well put together with high end materials, it has been built with a keen eye for sustainability, using no PVC but only urethane coated nylon fabric. In other words: it is made to last. Mission Workshop is so confident about their products that they even offer a lifetime warranty! Like the Vandal, their products are not made in China but are proudly manufactured in the USA at a Colorado factory.

Features
One of the greatest features of the Vandal has to be the ability to expand its capacity in a matter of seconds, doubling its size by pulling some zippers providing a total volume of 2.200 cubic inches (36 liters). I brought along my fully stuffed Chrome bag which literally got absorbed by the Vandal, with lots of room left. Another great feature is its carbon fiber reinforced internal frame combined with a breathable mesh back panel, making it a pleasure to carry because I hardly felt the weight on my back. To provide even better load bearing there is the waist belt which is optional.
For storage there are 4 compartments, 2 large ones and 2 smaller ones, the latter closing with flap over urethane coated zippers and an adjustable elasticated strap. Of course it comes with a Light loop and a handy external pen pocket.

Wearing and riding
Wearing the bag is one thing, riding with it is another. It feels different from the Chrome but then a back pack sits in a different way. I will get used to this easily because like I said earlier, because of its stability you hardly feel the weight on your back. After a month I will post a follow-up and tell how you how it has been holding up.
So far this I’m very pleased with the bag and I’m looking forward to use a lot.

Mission Workshop
Bart Kyzar and Mark Falvai have been around. They are not only the founders of Mission Workshop but also started Chrome Industries back in the 90’s, bringing a huge amount of knowledge and experience in designing and manufacturing bags and apparel with them.

With the Vandal the guys are definitely on a mission (pun intended). They are planning to take their company to the next level aiming not only at cyclists but also at the outdoor and urban wear market, delivering top quality products. With the Vandal they have set a high standard. Go Vandalize…

There is also a smaller version of the Vandal available, the Rambler, as well as a roll top messenger bag aptly called the Rummy which will be available in March.

Maya Lin – Unchopping a Tree from What is Missing? Foundation on Vimeo.

Unchopping a Tree, part of Maya Lin’s last memorial entitled What is Missing?, debuted at COP15 during the Support REDD+ events sponsored by the Coalition for Rainforest Nations rainforestcoalition.org/eng/.

Her video questions our mind and heart on the emotion that we have towards trees around us. How would you feel if the city parks that you love is destroyed in the next few minutes? How quickly would you act to stop a deforestation that were happening in your city?

What is Missing? is a wake up call and a call to action, showing what is being done throughout the professional field of conservation and also what individuals can do in their everyday lives to make a difference in habitat and species protection. More videos can be seen on WhatIsMissing

via onemilliontree

via thyneighborsbike [ed: new site's coming soon...]

These cartoons often remind me a little bit too much of work, sometimes they’re even spot on.

Il Pelicano, the creator, has published the first 200 of these gems in a book including the Students series, made available through Lulu. Make me happy and buy it for me, please?

via Archimatects