Happy Hour!

Not quite Speilberg with the Flip just yet, but a fun little test. Editing is a touch rough, but hey, I'm using iMovie and not Avid. Anyway, a little bit of bike and beer fun for the weekend.

Making tea on the road...

I put a little post about the Trangia stove I use on Epicurean Cyclist.

This is vaguely insulting...

Was promising for the first few seconds....

Twine Stuff...

Another video I posted on Epicurean Cyclist...having lots of fun with the Flip!

First Video Review...and introducing Epicurean Cyclist

Here's my first video review using the Flip. Still learning to work around it's foibles. Also, I'm starting a new site called Epicurean Cyclist that will focus on "Wool, Twine and all Things Fine" with respect to bike touring :)

Enjoy.

What the Flip?!

I've been toying with the idea of getting into video for a while, but haven't been willing to drop the serious dollars for a proper rig yet. However, I am willing to drop a few dollars for something that will let me experiment. Enter the Filp Ultra!



A small pocketable video camera that shoots up to 60 minutes of web-grade video that you can slip into your pocket! Awesome. Exactly the kind of thing I would like to use on my bike tours to make mini videos. And you know what, the quality isn't half-bad....all things considered.

Take a look at this link. A documentary film maker literally tapes a Flip camera to his more expensive pro rig and edits the video the same way. The verdict, it's pretty darn impressive given its limitations.

The more I get into my different passions (photography, bicycling, etc.,) I'm learning that skill trumps technology. A cheap plastic Holga in the hands of a skilled photographer will make more compelling images than a Nikon D3 in the hands of a hack. We, too often, want to believe that technology will make us better photographers/artists/cyclists/younameit, but that isn't the case. True, it makes certain tasks easier or sexier, but technology will never replace skill.

So look for some video (shot on the cheap!) real soon.

(Note: The Rivendell video below was shot with a Flip)

How to mount a tire/tube Rivendell style!

Rivendell is now making videos on YouTube! (surely this is one of the signs of the apocalypse). It's a simple and funny video and in true Riv. fashion they manage to somehow make an online video tutorial on Youtube seem low-tech and personal. Gotta love it!

Not just a pretty face...

Here she is, my new touring bike. A Surly LHT powdered coated coffee tan and built with some choice components (XTR, XT, Velocity Aeroheat, Tektro, Brooks, dynamo hub, Tubus rear rack, Nitto front rack, Ostrich bags, etc.,). As pretty as it is, it's also a stout touring bike. I just took it on a three day tour and she performed wonderfully!! More pictures to come.

(EDIT: Quick map of the route I took.)

Yay...it's done....

Shot the last of the restaurants I was assigned for the food guide. The final restaurant was a real nice one, Tracht's in Long Beach. It was a mix of exterior shots, food and a portrait. I photographed the sommelier in their "wine vault", this really cool looking plexiglass, climate controlled room in the restaurant.

Beer and BBQ for Breakfast...

Is 11:30am too early for a nice craft beer?

I think not.

Got assigned to shoot Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach again. One of my favorite places to eat of all time. I shot the ribs again but did a little more styling. I had them cut the ribs to show a good cross section, then I drizzled on some BBQ sauce with a spoon (it comes dry rubbed and you add your own sauce). I think it came out great! The highlights on the sauce and asparagus make it really enticing. I get hungry just looking at the photo.

New Self-Portrait...

Went out to the park by the lighthouse today to try to shoot a portrait of myself for an interview in Momentum Magazine. Laura helped out being the trigger woman. I'm going to try to take a few more with either the skyline or Queen Mary in the back.

Steak for breakfast :)

More food photography...yesterday, i started the day off right with a beautifully perfect NY steak from Bonos. It was amazing and has to count as my best breakfast ever, even usurping my cone of Tillamook bubblegum ice cream at 9 in the morning while on a bike tour in Oregon.

Tough job, but...

Somebody has to do it. I've been shooting a lot of food the last few days. Today was a long day, in terms of riding around. I had to go from one end of the city to the other. And it was hot! Most of the riding went smoothly except for the ride back home. A little blond dreaded trustifarian (dreadlocks...or was it just a bad hair day?) in a white Lexus gave me some lip.

First she started yelling "crosswalk...use the crosswalk"...when I told her I was a legal vehicle, she then decided to yell "my engine is bigger than yours", but obviously not her brain.

The funny thing is, I ended up beating her to the small street she was trying to get to so I made a point to ride really slooooooowwwly in front of her. Of course, that brought on some racial slurs. Fun. Another reason to leave this city?

KTLA Video

A friend of mine sent me a digital copy of the segment. How cool is that?! This time I'm not cut off in the end. There's a nice pan of the Bilenky and the ZeroPerGallon patch.

How to use a Bus Bike Rack

I got an email from someone that found my blog from the KTLA show. She wanted to know if there was any video on how to put a bike on the rack. It's a good question, since they're not super-intuitive and a steaming bus full of people trying to get to work might not be the best time to try it out for the the first time. So here's a fun little video that shows how to use a rack. They're similar to the racks on the buses in Los Angeles.



What they don't show too well is a little handle that you pull to raise and lower the whole rack mechanism. When I get a chance I'll take a snap of that and post it.

My suggestion is to try to intercept a bus on the weekend or at a transit mall and play with it if you get the chance. It's good to try it on the bike you're going to use, so you're use to lifting it and attaching the wheel lock.

Bilenky Goes to Hollywood

Had a wacky day today that started at 4am. I was invited to come on KTLA's morning show for a quick segment on bike commuting. I'm in the clip for all of 40 seconds but it was a fun time anyway. You can view the clip here (they cut out the part when I get to talk though..but I'm working on getting a DVD of the clip).

Here are some snaps from today!


Finally figured out a way to keep my Bilenky upright while on the train. Note use of automobile tie-down.


The super ornate Hollywood/Vine metro stop.


Henry and Ron, two League of American Bicyclists instructors that were also on the show.


Frank Buckley getting powdered and prepped for the show.