The Radavist

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that I’ve got a hard-on for BAUM’s work. Ever since visiting their shop a year ago, I’ve been paying very close attention to the torrent of work that flows into their Flickr stream.

Maybe when I strike it big in the “industry” and move to OZ, I’ll have one of my own, but the likelihood of that happening is slim. Until that day comes, I’ll just enjoy shooting photos of beauts like this Corretto road bike and hastily take it for spins around the block from Shifter Bikes in South Yarra until I find the perfect wall to shoot it against. In this case, I opted for brick, instead of this black wall.

Side note: people ask me why I use walls for bikes like this. The answer is simple: I can’t afford to replace anything on this bike if it were to fall over…

Molteni sausages were onto something when they sponsored a young bicycle racer by the name of Eddy Merckx in 1971. Not only were they to see a huge jump in sales from his many victories (someone give me a source!), but little did they know, their brand was to be embodied in one of the most iconic colors in cycling history.

While this frame in particular is not an original Molteni, it still looks mighty nice sitting atop this Kubota.

I have been dangerously low on Merckx Mondays content, so when I was over at Maison de Blanc over the weekend, I asked FYXO to shoot one of his many Merckx frames. “Which one?” he asked, to which I replied, the one that’ll look the best on your dad’s mower.

Granted, this is by no means the “nicest” Merckx frame in Andy’s man cave, it just looked so quant… See for yourself in the Gallery!

This, like everything in the world of FYXO, is for sale. Interested? Shoot him an email.

Since the first time riding in the ‘wood here in Australia, I’ve always wanted to shred some MTBs. Problem is, it’s usually a pain in the ass digging up a bike, or there’s just not enough time to spend fucking around on the tracks and trails.

This go ’round, I’ve been taking it easy, so when a Sunday afternoon opened up, we were able to find the time for plenty of fucking around. But what about a bike? Luckily for me, Andy set me up with Tim at My Mountain, a shop in Melbourne specializing in bicycles designed for dirt riding: i.e. a MTB shop.

So, I had a bike (which I’ll be doing a bit of a write-up on at a later date), I had a guide (or three) and plenty of time. Andy knew of some mates who loved to ride Smith’s Gully, a “local’s only” trail system. He wouldn’t tell me where it was, or let me use my Garmin, he just tossed me into his van and about 30 minutes later, I was in a parking lot putting on my kit and nursing a hangover from getting “trollied” the night before.

The four of us all gave each other’s bikes the once over (only to know what to look for in case one of us crashed into the bush) and took off for the trails. Now, let me apologize in advanced, these photos didn’t quite fit into the product reviews I’m in the process of writing, they’re merely left-overs that were too rad to just pitch. Especially this one of Barnie getting rad…

See a few more in the Gallery!

The owner of this Gangsta track has been hanging around Shifter Bikes since he was in his early teens. Now, years later and he’s got an itch to ride his bike out from the city on a big, weekend ride. Before he could do so, he needed Dan to add bottle braze ons to the frame.

Now, the technique Dan used didn’t involve a torch, but it did involve a drill and a device called a Nutsert. More on that later. For now, let’s check out this rad Gangsta Track!

I swear, when I’m in Melbourne, it’s like classic steel roadie overload. Normally, I’m content with my modern steel but after a day at Shifter Bikes, I’m ready to start piecing together an Italian race machine. Dan has so many amazing builds coming out of his shop at the moment, but my favorite is this Colnago Decor with Campagnolo Record. Why? See for yourself in the Gallery!

Ok, look. This bike might just well be one of my favorites I’ve seen in months. Why? Campag and Shimano, tapered head tube, general trickery and yes, a DIY paint splatter paint job with a matte clear coat. Blakey’s Kinesis commuter even has matching pedals and helmet (of which weren’t present). This bike rules, I’ve had splatter paint bikes before and there’s something that’s just so photogenic about them – and horribly difficult to correct white balance. Check out more of this rare bird in the Gallery!

“Local access only” is not to be confused with “locals only”. If there’s one thing to be said about Australians its that they love to show visitors how great their land is. Land is something that’s very ethereal these days. Tourism changes the way one interacts or engages with a place. For example, a surfer would have a very similar experience as a cyclist in Australia but a businessman or businesswoman might have a different perspective altogether.

As cyclists, we look for the most anti-social areas to socialize. No one wants to chat on a busy street. #NotBeachRd. We look at cities differently and while many people prefer the beaten path, some head out down roads with no KOM, no segments and no social scene. I’ve been very blessed to be given such a unique view of Victoria and over the years have met some great guides.

This roll of film was lost. Ok, not lost, just in the bottom of my film container in the fridge. It contains some moments from rides, a Black Breath show in Melbourne and some other randomness. Check out the narrated photos for the full story.

Tools of the trade:
Yashica T4
Fuji Pro400h

It’s the sort of tale that is the segue into a horror movie. A few mates take to the ‘Strayan wood to celebrate one of them turning forty years young. They don’t have a support car, one (ok two) of them has a camera and all hell breaks loose. Right? Well, not hardly. No hell broke loose, no hillbillies made us squeal like pigs and no thirty foot crock ate our tour guide.

In fact, we all made it out unscathed, including my film…

Tools of the trade:
Yashica T4
Fuji Neopan 400

Previously:
MelburnOut: Shifter Dan’s 40th Birthday Bush Bash Day 02
MelburnOut: Shifter Dan’s 40th Birthday Bush Bash Day 01

It’s hard to be around Shifter Bikes and not want to document what Dan does each day. Over the years, he’s become not only a mechanic for many of his customers, but a consultant. There’s only one way to gain knowledge and that’s through experience, something few people have the time for. While many people have naive opinions, Dan has callouses…

Tools of the trade:
Leica M7
Leica Summicron f2 50mm / Zeiss f2.8 28mm
Fuji Neopan 400

Commuting, for most anyway, can be a fairly boring and mundane experience, even on a bike. But for those who grew old in the wood, taking the “long way” into work as important as a cup of coffee. My Melbourne mornings usually began slightly hungover, no coffee or breakfast (sorry, brekkie) and immediately hopping onto the bike to ride into the city with Dan from Shifter Bikes. We’d always end up in the same place, but we never took the same route. The Yarra Trails quickly became my new favorite locale in Melbourne.

Check out more narrated photos in the Gallery!

Tools of the trade:
Yashica T4
Fuji Neopan 400