I have to give a big shout out to my friend and Selectism Columnist Ben for sending over this great keychain. It’s a new old stock Campagnolo Syncro shifter. It get the engraved Freeman Transport treatment as well. A dope gift! Thank you sir.

Not sure what to make of this one. Bikehacks  points us at this forum post on making your own winter studded tires. This shit is serious business and if not done properly can lead to some disastrous moments on the road. For instance, this hack requires properl Dremel work to smooth out the bolt ends when finishing this. Serious.

Honestly, if you, like me, are not willing to risk this, and your frame can handle a fat tire - like the Surly Steamroller! - pick up 700c Nokian Hakkapeliitta W106 35mm from Peter White Cycles. For the record, Steamroller have a disgustingly dope 38mm clearance in the rear.

Out of curiosity, any other track like geometry frames on the market with big ass clearance like the Surly?

Happy holidays to everyone celebrating something this December. I’m off to enjoy the great state of Connecticut for some lovely eats and gifts. I hope you all have a similar experience - well not CT, but whatever joint you end up partying at.

Here’s a quick something for all of you. 

Random 14 Tracks I Overplayed in 2008 Mix. (works best in iTunes)

Just a bunch of tracks I’ve been playing in 2008. If you care to avoid my commentary, simply use the Chapters feature in iTunes (found in your Finder bar when you play this file) to get right to the music.

See you all in 2009.

(photo via flickr)

Powder at Killington yesterday. Drove up with the boys. Some quick video of the looks. Too windy and wet too pull the Xacti out at the top. Bummer.

I have high regards for my dear friend, Jonathan. I’ve mentioned him in this very Column in the past for reasons of music, but Jon was also the guy who turned me onto track bikes years ago when I was still running through Boston on my ‘96 Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo. I fucking miss that bike.

As long as I have known Jon, his day to day has been this KHS with that funky seat tube (show above). He’s beat the shit out of it but like most good bikes, it keeps running. Jon also tends to tire of the normal bike decoration and when he get’s tired of the paint job, he’s the first guy to grab some permanent markers and give it a face lift. I’m pretty sure this is the third commission he’s done on the KHS.

His latest work is the work of genius. From afar, it looks like a splatter pattern or a DPM of some pastel sort. Due to this unique look, he is stopped by bike and art fans alike, all pondering his technique and style…

But the truth is that for the last few months or so, he just keeps writing the word “Fuck” on his frame; usually in the morning right before beginning his commute. I find it awfully appropriate to be honest. Layer after layer of “fucks” later and he’s developed a colorform on his KHS like no other. 

Superb work dear friend.

I got my first ride in of the season yesterday with Seth and Will. The three hour drive up to Sunday River in Maine was well worth it. Sure, there wasn’t that much natural powder but the good people at SR know how to blow snow. Many thanks to Seth for driving, Will for the lift tickets, and Tim for the new gear - it all went towards making my first day of the 2008/09 season one of the best starts.

Much love to Will who ripped his Telemark binding right out of the ski. Core and all. Everything is not lost brother.

We’ll do it again on Wednesday.

(photos by Seth)

I spent a good deal of time with David and Tim while in NYC. Many many outstanding things to come brothers.

Meanwhile, back at the Boston office, Adriana continued to show love to the Pussy Sniper while I was gone. Note those SUPER x HS glasses on A-dizzle. Nice.

I’ve been waiting for this docu to come out for a while. If anything, I offer it up here to those who ask me what music I turn to when I need to get my head straight again. A good amount of music will set me good but if I had to pick three right now, they would be the following:

“The Bells” by Jeff Mills is almost a cop out by me in trying to pinpoint what techno record really changed my life. “The Bells” changed my life when it was released but it is not the best techno track ever made. If anything, it was the first sign of a cataclysmic shift in the current (at the time) wave of techno and gives a very good composition of what is what.

Anyways, watch the film if you want some a better understanding of where Detroit techno came from. Don’t confuse it with house, please.

Beau sent me over a link to this Fox News story entitled, “Lego-Style Islamic Terrorist Figurine Sparks Outrage.”  I have blogged about these in the past as I myself own both the “black” and “white” bandit minifigs and have discussed how great it is that the Will and his sons (BrickArms) have devoted much time to making weapon models for minifigs, in many ways the same as those people running into the woods to re-enact Civil War battles.

The main complaint in this article is from the Ramadhan Foundation in Britain who states, “I don’t think there’s any difference between someone that shouts hatred through a megaphone and someone that creates a doll that glorifies terrorists.” That’s about as logical as salami purchases making you a butcher of death.

At the end of the day, Will and BrickArms look like they’ll keep pushing out some of the best model weaponry made today for minifigs. Looks like this may have done business well as they’ve stopped taking orders to to high demand.

I am putting my money behind Australia’s power pop band, Empire of the Sun to be the hottest act of 2009. Point.

Empire of the Sun consists of Luke Steele (Sleepy Jackson) and Nick Littlemore (Pnau), a fuckload of makeup, and French revolutionary meets Shanghai fashion. These guys are weird. Big time weird… weird in the Bowie Stardust kind of way. But goddamn they’re making respectable pop music.

“Walking on a Dream” is their debut single and MGMT should be very very nervous right now. This is real and the influence is obvious.

My vote for single of 2009.