So I’ve been doing stuff and seeing things, but the reason I haven’t been posting that much is this:<br /><br /><img class=”photo” src=”https://images.matt.pictures/lack_of_posting_(and_why)/1171/film.jpg”><br /><br />That’s almost a week’s worth of shooting. I know, I know, that’s not a lot, but it will make for about a week’s worth of posts, once I get around to developing it. I’m waiting on some money from a lens I sold. (With my canon body out of commission, I didn’t need the 24-105 any more, so it went on ebay and sold quick).<br /><br />Meanwhile, there was a race yesterday, Bike Against Hunger the First, which was pretty cool. Kudos to Ken for putting it together and for all the rad prizes. Cody won, and I’d swear he rode up to my checkpoint on one wheel. He was there and gone in about 10 seconds. Yeah though, if you ever get the chance to work a checkpoint, bring a sign and a nice chair. A beverage and a book are optional but the book probably saved my sanity, i just wished I’d had the rest of that stuff. That, and it’s impossible to run a checkpoint and take pics of the checkpoint at the same time. It’s one or the other. <br /><br />OK, I’m going to save the rest for another day, because there are a lot of stories to tell, and a lot of pictures that go with them, so rather than mix things all about, I’ll just wait until I can get the pictures, and then tell the stories.
Posted by matt on 2009-06-14T00:00:00Z GMT
The comments on the story about the accident in tulsa are really terrible, really sad. I can’t believe people actually think like that, that the solution to driver negligence (which is almost always the case of bike accidents involving a bike and a car) is for cyclists to not ride their bikes. <br /><br />I ride a <span >road bike</span>. I ride it on the road because it’s made for pavement, and because it’s illegal for me to ride on the sidewalk. For a lot of miles of my riding, there are no sidewalks. Bike trails are nice where the exist, and I don’t mind dodging pedestrians and slower cyclists even, but the trails almost never go anywhere useful. I ride in the middle of the lane because that’s the safest place for me to be. I am more noticeable and to pass me you have to use the other lane. I’m almost never on roads that don’t have a passing lane, at least when traffic is an issue. Every cyclist with any experience knows the roads with the best pavement and least traffic to get where they are going, and new cyclists often hear about them the first time they meet other riders (‘You take 10th st all the way from where? no no no, take 4th to downtown, then…’).<br /><br />If you’re a driver, watch where you’re going and don’t drive drunk, ok? I see a lot of people bitching on the internet about aggro/self righteous cyclists, but if a random cyclist started killing drivers at random, and got away with it (hit and runs are the rule), wouldn’t you be mad at them? This case would have been just like that, if an eyewitness hadn’t run the driver off the road to stop her.<br /><br />Fact: you have to double or triple your speed to reduce time traveled by a significant amount when driving in town. That means that even a full 60 seconds waiting behind a cyclist (this is a lot longer than you think) going 15 mph waiting to pass is only going to slow you by about 30 seconds in your overall travel time. You spend more time than that sitting at red lights, making coffee or chatting with co-workers. Hell, I spend more time staring at the wall persuading myself to get out of bed. It’s not worth getting upset over and certainly not worth killing some poor guy who’s just trying to get somewhere. <br /><br />If you’re a cyclist, be careful. You’d look hotter in a helmet, and by hotter I mean sexier without head injuries. Use lower traffic roads, lights, and bright clothing. Of course, none of that helped me this last time, but I know it’s saved me a thousand other times. Don’t be an asshole, but take the lane, it’s yours by law, and if you’re off to the side, it’s easier to go unnoticed. If a driver is coming towards you, yell at them, whatever you feel like yelling, as loud as you can. More than once yelling “HEY!” has saved my bacon.<br /><br />I think that’s all. Good luck and good night.
Posted by matt on 2009-06-10T00:00:00Z GMT
I already posted this to twitter, but I figure more people will see it if I put it here too. I look at all those bike pieces scattered in the road, and I’m thinking, if my bike had been super light carbon, that’d be me. Lugged Steel Saved My Life. (For those that don’t know: I was <a href=”http://photomattmills.com/blog/2009/05/wreck.html”>hit a couple weeks ago</a> by an inattentive driver).<br /><br />Text story <a href=”http://artfa.gs/driver-kills”>here</a> and video: <br /><script type=’text/javascript’ src=’http://www.newson6.com/global/video/videoplayer.js?rnd=882102;hostDomain=www.newson6.com;playerWidth=400;playerHeight=340;isShowIcon=true;clipId=3849424;playerType=POPUP_EMBEDDEDscript’></script><br /><br />This is a sad day. My heart goes out to the dude in the hospital and the families of the dead. <br /><br />(another post to follow, more generally about sharing the road.)
Posted by matt on 2009-06-09T00:00:00Z GMT
So last night I was mobbed at the party when I took off my shirt… mobbed with markers. This is the result. <br /><br /><span class=”caption” ></span><img src=”https://images.matt.pictures/photos_of_the_brace/1175/0001.jpg” alt=”Photos” /><br /><span class=”caption” ></span><img src=”https://images.matt.pictures/photos_of_the_brace/1175/0002.jpg” alt=”Photos” /><br /><span class=”caption” ></span><img src=”https://images.matt.pictures/photos_of_the_brace/1175/0003.jpg” alt=”Photos” />
Posted by matt on 2009-06-06T00:00:00Z GMT
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