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I've always been into riding bikes, but as options for things to do became a bit limited over the last year, it's become an essential activity for my mental and physical well-being. The Specialized Sequoia has been the perfect bike to get me around LA and off the pavement onto some sketchy mountain bike trails. It can even handle a jump if I'm in the mood to relive my "glory days" and deal with the fallout of eating shit. It's a bike that looks great and can take a beating if you're trying to get freaky out there ā it does it all!
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I got a gravel bike to ride in the city more comfortably in snow and rain.
Alloy frame, light, lots of room for big tires, shock suspension in the stem. Itās a comfortable bike - still pretty fast but not as wiry as a fast road bike.
SRAM Apex hardware, smooth shifting. Disc brakes, 12-speed (no front derailleur)
Come take it for a spin in bushwick if you want, size 56 frame.
Feb 29, 2024
In 2021 I bought a shitty 80s road bike for about $300 from this guy named Richard who lives in Ditmas Parkā I wrote about him here. This purchase sparked a love for biking that has become a borderline obsession ever since, and after validating that this hobby wouldnāt be short lived, I finally upgraded my bike last spring.
There are a dizzying amount of factors when it comes to selecting a bike, but at some point I caught the bikepacking bug from this lovely Instagram page @genosac. Their account is just a couple of people in Minneapolis who go on these weekend camping trips while riding through national forests, and they upload perfectly soundtracked edits that just radiate good times. Itās infectious.
I spend 95% of my time in New York City so Iām not sure how much bikepacking Iāll actually end up doing, but I ended up getting a āgravel bikeā / āall terrain bikeā from a smaller East Coast brand called Crust. The exact model is a lighter steel frame called the Lightning Bolt and a friend (@photo.realism) helped me pick out components + put it all together. I have it pretty decked out, but thatās nerd stuff that doesnāt belong here.
I love it, itās my baby, and Iāve already put close to 500 miles on it since May. Iām constantly looking forward to my next ride whether itās a 20 mile rip before work, a 10 minute errand ride, or an all-day beach adventure with friends. It gets me outside, keeps me in shape, gets me with friends, and shows me parts of the city that I probably would have never went on foot.
My loud nā proud love of cycling has led to many a friend catching the bug as well, so let me know if you need any help or have questions. Iād love to pay it forward.
Aug 7, 2024
seriously the only form of exercise I look forward to. feels more like exploring and enjoying the weather/scenery, gets you more in tune with the city, and suddenly itās been an hour and you've gone 20 miles. you dont need to break the bank and get a top of the line micro-carbon-fiber italian roadbike that weighs half an ounce or anything either, plenty of used bikes are at shops or on facebook marketplace for a good price. all cardio and NONE of the joint pain, my hips are gonna love me in my 50s and runners stay mad about it
Mar 15, 2024
Top Recs from @jamsayne
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This program (available on Netflix) centers around a diner in Japan that's open from midnight to six a.m. and the stories of the people who visit it. The show is both interesting and meditative ā each episode is self-contained, so you can pop it on any time, take a break for a couple of weeks, and it'll be there waiting to embrace you like a warm hug.
Apr 27, 2021
Jan 22, 2024
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Of course, this perfect for doing anything shoe is no longer in production and requires a little eBay hunting to acquire. A precursor to the popular foraging-centric dad shoe, the Jungle Moc the Orbit Moc has a neoprene upper, making the shoe easy to put on and more attractive on foot. These babies are from the 90s, so the glue is a little touch and go ā don't be angry if they start falling apart after a few wears. It's a little bit of a gamble leveling up your Merrell game.
Apr 27, 2021