Tag: bicycle

Living by Joe WilcoxApr 13, 20169:50 pm

On The Road Again

I took my Guerciotti bicycle out on the road today—perhaps the first time in over a year. That’s a bad habit I must cure.

I bought the roadster from a shop in San Diego’s North Park municipality that sells older road warriors. Near as my limited research reveals, and please someone correct me, this is a mid-1980s Sprint built around an Alan-made Aluminum frame (Corsa 487 tubing). She’s light—I’d guess not much more than 9 kilos (20 pounds) as rigged. Major components are Campagnolo-made, including the rims.

Photo by Joe WilcoxFeb 22, 20157:25 am

Flickr a Day 53: The Racer

If you followed this series for the past 52 days, a pattern may be obvious. Not all, in fact not many, of the photographers are professionals. That’s particularly true for Bob Mical, whom I hope won’t be offended by my expressing such. The best pics aren’t those that stand as works of art but which matter most to you and to friends or family; and the story each image tells about these people.

I see in stand-out photography, particularly events, a quality Bob demonstrates: Willingness to get in, and get down if necessary, for the best shot. That quality makes this photo of a racer during the 2014 VA State Cyclocross Championships today’s selection. Sports photography isn’t easy, and should be more than stopping the action with the longest lens.

Living by Joe WilcoxFeb 21, 20156:57 am

Comic-Con Heroes: The Bicyclists

I am quite reflective about San Diego Comic-Con on this fine Saturday. An hour from now, thousands of people will begin the registration process that, from 9 a.m. PST, will let them into the online waiting room where they might be chosen to purchase tickets. I will be among them, for the first time since moving to San Diego in October 2007. My attendance was always guaranteed, for being a news reporter.

But SDCC has yet to re-certify my press status, and as time drags on the likelihood diminishes. Earlier this week, I received email indicating eligibility to participate in Open Registration, for which I am hugely appreciative. I worried about my uncertain status locking me out from purchasing tickets. Press get free admission, which is a benefit I can take or leave; paying is no problem. It is the assured admission that matters to me.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 5, 20156:31 am

Flickr a Day 5: ‘Style Over Speed’

At age 25, I begrudgingly got my driver’s license. How un-American, right? Or strange given I grew up in Northern Maine, where snow covers the ground seven months of the year. But anywhere I couldn’t walk, I biked. So it is with delight that today’s Flickr pic represents a bicycle enthusiast, and he has so many great photos posted (more than 26,000) choosing one is challenging. Self-titled “Style Over Speed” is by no means his best, not by any measure, but it’s such a poser I couldn’t resist.

Film director Mikael Colville-Andersen, who joined Flickr in August 2006, lives in Copenhagen, Denmark. His street photography is art. He writes: “Zakkatography is a state of mind. It’s a taste in your mouth, a warm fuzzy feeling. It’s groovy interior design shots, stunning architectural studies and it’s especially raw streetaciousness. Urban fragments with urban creatures. Zakkatography is your friend. Embrace it”. I will, and so should you!

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 16, 20139:37 am

Pedal Power

My daughter broke down with our Toyota Yaris overnight. Waiting on AAA now. Lucky I have alternate transportation.

Living by Joe WilcoxJul 11, 20137:01 pm

My Vintage Bike

For my birthday, I bought a classic Guerciotti bicycle—from the 1980s, I believe. I sold my Masi Speciale Fixed to buy this beauty. I will truly miss Masi, but she goes to an owner who like me needs a smaller frame (51cm). I move up from a fixed-speed to gears, which suits my plans to ride lots more, lots farther. I wanted a lightweight, quality bike that offers much while looking less attractive to casual thieves, and the decades-old Italian road bike was available from a shop selling used roadsters.

I searched first for a 1970s Schwinn Super Le Lour II or Paramount but those coming on Craigslist were too large. The Guerciotti frame, with Corsa 487 tubing, is 53cm. That’s a tad larger than I should ride but nevertheless manageable.

Living by Joe WilcoxFeb 21, 20108:23 pm

The Bicycle Thieves

We rent half a garage to protect our bicycles, two of which someone stole sometime between Wednesday afternoon and Friday morning (Feb. 17th and 19th). The thieves got access to the garage and hacked through two Kryptonite HardWire cables. The thieves nearly cut through the Kryptonite Evolution Mini U-Lock protecting a third bike, presumably the prize of the three.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 23, 201010:31 pm

Misplaced Lock

Misplaced lock; spotted outside Horton Plaza, San Diego. Photo taken and uploaded from Google Nexus One smartphone.

Photo by Joe WilcoxNov 28, 20084:19 am

My Masi

Seventeen days ago, I got my first new bike in more than a decade; I hadn’t ridden in that long. The Masi Speciale Fixed is a single-speed bike more often used for racing but agile […]