Adam Whitlock

I’m on a messenger bag kick, but that’s what the readers like.  Not sure why, but if you want to see more leave a comment otherwise I’m doing my own thing again.

Yeti bags are individual works of art in the messenger bag business.  They range from using old, recycled, materials to the new.  The bag in the picture, for instance, was hand sewn with dental floss.  I question the strength of that bag though I’d imagine it’s more for show than actual use.  Other than that, if you want something that is hand made to your specifications then Yeti may be a place to check out.

Bekah Worley is offering three different styles of recycled messenger bags on her Etsy store. The bags look great, though without checking one out in person I’d hate to vouch for their durability.  If you think about it, a plastic bag is fairly strong for how much it carries so by layering them it should make a pretty strong bag.  Well if your into that whole environment thing, maybe this bag is up your alley.

This video is a classic among fixed gear nuts, bike messengers, and anyone interested in crazy videos. In reality what they are doing is not really that crazy; it just looks like it. Enjoy!

Image credited to Smart Planet.

Continuing on with the messenger bag trend I’m somehow following, I found an article on Smart Planet that explains how to convert your old bag into a solar charging bag.  It’s a great idea since you would be recycling your old bag instead of buying a new bag that has solar cells.  Since it would be a worn-in bag that you already know well, there is no weird learning curve of dealing with a new bag.  The solar cells that they use are a bit intrusive, so if you are a natural hacker you’ll find a better way of incorporating it into your bag (like removing the case and sewing the cells into an unused portion of you bag) rather than just slapping it on.

I should really pay attention to my bicycle seat before heading out.  Yesterday I went to work without noticing that my bike seat was completely soaked from the winter snow and spring rain.  It was dry to the touch, though when I sat down it didn’t hit me until I was half the distance to work.  Since the damage was done (my pants looked like I soiled myself), I decided that making it the rest of the way in discomfort was the only option.  Thankfully I had a pair of slacks at work to change into, though my butt was still wet for another hour.

Moral of the story: There is a reason why people put grocery sacks around their seats

It’s a busy week, but I need to step up the search for a large road bicycle frame ( 61cm+).  My current frame needs a lot of love which I’m willing to give.  Hell, I’ll never give it up or let it down.  I definitely run around with it but shall never desert it.  Damned good bike frame.  Getting to the actual work, I’ll have to strip the paint, sand it where there is some deep rust, take a dremel and remove cable clips which are beyond saving, and give it a new paint job.  I look forward to doing it though without a new frame to transfer my parts to, I’ll have to wait.

I don’t think I can put it off another summer, but if the need calls hopefully “my other car” can take the hit for another year.  It’s actually kind of sad since I’d rather take the time to treat the rust on my bike which I use for probably 1.5-2 seasons out of the year than treat the rust on the actual car which I use all year.  I guess it’s due to the fact that there are junk yards out there full of Cavalier doors whereas I can’t find a junkyard full of large-sized bike frames.  Well it’s that or I don’t really care if the damn door rusts.  I’m keeping *that car until it falls apart.

*Unless a white turbo-diesel mid to late 70’s Mercedes drops into my lap at a reasonable price

With the popularity that was the Asaekkiga / Chu-ri-ning comics I had posted a while ago, I started thinking about Suehiro Maruo’s work.  My old downstairs neighbor George had originally shown me some of Maruo’s work over a couple of years ago.  He dug out a few books to show me some of the panels as examples and entertained me for hours with descriptions of different stories he had stumbled upon.  Typically mundane details from anyone else would bore me, but George had a way of telling tales.  It’s hard to describe, but listening to him explain how hard it was to order a particular English translation of a Suehiro Maruo book had a way of making you feel like it was your struggle too . » Read more after the jump →