I LIKE TURTLES

YO DAWG, I HEARD YOU LIKE CANNONDALE TRACKS

2010-10-12T21:49:00.000-07:00

Spicer Pursuit

2010-10-07T21:46:00.000-07:00

I was going through my hard drive last night, and found pics of my old Spicer. I kinda miss it. It was a love/hate relationship, and I just had to let her go. Wishbone seat stays, triple triangle, and oversized chain stays. It was a blast to ride, but my shoulders didn't agree.

Random Friday ride

2010-10-01T17:12:00.000-07:00

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4078697

I know, the route looks pretty retarded. But there's a story to that!

I went on a pretty random ride today. Haha, brought my bike back from San Jose yesterday, mainly to get my wheels trued. But since I rarely have my bike with me in SF, why not log in a few miles? Headed out at 8:40~ in the AM and met up with Ben at the De Young Museum for a lazy Friday ride.

We didn't have a route in mind, so we decided to check our Bernal Heights Park. I mean, I've lived in San Francisco my whole life but am never in that area. I've always seen the hill overlooking the east/south-east side of the city but didn't even know how to get there. But yeah, Bernal Heights is alright. It's like a Twin Peaks in the ghetto, overlooking the nicer part of the ghetto. Haha! Oh, and the last hill climbing up to the base of the Park on Folsom street was STEEEEEEEEEEEEEP. Cock succc

After Bernal Heights, we were planning to swing by Ritual Coffee to see if Marc was working (Oh, and I randomly saw Benny Gold walking his dog on Valencia. FRENCH BULLDOG). I mean, we were already in the Mission area so why not? Peeped inside and didn't see Marc so we just ended up getting Starbucks on 9th and Irving. Sat down, had coffee, chit chatted about a bunch of random shit, then made our way down Irving. Ben had to run a few errands, so he cut out at 18th ave and I just grabbed some popcorn chicken at Teaway. Ate my popcorn chicken, and it was still pretty early in the day (around 11am-12pm~). Didn't have anything else planned for the rest of the day, so I decided to make my way over to SportsBasement to get a quote on getting my wheels trued.

Looked around SportsBasement for a while, and since I was in the Presidio, why not cross the bridge? Crossed the bridge and contemplated people watching in Sausalito, but just went up Conzelman instead. I remember my roommate Clifford saying that they opened up most of it, and I was curious to see how far up I can go before getting kicked off. Climbed up Conzelman, checked out the view, then made my way home.

Oh, and I passed by the De Young Museum 4 or 5 times today. Stooopid!

And I thought I had a hard time finding bikes my size..

2010-09-30T22:35:00.000-07:00

Took a glance at this picture, looked at the headtube, realized that the wheels are 700c, and said "TALL ASS NIGGA!!" out loud.

WE ARE X

2010-09-29T15:05:00.000-07:00

So I went to my first concert last night. X-Japan at Oakland's Fox theater. To sum it all up, it was a ridiculous/crazy/amazing night. I think the pictures will describe my night (I didn't bing my camera but two friends took some pretty damn good pics). Getting there early was a huge plus, an we ended up somewhere in the 5th row in the center. I'll update with a more detailed post when I'm off my itouch, but it was certainly a night I won't forget.

Edit: a few pics from Jieun's camera. Just to give you an idea of how close we actually got.

MASH Cinelli 2011

2010-09-25T19:16:00.000-07:00

I'm currently following quite a few blogs on my Google Reader, and I'm just seeing a bunch of Interbike posts right now. The amount of bicycle pornography is amazing. Here's one that's going to get quite a bit of attention when it comes out.

Photo props to Prolly (well, just punch in the watermark into your internet browser). I'm liking this frame so far. I'm guessing it was the bare metal "prototype" frame that Walton was running a while back? Longer toptube, more aggressive geometry, shorter wheelbase, and that oh-so-gorgeous black/grey/blue paint. I can already see this as the Pista Concept of 2011.

GT

2010-09-19T15:13:00.000-07:00

Better pics.

NBD! Well, not really.

2010-09-15T23:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, the return of my blog after many months of neglect. Sorry the lack of updates! My camera's sensor is beyond dirty, and I just never brought it around with me. Also, I've been pretty busy during the summer. Worked for a majority of the week, and tried to spend my days off outdoors as much as possible.

Well, I guess I can kick it off the return of my blog with a semi new bike day. Okay, I didn't get a new bike. But I did swap out my grouppo along with a few other parts. All I need now is a new wheelset (hopefully score a set of Ksyrium Elites or SL's for cheap sometime in the near/not-so-near future) and I'm pretty much done with the bike.

Wait, what?!?! Campagnolo Centaur 10 speed Ergopower shifters with a Dura-Ace 7700 9 speed rear derailleur?!?! That's not supposed to work!! soi soi soi soi soi

My inter-racial-bastard-child 'Frankenstein's Creation' bike. For now, it feels quite nice. My rear wheel is slightly out of true, so my rear brake isn't dialed in correctly. I'm probably going to take it for a super super short ride sometime this weekend to make sure everything is in order and there aren't any loose bolts, but nothing serious until it's 100%. Also, the "Shimergo" setup was quite interesting. It took me quite a bit of time to make the jump to give it a shot, but reading the countless webpages online and weighing in the pros opposed the cons paid off in the end. It works! There are a few minor adjustments to be done, but I'm glad that it's in running condition at the moment.

Frame - GT Edge, fillet brazed, Reynolds 853
Fork - 1" threaded EDGE Carbon
Headset - Shimano 600
Handlebars - Deda 315
Stem - Cinelli Grammo Titanium
Wheelset - Shimano WHR-550
Crankset - Shimano Dura-Ace 7700 170mm 53/39
Bottom Bracket - Shimano Dura-Ace 7700
Saddle - San Marco Rolls Titanio
Seatpost - 27.2 Easton Dura-Ace NJS NJS NJS NJSSSS
Pedals - Time ATAC XS
Shifters - Campagnolo Centaur Carbon 10-speed
Front/Rear Derailleur - Shimano Dura-Ace 7700
Brakes - Shimano Dura-Ace 7700
Bottle Cages - Specialized fiber glass

Muchos gracias to ALEX LAI for throwing this idea into my head, and JIM SANTOS for all the help. Also, Jim's bike was stolen in downtown San Jose (by the HP Pavillion Center) tonight. Please be on the look out!

Looks like ^ but with different wheels.

Klein Quantum Pro - Red in color
Full Campagnolo Chorus Carbon Grouppo
Easton Tempest II Wheelset
Thompson stem and seatpost

Aaaaaaaaaaaand I'm Back!

2010-09-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

Return of the blog! I still like turtles.

One Night Stand

2010-05-27T10:55:00.001-07:00

Be sure to come out! I'll be in San Francisco, eating a nice buffet dinner, on my mom's birthday.

Great flyer JP! Ride safe and have fun!

UPDATE OF THE CENTURY

2010-05-23T19:25:00.000-07:00

As you guys can clearly see, I haven't updated in SOOOO long. I guess it's because of a mix of school, doing a whole bunch of shit for my photography class, wasting my life away on the internet, neglecting my camera, and my injured leg that made me just not want to do anything for a month. Haha, well I'm 100% healed right now so hopefully I'll be snapping pics and updating a lot more often.

As for summer, I'm not 100% sure about what to do yet. I do plan on working quite a bit, and take care of some much neglected debt. I still have a long list of things to do for my roadie, so I guess that's #1 priority in terms of bike stuff. Aside from that, I'm going to try to get as much riding in as possible. I'm thinking 35-40~ hours of work per week, having around 3 hours aside every other day to squeeze in a pretty decent ride. Haha, gotta get my cycling legs back...

In the past month, I haven't really been riding much (kinda just started again a few days ago). Ever since I fell, I've really been on and off my bike. Walking to school on a swollen leg for three weeks wasn't fun. But once the swelling went down and the road rash got better, I've been trying to get as much time on the saddle as possible. Haha, I've probably gone on a total of 4 "decent" rides in the past month. 1 Metcalf climb that failed (three flat tires), 1 SF ride that killed me, and 2 impulsive Comm hill rides that were pretty damn fun. Hoping to get a LOT more miles in, in the next 2-3 months.

Some random pics from the past month or so.

Banksy

IMD

A week or two ago.

Current setup. Ming's Maipei Colnago in the back.

Return of the Metcalf (I didn't die this time).

TOC for the past week.

Final Project

Late night Comm hill ride on Wednesday

Comm hill yesterday.

Currently Enjoying-

2010-05-22T17:55:00.000-07:00

Much needed update soon to come. Photo dump like craaaazy.

Boondocks

2010-05-05T10:42:00.001-07:00

-

2010-05-03T13:07:00.001-07:00

In the library.

Calc homework due tomorrow
Physics midterm on Wednesday
CE-20 pseudo code homework due Wednesday
Calc midterm next Tuesday
4 makeup lab reports due by the end of the semester
Photo assignment due by the end of the semester

TIME TO GET CRAZY

Stuck in my head

2010-04-29T08:47:00.001-07:00

CRASH

2010-04-25T17:19:00.002-07:00

So yeah. I got into a pretty epic bike accident on Friday.

I got my road bike about a week ago (see previous post) and decided to break it in. I was googling up a few routes in the San Jose area and decided to give Metcalf a try. It was a 33 mile loop from my place in downtown, so it didn't sound too bad. But yeah. Threw on my spandex and headed out!

I left my place, went down 7th street, left on Tully, Right on Senter, went up YB, down YB, made a right on San Felipe, and eventually turned onto Metcalf. The view was quite beautiful and I had a good time climbing it. After turning onto Metcalf, there was a bit more climbing, and I finally reached the peak. I started my descend, which was beyond fun. After riding fixed for a while, it's nice being able to coast down a hill going 40+ mph without having the fear of not being able to stop. About 1/10 down Metcalf, things started getting twisty. I noticed an S curve ahead of me, so I began to slow down. I made the first right of the S curve fine, then it started to hook left. Leaning into the turn, I my rear wheel slip out for a split second. And during that split second, the thought of "Oh wow. Fuck my life" came into my head. But yeah. So my rear wheel slipped out, and I went down. I remember seeing a bunch of sand fly into the air and eventually came to a stop.

Still on the ground, a few things came into my mind. OH FUCK I JUST FUCKED UP. OH FUCK I HOPE I DIDN'T BREAK ANYTHING. OH FUCK THIS IS GOING TO HURT REALLY BAD REALLY SOON. I got up, did a quick wiggle, and felt alright. I didn't feel any of my bones break or any of my joints in pain, so at that point I was glad. I looked down, and had some pretty severe road rash on my left leg. I guess it's that area between my shin and my calf. There was a small chunk of meat missing about 2 inches below my kneecap, and two cuts a little above the knee. I felt some pain on my elbow, where there was a bit more road rash. I was also feeling a bit of pain on my left ass cheek, which I discovered more road rash later that day.

Luckily, there were a few people a little above me from where I crashed. They saw me eat the pavement and came running down to see if I was fine. Aside from all the road rash, I was feeling pretty good. I wasn't bleeding too much, and I was walking fine. I felt as if I could've made it back to downtown on my own (probably another 13 miles or so) but I ended up getting a ride from the people who helped me.

After getting home, cleaning out my wounds, and bandaging everything up, I realized a few things. I realized that the way the whole crash turned out, i was pretty fucking lucky. I only suffered some road rash, and didn't break any bones. I slid out, and most of the damage attained on my bike are to the left pedal (scratched up) and my handlebars. My front wheel has a small chip on the sidewall, which I can sand down. My frameset isn't dented, cracked, or even scratched. The way I fell, my pedal took most of the damage. Which is fucking great. My helmet got pretty scratched up, which is A LOT BETTER than having road rash on my head. My left glove has a hole in one of the fingers (I've been meaning to get new gloves anyways), and my left arm warmer is a bit ripped. My left shoe also took a lot of damage, ripping the leather to the last layer. My shorts are fine, my knee warmers are fine, and my jersey was for the most part pretty good. So yeah, my shoe and my pedals took most of the damage.

Also, I'm glad that I slid out while making a left turn. If I slid out making a right, I would've probably went over the cliff, which would've SUCKED SO MUCH DICK holy shit. But yeah. After brushing myself off and throwing the rest of my water on my wound, I was walking back up the hill and noticed that there was loose gravel and dirt on the road where my wheel slipped. Lesson learned. Take it slow the next time when I'm unfamiliar with the terrain.

All in all, I'm fine. My road rash stings like a SON OF A BITCH right now, but I'm glad I'm pretty good for the most part, knowing that it could've been SO MUCH worse. But yeah, going to stay off the bike for a while. And I'm going to hate taking showers for the next few days -_____-. Once everything heals up, I'm going to tackle Metcalf again. OH YEAH, and I found out that I did the loop THE WRONG FUCKING WAY (Thanks for informing me Alvin). Blah. Lesson learned.

Here are some pics of the aftermath.

Blood dripped down to my sock.

After cleaning most of it up.

Now for the recovery process. Taking off the gauze is SO MUCH OF A BITCH holy shit.

Currently enjoying this Usher medley.

Dhani Tackles The Globe - ITALIA

2010-04-23T01:59:00.001-07:00

I'm sure a lot of my friends (even my close friends) don't know this, but I watch a lot of the Travel Channel (time to bring out the inner geek in me). One of my favorite programs is Dhani Tackles The Globe, and the new season conveniently premiered on Monday. It was a pretty interesting episode, where he traveled through Italy and did Italian things. Well, what are the first two things you think of when you think of Italy?

1) Eating pasta.
2) Cycling.

Haha, I enjoyed the episode a lot. He ended up getting a bike from Battaglin ($8k, fuck you!) and entered a race. He also had a jersey fitted for him from an ex Tour De France winner or some shit, who started his own company that supplies custom kits, but I forgot his name. It was pretty awesome during the race though. Everybody's all balled the fuck out with their Super Record, 11 speed, carbon whatever the fuck, and the ex racer was racing on a vintage steel frame with clips/straps, downtube shifters, no helmet, and aviator glasses. Hell yeah, mother fucker.

Merckx approves.

Anyways, here's a short clip. I'm sure they're going to rerun this episode a few more times for the remaining of the week.

NBD

2010-04-20T00:39:00.000-07:00

^__________^

GT Edge - Reynolds 853 - Fillet Brazed
A mix of Ultegra and 600.
Sora thumb shifters for the fail.

Future plans:
Get rid of that no name bikes direct seatpost (600/Ultegra would be nice).
Get rid of those damn Sora thumb shifters (looking for 600/Ultegra).
Shorter stem - 120mm is fucking me in the ass right now. 100mm would be ideal.

A little later down the road:
Upgrade wheelset.
Upgrade grouppo. Hopefully I can find a Dura-Ace 7700 group for cheap somewhere.
New paint. There are a ton of imperfections/chips throughout the frame, but it doesn't bother me too much. Ehhh, maybe I'll work on it during the summer. WHO KNOWS.

Keyboard cat plays the keyboard

2010-04-16T22:38:00.001-07:00

Fuck You, eBay Seller

2010-04-14T15:56:00.000-07:00

One of my greatest pet peeves - ridiculously shitty eBay sellers. I recently purchased a bike on eBay two weeks ago, and it is not yet in my possession. The fact that I physically do not have it yet isn't the issue, but what really bothers me is the lack of communication within the transaction.

March 31st - I pay for the bike.
March 31st - I leave an email asking when it will be shipped out. Also asking to send me the tracking information when available.
April 2nd - I get a response back, saying that it will be shipped out on April 5th, and a tracking number will be provided then.
April 5th - No tracking number. I email him, asking for the tracking information.
April 7th - No response. I email him again, asking for the tracking information.
April 8th - No response. I email him again, asking for the tracking information.
April 10th - No response. I email him again, asking for the tracking information.
April 12th - No response. I email him again, asking for the tracking information.
April 13th - I leave a final email, stating that I will open a claim if the bike does not show up by April 19th, or if I don't hear a response back with a tracking number.

Either way, I'm going to leave negative feedback regardless. I just think it's really unprofessional to have something shipped out so late, or to just ignore a customer's email like this. I mean, if you haven't shipped the bike yet. Then fine. You can at least let me know that there has been some delays, and inform me of when it'll be shipped out. Or if it's already been shipped out, then great. I should be expecting it shortly. But at least send me the tracking information, and not just ignore my emails.

Who the fuck am I kidding. I bought something. I paid for it. I should have it by now. But I don't have it.

YEAH, I'M MAD.

Some more Ino Hidefumi.

Sakura

2010-04-11T18:08:00.000-07:00

Finally came up with the time to re-do my flickr. Ehh, I probably won't be uploading too much into it. Photobucket has been serving me well for all these years, but at the same time, I want something a little more, I guess you can say, "formal" to house my photos. BAH, film is expensive. -__-

Currently listening to a bunch of Ino Hidefumi.

Another set of 35mm scans

2010-04-02T20:01:00.000-07:00

Musiq Soulchild - So Beautiful by glamazon

Enjoy!

35mm

2010-04-01T00:17:00.001-07:00

Currently enjoying:
NeYo- Single by nestlyn

Massan

2010-03-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

Every blog's doing it.

Massan for Leader Bike from Dan Arel on Vimeo.

Yamaguchi

2010-03-11T01:38:00.000-08:00

Ben's Yamaguchi. Probably the cleanest build that I've ever seen in person.
I shall steal it from you one of these days.
Photo by Tim Mar

Photo Post

2010-03-06T21:32:00.000-08:00

Hmm, quick post before I get back to my lab report. King's burger was a SUCC'cess. First and probably last time I'll encounter a burger place that also sells candy, cheesecake, rice plates, toys, and raw carrots.

SLT01

Contemplating if I should polish my SSP cranks or not..

Pho <3

HORRIBLE.

Time to Fuck Thursday IN THE ASS

2010-03-04T12:51:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning and felt great! Looked outside my window and the sun was shining bright. Knowing that I don't have to go into work today, I went to class with a smile on my face and I was SOOO glad that I didn't have to pack my fender. Rode the Spicer and it felt niiiiice. Going to ride to Kings Burger a little later tonight with SJF and get my grub on, so a food pr0nz post shall be up soon. Not only that, but I'll actually be able to RIDE my damn bike for more than a mile today. Do you know how much it sucks having a new bike and not being able to ride it because you're too busy with school and work?! Damn, this itch is going to get SCRATCHED tonight. Hopefully I'll be able to do a longer/more fun ride on Saturday if the weather permits.

Ate this AWESOME ass sammich the other day.

B.o.B. ft. Bruno Mars - Nothin On You by jt$

2010-03-02T09:04:00.000-08:00

Ugh I'm feeling sick right now. Runny nose, sneezing, fatigue, and I'm drinking a bitter ass cup of coffee. Rain is rolling down my windows and I know it's going to be a bitch to get to school and work in a few minutes. Oh, and my boss emailed me saying that the payroll will be delayed until Friday. Wow.

Shitty ass Tuesday. This rain needs to stop. And I need to get the fuck out of here.

New Bike Day

2010-02-27T18:36:00.000-08:00

After riding my piece of shit Dawes for two years, I finally upgraded. Well, I don't really have much to say. I just wanna give a HUGE THANKS to CARLTON WEI for providing me this frame and everyone who provided the parts for this build. Also, an EXTRA HUGE THANKS to MARK COSIO of SJFIXED and IMINUSD for letting me use your workstation and providing me all the tools to put this thing together. My shoulders are going to hate me.

Frameset - 58.5 x 58.5 Spicer Pursuit frame/fork. Wishbone seat stay + triple triangle. (Thanks Carlton!)
Crankset - Suntour Superbe Pro cranks 170mm, Suntour Superbe 48t chainring (Thanks Dom!)
Bottom Bracket - Sugino 75
Chain - SRAM PC-1 (will eventually upgrade)
Saddle - San Marco Rolls Titanio
Seatpost - Random fluted 2-bolt 26.4(FML status) seatpost (Thanks Seaneee!)
Stem - Cinelli XA 115mm
Handlebars - Nitto RB-021 (Thanks JimSantos!)
Wheelset - temporary - mismatched Alexrims to Formulas
Pedals - temporary - MKS Sylvan, 1x Toshi single, 1x MKS Fit Alpha Sport

Future plans - I still need to take a link out of the chain. But the damn SRAM master links are too crazy. Blah, I'll eventually get around to this. Also looking for a new wheelset. Some nice hubs (SSP, Dura Ace, etc) to low profile rims (Araya, Open Pros, Campy, etc). I'm not sure what I'm going to do about my pedal setup. I guess I can run these for now and throw on some random platform pedals on my Dawes. But I've been meaning to go clipless. Eh, I don't know. Still keeping my options open. Enjoy!

Finished it up at the shop.

Better view of the geometry

Fuck you and your 165mm cranks!

Boiling Crab

2010-02-27T18:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, a few high school friends of mine came down to San Jose for a little trip to The Boiling Crab. As JP would say. Damage was done. In the evening, I got a ride back to SF to pick up a seatpost. I drove over to Noe Valley and never realized that this area of the city really existed. It's strange, how I lived in San Francisco for pretty much my whole life and I've never been in this neighborhood. There were a ton of things that I wanted to take a picture of, but my camera was running low on batteries. FAIL. Gotta make my way back next time. After picking up my seatpost, I realized that I pretty much had everything I needed to put my bike together. All I had to do was throw on my wheelset and pedals from my current bike and it'd be ready to roll. See the next post for the full build and whatnot.

Awesome license plate.

"I felt bad for the person who wrote 'bitch' because I crossed it out." -Nick

HAHA

1lb of shrimp, a dozen sausages, and cajun fries.

At the bottom of Clipper street.

This chick was actually going PRETTY DAMN FAST on that thing.

MUST. GO BACK. FOR. PHOTOS.

MY V-TAKK GOES BWAAAAAAA

Philz Mint Mojito = a gift from God.
...A $4.50 gift from God.

-

2010-02-22T23:01:00.000-08:00

FUFUFUUFCKCKCKKKK school. Haha. The way my schedule is set up right now really sucks. I'm pretty much out of my house from 11:30am - 9:30pm on Mondays and Wednesdays, and 9:30am - 6:00pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It seems like the weekends are really the only times when I can actually do STUFF.

Hung out with a few friends during the weekend. Great to be back with the high school buddies. Jackson turned 21 and for some reason, nobody died that night. Haha, the rest of the pics are on Facebook.

That might be a dildo. And that might be a bottle of vaseline.

The life of the party.

Yep.

NTD

2010-02-21T11:13:00.000-08:00

New Tank Day. Awwwww shiettt!!

Medley that I'm currently enjoying. Andrew Garcia (currently on American Idol) and Lydia Paek from ABDC - Quest Crew/BoxCuttuhz.

AXIS

2010-02-18T23:36:00.001-08:00

Some shots from the AE1. Took a few pictures in the lobby of Axis the other day. Ehh, I have a lot more to learn.

MIA

2010-02-18T11:48:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a while since I've actually made a real post. I guess it's just due to a bunch of reasons. My girlfriend breaking up with me, falling behind then catching up on a bunch of schoolwork, work stressing me out, finances, and a few other things. Either way, the last two weeks have been pretty hectic. But yeah, things are starting to clear up and I can finally relax for a bit. Another photo-heavy update soon to come.

NBD in the works. Slowly collecting parts.

Eggettes.

I need to start scanning some prints.

His name is Angus.

Some random videos that have been entertaining me lately.

.

2010-02-07T13:49:00.000-08:00

There's no use in trying to hold on to something that wasn't going to work. That would just be selfish of me.

SCHOOL

2010-02-03T00:04:00.000-08:00

has been stressing me out lately. I think I'm going to really hate Mondays. Class from 11:30am - 9:30pm with maybe two hours of breaks inbetween. FML. Other than that, my week has been alright. I'm actually going to focus more on school this semester, so I should be hitting the books. Blah distractions! Haha, here are some pics from the past few days.

Hawaiian Drive Innnnnn

Bennett rocking six spokes.

Oh snaps!

This actually worked out a lot better than I anticipated!

Heading to the east bay.

Berkeley - Asian Ghetto.

Bread that smelled like sausage.

Philly Cheesesteak

Lasagna

Random Photo Dump

2010-01-28T23:40:00.000-08:00

As the title says! I started school on Tuesday so I've been a bit busy. Just gotta add one more class and I should be good to go! Haha, but yeah... I hope I get it. FML. The rain has finally stopped and I hope it stays that way.

The sky actually looked like this the other day. BLUE AS FUCK.

Challenger.

Umbrella fail.

Smart Alec's in Berkeley. Best veggie burger I've ever had.

The life of a UC Berkeley student.

Tri tone, HERRA flush, Kouki front end?!

It's like bike party, except with police cars.

Herra rain.

Willie Wonka!

It's real!

Green tea mochi.

Next time, I'm just going to get a cup of mochi. <3

Rmar's pop's SVT Cobra. 4 Asian guys rolling through Irving IN THE RAIN with the TOP DOWN = confused looks from EVERYBODY.

DIRTY.

Gotta love FREE Campy rims.

SJFixed Alleycat - The First Date

2010-01-25T17:03:00.000-08:00

All proceeds are going towards the Haiti Relief Fund. Spread the word! All this is going for a good cause.

Pens.

2010-01-24T23:01:00.001-08:00

2010-01-16T21:15:00.000-08:00

Hung out with Julie today, which is always fun. She just got back from Paris yesterday so she thought it would be awesome to kill off her jetlag by waking up at 5am, and giving me a wake up call at 7:45am on a Saturday. Woot, Saturday morning adventures!! Went to Borders, walked around Stonestown, got some foods to eat at Hotei on 9th and Irving, Urban Outfitters in the Marina, Japantown, MACAROONS, then went to KINGDOM OF DUMPLINGS. Went home, ate dinner, and got a ride back to SJ from my faja. yee yee PHOTO DUMP.

I think it's finally time to retire these.

The ONLY Pista Concept built up to the point where I actually like it.

Hotei.

Agedashi Tofu

Chicken Katsu Curry

Combination with California Rolls and Tempura.

A cute car.

A BAG FILLED WITH BOXES OF MACAROONS.

Sophie's Crepes in Japantown.

KINGDOM OF DUMPLINGS.

2010-01-15T23:57:00.000-08:00

I'm in SF right now and feeling RESTLESS AS FUCK. My legs are super jittery and I just want to jump on my bike and ride somewhere. But I can't do that because I didn't bring it back with me! Blah, heading back to SJ tomorrow night anyways, so it wasn't really necessary. BLAHHH. My sister's coming back from Taiwan Tuesday morning so chances are I'm going to be coming back to SF next weekend. Only to leave on Saturday night because I have work on Sundays. BLAHHH.

For some strange reason, I started looking at mansions in the city on Google Maps. Then I stumbled upon this (wtf?!):

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2010-01-14T00:40:00.000-08:00

The past few weeks have been quite repetitive. Waking up in the morning feeling tired and shitty, killing time online and watching tv, going to work in the afternoon, finishing early, leaving early, going home, making something to eat, kill my day around the living room, and somehow falling asleep at around 2am. Work is really bringing me down; there are just so many things about it that makes me want to quit. But at the same time, I need to make my rent.

It seems like the only thing that's really keeping me sane is the fact that I'm on my bike everyday. 5 miles to work, and 5 miles back. It's just relaxing to feel the cool breeze (in today and yesterday's case, rain) in my face and the fresh air in my lungs. Then I get to work... enjoy my depressed atmosphere, hours cut short, lack of appreciation for the work that I do, and getting paid $8 an hour. Well, at least I have tomorrow's SJF social ride to look forward to. Fun rides, good eats, good times. Should be fun!

Damn, I'm craving for some really good coffee right now. Maybe I'll grab some Philz tomorrow.

Haven't touched my camera in a while, so no pictures for today. Instead, enjoy this wonderful trailer of the new Karate Kid movie. Jackie Chan as Mr.Miyagi? Count me in.

Rap Battle

2010-01-09T01:01:00.001-08:00

This is the MOST HILARIOUS video I've seen in a while. "Shut the fuck up before I punch you in the titties!"

Christmas, New Years, and my poor little finger

2010-01-03T22:56:00.000-08:00

Haven't been really keeping up, but I have a good excuse! Christmas was pretty alright. I sorta just lounged around the house for a few days. Didn't really go out much; just sat in my living room, went online, ate sun chips, drank tea, and watched tv for like 2-3 days. I miss just being able sit around and do nothing but relax for the day. Blah, work has been pretty hectic.

Also hung out with SJF a few Tuesdays ago. We went for a short ride around Willow Glen to check out the Christmas lights. So pretty! Then we ended our evening at Christmas in the Park where they did 5 laps around. Outdoor ice skating rink just like Union Square!

Some random pics that I've found on my camera:

Looked like a kit car

Polly Ann on a cold night is awesome. Thanks for hooking it up Wilson!

Julie's place in Berkeley. Doesn't look scary at all!

So on Tuesday Dec 29th, I was making dinner. I was craving for hash browns, so I started cutting a few potatoes. My finger ended up getting caught under my knife and before I knew it, I had a flap of skin hanging from my finger. So the the first thing I did was wash my hand. Blood kept coming out of my finger so I grabbed a paper towel and put pressure on it. After a few minutes, I noticed that the blood wouldn't clot. So I kept putting pressure on it and watched tv. A few minutes later I check up on my finger and it's still bleeding. I look at my clock and it's been about two hours since I cut my finger, and blood kept coming out the second I released pressure. So after a few google searches, phone calls, and IM's to a few buddies, I find myself in the back of a TL and Sean gives me a ride to the hospital. 2 stitches for the fail.

VIDEOS

2009-12-27T10:17:00.001-08:00

I found a bunch of interesting videos on youtube/vimeo last night. Thought I'd share :).

San Francisco 1958 from Jeff Altman on Vimeo.

The First Snow, Canon 7D from Reid Carrescia on Vimeo.

Go to this.

2009-12-26T22:41:00.001-08:00

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T21:03:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays everybody! Currently in SF but returning to SJ on Saturday. Blah, it's cold as fuck!

EPICCC

Man in a Chicken suit plays "What is Love" on Pianica from Ring Mod on Vimeo.

Chrome Ivan Review

2009-12-21T23:02:00.001-08:00

I purchased a Chrome Ivan a few months ago and so far I've been pleased with it. A lot of people say that it's waaaay too big to be practical, but I disagree. I lug a bunch of shit all the time when I'm on my bike, and this bag fits pretty well in my lifestyle. With my bi-weekly commutes from SJ to SF on the weekends, I can easily pack a weekend's worth of clothes in and have enough space to bring stuff back to SJ without any worries. Also, I don't have a car in San Jose. So lugging back a week's worth of groceries is a pain in the ass without a basket or a large bag (my North Face Recon just doesn't cut it!)

With a retail price of $200, this bag isn't cheap. But damn, this thing is HUGE (and this isn't even the largest size. Check out the Chrome Sultan!). The Ivan measures 20"x14"x6", with a whopping 1680 cubic inches. In short, I can put a whole lotta shit in here.

Although the size of this thing is quite intimidating, this bag is actually pretty simple; it's broken down into five compartments. There are two small pockets in the front with buckles to keep the flap down, a slightly larger pocket under the larger flap shown in the front with a zipper enclosure, and two huge pockets underneath the roll top. The three larger pockets are pretty much waterproof in and out (the insides feels like a raincoat!).

The padding on the back is extremely thick, and the straps fit extremely comfortably down my shoulders. With a heavy load on my back (such as my load of groceries from today), it actually feels really secure.

I went to Safeway earlier this evening and purchased some pasta products. I managed to fit everything into just the main compartment with plenty of room to spare. With the thick padding against my back, I couldn't even feel the corners of the boxes of pasta poking at me.

I also managed to hold the "essentials" in the two smaller pockets.

Overall, I really like this backpack. The rolltop is perfect when I just need to carry a lot of shit around, or if I'm carrying big items. With me standing at 6'1, I really like how this pack sits on my back. Everything about the fit of this pack is just really nice. But with so many pros, there's gotta be a con or two... right?

This. I don't like it so much. Haha. Everytime I'm hunched over in my bike, that web of fabric puts a bit of stress on my neck. For the everyday commutes to and from work or school, it isn't too much of a problem. But I actually wore this bag during the SF to SJ ride the other day, and 70~ miles with this thing putting weight on my neck got pretty bad. I think if they just made this just a TAD bit shorter, this bag would pretty much be perfect. Also, this bag broke my wallet. I managed to get this pack for $160 + tax at Chrome in SF during their Thanksgiving sale. But hey, I guess you have to pay a certain price when you're getting a high quality bag made with premium materials (Codura ftw) and a lifetime warranty.

Check them out at http://www.chromebagsstore.com

Also, they have a smaller version of the bag called the Pawn.
Picture stolen from Matt's blog.
Photo by Annamarie Cabarloc.

Epic Weekend Recap

2009-12-19T23:43:00.000-08:00

So the last two days have been bat-shit crazy. I got back to SF on Friday in the afternoon and hung out with Ian for the day. Later that night, we headed over to Ruth's Chris steakhouse on Van Ness for his birthday dinner. Holy fuckballs that stuff was good. Then to Rmar's house afterwords to hang out and whatnot. Ended up staying there until 5:30am~. Went to McDonalds at like 6:30 in the morning for breakfast and then I sorta just biked around for a bit in the morning.

This gumbo was fucking GOOD.

A lot of people ordered the ribeye.

I had the fillet with shrimp.

Mashed potatoes were also delicious.

Dessert

Kenneth KO'd.

WTF.

Earlier today, I noticed that Bennett, Tim, Rex, ManHo, Tyson, and Andoo were planning to do the SF to SJ ride. I haven't done this before and I've always wanted to (but my schedule always eff'd me in the aye), so I met up with them at the Caltrain station. The ride went really smooth; no flats, injuries, falls, etc. I did get left behind at points of the ride, but in the end we made it. This was the longest ride I've ever done and I learned a lot through this experience. I learned that I need some big ass fucking legs so I can keep up with those fast mother fuckers.

"Sorry, I already sold the Cannondale. It was some Asian guy with piercings." CURSES!!!

Before we hit the ghetto.

Around the Cow Palace.

South San Francisco, by the airport.

Pit stop/bathroom break/energy bar noms in San Mateo.

About to hit the San Mateo Bridge.

Best Buy

Malibu

We decided to grab a bite to eat at a pretty awesome taqueria in Mountain View.

Eating this with another 45~minutes of riding left was a fucking horrible idea.

Oh, there was a part where they were doing construction on one of the trails. We pretty much had to CX through the mud for a bit and Andoo's Gan Well Pro paved through it like a champ.

Street-Cred Campy.

CX is the new NJS.

We finally made it back to San Jose, then me and Bennett decided to swing by Greg's house since he was throwing a COD MW2 thing. Damn, 4 tv's with 4 xbox's running was pretty intense. But yeah, as me and Bennett were walking through the hallway on my floor, we noticed that one of my neighbors was using cement or some sort of patching compound. It turns out that this is the same company that makes those Super Relax cycling kits.

Sean's D700 with 20mm. WIDE as fuck.

LOL

2009-12-13T19:27:00.000-08:00

Hmm, I have two finals on Tuesday and I have work tomorrow. I'm not studying right now but instead, I'm reading this hilarious ass story and am about to jump out and catch the From London to Paris premiere at IMD. If you're not doing anything, get there!

READ THIS FOR THE LULS
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=120921191

FINALS AND SHIT

2009-12-12T22:19:00.000-08:00

I should be studying for finals right now, but I'm not. HAR HAR HAR damn I should be studying right now. Two finals on Tuesday and then I'm DONE. FUCK YEAH. But I do plan on working over Winter Break so I'm really not sure how often I'll be in SF. Blah I guess all I can do now is wait and see.

Us studying for finals.

Amputated gingerbread man. :)

Rip.

Cool stencil.

Traffic + rain + picture = not the safest idea.

For sale:

London to Paris

2009-12-09T21:12:00.000-08:00

Screeing of London to Paris (with Massan from Mash) at Mark's shop this coming up Sunday. Well I get off of work pretty early that day and I've always wanted to see this... so it looks like I'll be able to make it out! If you're not doing anything in the evening and happen to be in the San Jose area, swing by! Park your car at my place and ride to the shop!

Weekend Update

2009-12-06T22:57:00.000-08:00

I was in SF and Berkeley this past weekend for one of Julie's sorority events. I met up with them in downtown and we went ice skating at Yerba Buena. After my ankles developed blisters, we wandered around Union Square and took a few pics around Macy's. Then we headed off to Berkeley and ended up eating In N Out at like 1:30. har har

On Saturday, me and Julie ate at a Japanese place ran by Korean people. Agedashi tofu is delicious. :) Hmm, afterwords we watched that Morgan Spurlock film where he looks for Osama Bin Laden but fails. Then we watched Oldboy, which was.. well... interesting... I've heard good things from that movie but I didn't enjoy it too much. I guess the action was pretty good and the storyline kept me going about 3/4 of the way through, but the ending kinda killed it in my opinion. But yeah... slept for four hours then I was on my way back to San Jose.

Surprised Kitty

2009-12-02T21:28:00.000-08:00

DAMN HOW CUTE IS THIS?!?!?!

Thanksgiving and Whatnot!

2009-11-29T16:30:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving weekend was beyond great. I got to spend some quality time with my family, friends, and girlfriend. I arrived home in SF on Wednesday and managed to squeeze in a dinner with a few high school friends. We ate at Bucca di Beppo which was indeed delicious. And if you know me, you know that I LOVE pasta. Not only do I love pasta, but I love pasta in epic proportions. Haha, we chit chatted a bit, and caught up since our little group of friends have been quite distant lately.

On Thursday, me and my fambam headed over to one of my uncles' place in Albany (easy bay, a little passed Berkeley). Typical Asian Thanksgiving dinner - there was turkey, mashed potatoes, ham, and of course, chow mein, fried rice, egg rolls, and the Asian desserts. Chilled for a bit, hung out with the fambam, and hit ridiculous traffic on our way back by the bridge. I think it took us about two hours to get from Albany back to SF, which should only take a little over half an hour.

Black Friday was pretty epic. Me and Julie left at 6am~ and made our way to downtown. The sales for guys were kinda ehhhhhh but Julie got quite a bit of stuff. The only thing that I bought was a Chrome backpack, since my duffel bag recently fell apart. But yeah, the Chrome Ivan is FUCKING AWESOME. Then in the evening, I went over to another family late-Thanksgiving dinner shindig. Pretty much the same as Thursday. Haha.

Saturday was quite fun. Me and Julie went to the Ferry Building and grabbed some curry. Damn, that curry was FUCKING DELICIOUS. We also tried some roast beef sushi, which was surprisingly really good. We ran a few errands and ended up at Stonestown. I haven't visited Stonestown in a few months, and nothing really changed. Hung out for a bit, and I made my way back to San Jose later that night.

Today was quite productive. I've been procrastinating with my photography assignment for waaaaay too long, so I actually got up and took a few shots today. I first headed over to Office Depot to get a new flash drive since I lost my old one. Shit man, it's pretty amazing how technology progresses every year. I bought a 4gb Sandisk flash drive about a year and a half ago for ~$50 and now they're dirt cheap. I found a 8gb flash drive for $20, and a few 4gb's for under $15. Haha, madnessssss. After Office Depot, I headed off to campus to see if a certain building was open, but it wasn't. Swung by IMD and hung out for a little bit. Then I walked over to the Quickly a few stores over and just went over pictures and post processed. I haven't had a milk-tea drink in a while, so the Jasmine really hit the spot.

<3

I fucking love pasta.

Roast beef sushi!

Duncan in an epic battle against the wind.

Weird ass Quickly lid.

Chrome Ivan in grey!

Today Was a Good Day

2009-11-21T23:39:00.000-08:00

Gonna put up the P-Rod version, because embedding is a beautiful thing.

Today was beyond awesome. I woke up at 7am in Berkeley and made my journey back to San Jose at 8. Bart was delayed for a bit, so I pretty much got home, dropped off my backpack, grabbed my hip bag, and headed to Mark's shop to help out with the alleycat. We had a volunteer meeting at 12:30 and got assigned our checkpoints. Me, Andrew, and Justin headed over to the top of the Ranch and waited for all the riders to arrive.

Once the first batch of cyclists (Maurice, Bill Tran, Tim, Andrew Fast Ho, and Rex) got to the top, they either had to take a spoonful of cinnamon or do 30 push ups. To my surprise, a LOT of people took the cinnamon (although a few people did choose to do the push ups). We got to the top of the Ranch at 2:15, and the first batch of people got there at around 3. We were there until 4:45~, and decided to take off once the sun started setting. I mean shit, if you aren't able to make it to the second checkpoint in 2 and a half hours, you're not going to finish the race. So we headed back downtown and met up at IMD, where Mark set up a whole bunch of shit. A TON of food from TCC, Caesars pizza, two kegs, a shitload of IMD wine, a trick comp, raffle'd away a SHITLOAD of prize (throwing away tee shirts, macaframa DVD's, and Tanner straight up won a Chrome Citizen bag). Chilled there for a while, watched all the racers arrive and took it easy for the night. There will be a shitload of pics to come, but right now, I'm going to sleep. But yeah, this has got to be one of the most legit alleycats to hit the Bay Area.

Congrats to TIMOTHY TSURUDA for taking first place. A Specialized Globe track bike that retails for $600~. Also congrats to all those who places, let alone finish. Bill Tran, Fast Ho, Slow Ho, Matt, Rex, Maurice (too fast), Prado, and a few others that I can't think of on the top of my head right now.

PHOTO DUMP.
Andoo carb loading before the race.

At the top of the Ranch. Chilled there for like... 3 hours...

Matt doing the stanky leg and jerkin because it's what gets wins.

Alvin thizzin

Doo.

Quantum trick comp.

Oh yeah, and Ming got a Bob Jackson. Fuck.

Also washed my arm warmers and gloves after many many months.

DARKNESS

2 Weeks Off

2009-11-20T00:24:00.001-08:00

So it turns out that I'm not going to be working for the next two weeks. There was a complication in the company that I work for, and it came to the point where either me or my coworker had to take time off. Well technically, my coworker was the one who drew the short straw, but he really needed the hours more than I did. So he's pretty much taking over my shifts for the next 14 days.

I guess I have mixed feelings about this whole situation. Well, it's nice to have some time off, especially with Thanksgiving coming up next week. Not only that, but I should really be focusing on school right now (finals are just right around the corner!). Oh, and I also have a photo assignment due in two weeks and I haven't even started on it yet. Well with work out of the picture for two weeks, I'm going to have a lot more time to focus on the things that I should really be considering as top priority right now.

But with two weeks off, it's going to hit me financially. I currently have enough in the bank to get by, and two weeks won't hurt me too much. But at the same time, having an extra $400 in the course of two weeks would be nice. Like all things in life, there is a fair balance of good and bad. I guess I'll just have to tough it out for the next two weeks and go into hobo mode. Haha, maybe it wasn't such a good idea buying cranks at a time like this... =/

Currently accepting 68x109 bottom bracket donations. :)

Fuck 165's!

IMINUSD Grand Opening/QUANTUM Trick Comp

2009-11-18T22:27:00.000-08:00

Flier taken from JP's blog, and it pretty much speaks for itself. This Saturday is going to be EPIC so if you're going to be free on the 21st, you besta' BE THERE. Alleycat + Trick comp to follow and you know it's going to be fun.

Saturday's Photo Dump

2009-11-16T23:29:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pics from Saturday. Met up with Wilson at the Caltrain station, rode around Embarcadero, took some pics by Ghirardelli square, rode through the Marina, through the Presidio, took some pics by the Golden Gate Bridge, up Arguello, ate at a sushi boat place on Clement, met up with Tim, check out his new S-Works, rode through Richmond, through Golden Gate Park, up 7th ave, up Laguna Honda, took some pics, went our separate ways, and I went home. Yep, fun Saturday. Then I took a bunch of random pics on Sunday. Hmm, haven't taken any pics in a while. So the weekend was quite fun. Okay, time to unload.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3326742

One footed no handed track stand!

Cacks - "...the fuck is this?"

Tim's new S-Works with "mostly" Dura Ace

"Fuck your S-Works doo."

Pho Me Now.

Tourist for the day

2009-11-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting in my living room waiting for a buddy of mine to give me a call so we can ride around the city. I have to take a few pics for my photography assignment coming up, and I thought that shooting at a few "cliche" tourist spots would work out with what I'm aiming for. Hmm, haven't rode around SF for a while, so this will be fun. I guess we'll be planning to hit up Twin Peaks, GG Bridge, The Pier, Marina, various places downtown, maybe Japantown, Ocean Beach, and Cliffhouse. I'm hoping to get a good amount of miles in today, since I haven't been riding lately. But yeah, today shall be quite fun. Picture update to come!

I think I just creamed my pants.

IMINUS D GRAND OPENING

2009-11-11T18:45:00.000-08:00

THIS IS GOING TO BE EPIC. I'll see you guys there!

New Mexico Plays DIRTY!!!

2009-11-10T00:23:00.001-08:00

The video says it all. Damn, I can't believe she didn't get red carded after pulling that other player by the pony tail. Haha, I remember seeing this at 4th street Pizza after a Thursday night ride, and we were LAFFING.

Boiling Crab

2009-11-09T00:22:00.000-08:00

This weekend was quite fun! On Friday, a few friends came down and we went to the Boiling Crab on Capitol. I've heard of this place from a few sources and and I've been meaning to give it a try. Well, we got there at around 8, and didn't get seated until 10:30. Once our food came, holy shit it was a massacre. Here's what I can say from what me and my friends ordered.

- The shrimp is pretty fucking good.
- The shrimp basket is pretty fucking good.
- The crawfish wasn't worth it. Not enough meat + too heavy shell.
- The dungeonous crab was good, but was ~$30 per crab.
- The sausages are fucking sleepers. HERRA GOOD.

Preparing for battle.

Beasts.

Carnage.

Wilson.

FRIDAY!

2009-11-06T18:17:00.001-08:00

So it's Friday, and I just got off of work about an hour ago. Now I'm sitting on my couch in my living room, watching HGTV, waiting for my girlfriend and friends to get here from SF, and we're going to hit up Boiling Crab. And I have work off tomorrow. Looks like this weekend is going to be AWESOME.

PAYDAY ON MONDAY CHING CHING CHING CHING CHING!! I've been around craigslist and eBay for the past few days, looking for various bike parts. I've been wanting to get a new bike for a while and now that I'm working, I can finally take action. But yeah, I'm not really in a rush. I'm not going to buy stuff for retail, because I'm not balling like that. Haha, I'm pretty patient when it comes to stuff like this, so I guess I'll just keep an eye out on craigslist/eBay for a while and slowly gather up parts. $8/hour sucks balls though. =/

Alright, time to play SF4. Catch me on PSN!
PSN: takoxd

Beast.

Twitter

2009-11-06T00:11:00.001-08:00

Hilarious!

http://twitter.com/Shitmydadsays

Mings CRAZY Yamaguchi

2009-11-03T22:35:00.001-08:00

Ming's CRAZY ass Yamaguchi. Check out the size of that chain ring! And the clearance on the rear! And the steepness of the drop of those bars! And the fact that he holds his bike up with bike parts! Haha, I can't even remember when was the last time I've seen Ming. But the next time I do, I hope he brings this crazy thing out!

Some of Ming's other bikes...

DMC - RAPE

2009-11-03T10:01:00.001-08:00

Some clips that I've stumbled upon on youtube that I found to be absolutely hilarious.

Halloween Recap!

2009-11-01T22:26:00.000-08:00

Halloween was fun! I headed off to Berkeley on Friday to some clubbing event in Richmond. Ehhh I'm not the clubbing-type but overall I had a good time. The night was cold, but my frog costume kept me warm and fuzzy inside :). The 24 hours to follow were extremely tiring though. Ordered Pho Me Now (late night pho delivery service from 7pm - 4am) at around 3:00, and fell asleep at around 4:00. Woke up at 8:00, left Berkeley at 9:00, got on the BART, realized that I left my phone at Julie's place, BART got delayed, got to Fremont 40min later than expected, showed up 2 hours late to work, had to stay 3 and a half hours late to finish up the day's worth of orders, went home, ate pasta, got happy. :)

Haha, now I'm about to jump into the shower. I'm hella tired right now, and I'm just glad I don't have class until 12:00 tomorrow. Kinda lazy to upload pics right now, but here's one for now.

IMINUSD - Mark Breaking the Internet

2009-10-30T17:49:00.000-07:00

Taken from http://www.iminusd.com. Mark you are a fucking psycho. Now throw some risers on that thing and the internet will break.

"Drew, from Specialized, came down this morning with this little number and implored me to convert the thing. I was quick to tear it apart to see how that crazy headtube worked. The entire bike is just nothing short of amazing. With a sticker price of $10,000 for frame/fork/seatpost, it better be.

I felt like a little kid in a candy store working on this thing. I love me some prototype work. The craftsmanship is super clean on this bike. It’s pretty ridiculous! The entire bike weighs in around 11.6 lbs complete. The rear definitely needs a disc or IO but this should do for riding to the coffee shop. ha. Thanks Drew!

…Now if we could just get some risers on it…hmmm… "

FLICKR LINK

Halloween Ride Pics

2009-10-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

Last night was a SUCC-CESS! Haha, click for pics. After the ride, everyone pretty much did their own thing. I hung out at the shop for a bit, and then hung out with the t4rck5t4rs on campus. Talked about SJFights for a bit, then me, JP, DongHoh, Branadon, Cameron, and a few others went to Nhan's place for a Halloween shindig. Good times! I cut out early because I have work today, in which I'm going to go to in about 10 minutes. Ehh, I'll upload a few pics from my camera (not many) later tonight. Fun times with SJFriends!

Photo credits to Anna:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/markcosio/sets/72157622568980007/

TONGIHT!!!

2009-10-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

See you guys there!

STARTING NOW

2009-10-28T23:36:00.001-07:00

Okay, I'm going to start blogging more frequently STARTING NOW. I haven't been carrying my camera around with me recently but it's all going to change STARTING TOMORROW. Haha, I have to start taking more pics for my photography class for two assignments. The one that's due in two weeks is a self reflection; so basically, 20 photos that reflect me. So yeah... gotta take a bunch of pictures of myself, bikes, girlfriend, food, PS3, camera, and random stuff. Ehhh I'll probably worry about it when the due date gets closer... haha.

Hmm, Halloween's coming up! SJF's costume ride tomorrow! Of course, I'm going to have to bust out the frog costume again. But it's going to be a bitch riding in a FULL BODY SUIT MADE FROM FELT. Oh well, at least it's going to be fun; haven't really rode my bike in a while. And I'm going to be in Berkeley on Saturday for Halloween, so it means I'm going to miss out on all the SJF festivities. Boo, but I'm sure there will be more alleycats, gold sprints, and shennanies in the future.

Some random videos that I've stumbled across in the pass few days.

MINDFUCK

2009-10-28T22:47:00.001-07:00

Wtf...

SJF Halloween Festivities.

2009-10-26T22:58:00.000-07:00

Bummed I'm not going to be able to make it to this. Catch me in Berkeley =/

Week

2009-10-12T20:52:00.001-07:00

Well, it looks like the hardest part of my week is over. I took my calculus midterm earlier today and I hope I did alright. Haha, I felt as if I could've done better if I went over a few certain things, but I didn't. But hey, that's over with and I can't turn back time, so there's nothing I can do now. After my midterm, I went to work and did the usual stuff. Got my paycheck, woot woot! Had a quick 10min break before I had to go to my photo class. Looked at a bunch of pictures, Lightroom'd for a bit, left, went to Mark's shop, pumped my tire, said hello to some peoples, and now I'm contemplating what I should make for dinner while my roommates watch House. Oh yeah, and I got my stem today. Woot woot, thanks Ben!

Went through Mark's flickr and found this pic. Too epic.

CARNE ASADA FRIES

2009-10-09T00:16:00.000-07:00

^ Are sooo fucking good my god. I got back from SJFixed's Thursday night ride a few hours ago and it was pretty fun. Rode to Milipitas to Taqueria Las Vegas. Got some carne asada fries and split them with Illn. Also ate a bunch of chips & salsa because THEM SUMBITCHES WERE FREEEEE. Haha, yeah. Um, well aside from tonight, nothing out of the ordinary has been going on. Going to work, looking through my fridge looking for food, and keeping up with my calculus work. Well, here are some pictures from the past few days.

Fellow Axis resident.

If you haven't gone to a 7-Eleven in a while, check out their domo-kun stuff.

Swung by the IMD shop before the ride today and Mark was unloading new inventory.

New Langsters are "NJS inspired". Check out the chrome fork and rear triangle!
It also comes with deep polished rims, a 80mm~ quill stem, and drops that resemble Origin8's.
Oh, and Sugino Messengers. Not a bad out-of-the-box bike for $600!

Haha, this is just too cute.

Taqueria Las Vegas!

FREE, BITCHES.

CARNE ASADA FRIES!!!!

Nom nom nom nom nomz.

Haha, a random picture that my roommate took of me earlier today.

SJFixed Swap!

2009-10-08T00:02:00.000-07:00

Flyer says it all.

Update!

2009-10-03T00:19:00.000-07:00

Same old same old. I just got back to SF a few hours ago and I'm watching CBS. Took the Caltrain from SJ to SF, and rode home from the Caltrain station. But yeah, this week went by pretty slow. Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays suck ass, since I'm pretty much occupied from 10am~ - 9pm~. Class, work, then night class for M/W. Oh well, at least my paycheck is going to be pretty sweeeeet next Monday. Speaking of paychecks, I got my financial aid check in the mail today. $23 woot woot. Hmm, aside from work and school, nothing crazy is really going on nowadays. I'm scheduled to work until 6:30 on Tuesdays so I'm going to be missing out on a bunch of SJFixed Tuesday night rides for a while. I'll see if I can get my weekly schedule changed around once I have enough moneys for a new bike. Oh yes, new bike day coming in a few months! har har har

Well my back is hurting right now so I guess I'll get some sleep pretty soon. Planning to spend the day with the girlfriend tomorrow and then head back to San Jose, since I have work on Sunday. Hopefully there will not be any tsunamis in San Francisco in the upcoming weeks.

You will be mine one day.

Update!

2009-09-26T22:15:00.000-07:00

Hmm, haven't updated since Tuesday. Well I've been pretty busy with school/work so I haven't had much time to post lately. Work is super easy/chill but pretty boring. But hey, whatever gets me paid puts a smile on my face. Caught up on some calculus work from Tuesday - Wednesday, and for some strange reason, everything just clicked on Wednesday. So as of now, I'm feeling pretty confident in my math class.

Photography is alright. The class is fun, but we're just going reeeally slow. We spent the first two weeks going over the basics of a camera (definition of shutter speed, aperture, depth of field, ISO, rule of thirds, etc). Since then we've just been going over Lightroom. So basically, I've been showing up to class just to sign in and then go online/chat/facebook. He's going to check out some of the students' work on Monday so I have a few pics ready for that.

My film class on Thursday got cancelled. So I guess my weekend started at 11:45am on Thursday :) Hmm yesterday (Friday), I went to Julie's informal dinner thing for her sorority. On the way to Berkeley, a car broke down on the Bay Bridge; it was a late 90's Dodge Ram and the driveshaft got disconnected from the truck. YES, THE MOTHER FUCKING DRIVE SHAFT. Haha, got to Berkeley, waited for everyone to get ready, took a bunch of pics (-____-), and headed off to dinner. We went to the Waterfront Hotel in Oakland and it was quite nice. Had half salmon, half cornbread chicken, mashed potatoes, and some greens. Took more pictures (-____-) and watched the whole informal thing. Drove everyone home, dropped everyone off, went home, and KO'd.

More pics on Facebook!

IMINUSD PROTOTYPE?

2009-09-22T23:45:00.000-07:00

In the works... or am they?

Photo Dump

2009-09-20T00:35:00.000-07:00

I haven't been uploading/posting pictures in a while. Well I guess it's time for an update/photo dump. har har har

Well school's been alright lately. Being a part time student (with only one class going towards my major) isn't giving me much of a workload so I'm in the process of getting a job. I applied to this one random comic book shop that also sells books, games, dvd's, vhs, toys, guitars, and other random things. Well it sounds like one hell of a place to be at, but I'm pretty much in the back going through boxes of books and listing them up on Amazon. Overall it's pretty chill but it's just really boring and repetitive. Well I already went through two training sessions with another one tomorrow so hopefully I get scheduled. *crosses fingers*

Well now I'm at my place in SJ, sitting here watching adult swim waiting for my body to crap out on me so I can go to sleep. Blahhhh I woke up at 8:30 today to give my mom a ride to work so I should be tired right about now. Took the MUNI/BART/VTA to get from SF to SJ and that shit just took waaaay too long. I could've just taken the Caltrain but I wanted to see how long it'd take to BART it back to SJ. Hmm well here's a breakdown of how long it took.

5:00 - leave home
5:15 - arrive at MUNI stop and board
5:50 - arrive at Embarcadero station
6:00 - board BART towards Fremont
6:45 - arrive at Fremont BART station
7:10 - board 180 VTA bus
8:00~ - arrive in downtown San Jose

So yeah..... three hours from the minute I stepped outside of my house to the minute I stepped into my place in San Jose. Yeahhhhh maybe I'll take the Caltrain next time. Saving two bucks aint worth the additional hour on public transportation.

Okay enough of my rambling. Time for the picture dump.

Random BART pic

Wilson's dark chocolate. BITTER AS FUCK.

Home of EBISU bikes. Some nice stuff in there!

All the buildings at CAL look like museums.

Some ramen place in Berkeley.

The other day Nhan threw a beer pong thing. Toooooo good.

"RELAX YALL, WE GOT A THOUSAND YEARS!!" - JP

My asshole neighbors got into a car accident. Suckkkkkkkas

Love these shoes.

For sale! Get at me if you're interested.

SJFixed - Quamtum Trick Comp

2009-09-10T21:57:00.000-07:00

Some footage from the trick comp last week. Video came out nicely! Good shit JP.

QUANTUM: iMiNUSD Trick Session from iMiNUSD on Vimeo.

IMINUSD

2009-09-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

Weekend Recap

2009-09-07T21:17:00.000-07:00

Well I only have one class tomorrow and I'm just sitting here right now thinking of things to do. Hmm, I guess I'll drop by the Health Center on campus tomorrow to get this weird rash/cold sore thing on my face checked out. It's really starting to irritate me. Welllllll my internet at home in SF went out on Thursday so I pretty much tried to get out of the house as much as possible. On Friday, I went to Berkeley to visit ze girlfriendddd. The Bay Bridge is closed until the 8th so I had to BART there. First time on the BART was a pleasant experience. But yeahhhh, got to Berkeley aLater that night we met up with a few friends and had some deep dish pizza at some place pretty close to Oakland. My god, that deep dish pizza was SOOOOOOO FUCKING GOOD. After pizza, we hung out at another friend's place and I ended up taking the BART back at around 11, got home at around 12:45, and KO'd.

On Saturday I went to my friend's bbq in San Bruno. Haven't met up with that particular group of friends in a while so we all had a pretty nice day. Ate lotsss of food, hung out, watched football, caught up on old times. On Sunday, I pretty much did nothing. Today (Monday), I went to a bbq with SJFixed people. Had a good time. Nothing to really say about today. Haha, fun times. Time to unload the picssss.

Quantum pics.

Taking BART for the first time.

Zachary's Pizza. SOOO good.

Some guy got hit by a car on the Panhandle.

Labor day BBQ.

Riding around campus.

QUANTUM TONIGHT!

2009-09-03T18:02:00.001-07:00

2009-09-03T00:47:00.000-07:00

SUUUUUUUUPER slow day today. Actually this week has been pretty slow. I woke up today, did my usual morning rituals, and checked my email. Turns out that my class got canceled so I went back to sleep. Woke up a little later and pretty much did nothing. Hmmmm after a while I went to campus early to study. Well I stripped my lockring yesterday so I decided to walk to school. It was hoooooot today so walking for 15 minutes wasn't fun. Got to campus, studied for a bit, dozed off in my photography class, and walked back home at around 9. I took a shorter route home (cut through Paseo San Antonio, through Market, and went down San Pedro. Haven't walked/biked through those streets in a while, and it was quite nice. Got home, changed my wheel, and pretty much chillllled for the rest of the night. Well I'm pretty tired right now. So I'm gonna get some sleep. Gooooooooooodnight.

Walking around at night in an empty building is scary stuff.

Through Paseo San Antonio.

Cesar Chavez Park.

Uh, that thing by the Bank of America across from CCP.

I guess someone new moved into our place.

SIIIIIIGGGGGGHHHHHHH looks like I'll have to get another rando soon.

SJF 9-1-09 Tuesday Night Ride - Alviso

2009-09-01T23:43:00.001-07:00

So today was pretty slow. I woke up fairly early this morning for class but after a few minuts, I realized that it was a furlough day. So I was like FUUUUUUCCCCKKKKK and went back to sleep. Haha, after another hour or so I woke up and the day was sloooooooooooow. Didn't really do much; studied for a bit, went to the student services building to drop off a form for financial aid, and then swung by Mark's shop to use his tools to switch out my cog. Well the factory who built the wheel (or the person who installed the cog/lockring) used loctite or something on the cog and when I took it off, I stripped the threading on my hub for the lockring. FAAAAAAAIL. So for the Alviso/airport loop, I rode single speed brakeless. My god being alert as fuck and Ted Shred'ing for 20~ miles IS NOT FUN. Hmm I guess I'll continue using Wilson's rear wheel for a while until he demands it back. kekeke

Well after the ride (which was super fun by the way), we all met up at Smoke Eaters and chilled for abit. Then me and Waymond went home and made dinner (rice with eggs and fish on the side). Well now I'm here watching the Speed channel and slowly falling asleep. Haha my legs are dead.

Didn't take that many pictures today.
Outside IMINUSD/Azuki.

Matt's Concept with double tri spokes?!?!

Beautiful yet smells-like-shit Alviso.

IKEA!

2009-08-29T23:48:00.000-07:00

So today I decided to give Julie a visit in Berkeley. After hanging out at her place for a bit, we went off to Ikea because she needed a real computer chair. Walked around Ikea and she bought a few random things. I don't go to Ikea often, but everytime I go it's just TOO DAMN FUN. I like all the little rooms they set up and the fact that everything is sooo damn cheap. Oh, and the Ikea carts can turn all four wheels. So I'm pretty much just throwing the cart in circles every five minutes or so. OH and the cheap food. Can't say no to the $1 cinnabuns!

After Ikea we headed back to Berkeley and hung out for a bit more. Got some groceries and some Japanese food at a place called Ponkuku? I had ramen w/california rolls and she ordered curry rice with sashimi. It was actually pretty good and the prices were really fair. Finished the food, headed back to SF, chillllllllled for a bit doing random shit, and now I'm here. Lack of updates because I haven't been carrying my camera around lately. More posts to follow!

CHEAPS!

Live band @ Ikea. My day is complete.

Okay...

Saw this bad boy at the parking lot.

Pretty good!

This was from the other day. But yeahhhhhh I miss these. =/

Ordiary People

2009-08-26T16:44:00.000-07:00

SJF Ranch/Tuesday Nonsense

2009-08-25T22:56:00.001-07:00

I tried adding a few classes today but I guess luck wasn't on my side. If I don't get that class for Monday/Wednesday, I'm going to have to take a semester off and hopefully score a job in San Jose. In my current position, it won't be worth paying that much money just to take a bunch of bullshit classes that won't even contribute to the progression of my degree. Blah the CSU system is sooo jacked up right now. But yeah... after class for the day, I headed over to the I Minus D store and sold Mark some handlebars. Then pretty much just chilled at my place until 6 to head off to SJF's Tuesday night ride.

So on today's Tuesday night ride, the group split up and a bunch of riders decided to do Hellyer. I joined the other group and we rode up to the Ranch. Today was my second time climbing/descending down the Ranch and I felt accomplished being able to make it to the top without walking, as well as descending brakeless without killing myself. Well my legs are pretty shot right now so here are some pics. Damn, I'm going to need a new rear tire pretty soon.

View from the top.

The last descending hill.

2x Starfuckers. I guess this can count as a double penetration.

Ben's super clean Yamaguchi.

Budget cuts are RIDICULOUS!

2009-08-24T23:12:00.000-07:00

So today was the start of the semester and it was impossible getting classes. Every class that I tried to add wouldn't go through because there were 30+ students in front of me trying to get on the roster. My calculus class was packed and my professor had to send 20 kids out the door without any hope of getting added. Well, at least I have a chance in getting into my communications class. I'm probably 3rd in line and so far there are two openings. *crosses fingers*.

Well on a brighter note, all my classes are pretty good so far and my professors seem to be pretty chill. Oh not only that, but I've found out that my financial aid should be kicking in around September so I don't have to come up with $2500 anymore. All I need to do is add one more class and I'll be good to goooooooo. Woooooooot woot.

Some pics of me and a few friends when we ate at the Cheesecake Factory in San francisco. We had to wait two hours to get a table so we just hung out and played cards at Macy's.

Birthday... yeah...

SJF SummerBreeze BBQ 8-22-09

2009-08-23T00:09:00.000-07:00

So today I went to a BBQ hosted by JP in San Jose. Didn't take too many pictures but I'm sure you'll see a few floating around in a few blogs. Chilled and ate under the HOT sun but I had fun. School starts on Monday!! BLAHHHHHH I hope I'll be able to add my classes.

Video by Dbot.

iMINUSD!

2009-08-20T19:22:00.000-07:00

iMD iD42’s will be available at our storefront exclusively to locals and SJF members before general public release. This is our way of saying “THANK YOU” to our supportive communities of San Jose and the Bay Area.

iMiNUSD
112 Paseo de San Antonio
San Jose, CA. 95112
408.287.2310″

http://www.sjfixed.org
http://www.iminusd.com

Congrats to Mark and all the members who contributed to the progression of iMD. All that hard work is finally paying off and everyone should be expecting big things to come!

Photobucket Exceeded!

2009-08-20T19:12:00.000-07:00

So after about 5 years worth of pictures, I've finally exceeded the storage limit of my photobucket. Oh well, I just made another account. Now it's going to be a pain trying to keep track of all my pics. LULZ.

Well yesterday me and Rmar decided to bike over to Sausalito to get some fish and chips. For $3, you can't go wrong. Before heading out, we headed over to the Starbucks on Market by the Embarcadero to see if Jeff was working, to say hello and whatnot. It was super crowded and I couldn't see Jeff working so we just decided to head over to Sausalito. Biked by the piers, crossed over to the Marina, went through the Presidio, over the bridge, and down to Sausalito. Ate our fish and chips, and biked back home. It was super cold and foggy, but in the end it was worth it. :)

Looking back, about to cross over to the Marina.

Bridge from SF.

Bridge from Marin County, heading towards Sausalito.

Rmar schooling me on crabbing laws.

Foggy!!

It was worth it.

From left to right. SLK, what appears to be a Lamborghini, what appears to be a Ferrari, S500, and a Shelby (most likely a replica) in the back.

Climbed Arguello and taking a breather.

Saturday BBQ!

2009-08-20T13:02:00.000-07:00

Sorta bummed that I'm going to have to head back to San Jose tomorrow. But I'm looking forward to Saturday's BBQ! Bring something, meet some people, and have some fun!

Aquarium

2009-08-19T21:53:00.000-07:00

Found this video from somewhere.

More random pics

2009-08-18T19:50:00.000-07:00

Hmm, I guess I'll adjust my hotkeys and make my pics into a smaller size. I hate going onto my old computer and seeing all my photos stretch out beyond the borders.

Well, the past few days have been pretty fun. Been chilling and spending a lot of time with my friends as well as my girlfriend. Last Thursday I headed over to San Jose with Jeff to chill/check out the Bassett sprints (http://www.sjfixed.org). Met up with a bunch of people and hung out for a bit. But sadly, we had to cut out early. We ended up leaving San Jose about 30 minuts before the sprints started. =/ Well once we got back to the city, I met up with Julie and we had dinner at Park Chow. OMG steak burger with fries I LOOOOOVEE ITTTT.

Hmm, other than Thursday, nothing really special occurred in the next few days. Checked out the New People store opening at Japan town. It was alright, I guess. Bunch of gothic lolis (fat bitches with blue hair dressed up as "cute" Asian/anime characters). Later that night, I had dinner with a few friends at Olive Garden for a little early birthday celebration thing. Some peeps put up some pics on Facebook, so look for them there. Last night, Ian hosted a dinner get-together thing at The Cheesecake Factory so that was fun. Although it wasn't fun waiting two hours to get a table. Oh well, at least the view of Union Square was pretty good and it was fun catching up with old friends.

Me and Jeff heading over to San Jose. Haha, stripped Omnium chain ring bolts for the win.

Park Chow steak burger with fries!

A secret dog park.

Duncan!

New People store opening.

Rolls Royce Phantom. The driver looked like K-Fed.

Size 66!!

Some mediocre night shots. Ehh, point and shoot.

Picked up some RB-019's for cheap!

Random Pics

2009-08-14T23:12:00.001-07:00

Some random pictures that I've accumulated throughout the weeks.

8-11-09 - SJFixed weekly Tuesday ride! 35 mile loop
Towards Fowler.

IMD x Chub?!!?

Somewhere by Calaveras on Piedmont or something.

8-12-09 - SF to Saulsalito

Jeff's $1.50 ghetto rigged saddle bag!

Holla!

Intro

2009-08-14T22:53:00.000-07:00

I've done the livejournal and I've done the Xanga. I guess I'll give blogspot a try.
Finally putting fourth the effort to figure this thing out.

Hmm well here's a little intro for those who don't know me.

Alex Trang
San Francisco CA
San Jose State University
August 25 1989
Biking, photography, guitar'ing at times, having a jolly good time.
Eating, cooking, the Travel channel, living the hobo life.

Fell free to send me an IM whenever. I'm a nice guy once you get to know me. :)
AIM - alex trangalang

Blogspot?

2009-07-15T21:12:00.001-07:00

Well, I guess I'll give this a try.