Contributing Photographer Pat McKay has been getting out to ride as often as he can, even if the wind is blowing half a gale. Not long ago, his travels took him to Snow Hill, Maryland…

This is a kind of two-for-one deal. My trusty LHT in the foreground and one of my favorite canoe liveries in the background. Beautiful, no? What's not so apparent is the fact that the wind was gusting between 20-30 mph all day. I rode into town averaging 26 mph, and I crawled out barely managing 10. We call the nearly constant wind (although thankfully not always this breezy) on the Delmarva "our hills."

Stiff breeze or not, it’s an idyllic scene, as I’m sure every cyclist (and boater) will agree. Thanks, Pat!

We love our bikes, right? And we never tire of looking at them. At least I don’t, and if I’m to judge from what others tell me, I’m not alone. So each Monday I’ll publish a bike-related picture. Most of the time it will be a photo, but don’t be surprised if a few drawings and paintings get added to the mix from time to time. I might even include a sculpture or two. (OK. A photo of a sculpture.) Anything, in short, that evokes the world on two wheels. And don’t be shy. If you have a picture you’d like to share, just email it to me. I’ll do the rest.

Questions? Comments? Just click here!

“What is so rare as a day in June?” Well, what about a day in May? And this one was as nearly perfect as North Country days can get. So, anxious to put my too vivid memories of gray skies and drifts of salty slush behind me, I pedaled away to a favorite destination. Once there, I was determined to create a memento of the occasion—and the perfect day, of course—but instead of reaching for my camera, I pulled my new cell phone from its pouch. Why get a new phone? Good question. My old phone was a workhorse, from a product line originally marketed to Third World countries. It was therefore ideally suited to conditions in New York’s scrag end. But it’s now starting to show its age, and while it’s never easy to part with an old friend, after much hemming and hawing I yielded to the temptation to upgrade.

This is the result. The photo isn’t bad, at least for one taken with a cell phone, but it’s clear I have a lot to learn about holding this little wonder steady. In any event, I don’t think I’m ready to ditch my camera.

We love our bikes, right? And we never tire of looking at them. At least I don’t, and if I’m to judge from what others tell me, I’m not alone. So each Monday I’ll publish a bike-related picture. Most of the time it will be a photo, but don’t be surprised if a few drawings and paintings get added to the mix from time to time. I might even include a sculpture or two. (OK. A photo of a sculpture.) Anything, in short, that evokes the world on two wheels. And don’t be shy. If you have a picture you’d like to share, just email it to me. I’ll do the rest.

Questions? Comments? Just click here!

The Surly Long Haul Trucker can be bought already built up and ready to roll. That’s how I got mine. But in the first few months I owned it I made a few changes, fitting a new saddle, stem, and bars, in addition to adding fenders and racks. Jack Flash did much the same thing. He got a built-up LHT, too, but he wanted wider bars, so he fitted Nitto Noodles. And that was just the beginning:

I love the bike, as the fit is great. The trunk is an Avenier bag, very handy and the top expands for ½ gallon containers. The rack is a Surly Nice. I have one for the front but I'd rather ride without it on all the time as it makes the front wheel flop over when parked. The lime green box is an external speaker for my MP3 player. Sometimes I like some music while riding. The mirror [clamped to the left handlebar drops– Editor] is an Evo Sport, which was overpriced, but after buying four other mirrors and not being happy I went for it, and it suits me.

The result? Well, see for yourself (right-click on the photos to embiggen them):

That’s one beautiful bike! Thanks, Jack, for giving us all a chance to admire your handiwork.

We love our bikes, right? And we never tire of looking at them. At least I don’t, and if I’m to judge from what others tell me, I’m not alone. So each Monday I’ll publish a bike-related picture. Most of the time it will be a photo, but don’t be surprised if a few drawings and paintings get added to the mix from time to time. I might even include a sculpture or two. (OK. A photo of a sculpture.) Anything, in short, that evokes the world on two wheels. And don’t be shy. If you have a picture you’d like to share, just email it to me. I’ll do the rest.

Questions? Comments? Just click here!