Photo by JerSean Golatt
Y E S!!! I’m so proud of Kyle. Go check out his VSCOcam Feature!! ALL photos taken with an iPhone and edited with VSCOcam. Yeah… it’s amazing and inspires me everytime I oogle at his work.
Limits… what limits! Go out there and kill it every. damn. day! Whether it be photography, cycling, skating, being a friend/father or mother/husband or wife… do it to it!
RIDE x CREATE
This weekend was the first REALLY cold ride of the season. It wasn’t that the weather was insane so much as the gloves I wore trapped sweat on my hands then froze them horribly!! I started the ride with some slim fitting (which are still huge) snowboarding gloves that I thought would defeat the cold. After about an hour of riding my fingers turned to popsicles and I had to swap out gloves to the Giro Westerly Wool. The Westerly Wool’s work great down to about 40’ish degrees depending on how long you’ll be riding, but not so much for the low 20’s on top of the mountain… and who knows what the wind chill was coming down; but the Westerly Wool’s did a hell of a lot better than those damn hand refrigerators I started out with. Two things I need immediately… a solid cycling purposed winter glove and face cover. Then I’ll be set.
Complaint sess over… Now, as mentioned in the previous post, “Early morning rides are peacefully eerie.” This Saturday morning ride was. AMAZING!!! I started out at Blevins Bicycle Co. and rode 6 miles north to the start of the climb. Facing headwinds close to 20 mph… it was a solid warm up for the chill I was about to face. I duck into a neighborhood to minimalize the wind until I get up to the climb. No one is awake yet. No cars on the streets. Just me, the wind and Old Man Winter. I jut my jaw forward to blow my warm stank coffee breath on my nose that helps keep Old Man Winter at bay. Just getting to the start of the climb, the heat is kicking in and I know I’m totally good for the next slow 7’ish miles to the top.
As I climb, the fog is setting in. The frost is growing on the low bushes and brush. It’s incredibly beautiful and getting increasingly colder. With my popsicle’esk fingers, I pull out my iPhone and start snapping away. I had a lot of ideas of what I wanted to capture but couldn’t really move my nubs to take the photos, so I opted for only a couple spots I knew would be way rad.
The photo below is on the climb up via an old closed down portion of the road. About 400 meters further up, everything is icy white. I start getting really amped. Two spots cross my mind. The overlook at the top of the route and this relatively flat mountain bike trail that would be so good to ride and shoot in this weather. I prop my bike up against the wall… snap, snap, snap… take a look at how the three turn out and right after the third preview (with 58% “battery life” left) my phone dies due to cold… Old Man Winter killed my phone!!
As I damn my phone and Old Man Winter, I contemplate riding the MTB trail anyways… then the thought creeps in, ‘I only have one spare tube. I had a double flat last wooded ride. My phone is dead. No one is dumb enough to hike this today. I will die.’ So I turn around and start heading down the mountain at a very uncomfortable chill level.
Long story longer… I make it back to Blevins, change out of my newly acquired UPNESS kit and coverings. Drink a cup of coffee and share my freeze story with the fellas.
The leaves have fallen. The cold has set in. Early morning rides are peacefully eerie. I truly dig the melancholy vibe of this season.
I hope you’re soaking up this goodness in your neck of the woods.
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The cycling community is strong from sea to shining sea! I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Jeremy Dunn several weeks ago in good ol’ Portland during the Chris Igleheart shoot out of Velo Cult. He’s a clean cut good lookin fella. With a smile on his face and beer in hand, I walked up and introduced myself. Jeremy and I have had a small amount of interaction via social media (thanks for keeping us social internet), so It was really good to meet in person.
With that being said… I contacted Jeremy after I got back to Alabama and expressed I’d love to check out some Rapha gear, test it and put together a review. I only mentioned the Rapha Merino Arm/Leg Warmers so I could show off our newly acquired FOLLY kit throughout the winter. He said he’d get me set up… and that he did. Merino Arm/Leg/Knee Warmers as well as this bad ass Merino Hooded Top. Due to his generosity I wanted to take this review to the next level and bring in Tyler Brown to ride and shoot Rapha’s goodness.
This is easily the most stylish piece of riding apparel I own. The temperature was in the low 40’s with a wind chill pushing to the mid to high 30’s. As you know (or should), Merino wool does its job well. It does not stop the wind but holds heat. The section in the center of this top is wind proof with wool underneath. This helps keep your core temperature up and your body does the rest by distributing that heat to your fingers and toes. Neat right? Yes I agree.
But don’t worry, this top isn’t stylish at the sacrifice of function. When it gets cold, windy and dark… it has you covered. There are couple hi-vis features that will keep you seen. One up top to secure the windproof hood if you’re not in need of it. The second is with a rear pocket to house your phone/wallet/flask. If you choose to go stealth, you can stow the pink accents simply by unbuttoning them. The rear pocket hi-vis tab also has the Rapha logo that is reflective.
When I first put the Rapha Hooded Top on… I thought out loud, “this is the Cadillac of hooded tops”. It really is. The top hugs you well but does not limit mobility.
I sincerely dig Rapha. To sum it up… this top feels/looks/performs so good. And I’m a BIG fan of Merino goodness. Go to Rapha and check out other features and photos of the Merino Hooded Top. I promise you won’t be disappointed that you did. And when you pick one up, we’ll share in the glorious comfort, style and function that is this top.
Make sure to follow along on our Instagram with #follyinrapha . I’ve already posted a few snaps of the arm/leg warmers and Hooded Top. I’ll continue to do so as the opportunity presents itself.
(Editor’s Note: Big THANK YOU to Tyler Brown for his time and skill shooting these photos. He was kind enough to let me pick the ones I liked and put my own edit on them. He shot with a Fuji X100S. I uploaded the shots to my iPhone and edited with VSCO. All editing was performed via iPhone 5. Argue for your limitations and soon they will be yours. Cheers!)
RIDE x CREATE
Yesterday was a very rad day cruising the couple blocks of city Huntsville, AL has to offer with Chris Rost. No matter how big or small your arena… there will always be solid spots to ride and photos to be had.
I get amped on cruising and finding photo spots. As I continue to understand photography and what’s going to look good (when to shoot, where to shoot, who to shoot…), It’s very similar to finding new skate spots or revisiting old ones but with a new way to hit it up. For example, you can shoot the same spot with a dozen different outcomes in the same way you can hit the same skate spot with a dozen different tricks. It all depends on the perspective and imagination you bring to the table. The creative element is there in both scenarios. What’s really amazing is riding with guys like Chris. I explain what I think would be cool to capture, he elevates it with his BMX riding ability and dreams come true.
(Editors Note: All shots are taken with an iPhone 5 and edited with VSCO. Argue for your limitations and soon they will be yours.)
Lets ride together.
RIDE x CREATE
“VSCO partnered with Steadbrook to create a Capsule Collection with imagery from four photographers who inspire us. On November 15, the VSCO x Steadbrook Capsule Collection will be available for purchase in store as well as online via the Steadbrook store. A portion of the proceeds will go towards VSCO’s photography scholarship fund, a project we will be sharing more details on in the future.” – VSCO
You won’t want to miss this. Go to the VSCO Journal and find out more about this great collaboration!
“Red Wing is more than just a boot company; they are a community, a heritage, and a family.” – Jesse Lenz
This is a beautiful combination of photographers utilizing VSCO Film to document the amazing Red Wing Family. This is the ‘Create’ in Ride x Create.
Go to the VSCO Journal and check out how Jesse and Jay visually narrate the Red Wing story. I hope you enjoy.
From time to time I like to show off… this is one of those times. All shots you’ve seen Kyle and I post are taken with an iPhone 5 and processed using VSCO. If you’ve yet to download VSCOcam to your mobile device… you should do so now. It’s a great editing tool to enhance yer already rad perspective.
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I hope you enjoy! Get motivated! Use the tools you have and create the radest of rad.
RIDE x CREATE
It’s never a bad idea to take the road less traveled.
Photo by Trey Hill
Really good read in the VSCO Journal Features interviewing WELD. WELD is a creative workspace like non other I’ve every witnessed. If I had to describe it in one word, that word would be… Primo ([pree-moh] Slang. first-class; highly valuable or most essential)!
Go to VSCO and read this. I promise you won’t be disappointed ya did. OH!! And they are opening a second location in Nashville, TN! Muy bueno!