Tag Archives: urban simplicity

A Real Beauty

If I were a wealthy guy–which I’m not–or if I had a disposable income–which I don’t–I’d buy one of these beauties. It’s a Batavus Personal Delivery Bike…looks like a shorter version of a cargo bike to me. Never rode one but have seen them in a bike shop in Toronto…they’re like a work of art.Continue reading “A Real Beauty”

Lobster Killer!

This post is part shameless self-promotion, but also self-interest. It’s self-promotion because it refers to–and is linked to–an article I recently wrote for Artvoice weekly paper. The article chronicles my chagrin at having to kill 120 lobsters (yes I had to do it if I wanted to keep my job). This may not bother someContinue reading “Lobster Killer!”

It’s the Little Things

I saw this sign after walking across the Golden Gate Bridge last week with my son. It’s at the entrance to a stairway leading under the bridge and to the other side (so you don’t have to cross the hellish traffic). The stairs are long and steep so there is a ramp provided for bicyclistsContinue reading “It’s the Little Things”

Really Good Food From A Really Small Garden

If you’ve been to this blog before then you know that it is mostly about using a bike as a regular form of transportation, but it’s also about food (that I grow and cook), and about living simply (which is the most difficult thing, I think). At-any-rate, I am a proponent of getting rid ofContinue reading “Really Good Food From A Really Small Garden”

Things That Can Be Carried On (or pulled by) a Bike (#187)

$58.61 in groceries. Yup, still have a flat on the Mundo so I took the Dahon out with it’s Bike Rev trailer…A completely different ride but still just as fun.

Flat Tires Suck

No way around it, they do: flat tires suck. They’re really disappointing. Came home from vacation yesterday looking forward to taking a spin on the Mundo only to discover it had a flat on the front tire…hadn’t been on a bike in a week and was really looking forward to it. Maybe it went flatContinue reading “Flat Tires Suck”

Je Suis Retourné

Bike on Sutton and Stockton I’m back. My apologies to regular readers, bloggers, bikers, and overall simplifiers out in there blogasphere. One week…the longest I’ve went without a post since I began this blog! I was on holiday with my son in the beautiful city of San Francisco…I’d been there a few other times butContinue reading “Je Suis Retourné”

Woody Guthrie (Quotes and a Song)

“Any fool can make something complicated. It takes a genius to make it simple.” “Life has got a habit of not standing hitched. You got to ride it like you find it. You got to change with it. If a day goes by that don’t change some of your old notions for new ones, thatContinue reading “Woody Guthrie (Quotes and a Song)”

In Praise of Cargo Bikes

This post is really in response to this article I came across at the Grist website. The catchy title of the article is initially drew my attention: Tricked-out cargo bikes give SUVs a run for their money. It’s a good article and basically just another thing to stroke your ego as a cargo cyclist. IfContinue reading “In Praise of Cargo Bikes”

Old Garden Posters

I Love these…old adverts for victory gardens (also called liberty gardens during WW I).With the food issues we have today (and I’m not talking about scarcity, but more so about factory farming, pesticides, and lack of diversity) I can’t help but wonder if these posters aren’t more relevant than ever.

Isaac Carrying Stuff on a 1990 Raleigh Technium

This is my teenage son who reluctantly agreed to have his picture taken before he pedaled away (are you done yet dad?). He’s adopted my old Raleigh Technium and it suits him well. I used to love that bike, and one of the things I loved about it is that it is really fast. NowContinue reading “Isaac Carrying Stuff on a 1990 Raleigh Technium”

Tortellini alla Giardino

This is a simple recipe that is only partially true to it’s title..it is not entirely alla giardino (from my garden), but there are a few things. Mainly, I’ve had a Swiss chard plant that grows back almost as fast as I eat it (there are worse problems), and the basil is already in fullContinue reading “Tortellini alla Giardino”