Nikon V1 Arrives

I have been a huge fan of the Nikon 1 series since they were first released.  There was only one issue with them in my opinion, and that was price. Due to current market conditions, Nikon V1s can be found for an absolute steal.  I was able to acquire a vintage V1 with the little 10/2,8 lens for less than $300 including shipping.   

I have some very specific goals and objectives for this little camera.  As many know, I am a devout Nikon D800 shooter and Zeiss lover.  However, the weight of that kit is very limiting when traveling light.  It is also an expensive system and one that I am not willing to jeopardize while out on the water in the Kayak.  The little V1 fills a very specific niche in my opinion.  It is small in size, takes great images with a very film like capability and more importantly, has the best AF of any mirrorless camera available. 

My intention is to pair the V1 with an Outex cover and use that setup as my hand held kayak camera.  The reach of the 1" cropped sensor along with the snappy AF system should provide me with plenty of capabilities while shooting on-water events.

On the bike, my intention is to use this as my go to 'grab' camera.  The one that is rugged and reliable and capable of shooting super slow motion video, fast hand held shots and other quick grabs where I might previously have used a GoPro.  The fact that you can get these bodies so inexpensive, doesn't make them throw away, but it does minimize the risk associated with using the camera in this manner.

As I go through the process of learning the camera I will  share my thoughts and images.  For now, here is a series of images, shot today, straight out of the camera in B&W.  The only processing applied was light sharpening when they were exported from LR.  I don't know, they look pretty nice to me.

Fall is rapidly approaching

I love this time of year, it is so peaceful, colorful, and a wonderful time to take pictures. 

Combine cameras and bikes along with gravel roads, and you suddenly have the ability to get off the beaten path and explore the region at its finest.  This image was taken in the Moosehorn NWR while out riding my Salsa Ti Mukluk.  The Mukluk is the perfect mode of transportation for getting back into the woods along the rutted and often wet trail system of NE Maine.

This year I will be starting a set of photography workshops that are focused on using bikes as a means of accessing remote and pristine areas.  I am looking at doing one or two of these in Maine this October and possibly a third in Vermont.  If you are interested drop me a line. 

Fargo Love - Touring Ireland

The Gen 1, 'fun guy green' Fargo, all decked out with a Brooks B17 Saddle, Porcelain Rocket Bags, and Five Finger shoes -- combined to provide the ultimate touring rig through Europe, including England, Scotland, Morrocco and Ireland. 

The new 2014 Ti Fargo should be here soon, so keep checking back for the unveiling.  New bits and pieces all come together to create what I believe will be the most versatile 'go anywhere' adventure touring bike ever.

A Single Lens

If I only had one lens to shoot with, it would be my Zeiss 50.  It is without a doubt my favorite single lens ever.  While I enjoy shooting wider sometimes and longer sometimes, I definitely shoot the vast majority of my images at this focal length.  It will be exciting to see how the new Zeiss 55 does later this year. 

Trip Planning - Where to begin

I have every intention of really detailing this topic, as I think it is what causes the biggest issue for people wanting to go out on some form of Adventure, big or small.  Right now, I need to make it through Labor Day weekend and then I can really begin sharing some details on what I am doing and what my thought process is for the choices I make. 

However, I will start things off with this.  I start every trip with the following key items and then I begin the process of iterating each one on their own.  After each set is done, I then step back and look at where I can eliminate any redundancy in an effort to simplifly my kit and reduce the need to carry extraneous gear.  So, where do you begin? 

• Mode of Transport
• Shelter  
• Cook
• Sleep System
  
• Element Protection, including moving and stationary
  
• Tools
• Electronics

To me, these are the biggest components of a trip, and the most critical.  There are always outliers that must be considered, but starting with these will allow you to begin the process of choosing gear and making key tradeoff decisions. As a teaser for some of my decisions, here is a little gallery of past choices just to get the discussion going.  Next week, I will discuss Shelter and Cook as it applies to the Lost Coast Bikepacking trip. 

Trip Planning

One of the things I love most about upcoming trips is the planning process. What will the route be, what are the gear requirements, how am I going to carry what I need, and what camera gear is needed?  Early in the process I begin making lists, sorting through requirements and eventually bringing out the scale to insure that I have not gone overboard with the 'oh I could use that piece of kit' syndrome.

My Gen 1 Fargo on the Oregon Coast

Next month, I head to California to bike the lost coast.  A stretch of road, trail and beach that runs from the Oregon/California border down to the beautiful city of San Francisco.  I will ship my bike and gear out to Crescent city because their is simply no way to fly there on a plane big enough to carry all my kit.  I will hop from the east coast to San Francisco, meet up with my riding partners, Erik and Andrew, and then take one of those puddle jumpers up to our starting spot. 

Camping amidst the giant redwoods

My goal for this 7 day trip, since it is short, and in the relative confines of civilization, is to go as light and fast as possible.  The exception to this could be my camera gear which largely rests on the issue of bringing the D800 and Zeiss lenses.  Over the next several weeks I will begin to share my process of planning, pairing and then packing.  This will be a SUL (Super Ultra Light) bikepacking trip for me, with a goal of coming in under 10 pounds for everything but food, water and cameras.  

Stay tuned as the Fall is about to get really fun! 

The coming Fall

The light begins to change, ever so subtle, warmer tones, crisper skies, an evening chill with shortened light on both ends of the day.  Love the Fall and the photographic opportunities it presents. 

View fullsize

Mukluk is reborn

It has taken the entire summer, but the Mukluk is finally rebuilt and ready for another year of adventures.  She had been beaten and abused over the last year, between the relentless dowsing of salt water to the harsh Alaskan winter.  I stripped her bare and rebuilt every single part of her.  New wheels, hydraulic brakes and an XX1 setup are sure to help me navigate whatever terrain I throw at the bike. 

I have gone back to the Jones bars, having found them to be the most comfortable setup I have ever used.  While not as good technically, for the type of adventure touring I do, they cant be beat.

The other major shift for me is the switch to Flat pedals.  I love the Crank Brother eggbeaters and enjoyed trying some new Look clippless pedals, but they all have serious limitations during the winter.  This year, for both the Muk and the Fargo, I am going to try doing some long distance tours using flats and 5-10 shoes.  Winter will see me shifting back to the new and upgraded 45Nrth boots once the weather turns really nasty. 

Lastly, I am going to go back to good ole fashion Leather for a while.  I picked up a Giles Berthoud touring saddle that I am going to try and break in.  It is claimed to be waterproof so hopefully it will handle the winter weather just fine.  I will post details and thoughts on all the gear as I begin to put it through its paces. 

Now lets go RIDE!! 

Salsa Cycles Ti Fargo

Check out the latest Salsa Newsletter for a look at the new lineup including the first product shot I have seen of the new Ti Fargo.  The new color scheme, carbon fork, and Anything Cage mounts are sure to add to the cult status of the Fargo.   

Follow Your Passion

It’s often the small events that become the most important moments in a person’s life. A skier by the age most toddlers learn to speak complete sentences, Jeff Curtes quickly developed a passion for the outdoors. It was 1983 in Wisconsin, and Jeff’s freshman year at high school, when he discovered an ad of Jake Burton doing a frontside air on a blue-based Performer in Ski Magazine. Jeff swiped the ad from the library mag to share his find with his mom and younger brother, Joe. That Christmas, a red Performer snowboard wrapped under their Christmas tree would forever change the lives of him and his brother Joe. Joe ended up becoming a professional snowboarder and Jeff was there alongside him visually documenting his brother's efforts. He developed a passion for photography while capturing Joe, and was able to combine his image making ability with his love for snowboarding. Jeff’s submissions eventually got published, and caught the attention of Burton. Burton hired Jeff and the rest is history. To this day, Jeff owes his success to knowing his subject matter and really caring about it. With Snowboarding, Jeff was at the forefront of a sport that quickly caught momentum, and gained respect in the world of adventure sports. He never went out with the intention of becoming a snowboard photographer - he just wanted to pursue his passions. It is that pursuit that remains the essence of what motivates him today. For Jeff, cycling has always been his escape. Although unsure whether he wanted to bring his photography into his zone - he ultimately made the move because of the challenge it presented and the love that he has for riding. You can't be afraid of new. It’s this drive that makes Jeff one of the more respected names in the industry. Jeff currently works out of Sydney, Australia and Portland, Oregon. Client work keeps him busy as he is represented by Tectonic Media Group, which includes powerhouse names such as Jimmy Chin, Corey Rich, and Tyler Stableford. In E06 of Life in Focus, we got the chance to meet up with Jeff in Portland and see him in action shooting for Vanilla Cycling and their Speedvagen team. For more on Jeff, check him out at www.tectonicmg.com. Jeff would like to thank Sacha White and the entire Vanilla Speedvagen family (www.vanillabicycles.com) for making the best bikes, Tom Rousculp from Vanilla for producing the shoot and for the exceptional driving and not crashing my uninsured rental car, and The Gentle Lovers for riding their bikes on a Tuesday night in Portland's West Hills. Also, special thanks to www.clutchcamera.com for lending some essential camera gear. Riders: Video & Editing: Cameron Sylvester Motion Graphics: Chad Jones & Cameron Sylvester Music: Taylor Clark / Barely Exist Taylor Clark / I see you all the time Location: Portland, OR USA Gear: f-stop Loka and Large Pro ICU, FS700, Metabones EF adapter, Canon L glass, Glidecam HD4000, Budget Tripod, Canon 7D, Zoom H4N, Shure lav mic, Hoya Filters. Editing: Graded in DaVinci Lite, Motion Graphics in After Effects, Cut in Final Cut Pro 7. Life in Focus is brought you by www.fstopgear.com

Great little video following Jeff Curtes as he does a photo shoot.  Beautiful work, follow your dreams, don't be afraid to push into the unknown. 

2014 Salsa Fargo - Pictures

Bike rumor has a new piece out with some of the nicest pics of the new 2014 Salsa Fargo's I have seen.  The blue appears to be similar to the blue on the new 2014 Spearfish and one has to love the Carbon Fork with Anything Cage mounts.  I have still not seen the new AC, but with the new fork and the redesigned cage, it is sure to offer up good space for the UL bikepacker.  I prefer to stick lightweight items in mine, such as a tarp or even my HMG Mid Shelter or Hammock, depending on my mode of sleeping.  I hope to have my own pics and review of the new Fargo up soon. 

A summer of projects

I can't believe it is about to be the middle of August... where has the time gone. For me it has a different summer, busier, less riding, more projects.  I still have not had time to finish editing my images from the Alaska trip.  I have completely rebuilt my Salsa Mukluk, although I am still missing a few bits.  I acquired a used Cannondale Hooligan and it has been a blast to ride, while the Muk was down and the Fargo & Spearfish have not arrived.  I built up a new Salsa Mukluk for E as a gift and the purple theme of the bike looks stunning.  The bike turned out perfect in every way with the exception of not finding a 'Grape Ape' frame, but instead having to settle for a black and red model.  In either event, the Purple and red seem to work well.  Pics coming soon when the rain finally stops. 

Made in the US, Twenty6 pedals are a work of art with aggressive pin placement

I have some fun testing going on now, especially focusing on the performance of Flats over clipless for the style of riding I do.  I installed a set of Canfields on E's muk and a set of Twenty6 on mine.  Two beautiful sets of pedals, but uniquely different.  The pins on the Twenty6's are very sharp and from what I understand, somewhat soft.  They no longer make Ti replacement pins, so I am starting with the anodized versions and then will switch to the steels when they wear out.  The patter of pins on the Canfields is less extreme, and the shape of the pedal is simply striking. 

My quest for a new saddle commences with a test of several different models. I have a Gilles Berthoud leather saddle in house and a Fizik Kurve (courtesy of North Central Cyclery).  Totally different saddles with totally different purposes in mind.  However, there is only one way to know what works and that is to try them out.  E got a 'cork' model of the Gilles Berthoud for her Muk and it is beautiful! 

The new Salsa 2014's are out and I have a new Fargo coming.  The update from last year is subtle, but welcome.  I think I am most excited about the addition of a Carbon fork that has mounts for the Anything Cages.  I had always planned on adding a Carbon fork even though it was going to mean the loss of the cages.  Now I don't have to compromise.  I am toying with the idea of going IGH and the venerable Rohloff.  My Fargo is my go anywhere touring machine and the thought of not messing with derailleurs while in some far off land is very appealing.  If you have an opinion on Rohloff's I would love to hear them.  I have been toying with a little 3 spd IGH on my Hooligan and have become quite fond of it, shifting nuances and all.

There are a couple of other surprises coming, including a Fish and a special project being built just for me. Summer will soon come to a close and the traveling will begin anew!! Fall, late fall, and winter plans are shaping up nicely.

Paying Homage to the Gen 1 Fargo

With the release of the 2014 Fargo and all of its new greatness, I thought I would pay a little photo homage to the Gen 1 Fargo, aka "Fun Guy Green", that started it all.  From the south to the north, to Ireland, England, Scotland, Morocco, and many points in between, the Fargo took me everywhere without skipping a beat. One bike for the ultimate in Adventure Cycling.

The new 2014 Fargo picks up where the previous generations left off and takes the bike to a whole new leve.  Updated geometry; alternator dropouts; beautiful Carbon Fiber Fork W/BRAZEONS; the bike is sure to be a huge success. 

Images taken from around the world traveling on my Fargo.  More images available over on my Flickr account. 

2014 Salsa Fargo -- Even Better Than Before

Salsa has once again found a way to improve on what was already any amazing bike.  I have made no bones about the fact I think the Fargo is the ultimate go anywhere bike, especially for those looking to tour far and wide.  The new 2014 model offers up several key changes that make it an even better long distance traveler.  The first is the addition of the Alternator Dropouts, something that IGH and Single Speed fans have longed for.  The Alternator dropout will allow for easy setup of a Rohloff or Alfine a breeze; configuring the bike as a Single Speed; or even as a bailout in the event of a broken rear derailluer. I personally will be adding a shiny red Rohloff to my new 2014 Ti Fargo. 

The second major enhancement is the addition of a Carbon Fork specifically designed for the Fargo.  Salsa has re-engineered their Anything Cages and in doing so, have changed the placement of the braze-ons/mounting position for the cages.  Moving the cages forward, in an attempt to help absorb some of the energy that cage impact might incur. 

In addition to moving the mounts forward, Salsa has added these mounts to the new Fargo Carbon fork.  For those of us that prefer the ride characteristics of a Carbon fork, we now have the best of both worlds allowing us to have a Carbon Fork and to keep our Anything Cages.  OMG, I am drooling just thinking about it...  There are a few other changes, including the geometry correction to handle a 100mm suspension fork and a slight shortening of the chain stays, but these are nowhere near as exciting to me as the dropouts and the carbon fork.

 I will post pics as soon as mine arrives, but in the meantime Dirtrag has a great writeup and some nice images for everyone to drool over.   

Here is an update.  One of my friends sent me to this image where in the background you can see what appears to be the new Ti Fargo. 

The Path

I talk about it quite a bit, the path of life.  It takes us to unknown places no matter how much we try and control it.  Right now I find myself a bit busy, not getting out on the bike or even out on the water in the Yak.  A few moments here and there behind the camera, but definitely not enough to fill my soul...

Yet the path keeps on moving, it takes us where it will. There is no controlling the path-- I can't fight it, just gotta go with it, see where it leads, where it ends.  

View fullsize

The Path