The Fall

Never seen the Prof fall from the bike. I remember once, he popped out when we were beginning to get worried about where the fuck he had gone, with a bleading bruise on his leg and a good dose of adrenaline in his eyes, a sign that the fall he had just experienced had been a frightening one...this time it was just huge laughs and more importantly I caught it on film!

Idiot

When stupidity is praised...thanks London Courier Emergency Fund.

Cinelli MASH Il Prof Special Edition

The question is: who's gonna stop him? Now he's got acceleration too. And a fucking big smile on his face...

The Road to Alba

Take me on your roads. Let me ride your bike. Slowly by my side, smile as you enjoy it. Smile as I enjoy you. Take me on your roads. Let me ride your bike. I'll leave it in your hands. It's yours the way I am.

Macinelleria

...This one's quite funny, I shot a couple Sundays ago at The Furnace. Koper Toni bought himself a flaming new Vigorelli frame, which we mounted (we're butchers, not mechanics...) in an afternoon. "Macinelleria" is a blend of Cinelli and Macelleria ( = Butcher). If you watch the video you'll understand, we slayed the beed...

Details Extended

This is another one...

Details

I haven't been posting for a while...December's been a bus day, our critterium has been put on hold due to weather conditions and we'll start talking about it again soon I hope. Meanwhile though I've been filiming a little. This is one of the results.

Nosepolcity Criterium

And finally, here it is. Scheduled for 2 December. Though we might be forced to do it on the following Sunday since weather forecasts aren't very good...




Fixit&Carveit

matitesonfissà art (real art)

These are some amazing drawings, in my opinion. I really love the chain-brain, that's just amazing. Someone else might have done it before, I don't care, I had never seen it and it's gorgeous. And I love the light bulb, and I love the cogs with the name of our group inside...Giacomo Licen-Porro is the artist behind them. The man is quite gifted: left aside the drawing talent which is so evident, Giacomo is a marathon runner too. Not just one who runs marathons, he's the kind of guy who actually WINS marathons...And he's got family too. He's filled his life with positive things to do, me thinks. 

A friend of the Prof, of course. It was his idea to ask Giacomo if he would be willing to draw a few sketches for a possible logo of "matitesonfissà" (there's been several designs proposed lately, some good and some...well). When and if there will be an official logo, I don't care. And I don't care which logo. The drawings you see below are my idea of a logo and I'll definitely use them for a t-shirt sooner or later. I absolutely love them. 

Am getting more and more convinced the Prof has some inborn talent in spotting out beauty. Be it a slow-motion video of absolute poetry, an object, a piece of clothing, some kind of weird design or traditional tool, the man's got an instinct and can pick up the scent of beauty a thousand miles away, I guess. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder so maybe it's just a question of shared taste...

Anyway, bring joy to your eyes with Giacomo's drawings:

matitesamontar?

Had almost forgotten these clips, shot when I turned from my old bike to the Pelizzoli frame.

CriTSerium?

We've decided to organize a critterium. No serious organization by the way, just trying to give it a vague aura of respectability, with a track, a day and time to meet, as well as a little money contribution to participate (money = beers). Perhaps we'll even manage to have some kind of trophey...We'll see. I like the track, I like the spot we found. No 180° bends which is a pity but still, there's a nice unexpected curve into a sort of short-cut among two roads and we decided to include that. It's super short, but we're  super novices, so it's fine...

We have no traning, no idea, almost no organisation. And it could end up just the 5 of us meeting on Sunday. It will be fun, for sure. Nothing to do with a serious critterium. Which we will eventually organize...It will require phone calls, sponsors, and some extra work to make it happen properly. And if it turns out as expected, racing will be the last of our thoughts since no one among us will be able to compete with the guys who will participate. But that's just dreaming. And by the way, I actually dream more about an alleycat than a critterium. An alleycat would be even more complicated to organise. In the meantime, reality grounds our feet to the circuit you see below and to the non-existing speed you can appreciate in the video.

The bridge, the train and the church

listen to yourself. listen to your fears. they have nothing to do with who you are. where you come from. they come from what could be. listen to yourself. you think of what could be as time goes by and takes away what you are now. now counts. it always did. you always knew. what you did, the mistakes that could take you where you don't want to be, that can't be changed. what will happen, what fate will turn that coin heads or tails, you can't predict.

there is only now. just the bridge, the train and the church. and you are in the midst of it all and your legs go up and down and your heart pumps in and out and your breath exhales and inhales and your eyes adjust. darkness is a friend and warms your soul. pedals are a friendly enemy to attract and push away, on and on. your challenge is now. what you were seconds ago does not count. where you will be months from now does not count.

focus on life. feel your instrument as it helps you climb. there IS a smile inside you and you know it. just set it free. don't even think about it. think heart, muscle, pedal and soul. if you see her say hello, she might be in Tangier. she might think i've forgotten her. go tell her it isn't so.

lights they pass you by. lights and people. people and their thoughts. they look at you and you feel proud as they feel puzzled. muscles will take you there. lungs will lead the way. heart will never fail. the soul will do the rest.

close your eyes, enjoy the ride. one ride. one way only. just once. everything is now. and now you are on track.

Timelapse Town 7/11

I hope I won't bore you guys with this timelapse crave of mine but it's really fun to think about situations in which such a video technique can be used. Everything's been already done and everything's been already seen and we're fine with that...But one thing is watching videos and another is shooting them. Obviously it's much more fun, much more complicated and much more interesting and satisfying when you're happy with the result...This might not be the case but I'm, well, sort of archiving & documenting my progresses here. And by the way what the fuck, why am I explaining so much, this space was meant for me to publish what I want in the first place.
A night ride around town. Blurred streets and lights, difficult to understand anything even if you're from Trieste. The only place you can properly see is the door of the Boston Boulevard...

Ocio che Piovi

This is a quite funny shot in Koper Toni's garage. I am experimenting with timelapse videos and seeing where it takes...Right after this shot a semi-epic bike ride began..with Koper Toni apparently in need of huge climbs to recover from a long first month experience at Genuino - Naturally fast food.

Pliskovica Tour

Had said I would have eventually edited the few videos we shot during the memorable tour in Slovenia and here it is. A quick, non-cronological condensed summary of that day.

Just like the old days

A Sunday tour as we used to organise them some time ago. After lunch meeting at Salone degli Incanti, ride towards the Costiera, right-turn up heading for Via del Pucino, quick stop for a video, then up Santa Croce where the "Tour de Frasque" (copyright Simone Sandri) begins: 3 (maybe 4?) osmize to test our liver with boiled eggs and spritz (white wine + sparkling water), then back dow to town around 7pm. Just like the old days. With the Prof and Ricciu but most importantly with Billy and Simo by my side (welcome back boys). There's a few videos to edit but sadly one of the longest wheelies ever seen (who but Billy could do it?) isn't on the footage...it's for our memories only...

Cleaning brings back memories

Waked up this morning positive I would clean up my flat and I did. Laundry, washed the floors, vacuum cleaner, bathroom and bathtub, kitchen. And while cleaning the living room these pics popped out from a box. Analog takes shot with my Praktica I - shame on me - use so little. Pics of when I had just finished my first, beloved fixed gear. At the time when Koper Toni got me into this fascination and beauty of become one with the bike. At the time when my first thought was to build one for the love of my life. At the time when I would put my bike on the roof of my car, drive from the hills to town, park the car and roam the city with my first fixed gear. At the time when we would play bike polo. Me and Giacomo and Annalisa and Andrea. No one was riding fixies then, not that it makes any difference or makes us more important or special.

Just a great memory when I look at these.

Thanks Prof

...for yet another night's riding. For not being in the mood until the ass grounds on the saddle. For stopping here after the final climb...




Fixit&Carveit

The Bike Stand - part two

...and here's the wonderful job done by Simone the bar waiter whom I discovered is a carpenter too! Not bad right?




Fixit&Carveit

Of Steel - Framebuilder Pegoretti

Are they disappearing or are they finally coming back? Will their legacy be handed down to future generations? I see these videos and I love them not just because I love bikes. There's this "extinction" feeling that makes you feel like you are looking at an endangered species. And anybody looking at an endangered species feels sort of privileged. "It's a rare thing to see, it's something special and it won't last for long". Well let me tell you something: it also feels like SHIT to see people with such a gift having to worry for their survival. It's nonsense they are scarcely considered artists. It's awesome that the new bicycle revival flamed by fixed gears have brought such artisans back where they deserve but it  feels crap they might disappear again when the fashion is over. The wall street fuckers creating virtual money out of thin air and the exquisite artist carving a frame from steel or a drawer from wood...An idea brought to real life versus a number treacherously inflated. How come it's so difficult to understand the difference?