The walk/ride to school at 6:30am
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/j...Walk2small.jpg

My classroom (the stairs don't go anywhere)
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/j...omsmall2-1.jpg

A good part of my 12k ride into town looks like this
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/j...atBridge-1.jpg

One of the many Buddhist temples.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/j...ldWatsmall.jpg

Looking out over the city at Doi Sutep (11k ride averaging 7%. The pollution level was pretty low for this picure)
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/j...rningsmall.jpg

Hanging out with some of the crew (L to R: Julian, my sister, Duvel, Jan)
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/j...rewJKsmall.jpghttp://i269.photobucket.com/albums/j...42/CrewJan.jpg

A quick coffee (I can't believe how barbaric this place is. I have to get Iced Americano because they don't have any soymilk to put into the blended capuccino)
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/j...offeesmall.jpg

Night downtown
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/j...Nightsmall.jpg

The long, straight, fast road home.
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/j...gdongNight.jpg

Chiang Mai, Thailand

p.s. this is still officially called a 3rd world country

Duvel is a righteous beer. Sweet pictorials as well.

Awesome! I spent a month in Thailand over the summer and wished somehow I could have brought my roadbike going up all the nice mountain roads.
Mind you I stuck mostly to Chang, but Duvel is good too.
Any issues with traffic?

Now post these to your myspace so the rest of the non-bike-obsessed world can see them. :) Righteous pictures, it's awesome to see what the city looks like!

I really wish I could have my fixie as well as a geared bike here, but it's just too much money right now. When I come back next year I'm definately brining a road bike. I look at the mountain every day wishing could go ride it.

Traffic is really different here. Your right of way extends about 6" on all sides of your vehicle, regardless of size or lane position. The drivers here have some idea that they need to pack in as close as possible in any situation. There could be no other traffic on the road, but if you're stopped at a light, the person behind you is going to stop within a foot of your rear tire.

There are tons of motorbikes here. They are about 50/50 with cars right now. Every one of them, from 16yr old kids to 70yr old grandmas, drive like they are messengers on a rush. Lanes mean nothing, if there's a gap big enough to go through, they go through. Thats the worst part. The motorbikes take all the gaps that I would normally take. And they're faster so they always get there first. At the few stop lights, everyone continues to go through on the red until the cross traffic moves out enough to prevent it. And the people that have cars grew up riding motorbikes so they drive their cars the same way. There are about 40 traffic fatalities every day compared to about 120 in the U.S. that has 5x the population.

In one sense, it can be really terrifying. In another, it's the perfect city riding situation. I can ride however I want and no one gets pissed because thats what they expect everyone to do. The only time people use their horns is to tell you that they are coming through. What I learned quickly is that when people honk to say that they're coming through, they actually expect you to move. So much so that generally they don't bother slowing down. It isn't an angry honk like in the states, it's just what you do to warn the people in front of you that you're going to hit them if they don't move.

It's a lot like a big city where for every car there was also a kid racing an alleycat.

To sum up, I love/hate it here. (mostly love. the food is really good)

Oh, and I don't drink Duvel very often. It costs over $5 for a small bottle. Not much compared to the states, but if feels weird when thats four times what the rest of the meal costs. Mostly I drink thai beer. Leo generally, but they all taste the same to me.

Pic from Devou park?

I didn't take it but yes it is. Taken from the overlook behind the Memorial Bldg.

i really like this thread

it stands for you to shut the **** up. no one likes a redneck, not even one that bikes

best spot to ride. i was just down there yesterday and it was awesome.

it's like where's waldo? i found andy fabian, myself, but no waldo

I think waldo's holding up the inflatable shark in the backgroud

http://www.ci.athens.oh.us/photo/thu...ttoday_jpg.jpg
http://www.kyrailtrail.org/gallery/a...y_midpoint.jpg
Neither of these pictures are mine, so I can't explain why the "overhead walkway" is shown in the bike path pic.

Not my pictures once again, I don't have time to go on leisurely rides w/ school + the weather :(

http://www.sph.umich.edu/about/images/annarbornight.jpg

http://www.aec.bf.umich.edu/projects...blicHealth.jpg
Work (SPH)

http://www.citrusmilo.com/mymi/joebraun_annarbor102.jpg

dayvan cowboy: I heard that they might revive the brick street crit in Athens. Have you heard anything? When I was a kid that was a huge race and fun to watch.

that looks just like the Little Miami trail in loveland

these pictures are from the 05 bike fair on the visit that made me move to portland

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...a/000_1579.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...a/000_1582.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...a/000_1587.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...a/000_1570.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...a/000_1592.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...a/000_1577.jpg

Yeah, I was just wondering how motorists dealt with a cyclist. In my month around the country I saw some bikes, but never really riding with traffic.

I do miss that Northern style food, so nice and hot. Choc tee!

**EDIT: My internet-fu is weak, so if the images dont show I'll try to attach or link to them**

I cross the river heading to work at sunrise
http://lh6.google.com/hatfiwil/R51cY...ture%20015.jpg
and cross it once more heading to night classes at sunset (no bikes allowed on bridges in NOLA)
http://lh4.google.com/hatfiwil/R51f5...ture%20028.jpg
Here's the start of NOLA's Cancel Christmas Alleycat in Jackson Square
http://lh4.google.com/hatfiwil/R51b0...0/IMG_0893.JPG
Canal Street at night
http://lh5.google.com/hatfiwil/R51ch...ture%20020.jpg

I <3 Thailand. Even the spectacularly seedy Pattaya. Chiang Mai is a bit sedate compared to Bangkok, but that can be a good thing. Great hiking in the nearby mountains, too.

And yes, amazing food. 35 Baht on the street for Thai food better than what I would have to pay $12 for here in the states!

man, the climb up doi sutep (sp?) would be intense any way you try. but i did see people doing it on the piece of ****, heavy MTBs that they rent in town.

do you have a flip flop on your ride? i would say gear down, give it a go, take it slowloy, and watch the **** out for the red trucks and tourist busses screaming up and down that road. flip the wheel at the top and coast back down.

also, if you ever run into an american couple named brian and nicky, tell 'em jody says hello.

I haven't heard anything, i'll look into that.

I haven't had much time to travel around Thailand due to my teaching job. There is lots of stuff I'd like to see. I have been to bangkok once but it was for a profesional development conference. We stayed on Khao San road that night. The crowd was lame (upper middle class european kids getting drunk off their asses) but I got to see a really great Thai ska band, Teddy Ska.

I'm hoping to go back down to ride with the kids from BKK Fixed in Feb.

I've thought about throwing a really low ratio (like 1.5:1) and trying the climb. It is too steep for too long to go much higher. My frame isn't drilled for brakes so I'd have to take a songthaew (red truck taxis) back down anyway.

Did I mention I have my own private velodrome? They built it for the Asian Games and it probably hasn't been used since.
(I've got a picture but something is screwed up right now and I can't post it. I'll try again later)

Riding a track alone is probably the most boring thing I have ever done in my life.