UO Blog

From Portland

01/21/13 09:59AM

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Meet Angelo Spagnolo

Say hello to our newest contributor Angelo Spagnolo, a writer and photographer residing in Portland, Oregon. When he's not writing his weekly column for Four-Pins or consulting menswear brands, he can be found skating around the city, drinking cheap beer and hanging with his orange cat Waldo.  Watch out for his posts, coming to you in the very near future (or, you know, when he finds out how to work this thing).


From Melbourne

01/07/13 09:46AM

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Globe Bantam Graphic ST

Hot babes. Cool printed skateboards. Dudes doing all the tricks. OKAY, so this video isn't 100% female focused, but these Globe Bantam ST graphic cruisers are fuckin' adorable and obviously meant for the skater girl in all of us. Excuse me while I fawn over the pretty floral one, appropriately named "Grandma's Couch."-Ally



From Philadelphia

01/03/13 05:32PM

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Born 2 Sled

Quite a few snowstorms have been sweeping through the nation recently, and it's got me thinking about sledding. I wasn't lucky enough to get any snow, but if you did (or expect to), you should check out these beautiful wooden sleds made by hand in Canada by Mountain Boy Sledworks.—Bob

This six-footer might seem a little excessive, but two or three friends could easily fit together on top. The more people on board, the more trading off on who pulls it back up the hill!


A more bare bones sled built for one pilot. Take the reins, brace your feet, and go, go, go!

This beautifully molded sled reminds me of an Eames chair with its smooth wooden curves. This model is built for speed and is best piloted while laying on the chest. Make sure you've got enough room to stop this bad boy.

From London

12/07/12 11:07AM

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Hard Graft

If you have someone in your life who loves upscale bags and electronics, then please, for the love of god, buy them one of these Hard Graft computer bags. Their newest laptop bag, the Old Fashioned, is the prettiest thing in the entire world and also super functional. You can't beat that! The bags start around $350, so they may make a bit of a dent in your wallet (or, let's face it, a crater), but they're totally worth it. -Katie






From Boston

11/30/12 02:35PM

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Crush

Crush is an collection of nostalgic, dreamy works from two of our local friends, Erin M. Riley and Jason Andrew Turner, and Pakayla Rae Beihn from Brooklyn. If you're in Boston, stop by the opening tomorrow from 8-11pm, and the show's up until Jan. 7.

From Philadelphia

10/18/12 12:56PM

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Philly Bike Expo 2012

Next weekend brings the third Philadelphia Bike Expo to the 23rd Street Armory where vendors will be present with their latest bikes, accessories, apparel, and much more. Aside from the vendors a host of events will occur around the expo including a wide array seminars, a bike fashion show, and my personal favorite: the bike swap! Grab your tickets in advance and save a few bucks. -Bob

From New York

10/17/12 09:59AM

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Spinlister

Do you believe in the kindness of strangers?  On the new website Spinlister, the goal is to be able to rent bikes to other individuals with the trust you'll be getting it back.  And if by chance your bike breaks, is destroyed or completely disappears, they'll pay for the damages up to $5,000 and make you a cake (mmm, cake).  Sounds like a good plan to me.  Start by listing your bike today! -Ally

From Elsewhere

08/13/12 09:58AM

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Skate Upton

Okay, so say you love Kate Upton and skateboarding but you can't decide between the two. Well now you don't hypothetically have to because Skate Upton brings together your two favorite things. If somehow these actually make it into productions I'm definitely scooping one up! -Bob

From New York


07/19/12 09:22AM

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Chari & Co Sling Bag

New York bicycle boutique Chari & Co have been working on this pack for two years and have come to a final design ready for the public. The complete list of features are too many for me to get into, but I suggest you check out the whole rundown on what makes it so special in their blog post here. -Bob


From Elsewhere

07/02/12 10:20AM

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Giro Reverb

After my last post I realized that there aren't a ton of aesthetically pleasing helmets out there meant for the average get-around-towner. My top pick would have to be Giro's new Reverb helmet which is meant for both ladies and gents. The shape is pretty sleek for non-racing type helmet and has plenty of vents to keep the head cool. Also, it's available in a variety of colors and patterns. -Bob

From San Francisco


06/27/12 01:07PM

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Helmet Hair

Being a guy with short hair, I've never given much thought to the challenges of wearing a helmet with long hair that a female (or male) might face. Refinery 29 did a rundown on five helmet-friendly ways to wear long hair as well as spotlight some cool helmets. You heard me right: helmets are cool. Check out the whole feature here. -Bob


(Photos by Anna-Alexia Basile)

From Elsewhere


06/21/12 09:00AM

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McFetridge Tote

Above is a fun collaboration between accessory brand Makr and illustrator Geoff Mcfetridge whose artwork was hand silk screened on canvas by Pottok. If you like what you see act fast because only 30 of these totes were produced! -Bob

From London



06/15/12 11:00AM

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Bike Shorts

No, these aren't the kind of bike shorts you see on the bike path weekend warriors, but a pretty casual chino short by Paul Smith with a playful embroidery of a gentleman mounting his two-wheeled steed. Available here. -Bob

From Los Angeles



(Photo via Aether Journal.)

05/14/12 11:58AM

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The Aetherstream at Field Study

Farm Tactic's Kyle Ng has set up shop at Space 15 Twenty with Field Study, a month-long pop-up that features some of the coolest outdoor gear around. So cool, even, that this past weekend the Aetherstream came by for a visit. 

From Elsewhere

04/20/12 01:00PM

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Kryptonite Skins

The ever-present black and orange mini U-Lock can be a little drab for some, but Kryptonite offers these kits to replace the original rubber casing. Mix and match a couple of them and you've got a pretty unique way to keep your bike safe. -Bob

From Elsewhere


03/26/12 04:00PM

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Wanderlust: Mekong Delta

"I tried finding the continuation of the small road along the Mekong river towards Kratie. My GPS showed that I was right at the turn off for the road, but all I saw was dirt. I wandered around for a while, and then decided to plunge into the dirt.




I followed faintly worn paths for a while, and took some wrong turns. Farmers shouted at me to turn around, and pointed me in the right direction. I looped through corn fields, slid through sand, and pulled my bike through mud pits until I finally found a wide, red clay road. It’s the journey, not the destination, right y’all? (Sometimes when I’m really hating a road, I say this corny saying to myself. It takes my mind off of hating the journey, so I can channel all my hate to this phrase.)


Volleyball is a surprisingly popular sport in Cambodia. Volleyball courts are set up in the dirt everywhere and there’s usually a game going on. On my ride I passed a 2-versus-1 game, so I stopped and joined in. I could hold my own, but they were really good. A few times I blocked the ball at the net. I felt like volleyball Shaq. At the end, I bought cans of soda for my volleyball friends.


At the end of the day, I turned down a road towards the Mekong. I wanted to swim and look for a camping spot. It was a really secluded area with only cattle and a few farmers around. I jumped into the river, washed myself, and did my laundry. Drying off in the setting sun with my native Cambodian krama slung around me felt awesome." Eoin

See more of Eoin's trip here.

From Melbourne



03/21/12 02:00PM

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Treadlie

Treadlie is a fairly new cycling publication (it's in its 6th issue) that focuses on the lifestyle of cycling as appose to the sweaty and expensive world of racing as so many other publications do. Though the magazine comes from Australia, it was easy to find at a nearby major bookshop for perusal. I suggest seeking it out! -Bob

From Elsewhere

02/17/12 03:00PM

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Wanderlust: Vietnam Bicycles

"The bicycles I’ve seen in Vietnam are cheap single-speeds. People here have been able to do a lot with them. I’ve seen some great utility bikes, but I bet they’d love to have gears–I see people walking their bikes up hills and bridges. 




This bike is loaded with recycling. She wasn’t happy with me as I asked to take her photo; I think she was frustrated in having to re-adjust her load.


Put a fire in a pot and attach it to your bike. It’s fun to do! A traveling kitchen.



I saw this when I took a back road through the countryside. No saddle, and an enormous, natural kickstand. I figure this is used as a push-cart.


This is a close-up of the rear end. I wonder who makes that rack? Tubus?" -Eoin

See more of Eoin's trip here.

From Elsewhere


02/09/12 09:00AM

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Wanderlust: South Vietnam

"It was a boring morning as I rolled along Highway 1 in Vietnam. I’m getting fewer Hellos in South Vietnam than I did in the North.  I headed on towards My Lai. I decided to take a back road to cut off some distance. It was a great decision—beautiful landscape, quiet roadand quaint villages.


But then the road turned to mud. I slopped through it; I rode where I could, and pushed where I couldn’t. It was really tough going, and I almost fell sideways a couple of times from exhaustion. And my shoes fell into big mud pits a couple of times giving me soppy mud-water socks. 



But hey, if you don’t love it, why do it?" -Eoin

See more of Eoin's trip here.

From Elsewhere

02/06/12 12:00PM

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Wanderlust: Vietnam

"The landscape in Vietnam has been beautiful, and the traffic has been terrifying and annoying. Misty mountains, rice fields, and water buffalo along with non-stop honking and oncoming buses entering your lane to pass out traffic in front of them. As a cyclist, you can’t take your eyes off the road without risking your life.




It seems that in Vietnam there’s one rule of the road: you always have the right of way. You have to be aggressive. People don’t use their brakes, they use their horns; they don’t slow down, they just make a lot of noise until someone moves. Cars, scooters, cyclists and pedestrians who are joining traffic don’t look to see what’s coming before they move in, they just move in and figure if they’re in the way, it’s someone else’s problem.


What I really like is how much the Vietnamese make use of limited space on a vehicle. Seeing a whole family (mom, dad, grandma and maybe a lil' one) on a scooter is so common that I’m not even taking photos of it. In the U.S., it’s pretty uncool for two guys to be on the same motorcycle, but in Vietnam, two or three guys on a scooter is very cool. 



I’m surprised by how many people I’ve seen sitting on the rear rack of a bicycle. Sometimes they help pedal, or do all the pedaling while the other steers, or if it’s grandma, she just sits there and enjoys the show."-Eoin

See more of Eoin's trip here.