My Ride #5 (a work in progress)

I  ordered a Joep bike back around September/October last year (see the My Ride #4 post back in July '10), but they've since had some issues with the company that was building the frames for them.  Think part of the issue may be the company started to build very similar bicycles themselves shortly after, and then there came a conflict of interest (or so I've interpreted and extrapolated thus far).  Very unfortunate for Joep, and his Joep/Arie bicycles here in Utrecht, as that leaves him with a waiting list of people wanting his bicycles, and he's trying to find a solution asap, with no guarantees on delivery dates for the next batch of bikes.  Since I'm leaving back to Canada sometime in the next 2 months, and then at the end of the summer off to Sweden for 2-3 years, I asked him last week about it, since I really still want a bike, but am now on a timeline, and he can't guarantee delivery, whether I might not be better off to buy an older bike and fix it up to about the level of a Joep bike.

So, this past weekend, I picked up a Gazelle Primeur Special, from I'm not sure when, but it had the frame geometry I was looking for, which was surprisingly difficult.  2 days work so far (not full days, just spare time on the weekend) disassembling the bike.

-Gazelle Primeur Special - as bought, in the shop at work

-already more Puur - surprising the difference it makes visually by removing the luggage rack and skirt guards

-raggedy saddle be gone!

-an exercise in minimalism?

-close to just the frame

-removing that lock was a bit of a trick, figuring out how it was mounted on there, and then removing it without destroying it or the frame

-just the frame - but it's still got the headtube cups, and bottom bracket (either we don't have the tools to remove those at work, or I just couldn't find them or not sure what they look like)

-rear wheel dropouts - ok, so part of my plan, to tailor the bike even more to what I envision to be the ideal bicycle, is to also convert it from chain drive to belt drive.  To do so will require making a split in the rear seat stay, or rear dropouts somewhere to allow the belt to slip through, and then figuring out a mechanical fastening system to mount in there to make it solid

Schindelhauer has a nice and elegant solution.

I'm thinking I might look at making 2 aluminium (so they don't rust) plates that mount on either side of the dropouts, that will bolt together, sealing the deal.  Sketching is still in the preliminary stages on that one.  Hopefully it's do-able (which I'm not sure of yet either).

Laser Sol Lumen

So starting on the 20th of March, and running till the 26th, to celebrate that the University of Utrecht was 375 years old, there was a laser light show, spanning about 3km from the University campus just outside and to the east of Utrecht, to the dom (cathedral) tower in the centre of utrecht.  The event/happening was called Laser Sol Lumen (or so I gather, I didn't read too much further into it all).

I randomly saw it one night, and it was interesting and kinda captivating in a way reminiscent of the aurora borealis.  Very cool.  And from my top floor studio apt, situated somewhere between the dom tower and the University campus, they were just about going overhead.

So it was one week of laser lights in the sky



-Bright lights, bigger city? - this is about as good a picture as the iPhone was able to take at night, from my apartment



-lights over Wilhelmina Park - the park just a few 100 meters down the street, and what it looked like from there (my iPhone didn't want to take any such photo, so this one isn't mine)



-lights a the dom - here you see kinda the scope of what it looked like (also not my photo)



-from East to the centre - the view of the University, at the source (again, not my photo)

RMR: Rick's Rant - Canada's Economic Action Plan

RMR: Rick's Rant - The Harper Government

Concert at 013 - Tilburg

Ok, so a bit behind on things again.
Went to a concert on the 27th of January at 013 in Tilburg.
On the bill was Neon Trees and Angels & Airwaves, as well as another band that was the first act which I forget as we didn't arrive on time to catch them.
I went with my cousin Hadewijch, who happened to have the evening free and an interest in seeing the show (last minute organized).  Went mainly to check out Neon Trees.

Neon Trees put on a really good (albeit relatively short) show.  They were scheduled to do about a half hour set, but I think about 15 minutes in, the kinda spastic (but really good) singer fell of the stage, after a brief pause -surprise - and silence, made it back on stage, and about 5 minutes later they finished.

-Neon Trees singer making a final picture at the end of their set "Bleed for what you love" being the caption he put on Twitter

-Angels & Airwaves - The Adventure (caution, lots of seizure inducing flashing lights)

Angels & Airwaves also put on a pretty good show, with their characteristic sound.  Didn't quite have the same energy as Neon Trees, and I'd say there was some sort of arrogance or something in their attitude or stage presence.

imm Köln 2011

Went to the imm (furniture show) in Köln Germany last month, here's a brief summary.



-Solid wood chair with leather cushion, and solid chunk of wood ottoman - was a nice clean, simple form, with a rough look



-couch with mismatched upholstery and colours - there were a few of these in different colours with different kinds of upholstery,kinda trendy I suppose



-really nice writing desk - had a style that made it appear kinda like a modern classic, nice legs and form on it



-subtle desktop storage - a really nice detail, the storage compartment on top



-top of desk - here you see how tight the detailing is on the storage compartment



-coffee table at the same stand - also with that similar 'modern classics' aura about it



-coffee table up close detail - liked the taper at the edges, and again, the legs and feet



-finite elemente - possibly one of the sweetest, tightest, iPod/Phone speaker docks available, as a wall mount shelf



-finite elemente, horizontal 51 - detail of the dock, shows a bit of scale



-wall mounted bio-ethanol fireplace - very slick, with subtle details



-lounge chair - interesting chair, with an internal, non-visible frame (can't remember the info on this one)



-dining table and chairs - the legs was the focal point on this shot, pretty interesting

-natural materials, woven chair - as opposed to the trendy, fake woven furniture of a year or so ago, now it's trending more towards true materials and craftsmanship (thankfully!)



-Lotus Chair, Jasper Morrison, for Cappellini - a design classic on display that I felt I was (re)discovering (if I wasn't already familiar with it)



-Rocker, by Doshi Levien for Richard Lampert - cool little minimalist piece of children's furniture



-new Ligne Roset living room furniture - can't find it on the site, but it had a kinda brushed suede upholstery



-newer bed from Ligne Roset - again, not finding it on the site, but similar to a couch they did, where it's kinda like a thick quilt hanging over a frame



-couch textures detail by Ligne Roset - really cool look and feel to it



-textured couch in red by Ligne Roset



-chairs by Ligne Roset - seem to have a bit of a optical illusion almost going on



-same chairs in black and red by Ligne Roset



-wall garden - at the TEAM 7 booth; they seem to be about sustainable wood furniture



-wood and stainless steel kitchen by TEAM 7 - I really like the look and feel of this, has the warmth of the wood, and the solidity of the fact its real wood, plus the stainless working great in the details and the counter with built in sink



-home decorating at TEAM 7 - featuring white tulips in white vases, white wood clogs, white speakers with a white turntable, and of course a white Schindelhauer Viktor



-Viktor - sigh, I want one! It's one of my current lust objects



-Pressed Chair, Harry Thaler Product Design - very cool simple design, working with the material properties of pressed steel



-Pressed Chair, Harry Thaler Product Design - folded version



-OLA foldable table by AKKA, (Oskar Ternbom & Petter Danielson) - unfolded



-OLA foldable table by AKKA, (Oskar Ternbom & Petter Danielson) - folded, front side



-OLA foldable table by AKKA, (Oskar Ternbom & Petter Danielson) - folded, back side



-table by Schwab/Panther - a cool puzzle like concept that uses no fasteners



-'Emotional Austerity' - special showroom highlighting a current trend, curated by Patricia Urquiola



-'Emotional Austerity' - special showroom highlighting a current trend, curated by Patricia Urquiola, zoom in for the text. There were a few other trends set up there as well, but I felt this one to be one of the most relevant, or in my view, accurate, as to the way things are going



-AGA - anyone else remember the AGA story from school? Just had to take a pic of it because of that



-gas on glass - nice gas cooktop (or hob as it's called in British) on white glass



-stainless gas hob - very tight design, featuring pan supports that are not cast iron, which is more of a rarity



-wood and mesh dining chairs - really nice, clean chairs, with a seamless integration of mesh on the wooden frames



-wood and mesh dining chairs - back side



-counter top dish drying detail - machined into the stone surface of the counter, grooves to let water drain from dishes?



-Freedom bar stool by Stefano Sandonà for GABER - interior innovation award 2011 winner



-Brunner finalounge by Wolfgang C.R. Mezger for Brunner - interior innovation award 2011 winner



-stern, coffee table by Jacob Strobel for TEAM 7 - interior innovation award 2011 winner



-Café Chair, fully wooden chair with 3D-woven back by Jonathan Prestwick for Arco