Just some random captures from the weekend. Almost no cycling took place despite the great weather, mostly due to my suspension lock-out lever wounding, but also due to the visit from family and the resultant culcha, food and beer!!

I was lucky enough to enjoy a ride with an old friend and his new and absolutely unbelievable machine. )News just in is that his trip back to Victoria involved the front rack mount on his car failing and the bike remaining fixed to his car by the rear wheel strap only, at over 100km/h!!!) Josh's titanium Baum honestly makes the Cervelo look like it came out of a corn flakes packet.....

Today I test rode the bike Tomas commissioned me to build for our touring trip of Hokkaido in late May. I may never ride again; after all, when an artist reaches perfection where else can they go?

I was truly astounded at how nicely it rides on the bitumen, stiff but supple. And the Rohloff seems to be silent, quieter than mine and mine has done somewhere near 15,000 km!!  I could ride this thing forever (minus the rock hard sofa sized Brooks though!).

So here's the result of three packages of parts from around the world and four hours of labour in my garage.

Still to come is the silver Middleburn chainring, and of course once Tom gets to it the saddle will be at full grown human height. Other than that she's ready to climb the mountains, chase the bears, take in the coastline and eat up the miles in Hokkaido.

In fact, I can't remember the last time I went to a circus, but I was lucky enough to be offered a photography pass by Mark, a rare opportunity for a circus that allows no photography at all.

While the acts were all great, I think I found the most satisfaction in the reassurance that the old fashion innocence of a circus still exists in today's world. No commercialism, electronic fandanglery or modern themes; it was like stepping back in time.

Sorry to post the deluge of photos but I can't choose between them so you get the lot!

It's been a busy last couple of weeks, too busy to get on the computer but there'll be some stories of cycling grandeur and failure too come!!

In the mean time here's the latest batch from my last week in Melbourne. Four days is a long time to be in the big city, as much as I love the town I was very glad to be back on the flight to sanity late Friday afternoon!

I did go a little berserk this time around, only set free at night I still managed a roll of film per day.  I think I'll try separate them for ease of viewing, into some kind of themed chronological order.....

I ventured along the river one evening.

And I ventured along the river during a quiet afternoon.

One afternoon I even ventured to StKilda and Brunswick St. Note to self: never catch the tram from St Kilda to Brunswick street, that's a long haul....

I was lucky enough to be in Melbourne during the Comedy Festival, I'm still reeling from Sam Simmons' extraordinarily fantastic show which I caught with Lisa and Adam.

So that only leaves those images which filled the gaps between, enjoy.

All taken with a mixture of Ilford Delta 400 and