Progress Coffee Roasters - Ethiopian Harrar

I picked up this bag of beans from Progress Coffee Roasters back in June (see post) and had been eager to try this one once I made it though my stash from March.  I like peaberry coffee beans for an afternoon brew (see January post) as they have a sweet, light character that I find perfect for a casual brew.  I normally like something stronger and bolder for my morning ritual, but I was eager to check out this legacy bean since I have enjoyed so many coffees from Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian Harrar from Progress should have been a slam dunk for me.  It checks all the boxes of my preferred coffees. Plus, when I was at Progress - I had a cup of their house blend and found it delicious!  

But... my first cup of this coffee was highly disappointing.

When I opened the bag, the coffee smelled good: aromatic fruits such as plums and candied currents were present.  But after grinding up the beans, something smelled off.  And after brewing - the coffee didn't smell right at all.  By "right", I mean that it didn't smell sweet as I expected it to be.  It smelled like it was burnt in the roasting process.

I took a few more sips and made a note that the coffee tasted like a Starbucks regular roast - which is to say that the coffee tasted burnt. I truly hate Starbucks roasts because their coffees tastes like they are hiding the low quality of their beans by over-roasting them.  I'm not alone in this sentiment!

After finishing one cup and then pouring myself a second one - I decided I just couldn't drink any more of this stuff.... so I dumped the brew down the drain and tried brewing another batch.

I have a Baratza Encore Coffee Grinder and I normally use the middle  grind setting for my brews with my Moccamaster brewer.  So, I tried a higher setting on the grinder (for a more coarse grind) and tried brewing again.  Even with the coarse grind and adjusting the measurements, the coffee was still burnt-tasting, but not as much.  This coffee does not have that sweet, ripe fruit notes that is normally present in an Ethiopian.  Especially with a peaberry bean!  

BUT THEN - I had an epiphany. I don't think this a bean for a standard drip coffee bean.  This coffee should be used for making traditional Ethiopian coffee... something like this.  

I experimented again by using a slightly finer grind setting and letting the boiled water stay in the drip hopper of the Moccamaster for 30 seconds. I also added a pinch of cardamom to the ground beans in the hopper as I recalled the mélange of spices that were added to ground beans when I had traditional Ethiopian coffee at an Ethiopian shop. I then let the brew slowly drip into the carafe... and then.

Voilà, that made quite a bit of difference, but I still wasn't in love with this coffee.  Since I still have quite a few beans left in the bag and I don't plan on using this coffee again, I'm just going to leave the bag at the office and let someone else give it a try.

Another Porch Culture Coffee + bike updates

Blended coffee (coffees with a mixture of beans) are not my go-to roast and readers have noticed that I tend to drink single origin coffees.

I've become something of a purist when it comes to food stuff as I tend to buy items with ingredients I can (mostly) identify and/or not processed.

With blended coffees, I want to savor the source beans as they are presented. I acknowledge that a good mélange of beans can result in something special, but I'm currently going through a puritanical phase when it comes to coffee.

Today's post is a great example of why I don't like blends because this bag of beans is quite special.

I was given a bag of Porch Culture's Finca La Amada Yellow Honey Microlot from a friend who was traveling in the north Texas area.  And since I have reviewed a couple of excellent bags of beans by Porch Culture in previous posts (here and here) - I was keen to try out this new batch.

After my first cup, I made the following notes:

Man, what's going on here?!  This coffee does a lot at once: sweet, bitter, then sweet.  I'm tasting dark, ripe cherries in the front.... then something with spice, like... black tea or bourbon?  And then... I'm tasting honeycomb.  What is this magical elixir?

If I sound pleasantly confused, it's because I am!  There's a lot to take in with this coffee which is why I wouldn't want to have it mixed with anything else.  

This coffee makes an excellent morning brew with its sweet / baking-spices notes.  I certainly wouldn't add anything to the cup as these flavor profiles should be enjoyed straight up.  

Here's a link to more details about the farm and the processing.  This coffee is another outstanding offering from Porch Culture - I recommend picking up a bag of La Amada Yellow Honey Microlot from either Porch Culture or your favorite local roaster.

Bike Stuff

This past weekend, I rode about 30+ miles in the Clear Lake (Texas) area.  I had to start around 7:30 in the morning due to the heatwave but also, I wanted to avoid vehicle traffic as much as possible since part of my planned route would involve major roads.

I had made a few small adjustments to my rear derailleur and even took out the jockey wheels to clean and... well... just to check them out. Turns out they are non-branded, barrel-style jockey wheels (no bearings).  I also adjusted my saddle (Oval Concepts 344) a bit before hitting the road.

Here's the video I watched to adjust my derailleur as I was experiencing exactly what this guy talked about with the chain jumping back and forth on the rear cogs.

After completing my ride, I decided the Oval Concepts saddle has got to go.  It just wasn't comfortable after a while as I kept having to adjust my seating position to get comfortable.  My State bike has a WTB Volt saddle that I have used for over two years - including two MS150 rides.  It's a saddle I don't think about, which is exactly how it should be!

Next update: I'm replacing the jockey wheels on the derailleur with a set of bearing-style wheels and I'm taking the seat from the State to test out on the Fuji.  I have been considering a Brooks C17, but since I have the WTB (and I know I like it) I'm going to go with what I have before spending $130 on a saddle.

[EDIT: I adjusted the saddle a little more, so I'm going to give it one more try]

Never Coffee Roasters (Portland, OR)

My girlfriend went to the coast of Oregon last month and she brought back two bags of beans for us to try out. Randomly, we chose to open the bag from Never Coffee (Portland) first... so let's dive in!

Bangarang is a blend of washed and naturally fermented beans.  The inspiration for the name comes from slang for the word for "chaos" in Jamaican and is also used in the movie "Hook" as a battle cry of the Neverland Lost Boys.

The beans in this blend are from Guatemala and Nicaragua - so I expected the flavor profile to be on the sweeter side. Central American coffees are not my default beans, but I'm also open to trying something new.  :)

Opening the bag for the first time, I pick up on strong scent of spices... like meaty spices such as black pepper and... cumin. 

I used a higher grind setting (more coarse) as my instinct told me this was going to be an acidic coffee.  For the curious, here's a link to coffee grinding.

Tasting notes on this coffee was a mixed bag for me and my girlfriend.  I noted darker fruits and spices while she noticed the coffee was more bitter than the usual coffee I make.  I noted a hint of sweetness after the first few sips, but found this coffee was more robust than sweet.  I'm thinking hazelnut mixed with dark semi-sweet chocolate would be the best way to describe what I'm tasting.  I also picked up on the bitter notes that my girlfriend noted (hence the semi-sweet chocolate description) and we both thought that a dash of oatmilk would complement this coffee!

Let's Ride, Kemosabe!

I haven't been doing much riding lately because the temperatures in Houston have been holding steady in the 100s (F).  In the big book of excuses to not go outside - I think heat waves would be ranked near the top.  Right?  Yes?  Please?

Well, anyway - I'm still doing what I can to train for some upcoming rides, which all promise to be fun while pushing my limits.  Here's the down and dirty on my upcoming bikes and deck actions!

Wichita Falls, TX -- August 25 - 27

Hotter'n Hell Ride - 100 miles

I mentioned this ride in an earlier post and I'm starting to get concerned that I won't survive... or... actually.... if I'll be able to complete 100 miles!  Nonetheless, I have been working out at home and in the office - mainly doing exercises for my glutes as that is the area where I feel I need the most work.  

Boneyard Garland Skatepark - Since I'll be up in Wichita Falls, I'm planning to make a stop in north Dallas on the day after the ride to check out this highly rated and recommended skatepark!

Pflugerville, TX -- September 2

I'll be in Austin for work August 30th and September 1st - but after that, Patty and I will be doing some hiking around the area, drinking too much coffee, and hitting up a couple of skateparks in Pflugerville (aka northeast Austin).

Northeast Metro Skatepark - This one is huge (40,000 square feet!) and looks like a lot of fun.  I'm eager to check it out as it looks like it has a lot to offer for my level of skating. Just from the photos, it looks similar to the North Houston Skatepark (77,000 square feet). 

Skate Spot - not a whole lot of info on the Internet on this one, but several people have recommended it to me as it features tree canopies and a lot of great features packed into a small area.  Very curious about this one.

EDITORIAL NOTE: SEPTEMBER 3rd IS MY BIRTHDAY

Spring, TX -- September 13

Spring Creek Greenway - 80 miles

This is not an official ride event, I just enjoy this trail in north Houston and I am eager to checked it out on the Fuji bike.  It's approximately 40 miles one-way and I plan on trying to achieve the roundtrip ride in under 6 hours.  My other go-to scenic Houston ride is the Terry Hershey Trail in west Houston. That trail is about 21 miles one-way - although I've clocked an additional 35 miles with the other trails that branch off the Terry Hershey system.

Galveston, TX -- October 21-22

Bike Around The Bay - 120 miles

And this is the ride that REALLY has me a wee bit worried.  It's the ride that prompted me to finally seek out a multi-speed bike.  I mean, the MS150 was definitely the catalyst for me wanting to shop around for a multi-speed... but the anticipation of this ride is what tipped the scale.  Horror stories abound about the treacherous headwinds, the long, long slog along the highways, and then trying to cover the distance in time to make it to the camp site and get enough rest... and reboot my energy for the next day.

The Fuji has given me the opportunity to learn the nuances of the gearing mechanism on a bike while also understanding where I need to concentrate (most important: pace yourself!) for longer rides such as Bike Around The Bay.

Lyrics (ChatGPT, please save me!)

I’m not one for creating lyrics to my songs.  I love creating music, but writing lyrics is not even close to being a part of the job I embrace.

When I'm crafting a new song, I tend to do a lot of freeform vocals and sounds.  My "lyrical style" is more in line with Damo Suzuki (Can) and John Tardy (Obituary)... two vocalists who choose to use their vocals as an instrument with the music rather than a means of conveying a message.

Stockhausen & The Amplified Riot songs have lyrics, as you can hear, but they are often written just days (or even hours) before I record them.  Up until that point, the songs have a general topic or lyrical theme and I continually play around with the words to fit the melodies… many times just enunciating sounds and THEN finding proper words.

Whenever I get a chance, I will spend time exploring the shelves at KaboomBooks in Houston to find interesting and old books to help me find inspiration on topics.  When on the road, I'll look for independent books stores like Deep Vellum and browse the poetry sections – looking for ideas and styles of writing that might work.  

So, when ChatGPT became available (and Bard soon after) I embraced the system as a creative writing tool... and I loved it!!  I quickly figured out that a clearly written, even highly detailed, prompt is the best way to get the most out of the system.

Thus, "write me a honky tonk song about being lonely in a bar" resulted in mediocre results.  While "write me a honky tonk song in the key of D with a maximum of four chords.  The lyrics should be about being alone in a dusty bar outside of a small Texas town.  The lyrics should reflect the writer being sad without his lovely wife and hopes to be home in her arms in a month.  This song should be about 3 minutes long."

Longer, detailed prompts gave me some highly entertaining and seriously legit results.  But... I looked at the results as a guide... as a suggestion... as a way to kickstart the writing process because I know I need help getting off the proverbial first base when it comes to writing lyrics.

Nonetheless, I do have a long list of topics that I like to research and write about via lyrics.  Some of these are included in songs such as Animal Night Train (on the untimely death of Charlie Ondras), Tilde Mae (unrequited love), Intubation Blues (a dying person’s psalm of regret), Adolescent Lighting (written from the perspective of Samantha Geimer), and Grinding Teeth (about… well… someone who grinds their teeth in bed a lot).

I know how important lyrics are for songs – people remember them verbatim, debate and dissect them to no end, use them in love letters, break up texts, and such.  Knowing this... I think this is what messes me up with getting lyrics down.

Ranch Road Roasters (Ethiopian Abana)

Oh man... FINALLY!

I have finally opened (and nearly finished, as of this post) my last bag of beans from the March stash.  Everything else in my coffee stash is from May and June, so I'm eager to dive into the newest batches as there are quite a few I have been looking forward to tasting. 

Today's post is all about the beans I picked up at Ranch Road Roasters.  When I was at their shop back in March, I bought two bags of Ethiopian Abana beans: one washed and one natural.  The peeps at Ranch Road were happy to pause and explain the different processing methods -- even though there was a line of customers waiting behind me.

I had reviewed the washed beans version of the Ethiopia Abana beans back in June, so I was curious if the naturally processed coffee beans would be significantly different.

But first - here are a couple of sites [one and two] that outline the differences between washed verses natural processing.

Okay, let's get on with the coffee!

Right away, I taste dried apricot along with other subtle fruit notes - I didn't pick up on the nectarine or papaya as noted on the bag.  Maybe their "candied orange" is the dried apricot I'm picking up in the front. 

After that first sip, I'm tasting traditional, subtle fruit and coffee notes found in my favorite Ethiopian coffees. This coffee has a delicate flavor that's full and satisfying.  As with other Ethiopian coffees I enjoy, I do not recommend a dash of milk or syrups with this one.  The flavors are not complex but, it's full and rewarding.

My awesome girlfriend, Patty, tasted the tanginess of the nectarine at first  but did not like it as much. It's an acquired taste for her as she much prefers coffees with hints of berries and a smoother aftertaste.

And finally, here's a link to a different roaster that is selling this coffee and tells a bit more about the story behind the roaster and their processing. I applauded roasters who take the time to break down the details on the coffee and its preparation.

My Texican skate deck setup

I've mentioned this deck in previous posts, so I wanted to use this post to talk about my new favorite skateboard set up (sorry Snake Farm, but you'll always be my first).

The Snake Farm deck (see March 2 post) was my first skateboard in... 20 years!  It's a traditional popsicle shape deck, which was perfect for me as I was looking for a standard deck to see if I *really* wanted to sink myself into skating.  But also -- I didn't want to buy something cheap and meaningless.

The Snake Farm deck is made in Mexico by PS Stix and (at the time) Snake Farm had just signed a southside Houston skater to their roster... so I felt good about supporting them.  :)  The trucks are industry standard Independence Trucks - Stage 11s and my wheels on that deck are Spitfires.

So overall, a solid set up that felt comfortable and enabled me to start learning more and more alongside my oldest son -- the only reason I started skateboarding again.

As I skated around at various parks in Texas and Oklahoma, I began to consider what I liked and didn't like about the popsicle set up.  

I felt like I needed more real estate in the front for my foot and a more pronounced tail in the back to rest my other foot.  While I was in traveling in the Dallas area, I stopped by Geometric Skateshop to look at various decks.  The Powell Peralta Old School Ripper deck was definitely bigger, but felt too big and wide... like I was riding on a surfboard!  

Then I tried out the P&P GeeGah deck and I liked the shape and feel.  The nose was wider than the back while the tail had a little more space and concave to solidly plant my right foot.  So, I had made up my mind......... to think about.

After a few weeks, and even trying out someone else's deck that was similar to what I was seeking, I was ready to find my next deck.  A friend introduced me to Texican Skateboards and, after checked out the deck styles he had available, I was immediately on board with buying a deck from him.  

Texican is a one-man operation -- run by a guy named Frank Gardner.  As I learned more about him and Texican, I was even more enthusiastic:  He's based in Houston, his decks are made in Georgia and he drives there to pick up the blanks himself... then he shapes and paints each one at his shop in Houston.  He's 100% into what he does because it's his lifelong passion.  He also takes several months off each year to travel north to explore as many skateparks as possible.  When I say north, I mean from Texas to Montana and North Dakota!

Plus, I like that design on the bottom.

Frank recommended I check out Cherries Wheels, based in Austin, as I had mentioned my desire to buy from local business.  Frank uses their Big Boys wheels and had an extra set in his van in case he needs to replace them while traveling.  I checked out Cherries Wheels at Southside Skateshop and was sold on the Smoke Bombs... which were only 1mm bigger than the wheels I was using on my Skate Farm.

And finally, Independent Trucks had just re-released their Stage 4 trucks - which many say have more of a smoother turning radius... like riding a surfboard.  This would be ideal for the Texican as I requested wheel wells get carved into the deck to help prevent wheel bite.

The verdict: This set up is exceptionally fun.  I truly love everything about it: the wheels have a great bite but also slide nicely when pushed.  I love love love those Stage 4 trucks and really can't see myself ever wanting to go back to Stage 11s.  The Stage 4s have a smooth, flowy feel to them when taking turns and hitting ramps / bowls.  The Stage 11s are more aggressive on the turns.  The way the 4s are built - I wonder if Independence was trying to emulate the feeling of riding on a wave.  Perhaps others can explain the difference better than I.  All I know is that they are smooth and flowy.

The deck is also fantastic.  I feel a bit more confident riding on ramps and more with the wider deck.  I'm not one to do lots of tricks (for now).  I mainly just want to ride with confidence and enjoy the skating experience.

So yeah, this is the deck I'm taking with me in September along with the Fuji and a desire to enjoy the outdoors.

Bluebonnet Coffee Company (Blanco, TX)

Oh man... on one hand, I feel that I shouldn't be purchasing so much coffee when I travel.  But, on the other hand, it's not like this stuff goes bad as long as it's stored properly.  As one roaster put it... it's basically just roasted wood.  Allegedly, the intensity of the flavours are lost after a few months... or when you open the bag.  However, after opening this bag - it still smelled wonderfully sweet.  And the brew had an excellent aroma.  

So, it's with a slightly guilty conscious that I post this coffee review as I had picked up this bag of beans back in March when I was traveling to the central part of Texas with my sons.

I'm constantly preaching about how much I adore Ethiopian coffees as well as some South American roasts.  This batch from Bluebonnet Coffee Company (Blanco, Texas) is outside of my normal range of preferred coffees... and I like it!!!

The Leticia Lopez roast from the Finca La Unica Farm in Honduras has a special something... subtle yet satisfying.  The mellow dark fruits in the front with a maple syrup finish is delicious but not overly sweet or artificial tasting.  I found this coffee to be a fantastic morning brew with mild acidity when poured as a drip coffee.  Perhaps a dash of milk would go well with this roast, but it's a bit on the mellow side with flavours, so go light on the blending.

The labeling says the coffee is honey processed.  What's that?  Well, read here to find out more!  I should note that maaaaybe, my palette is playing tricks on me... but I swear I can taste a hint of honey in the finish.  It's not like honey-flavoring or anything... just a delicate, sweet roasted honey note.  I like it!

Oh, one additional note: I keep my coffees in their original bags and then, I store those in a large insulated cooler.  Perhaps that extra wall of storage helps? 

Mini-tour recap and upcoming coffee reviews

The mini tour in Texas (see June 21 blog post for details) went very well on several fronts: positive gigs, finding exceptionally good coffee roasters, checking out some great (and one not so great) skatepark, and most importantly - being around some amazing and beautiful people!   So, I'll start by talking about the first stop of the tour: Denton.

We started our series of gigs on Friday night at Killer's Tacos - which was about to be sold off and turned into a different venue.  Killer's vegetarian menu was pretty outstanding -- and I should know because I ordered four of their vegetarian tacos! I thought the sound system was really good and the vibe pretty chill. I've been told that when the place re-opens later this year, the vibe will still be the same.

Saturday morning, I checked out two coffee places and both were beyond amazing.

[NOTE: Photo of my coffee haul at the bottom of this post. I'll post extensively about the coffee roasters I visited in an upcoming post.  There's a lot to discuss!]

After coffee, I went to my first skate stop: Roanoke Skatepark.  I had been to Roanoke before (see post on March 31) and wanted to check it out using my new-ish Texican deck.  You know, I need to write about the Texican deck and the main man before the craft, Frank Gardner.  Again, I'll put a pin in that statement for a future post.

Watauga Skatepark

As last time, Roanoke was super fun, although I didn't go into the bowl this time as it was busy with other skaters.  Still a first class park and very well maintained.

Next park was the Watauga Skatepark.  It's a small park (see photo) but perfect for a beginner / intermediate level skater.  The small covered bench area was highly appreciated as the temperatures was reaching close to 95!

After that, I drove from Fort Worth to Waco and checked out the Sul Ross Skatepark.  Oh man, this place was my favorite of the three this day - mainly because of the long pool feature.  Super clean park with lots of subtle ebbs in the concrete that makes riding a blast.  I wish I could have spent a lot more time here but (a) it was almost 100 degrees outside and (b) I kinda really needed to get back on the road to Austin for a gig that night.  But man, I can't wait to find an excuse to go back there.

My weapon of choice: an IYV 300 Guitar

The gig in Austin was at a house called Arnold House... because it's on Arnold Street.  House shows can be loads of fun, but a major challenge for me as I need a serious PA system to help push the drum machine at level with the guitar.  

Luckily, I have known the people in Shipwrecked and Self-Checkout Renaissance and I asked if one of their members could play an impromptu minute set with me.  

Josh from Self-Checkout got volunteered to play drums for my set and we played a cracking 30 minute impromptu kraut rock set.  I was super pleased with how it turned out and so was everyone else... who thought it was my normal set!

Sunday morning - got up and out to pick up a bag of beans at Greater Goods... but... I saw a review for a place called Progress Roasters that was on my route to Greater Goods and... well... I had to check it out.

Progress Coffee Roasters is located near downtown Austin, just off the highway.  It doesn't have a great view, but man oh man, what a great coffee place!  I ordered a cup of standard black - which was a Central American blend.  Normally, that's not my thing, but it was well done and flavorful.  I picked up a bag of their Ethiopian and hit the road again for Greater Goods.

Now, in my post from February 14th, I made note about a coffee I enjoyed at the Bernie Bean.  Bernie Bean featured a re-branded coffee from Greater Goods as THEIR coffee... but after a little digging, found out that their coffee was sourced at Greater Goods and the coffee I fell in love with was a Costa Rican bean.

Arnold House  (Austin, TX)

So, as you can imagine, part of my objective for this tour was to make a stop at Greater Goods and pick up a bag of this incredible batch.

And now... with treasures of coffee beans safely tucked away in the car, I sped off to find the next series of skateparks.

My first skatepark of the day was at Mueller Skatepark. I noted that while Google Maps notes the park as Gaylord Sackler Memorial Park, all the signs at the park say Mueller Park.  Apparently - the park has both names officially.  But... what's most important was how nice this park is.  AND, it has a pump track!  I really had a blast at this park, even though it was freakishly hot.

My next stop was at the Jackson Tyler Norris Memorial Skatepark (see photo below).  I loved this park too!  Nice ramps, clean and well maintained, and so much fun.  I thoroughly enjoyed this park and was disappointed when I couldn't spend more time there due to being super hot and tired.

So, with a couple of bottles of fresh, cold water in the car, I drove off to Houston... but had a note to stop in Sealey as I wanted to see their park next.

Jackson Tyler Norris Memorial Skatepark
& my Texican deck

However, I knew there was a park or two on my way to Houston -- specially at a place called power plant skatepark.  More specifically, the Smithville Powerplant Skate Park.

Once I arrived, I was intrigued as it looked kind of small, but well used.  However, once I got wheels on the ground, it was apparent that the park suffered from a lack of maintenance.  The graffiti didn't bother me at all, it was the crumbling concrete and dirt build up all around.  If you click on the link to the park - you'll see photos of how it looked when it opened.  But today, it's a sad and neglected.  I hope the city / parks board does something to give the skatepark a little love.

So, I didn't spend much time at all at the Smithville Powerplant Skatepark and was back on the road to Sealy, Texas.  That park was diametrically the opposite of Smithville!

Both are small, but Sealy's skatepark is very clean, well-maintained, and great for beginners.  Smithville looked rough around the edges, but expert skaters might enjoy the challenge of the place.

I enjoyed the Sealy skatepark a lot... mainly because I could skate it without getting stopped by rocks / broken bits of pavement.  Nice but also nothing special.  If you're traveling near Sealy, Texas and you have your deck... give it a spin!

Anyway, I made it to Houston and got to the venue just in time to get set up and soundcheck for the set.  The gig went well, but it was super sad to note that it was Shipwrecked's last gig for a long time as their drummer is moving to (ugh) Santa Monica.  :D

All in all, a great three day trip with friends, coffee, and lots of skateboarding... and almost dying from heat exhaustion!!! 

Self-Checkout Renaissance (Houston gig)

Shipwrecked (Houston gig)

Look at all that roasted bean goodness!!!

A Different Kind of Tour (no band this time)

I had hinted about this a while ago on my Instagram accounts, but here we are for the big reveal!  Yup - instead of touring for band promotion, I am hitting the road to enjoy traveling for a change and have fun exploring trails and parks.

Typing that sentence out is weird for me as I've spent 14+ years planning tours based on where my band can perform and how much distance we can "reasonably" tackle between cities.  Touring life - contrary to popular belief - is neither glorious nor fun.  It's a race from city to city, trying to stay awake, friendly, fed, passably sober and, not go broke in the process.  All in the name of trying to increase your fan base.  Many times, it's a thankless and frustrating experience and must be done with a degree of consistency for it to "work".

And now, with the passing of time, I don't have an interest in that lifestyle.  Often when I was on tour, I would wish I had more leisure time to explore the cities we stopped at and just enjoy the community and the surrounding countryside.  

I started embracing that concept on my last few tours with Stockhausen & The Amplified Riot -- taking my bike and/or my skateboard and giving myself extra time between gigs to enjoy the experience.  And now... I'm ditching the band aspect completely and focusing on exploring the bike trails and skateparks without any band pressure.

And so, below is my plan of travel for late September [edit: November].  I'll be packing up my trusty Nissan Rouge with my bike, skateboard, and whatever else I need for the journey.

Along the way, I'll also check out local breweries and (most importantly) coffee roasters!  I'll have a large, insulated bag so I can keep the bags of coffee protected as I drive from place to place over the course of two weeks.

My goal is not to achieve hundreds of miles of bike riding - it's to enjoy the trip and check out the bike trails and skate parks that I had to drive past when I used to hustle for band work.

In other bike news, I'll be training for the Hotter'n Hell bike ride (100 miles) in August and the Bike Around the Bay (174 miles) in October.

Other big endeavors on the horizon - I'm planning on late Spring 2024 to ride on the Great Allegheny Passage.  This route will take about 10 days to complete and cover 500 miles from Pittsburgh, PA to Harpers Ferry, WV and back.  I'm planning to do this ride instead of the MS150. I'd like to do the MS150 again... but I feel there's some changes that will need to be made in the management of the ride for it to become enjoyable again.

I know there are plenty of riders and groups that can accomplish these rides / routes in far less time... but my goal is not to crush miles under my wheels in the name of distance.  I want to enjoy the sights, sounds (solitude) and nature and be able to enjoy these rides while I still can do them.  :) 

Tour, Skate, Chill

It's time for another quick tour around Texas for Stockhausen and the Amplified Riot. 

This time, I'll be touring with my friends from Shipwrecked and Self Checkout Renaissance - both from Baton Rouge.  I'm super excited to travel with these awesome bands - and also excited to be hitting up a few new skate parks along the way!

Here's how it's looking for this weekend:

I've hit up Roanoke before during a tour last March - and it was a fun, easy riding park.  But the others will all be new to me.  I'm especially looking forward to Gaylord Sackler skate park because it has a pump track!

I'll also (of course) be checking out coffee roasters - especially in Austin.  I was looking forward to hitting up Texas Coffee Traders but they will be closed by the time I make it into town.

Ranch Road Roasters and recent Houston gig

It's been weirdly busy but also - not so bad that I am stressed out or lacking time to do the things I love... like drink coffee!  Note: I'm only slightly exaggerating. 

I picked up this bag of beans a few months ago (I know... shame on me for waiting so long!) at the Ranch Road Roasters in downtown Fredericksburg, Texas.  I have to give credit to the staff at Ranch Road for being patient - even with a line of customers behind me - for taking time to explain their coffees.  The staff brought out their head roaster who also took some time to explain to me (and everyone within earshot) of their roasting methods with the various beans.

So now, after a few months, I finally made it to this batch!  I have been searching for more information on the Ethiopia Abana Anderacha Lot - but very, very little can be found... which is frustrating because this is a pretty special coffee. 

With my first sip, this coffee starts off mild and blooms slowly with lemon, honey, and a floral coffee finish.  It may be mild, but the "fruit" notes of the coffee stay on my palate after sipping -- this is a good thing!  I don't like milk in my coffee but I could see a dash of oatmilk going well with the sweet, fruity coffee notes of this brew.

For this coffee, I used a slightly finer grinding setting than I would normally use for Ethiopian and the results were quite good. The coffee fruit and floral essence came out much stronger on the finer grinding settings.  Also, I normally like to wing it when I'm making coffee, but for my initial tasting, I kept to the golden ratio so I could bring out the complex notes of the coffee properly. 

In other news: I played a gig at The End last week with my friends form the band Sex Mex, Pathos and Logos, and Rhizomata.  

I've played gigs with Sex Mex several times and I've seen them when they were a three-piece, a duo, and now.. and four-piece band.  Each time I see them, they always deliver an outstanding, tight show of post-punk / new wave.  Absolutely have mad respect for them!

Pathos and Logos are super nice dudes who play a style of music I would call gamer soundtracks, however - I think they would call it prog rock.  It's not too complicated and fussy, keeps a steady beat,  and is instrumental... so it's perfect music for playing action / fps type video games.

Here's a few pics from the night -- I didn't stay long for Rhizomata as it was getting late and I had to be up early for work.  :/ 

Sex Mex

Pathos and Logos

New Bicycle Alert: the Fuji Sportif!

Well, look what I just did.  🚴‍♀️

It's not like I said I would NEVER use a multi-speed bike... I was just very committed to staying on that single speed train to the point of being obstinate.  I still adore the State 4130 bike (and the hundreds... if not thousands... of dollars in upgrades / changes), but I need a bike that can help me tackle a significant amount of miles while also not breaking my body into useless goo.

And so, behold!!!  The Fuji Sportif 2.1.

I promised myself that I would make minimal changes to this bike - which was a big reason why I purchased this particular brand and model.  I looked at less expensive multi-speeds; but many reviewers of those bikes noted the quality issues with the gearing, seat, and other parts.

The Fuji Sportif line has received several good reviews - although the 2.1 model hasn't received a lot of reviews that I could find online... and I looked and looked and looked.  I found several "reviews" of the bike by online stores / dealers... but not many true, independent product reviewers.  

Nonetheless, I looked up the major parts individually and noted that most pieces were either made by Fuji directly or via one of their holdings - such as Oval.  The crank mechanism was made by FSA (Full Speed Ahead) and the gear shifting system is an R9 made by microSHIFT (with cabling made by Jagwire).  The bike came with Vittoria Zaffrio 700 x 30 tyres (with Chaoyang tubes) and a tried-and-true KMC X9 chain. 

The rear cassette is a microSHIFT 9 speed and has the following gears:  34, 28, 24, 21, 19, 17, 15, 13, 11. The front crankset is an FSA 50/34 set.  Another note: The fork is C5 carbon while the bike frame is A2 butted aluminum.

So all-in-all, a very good set-up right out of the box.  MY only issue with the set up are the pedals.  They are non-branded pedal with footstraps on one side - which I didn't like.  I'm not a fan of clip / strap pedals as I like a big, wide platform pedal.  My State bike has a set of Chromag Scarabs, but I have been wanting to try out something different.  After a bit of reading / research, I decided on a set of Deity Deftraps.  They are plastic - so they are light - but also strong and less expensive than metal pedals.

I also decided on changing out the tyres for a set of Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TRs - mainly because I had read review after review about how amazing these tyres are for road biking.  So, what the heck, why not try them?!  I had a spare set of Continental tubes that I was planning on using with the State bike, but never did since the tyres on it are still good -- although will probably need to get replaced very soon. 

TLDR: As of this post, I have completed 150 miles on the bike and my impressions are that this is a GREAT bike for me.  It's light (21 pounds), has a robust gearing system, very quiet on the pavement,  and is a lot of fun!  It doesn't have the distinctive colour scheme as my State bike, but I'm very much into the feel of how this bike handles.