Hipster vs. analog hobby photographer

[kbg32]

I don't deny that I'm an old hipster.

For historical reasons I mention the Titanium bikes. Back in the day, when mountain bikes were the new rage, mountain bikes were made in the USA mostly in California. My IBIS was one of these boutique builders.

I lived on the Southside of Williamsburg before it was conquered by hipsters."

Cal

IBIS?? My 1990 Fat Chance "Yo Eddy" could run circles around one of those and it was built on the east coast - Sommerville, MA.. Chris Chance was a builder par excellance'. Even Hugo DeRosa admired his bikes. East coast riding was quite different from riding in the west. More technical single track. Man, I miss that bike.

 

[Calzone]

Cal, you do love name dropping... 😉

John,

The point I'm trying to establish is perhaps that I like and enjoy luxury goods and retro culture, but the trends and culture that identify hipsters with me have history that go back decades in time.

One of the reasons I look so young is that I raced on bicycles for many years, cycling for me was a lifestyle, and just like a serious surfer I lived to ride. Just two years ago I sold my track bike with fixed gear. It was a 1952 Fiorellie with full Campy. As far as fixed gear goes it does not get more retro than that. The derogatory part of the term "Hipster" where it could be associated with or interchanged with the word "Poser" has transended time in my case.

Cal

 

[Roger Hicks]

Sounds like a grand time, Roger!

I bristle at pretense and folks who act pretentious. There's nothing better socially than a bunch of unpretentious folks getting together to enjoy something they share in common.

Fortunately, there are still a few of us who are hold-overs from the old days and we used (and still use) Leica because it was just the best camera of its kind for doing the work we wanted to do instead of having it for it's (now) boutique value. I also lived on a ranch for a year in an old 23' Airstream trailer before Airstreams were trendy and pretentious, and I wanted a Land Rover SIII five door because it was rugged and the most competent 4WD of its day. The Range Rover had been out for years, and was the darling of the McMansion set in SoCal. I still lament not buying a '73 SIII five-door I looked at in Omaha in 1998 (even though it's prudent to carry a box of extra axle half-shafts). In those days, "trendy" hadn't yet become trendy. Today, though, I confess that I do enjoy the relative comfort and smooth ride that my FJ 'Cruiser offers... especially the A/C in the summer. 😉

Mine's a '72, bought in 2001, seen here still on its English plates in about 2003. Only two half-shafts in a decade, and besides, you can always drive home in front wheel drive only...

Air con? What's wrong with (a) draughts and (b) bulkhead and roof vents?

Cheers,

R.

 

[css9450]

When ye say "analogue" and not "film" ?

Exactly. Never in a million years would I have dreamed of referring to my photography as "analog" (or analogue). Is that to differentiate it from hexadecimal?

 

[Calzone]

IBIS?? My 1990 Fat Chance "Yo Eddy" could run circles around one of those and it was built on the east coast - Sommerville, MA.. Chris Chance was a builder par excellance'. Even Hugo DeRosa admired his bikes. East coast riding was quite different from riding in the west. More technical single track. Man, I miss that bike.

Keith,

"Yo Eddy" is and was a great bike. Steel is real they say, and know that I still own a Ti roadbike and a Ti mountain bike that is all tricked out with "Pauls" and "Grafton." I have the first original XTR and STI, and even have purple Paul "Moon Units."

Not sure you could turn circles around an IBIS Mountian Trials on the climbs and single track. Perhaps your Fat Chance is a better bike on the down hill. The Mountian Trials has a 24 inch rear wheel, short under 40 inch wheelbase for hyper twitchy steering, and a tall bottom bracket height for log hopping. How much purple anodized hardware do you have?

The IBIS Mountain Trials was built and designed by a NORBA Trials champion Scott Nichole.

Cal

 

[paulfish4570]

i've been called a hipster in alabama and panhandle florida, when shooting my analog cameras. i am 61 years old. i suspect cracker florida and alabama have much lower standards for hipsteria ... 🙂

 

[HHPhoto]

I don't know about 'hipster' but 'cool' has always had me confused.

When I was young, it was cool to be hot.

With increasing years, to be hot, one had to be cool.

In old age, one becomes lukewarm about cool and wishes to God one had it within oneself to be hot again.

The only time you're unambiguously cool, of course, is when you're dead, and then you hope that your sins don't get you sent to a place that's infernally hot....

That's great!! 😀😀

You made my day, thanks a lot!!

Cheers,
Jan

 

[kbg32]

I had Grafton Speed Controllers on my Yo Eddy, Gary Helfrich ti bars, Syncros stem, Nuke Proof Carbon hubs. It was a sweet ride and even sweeter handler on tough single track. Climbed like a tractor. Have a Sepcialized S-Works now, but since Ethan was born, I haven't had the time to get out on dirt. Usually an all day affair to get out of the city somewhere good. Now, I just hit the road. I still own 5 roadbikes!

Anyway, let me know about the cutter.

 

[Calzone]

I had Grafton Speed Controllers on my Yo Eddy, Paul Helfich ti bars, Syncros stem, Nuke Proof Carbon hubs. It was a sweet ride and even sweeter handler on tough single track. Climbed like a tractor. Have a Sepcialized S-Works now, but since Ethan was born, I haven't had the time to get out on dirt. Usually an all day affair to get out of the city somewhere good. Now, I just hit the road. I still own 5 roadbikes!

Anyway, let me know about the cutter.

Keith,

I take that you no longer own the Fat Chance. What a great bike and also a part of history. Let's ride sometime. I only have one road bike, basically a Litespeed "Classic" but it features a purple fade over bead blasted titanium. To day it sports XTR shifters and a straight bar for urban riding.

Cal

 

[user237428934]

Exactly. Never in a million years would I have dreamed of referring to my photography as "analog" (or analogue). Is that to differentiate it from hexadecimal?

No. It's a word to differentiate it from filming (= making a movie)

 

[micromontenegro]

Mins were pretty reliable -- my mother loved 'em and had two or three -- but hard to work on and rust prone. Then, most cars of that era were rust prone.

Cheets,

R.

I though all Minis were like mine: fruit of a unwanted pregnancy. Leave Land Rovers to themselves and soon you've got trouble. This pup got the dad's gas engine and two door configuration and mom's livery and mag wheels. BTW, he's now on proper 10 inch wheels, as God an Sir Alec decreed.

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

Mine's a '72, bought in 2001, seen here still on its English plates in about 2003. Only two half-shafts in a decade, and besides, you can always drive home in front wheel drive only...

My first car, and the car I passed my test on, was a series 3 LWB. The classic example of Land Rover toughness came when we overloaded the poor thing and moved from London to Devon. Somewhere around Andover, the rear transmission gave up the unequal struggle and we drove the rest of the way on front drive only.

Mind you, it was a pig to drive and its successor was a mark IV MG Midget (with the round wheel arches). Now that was a whole different kettle of fish. When my daughter was born, it had to go but I actually got more in part exchange from the dealer than I paid for it new!

😀

 

[kbg32]

Keith,

I take that you no longer own the Fat Chance. What a great bike and also a part of history. Let's ride sometime. I only have one road bike, basically a Litespeed "Classic" but it features a purple fade over bead blasted titanium. To day it sports XTR shifters and a straight bar for urban riding.

Cal

No. I had to sell it unfortunately. The woman I lived with before my wife, thought I had too many bikes. I had 8, including one of the last Pogliaghi track frames built by the master himself before he passed. Full Campy. At the time, the Fat Chance was the least ridden.

 

[Calzone]

No. I had to sell it unfortunately. The woman I lived with before my wife, thought I had too many bikes. I had 8, including one of the last Pogliaghi track frames built by the master himself before he passed. Full Campy. At the time, the Fat Chance was the least ridden.

Holding onto my now retro bikes is like holding onto my youth.

As far as Grafton I have both the magnesium and the aluminum versions of the Speed Controllers. Also have the Grafton cranks.

Currently the IBIS is set up as a single speed with a freewheel. About 75 gear inches. I like big gears and was a climber. On a mountain bike I was known as "squirley" and was kinda famous for spectacular crashes, especially on the IBIS. Only own 3 bikes now.

If I ever build a track bike again I'll get a Colnago "Master Pista."

Cal

 

[hepcat]

I don't deny that I'm an old hipster.

For historical reasons I mention the Titanium bikes. Back in the day, when mountain bikes were the new rage, mountain bikes were made in the USA mostly in California. My IBIS was one of these boutique builders.

Back in the eighties I owned Jeeps before the SUV craze. Also I built an 84 Jeep Scrambler into an urban assault vehicle before they made the HumVee.

Cal

I had an '85 Diamondback Ascent 23" chrome frame until it was stolen off my car's bike rack in Reno in '95. I still have the front wheel. 🙄

and here's MY '81 Scrambler... it was one of the first ones delivered in SoCal in '81. I traded my '79 CJ-7 in for it. I put the hard doors and conestoga top on it and a flip-fold rear seat after my daughter was born in '84. It had the 151 Iron Duke four-banger and a four speed. Arguably the best car I ever owned.


My 1981 Jeep Scrambler by chief1120, on Flickr

 

[Tiger 68]

Until recently, I'd never heard of Hipsters. Now (at age 66!) I find that I am one!

This is the kind of thing that comes from leading a sheltered life.

Regards,
BV

 

[MartinP]

I still lament not buying a '73 SIII five-door I looked at in Omaha in 1998 (even though it's prudent to carry a box of extra axle half-shafts)

The axle overloading problem was recognised in the military version of the Series III with the fitting of the much stronger Salisbury axle. 'Salisbury' as in Salisbury Plain, a large and un-smooth training-area. Probably Roger can chip in with more details of whether this modification is even possible with a standard chassis.

 

[hepcat]

Mine's a '72, bought in 2001, seen here still on its English plates in about 2003. Only two half-shafts in a decade, and besides, you can always drive home in front wheel drive only...

Air con? What's wrong with (a) draughts and (b) bulkhead and roof vents?

Cheers,

R.

Nice SIII! I really am quite jealous.

I had drafts, windows, and a cowl vent on my 1950 Ford F-1, my first "car." It was old then, but a lot of fun when I was 17. I confess that I've gone soft now. My FJ 'Cruiser does have a six-speed manual gearbox tho. I can't decide which of my '81 Scrambler, my '78 FJ 40, or my current FJ 'Cruiser is my favorite tho. The FJ 'Cruiser is sure the most comfortable.


PICT0022 by chief1120, on Flickr


PICT0177 by chief1120, on Flickr


DSCF3310 by chief1120, on Flickr

 

[hepcat]

The axle overloading problem was recognised in the military version of the Series III with the fitting of the much stronger Salisbury axle. 'Salisbury' as in Salisbury Plain, a large and un-smooth training-area. Probably Roger can chip in with more details of whether this modification is even possible with a standard chassis.

I'd suspect that if you're having a galvanized chassis transplant done that putting a Salisbury axle under an S III would be prudent. It's been a long time now, but I think the SIII 5 door I was seriously considering had already had the axle and rear end swap done. Otherwise, the standard axle is really adequate for most normal use. And, if you're handy at all, sliding a broken half-shaft out and replacing at the side of the trail really isn't all that big of a deal... as long as you have a spare along for the ride.

 

[Calzone]

I had an '85 Diamondback Ascent 23" chrome frame until it was stolen off my car's bike rack in Reno in '95. I still have the front wheel. 🙄

and here's MY '81 Scrambler... it was one of the first ones delivered in SoCal in '81. I traded my '79 CJ-7 in for it. I put the hard doors and conestoga top on it and a flip-fold rear seat after my daughter was born in '84. It had the 151 Iron Duke four-banger and a four speed. Arguably the best car I ever owned.


My 1981 Jeep Scrambler by chief1120, on Flickr

I bought my 84 Scrambler from a little old lady from Santa Fe. It only had 20K miles on it and it is as close to a new car as I have ever owned.

Mine was a half cab with a hard top, the spare tire mounted to the roll bar. 2 inch Rancho lift, Ford 9 inch rear with Lincoln Continential disc brakes, NV 4500 200 pound cast iron transmission, 4 core radiator, ZZ3 chevy crate motor. Effectively a 350 horsepower, 400 foot pound, Corvette engine without the fuel injection. The 4 inch square wrap around bumpers were custom made when I worked in an aerospace company. My Scrambler was the metallic red that are on your hard doors. I also had big wheels.

Part of my hipster attitude was to be loud and annoying, and my Jeep was just an extension of my personality. It was scary fast, and my friends thought I would kill myself driving my Scrambler. Sounded like a Nascar on a straightaway getting on the parkway. Once beat a SVO Mustang in a drag race. The owner of the Mustang was really pissed that he got beat badly by a Jeep.

Cal