Winter cycling in San Diego

Late lunch today (4 p.m.) after progress on two major marcom projects from home office. Took gloves, wind vest and arm-warmers. Quick 25-miler out to Highway 67 and back. It’s a time trialing training route that works in a pinch. Got a few test shots on BlackBerry Pearl (so compact!). Slight color corrections because of light conditions. When the days get longer and there’s more time, I’ll bring the new Canon S5 IS with me.

Doing 39 mph on downhill into pretty strong onshore wind. One-handed quick snap.

Sunset sky before descent from Highway 67 and Scripps Poway Parkway back into Poway.

Dave Zabriskie has a helmet head

Raining in Northern California. Storm moving south? Tour of California may be a wet one. Check out this shot of Dave Zabriskie signing in before this morning’s Stage Two of the weeklong stage race. Winter cycling cap that covers the ears. Baseball cap. Clear rain cape so sponsors get a little on-camera mojo. But would the Giro Atmos helmet do any good riding that high on his noggin? Technicality for UCI rules, clearly. And could serve as Exhibit A on why some motorists blast their horns and call cyclists geeks. Made me think of Ryan Adam’s wild “Halloween Head” on Easy Tiger.

Amazing airborne images of San Diego

Most late afternoons we can see the hot air balloons in the sky to the west toward the ocean. Here’s a link to a very strong shooter who has posted some of the most beautiful images I’ve ever seen of San Diego from the air. The sunsets are spectacular. The bar has been set high. Bravo! I wanted to post one image (no commercial use here) just so you can see the colors against black background.

photo: ms4jah on flickr

Radio City Music Hall at night

Comparing notes on photography with a Colorado buddy. This shot of his caught my eye. I’m have a penchant for black and white work of NYC with interesting composition.

photo: Kamal H. on flickr

Tour of California: color and spectacle

Can you imagine Bjarne Riis or Johan Bruyneel attending a press conference in their new team jerseys for CSC or Astana? Or how about Manolo Sáiz, former director sportif for now-defunct Liberty Mutual and Once, which once had pink togs? Rock Racing owner Michael Ball in a black and lime green jersey at the press conferences the day before the California prologue was an odd. And a first I can remember. But stranger things have happened in cycling.

photo: Velonews.com