After a quick flight this morning, I landed in Melbourne. I've just spent an hour or so soaking in the cycling haven that is Shifter Bikes and FYXO Hub over in South Yarra. As per the norm, here are a few photos to hold you over...

Ok, ok, there's more below.

I've been seeing this everywhere and it's one of those videos that has already been sent to my inbox a dozen or so times. Why not?

Tom Boorman, like many BMXrs who eventually buy a single speed to get around on, has an interesting story that led him to purchase a 700c bicycle. He's the owner of Hell on Wheels, the mecca for radness in Sydney and has been a figure in the local BMX scene for some time. While he and Dave Cragg were riding and filming at a neighborhood park, Tom took a spill. One that could have ended much worse.

Check out more below!

If you haven't seen this video, you should watch it but be prepared for some gnar. The short of the story is, Tom slipped out on some leaves and smashed his face on a concrete lip, fracturing his skull. You can fast-forward to the end to see the wreck...

As he was healing from the accident, he couldn't ride BMX so he bought this Focale 44 singlespeed and began to go on longer rides. He put getting rad on hold for a few months and began to enjoy riding fast and far, often using the cycling computer to track his progress. After replacing the stock fork with a Volume Fu Manchu, this street beast was ready to roll.

Soon, the tinkerer in Tom came out.

He polished his Deep V's and built them up to BMX hubs, machining the freewheel cog and widening the track ends to proper 14mm.

Since he's been a fan of Profile products, he replaced the stock cranks with chrome Profile racing cranks, a splined Profile sprocket and some SPD pedals. This bike became his rehab for a few months.

He still rides it constantly, even after he's fully recovered from his accident and to this day, he'll always wear his helmet. I can't express how impressed I am with his story, this bike and his shop, Hell on Wheels. Don't miss this shop if you visit Sydney!

Numerous friends recommended that I link up with Ben Kamenjas while I am here in Sydney. He collects all forms of cycling rarities: from complete bicycles to the smallest vintage componentry. The other day, he pulled out this NOS set of Dura Ace AX brake levers and calipers, complete with the aero barrel adjusters. Not many people have seen these in person, much less owned the set, so I had to take some quick photos of them while they were out.

Check out more below.

How's that for packaging? I just love the tri-color Dura Ace graphics.

I was in a bike shop today, picking up some gear for my forthcoming ride with Dan and Andy when I saw these new Specialized gloves hanging in the display. As part of their 74 line, Specialized developed some rather classy 74 Pittards leather gloves. At first glance, it looks like they hit a decent pricepoint without sacrificing quality or function. Add these to the list of must-have gloves, alongside Giro and Rapha's offerings.

Finally, the industry is returning to the nostalgic past of cycling and making products that doesn't look like club dorkwear. But don't forget who started the push. I'm going to pick a pair of each up and do a showdown of sorts in the coming months. Has anyone bought a pair of these yet? They looked damn nice in the shop.

Maybe you remember this Recent Roll post from last year in SF? I shot some photos of Andy and his 14 Bike Co 14R track frame. Well, there's been quite the stir over on the Fixed Gear London blog with updates on this bike, regards to availability. Head over to check it out!

I love this bike and can't wait to see a few on the streets.

Cadence continues their quality product line drop with the Prizim jacket:

"Early 90's inspired all purpose riding jacket / Nylon wind stop at chest, arms and back yolk(top back) / Exposed fleece for venting at back of torso and arms / Full zip with scuba neck for wind protection / Adjustable elastic at waist / Subtle drop tail for lower back coverage in riding position / Two front zip and one back zip pocket for essentials / Classic vintage styling / Easy to wear on and off bike."

Pick one up at Cadence.

Crandall just uploaded Part 01 of what he's dubbed "Dumpster Dive Pizza", or the bonus footage from Thousand Yard Stare. If you haven't seen that DVD, it's well worth the watch. For now, enjoy part 01 of the bonus footage.

The Ninja Cats crew in London have been pushing hard on their content these past few weeks. Check out the latest, featuring Oscar's Breakbrake 17 Serpent bike check. Very disco man, I'm digging it.

As the name implies, Hell on Wheels is a shop that caters to getting rad. Whether it's a skateboard, a BMX or a fixed freestyle bike, this shop in Newtown has all the parts, accessories, clothing and inspiration you need to get rolling. I met up with Tom yesterday, on his day off to check out the shop and see what he's been working on for the past six years here in Sydney.

Check out more form my Shop Visit to Hell on Wheels below!

The thing I liked the most about the shop is you can tell that Tom's put his all into it. He's been riding longer than his average customer has been alive. BMX is huge in Australia but people like Tom kept his ears and eyes peeled on the States. A lot of the products on display come from long-standing companies like S&M, Profile and T-1. This bit of nostalgic Americana and regional shreddership makes Hell on Wheels a must-see shop.

If you live in Sydney and haven't rolled through, do so and if you're visiting, take the trip to Newtown to see Tom.

For more radness, head over to my Flickr!

Hell on Wheels
463 King Street, Newtown, ns 2042
p. 295192312

Tue - Fri: 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sat: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sun: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm

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Danny Hale? Who's that? I've never heard of a Motorola team member named Danny Hale. It sounds like an Australian name. Something's fishy here. Yesterday, I met up with Dan (no relation to Mr. Hale) to shoot his Motorola Merckx. Like the 7-Elevens, the Motorola Eddy Merckx frames are classic examples of American cycling. Check out more of the same and more of the new below!

It's not every day that you see a Merckx in the Belgian flag livery. Well, technically, we saw this already... Now you can own the very bike that Andy from Fyxomatosis rode while he was in Europe. This seller on eBay has quite the collection of rare Eddy Merckx frames. From a step-through, to a Ti Cross and even a track bike with C-Record. Drool.

The other day, while I walked passed a 7-Eleven, I noticed the lowercase "n" for the first time.

That said, Steely Fan's 7-Eleven makes a return to Merckx Mondays, this time with a new set of wheels. Godt Tub'ĺr...

Now back to Danny Hale. This is Dan's Eddy Merckx Motorola. He picked up the frame and the Campy record hubs from Fyxomatosis a little while back and it turns out, the bike used to belong to Dan from Shifter, aka Danny Hale. Clever huh?

Motorola road bikes will never get old and will always have a place here on the blog. Thanks to Dan for meeting up yesterday, I love this bike!

There's little debate as to how beautiful a select few Keirin frames can be. Kalavinka, Samson and Nagasawa will always resonate through time, regardless to how trendy fixed gears and track bikes may be. At Deus Ex Machina, they have one of each of said frames and this Samson is a prime example of Japanese craftsmanship.

Check out more below.

Not bad huh? The shop on Bourke Street has this baby for sale. Contact them for pricing. I was trying to convince Lauren this would be a worthy investment but no dice...

Check out more at my Flickr.

The Caldera de Bandama is a volcanic formation that hits the 1,867' mark in elevation, that's approximately, 569 m. All I gotta say is, they better have climbed up it to bomb down it. Otherwise, it's no different than long-boarding! ;-)

I'm half joking but damn, does that look fun. Thanks for sharing Cristóbal!

The Pelizzoli World Leggenda track frame made quite the stir on the internet when it was released last year. Finally, a modern version of the Cannondale track frames that everyone loves so much. This year, they've updated the Leggenda to use FOR3, a limited tubing from Columbus. With only 100 series available, these made-to-order, hand constructed, custom-painted frames are going to go fast.

Check out more at Pelizzoli World.

The Bike Valet takes a nod from the notion that bike storage doesn't have to be strictly utilitarian. Design can be found even in the most mundane places. Here's what the kick-starter campaign says:

"Storage for us, like many, is a problem. We live in a small downtown apartment, and if we happen to be dense enough to leave our bikes outside they wouldn't last more than a few days, even with the priciest lock around. We lost a beautiful, vintage, hand-made Kleine in just such a way a couple years ago. So we bring our bikes inside. Given our storage issues, this makes navigating the entry hall difficult. I personally have tripped over or snagged a pair of dress pants on an awkwardly placed bicycle more than once. The solution?

The Bike Valet. It is made from 1/8" cold steel initially designed in Sketchup and later transferred to CAD. Its elegant shape is cut using a laser cutter. It is heated and bent by hand to the appropriate spec's and then powder coated for a durable long-lasting finish in red, blue, black, cream white, pale green or grey. You have your choice of either a leather or neoprene pad to rest your bike on. We think any combo of the six colors and two pads looks pretty spectacular! "

They have 66 hours to go to reach their goal of $10,000 and are only $600 away. If you're into this, head over to the Kick-Starter page.

The whole time I've been in Sydney, all I've wanted to do is go on a nice, long road ride and little did I know, I'd do just that on Saturday. So far, I've done a few spins with new friends and it's been great. When Adam from CycleEXIF offered to take me to Wollongong to see Tarn and Meg at Primate Frames, I got excited. A quick look on the map showed it was at least 60 miles down the coast from Sydney. We chatted and I misunderstood Adam's description, thinking we'd be on a ferry for most of the way, I showed up in sneakers on my road pedals, Dickies and a black shirt, toting 20 lbs or so of camera equipment on my back. Boy was I in for a surprise, and a sun burn.

Check out nine more photos below. Man, it's been a while huh?

Here we are, at the beginning of our main ride, outside the Cronulla ferry, at the foothills of the Royal National Park. Adam was on his On One singlespeed 42x18, spinning and happy, then the climbing began. I was fine, in fact, it felt great to be climbing, even though sneakers on LOOK pedals isn't the most comfortable setup.

It was sunny and still, so we continued up the false flat for 10 miles.

After climbing up Bundeena Drive, we hit wet, fast descents.

After a while, I just left Adam as he spun up the climbs and waited for him at the top, where we'd descend together.

Going from an arid, dry terrain to a temperate forest is always a trip. It reminded me of riding in Oregon.

Soon we hit Stanwell Tops, a popular hang-gliding and parasailing spot, just south of the Garawarra National Park.

It was around this point, that I quickly realized we weren't even halfway there. The coastal roads had more in store for us as we began to fly down hills, to only be greeted with steep, coastal climbs.

Again, I was fine on the road bike but Adam was still kicking on his singlespeed. Kudos to him. Some of those climbs must have hurt.

Finally, the end was near. Tarn let us know that we were about 30 miles from his house, so we pushed onward... After a Shop Visit and some Beautiful Bicycles, we took the bus back. The day had eluded us and the 4.5 hour return journey wouldn't be possible with the waining daylight.

More to come! For now, check out my Strava of our ride here and a ton of photos up on my Flickr, seriously, these are NOT to be missed!

Many thanks to Adam from CycleEXIF for the great times!

Saskia sent along the new line from Snakebite Bike Gang:

"Snakebite is a clothing brand by illustrator, screenprinter & rider Saskia Haex. Snakebite brings fresh graphics inspired by riding bikes (expecially fixed gears) and everyday traffic.

The first line of Snakebite apparel will hit the stores Spring 2012. But before the whole line hits the stores we are releasing this very special tshirt for (bike)lovers for Valentines day.

It's available as of now in sizes S, M & L. Price € 22,50 (ex. shipping). Handprinted in limited edition of 50 pcs."

Order through: snakebitebikegang@gmail.com
Or our facebook: www.facebook.com/SnakebiteBikegang

Andy from Tokyo Fixed Gear sent over his newest ride: a 66cm Cannondale track bike built to full catalog specifications. I had no idea they even made them that big. He'll be racing this beaut during the new season at Herne Hill in March. Check out more at Andy's Flickr.

I mentioned earlier that we took a ride down to Primate Frames yesterday. Well, here's Shifter, Tarn and Meg's dog, sitting in the grass while a beast lurks in the background. I've never shot photos of a downhill rig before, so I'm spending a little extra time editing the photos. Until they're ready, check out the smile on this pup's face!

More to come!

As far are skateboarding-inspired "flips" are concerned, the Tokyo Fixed Gear Ripper shirt is by far my favorite to date. Check out this and other new tees at TFG. Don't miss the Crest tee as well. Maybe that's more up the minimalist's alley.

Nasty's always been one of my favorite FGFS riders and I'm real stoked on his Durcus 1 frame. He just posted some photos up on his Flickr, so head over and check them out.

Marcel from Asphalt Bikes in Poland sent over a recent lookbook their collaborated with Nike Sportswear and StreetSupply. Some of these shots are great. Thanks Marcel!

I love seeing behind the scenes photos, especially when shot in film. FOAD has some photos up on their Flickr. Check out the full set here.

Yesterday, Adam from CycleEXIF and I rode down to see Tarn at Primate Frames. Our route took us from the coast, through a dry arid region, up a temperate forest in a mountain range and finally, back to the coast. It was beautiful and long, considering I came under-prepared.

More on this later but these three photos show what we rode through. Nice huh?

Griffith Park is the nation's largest inner-city park in the US. It's also home to a great climb and there's nothing better than the descent after an ascent on track bikes. Check it out as Sean and Robert spin one for CBNC.