Two thoughts on two wheels...

Congrats to Cadel, the Schlecks, Thomas Voeckler, and everyone else that made the Tour de France a great spectacle!

Marco Simoncelli - the next Casey Stoner? Or the next Rube Xaus?

Kawasaki Vulcan Voyager

Kawasaki Vulcan Voyager, originally uploaded by john m flores.

On test this month. Over 2,000 miles and some opinions starting to form....

Chevrolet Corvette, Somerville Cruise Night

Chevrolet Corvette, Somerville Cruise Night, originally uploaded by john m flores.

Two wheels are good, but four wheels ain't so bad either. Every Friday during the summer my town has a ritual dance of classic iron trolling up and down the street and parking curbside. It draws quite a crowd of admirers and there are some truly iconic gems that show up. I'd be remiss in not photographing them...

Mount Graylock, Massachussetts

Mount Graylock, Massachussetts, originally uploaded by john m flores.

Back from a trip to Western MA. The Berkshires, on a tour of sustainable food as well as the history and art/culture of the area. Coming soon to an issue of RoadRUNNER.

Summer's almost here

Summer's almost here, originally uploaded by john m flores.

Summer's almost here, and in Somerville that means Friday evening with classic cars and bikes crusing down Main Street. It's been that way for years, one of the traditions that makes this town unique.

Summer's not quite here yet, but on the odd mild Friday in May you'll see people already showing up with their classic rides. And just as the sun sets over the west end of town, Main Street is bathed in a golden light, wonderfully evocative of the days and steamy nights to come...

Don't know which is older, this Vespa or this street.

Don't know which is older, this Vespa or this street., originally uploaded by john m flores.

Historic Perugia sits atop a hill in the heart of Umbria. The walls that once held back hordes of attackers is now punctured by steep roads that bleed out of the city.

RoadRUNNER Digital Rider

RoadRUNNER Digital Rider, originally uploaded by john m flores.

You know you are a two-wheeled digital freak when one of your prized purchases of the last 12 months is a puny 6" extension cord. It's not the size that matters, of course, but rather the 3 sockets from 1 plug in the wall that you get when you pack this little thing into your saddle bag.

After all, when I travel, one of the first things I do when I get to the hotel room is look for a free outlet - to charge my phone, my camera batteries, my netbook, and AAs for the GPS. Outlets are sometimes hard to come by, and without this little bugger I'd turn hotel rooms upside down, not like a rock and roll start but like a geek, in search of power.

Life may after all be about the small things..

Tatra Mountains, Poland

Tatra Mountains, Poland, originally uploaded by john m flores.

Happy New Year's all! Both of you that follow this blog ;-)

Hope that there's plenty of pristine asphalt in your future...