Bringing my bike here was such a good idea. If you’re comfortable with riding in traffic (and don’t mind riding on the opposite incorrect side of the road then it’s well worth the trouble – I didn’t have to pay extra for baggage, yay!). I’ve seen a lot more of the city in just one day than I did in the whole week I was here last time. Surprisingly the cars here seem a lot more considerate of cyclists than in they do in Melbourne.
The Bart cards (Metcard equivalents) are rechargeable. Melbourne really needs to do that. You could give the roaming ticket inspectors little card readers and save a fortune on ink and cardboard? Or just introduce a smart card already FFS.
A couple of bike couriers recommended I check out the bike stores on Valencia St, so I went down there this afternoon. The Mission is a pretty cool area of town; seems like a crazy mix of cultures, especially with Castro being only a few blocks away.
I stumbled across the Chrome factory/store in Soma and went inside to have a sticky-beak. The guys inside were really friendly and they happen to like breakbeat. I’m meeting up with them at a bar near my Hotel later tonight. Should be fun. :)
Track bikes are still very much a novelty in Australia but they’re a dime a dozen here. Despite this you still get the occasional knowing nod from couriers and the like.
Apparently John Digweed is in town tonight, I’ve missed his last 2 shows in Melbourne so I’m tempted to go and check him out. Hyper is also doing a show tonight, he’d probably be a bit more up my alley but I really didn’t come here to party so we’ll see.
The coffee here is terrible, kthxbye.