Mentmore & Morley Cafe

puppy

ragu

wine

wrap

mia_nap

Big day of awesome D&M’s with Gina yesterday. Been meaning to try out Mentmore & Morley Cafe. Did not disapoint! So many more cafes to try in my hood.

Posted in Food | Leave a comment

Alpitude Stelvio out-front mount

alpitude_computer_mount
From Italy with love.

alpitude_computer_mount_weight

alpitude_computer_mount_extralite

Alpitude Stelvio out-front mount for my Extralite stem.

Posted in Bike | Leave a comment

Absolute Black

01_absoluteblack_graphenpads
AB graphen pads.

03_absoluteblack_lockring
AB lockring.

02_absoluteblack_ospw
AB OSPW in titanium.

04_absoluteblack_lockring
AB lockring weight.

05_shimano_lockring
Shimano Dura-Ace lockring weight.

01_shimanorotor

02_shimanorotor

ribcageIII
Also picked these up for the SL8 as I love the one on my Allez (so easy to get bottles in and out of it), and found these on sale. Went for the matte finish to better suit the bike.

I took advantage of the Black Friday Sales and bought some Absolute Black gear + picked up some bottle cages too for the SL8. Really unsure about the OSPW, but it’s the new version and I do think it looks kinky AF (reminds me of flesh tunnels in ears). A while back I managed to source some of the discontinued Dura-Ace aero style rotors, so will put those on the Allez and move the Galfers onto the SL8.

Posted in Bike | Leave a comment

Breaking the internet

Screenshot (210)

Screenshot (211)

Posted in Bike | Leave a comment

Max Mann

channels4_profile
@itsmaxmann

A few weeks ago I was at CCACHE, my local bike shop, and I spent the whole Saturday there with Sam the mechanic and a young guy who was having his bike serviced.

It turns out the guy knows about ZEN Garage and was surprised to find out I was the guy who owned and ran it. He said he was 15 when he visited ZEN in Leichhardt, and it brought back good memories for him.

Anyways, fast forward to a week or so ago, one of his videos RANDOMLY rocks up on my YouTube feed! Turns out he’s an aspiring racer now in the cycling scene (he makes great videos!). I subscribed, and left a comment to which he replied:

hahaha how small a world is it! Glad one popped up for you mate. Great meeting you at CCACHE the other week! Thanks for subbing. P.S. you are taking me back to my youth with the ZenGarage account, 15 year old Max would be stoked 😂😂

And get this, literally a few days ago I was watching my fave Australian cycling related podcast The Nero Show and gues who’s on the show as a guest? Max Mann!

Super happy for him, that’s massive exposure. Way to go Mann!

ANYWAYS. There’s more. Just a few minutes ago Nick messages me;

“I heard you ran into one of the models I shoot with at CCACHE”.

I’m like hmmmm. I don’t think I’ve met any models at CCACHE at all…

Then it hits me. BAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In March 2023 Nick invited me to be BTS shooter for an INSPORT shoot and guess who the male model was?

03_insport_bts

04_insport_bts

What a fucking small world, right?!

Follow Max on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ItsMaxMann

Posted in Bike, Photography | Leave a comment

Welcome Dose

01_welcomedose

02_welcomedose

03_welcomedose

So much love and respect for these 3. Very happy to be able to call them good friends.

Posted in Family, Food | Leave a comment

Steam: You’ve received a gift from Vrsatyle

Screenshot (206)
I’ve always believed in the power of manifestation, but this just takes the cake.

I’ve had an awesome few months on the bike; stumbling across a video featuring Jennifer Kay’s rim brake SL6, which inspired me to buy and build my own, to then running into her at Centennial Park, to then connecting with her on Instagram, to then asking if she’d be interested having some quality studio shots of her bike, to then having her tell me she’d love to shoot her bike, but not the SL6, and instead her new SL8 (my dream bike!), to then saying fuck it, YOLO and putting my money down on an SL8, to then shooting her bike with Nick at an amazing photo studio in Alexandria (UNO Studios) and catching up with an old mate Mark Pakula (who was videographer for the day).

It’s been a wild ride.

Last night Hawk told me he bought Remnant 2 on Steam. Hawk, Jase and I played through Remnant 1, it was refreshingly good. I saw that Remnant 2 was on sale atm, so I wishlisted it and thought I’d try to convince Jase to also buy it so us 3 could play through it together.

Well just a few minutes ago I got a Steam notification that Vrsatyle had bought me a gift, and hey presto, it’s Remnant 2! I laughed out loud. Pinching myself. Life’s good!

Posted in Games | Leave a comment

SL8 Update

468617981_10160498254540009_7360989282482062328_n
Hnnnnng!

PedalHeads Cycles in QLD have gone above and beyond with my S-Works SL8 build by moving over a complete SRAM Red E1 groupset from another bike to my bike (this colour would otherwise only be available on a Shimano Dura-Ace build).

I got to spec a 380mm x 115mm Roval cockpit too (the bike would have come with 400mm x 90mm which would have been too wide and short), they slammed the stem for me too!

Beyond happy with their service, everything from the initial emails, through to phone calls and getting update photos of the build!

SPECS:

2025 S-Works Tarmac SL8 Gloss Dove Grey / Silver Dust Blurred Impasto / Black Pearl

Brakes: SRAM RED E1 160mm/160mm
Shift Levers: SRAM RED E1
Derailleurs: SRAM RED E1
Cassette: SRAM RED 10-33t
Chain: SRAM RED E1
Crankset: SRAM RED E1 with Power Meter 165mm
Chainrings: SRAM Red E1 48/35
Pedals: Xpedo Thrust SL Titanium (165g)
Bottom Bracket: SRAM DUB BSA 68
Front Wheel: Roval Rapide CLX II 51mm depth
Rear Wheel: Roval Rapide CLX II 60mm depth
Tyres: S-works Turbo Rapidair 2BR 700x26mm
Inner Tubes: Specialized Turbo Ultralight 60mm Front, 80mm Rear
Stem: Roval Rapide Cockpit 380mm/115mm
Tape: Supacaz Super Sticky Kush
Saddle: Specialized S-Works Power with Mirror
SeatPost: S-Works 15mm offset
Head Unit and Mount: Roval

Posted in Bike | Leave a comment

Allez Sprint test shot

ohzpmnsxz04e1
MOOD.

Just a test shot from earlier this morning when Nick was setting up for Jen’s SL8 shoot at UNO Studios.

Posted in Bike | Leave a comment

BTS: Shooting MAAP Ambassador Jennifer Kay’s SL8 at UNO Studios

01_bts_jenniferkay

02_bts_jenniferkay

05_bts_jenniferkay

04_bts_jenniferkay

03_bts_jenniferkay

06_bts_jenniferkay

07_bts_jenniferkay

Earlier today we spent a few hours at UNO Studios in Alexandria to hang and shoot with MAAP Ambassador Jennifer Kay‘s new Specialized S-Works SL8.

Nick Turner was the photographer for the day, Mark Pakula our videographer. Look out for an upcoming ZEN feature soon!

In the meantime, follow:
@jenniferlouisek
@uno.studios_
@therealnickturner
@mpakula

Posted in Bike, Photography, Zen Garage | Leave a comment