IT USED TO BE SO MUCH FUN

Not that I remember, or was even alive. But admittedly, when I think of the big races like Le Tour, or the Giro, I think of helmet-less dudes in woolen cycling jerseys zipping along cobblestone roads having to stop at wells to get their own water, riding lugged steel frames, and carrying their own damned inner tubes in their pockets. These races now are all spandex, lycra, support cars and carbon fiber. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I love watching the races.

BUT.

Imagine if it was still like this:

MASH UP SLAMMER JAMMER

Ok. So, carrying on here, I have completed August's mix offering. Here it is, the THIEVES LIKE US mix, Volume Two. The first installment was primarily electronic focused. Making all of you bob your heads and tap your toes while speeding to your favorite summer climbing spot. Volume two is offering something a little more diverse. I don't promise that everyone is going to like every single song on here. You just wait until I make the THIEVES LIKE US KVLTEST BLACK METAL mix. Then most of you will really wonder what the hell is wrong with me.

As a post script, I have to give a shout out to some of my music savvy pals who introduced me to a couple of the jams on here, which I am now passing on. This is one of the many things that is so wonderful about music!

DOWNLOAD LINK: http://www.sendspace.com/file/g3qh9h

As usual, track order is key (by artist):

1] The Airborne Toxic Event
2] Datarock
3] Better Than a Thousand
4] Gallows
5] Inquisition
6] Count Me Out
7] Paint it Black
8] The Hope Conspiracy
9] Cancer Bats
10] I.E
11] Nachtmar
12] State of the Union
13] Peter Heppner
14] The Daysleepers
15] Built to Spill
16] Bit Shifter
17] Cylob
18] Milke
19] Elke
20] Seabound

A few notes: Peter Heppner is the vocalist for German synthpop band WOLFSHEIM. Check them out. The BIT SHIFTER cover track is on the Weezer tribute album available here. The AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT song is amazing, and every other song by them sucks. So don't bother.

LOST & FOUND

Finally got the last batch of pictures off of the camera. Some on there that I had forgotten about. A good sequence of the Sunset Arete Traverse in Rocklands, South Africa. This thing is V7 or so, and is rather tall. We had (as you can see), one tiny lousy little crashpad with us. Falling was not an option.

UNHOLY PANTS

As long as we are talking about pants...let me throw this little update at you: Not too long ago, I mentioned the most amazing jeans of all time ANTI-SWEDEN JEANS. Well, they have just recently finished a commercial for the pants. And it might be the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life. Pay close attention to the shadow at the beginning!

OUTLIER CLIMBER PANTS

The irony here is that these pants are actually designed for cycling. Not climbing. I bought these pants at Bicycle Film Festival in NYC earlier this summer, and instantly knew they were going to become a favorite. These things are probably about as close to the perfect pairing of fashion and function as you can get. A nice slim fit, made from 4Season Lotus soft shell fabric, these things stretch, repel water, breathe and look damn good. The reversed yoke reduces the normal friction areas that would be a problem whilst riding...or rock climbing for that matter. And the curved waistband keeps your thong from hanging out when you're riding or topping-out on your favorite boulder problem. It's also worth mentioning that these pants are made in NYC. OUTLIER has a no-compromise aesthetic using nothing but the best fabrics and quality construction right in the Big Apple. As a result, the prices are a bit steep for the average climber/cyclist. These pants clock in at $180. But frankly, are well worth it. The biggest problem in the outdoor industry for years has been it's lack of ability to keep up with the rest of the universe in regards to fashion and lifestyle. If you go to any outdoor retailer trade show, most people there look like some sort of urban hippy poser. It's really a shame. And unlike most other fringe sports like Skateboarding, BMX, etc. climbing has nobody doing anything that even remotely relevant on a fashion level. Unless, of course, you are in to bedazzled tee shirts (Not that there's anything wrong with that.). The moral here: The outdoor industry needs a swift kick in the pants. It needs to catch up with the rest of the world. There is no reason why you can't have fantastically functional clothing that also looks amazing and is fashion forward.




The bad news? Luckily there isn't much. The only things I would change here are the back pockets. At least one of them needs to have a closure of some kind, and they are just as stretchy as the rest of the pants, so when I am riding, I feel like my u-lock and/or my wallet are going to fall out. Outside of that, these things are freaking genius. They ride amazingly, they climb amazingly, and they look and fit awesome. They also come in a lighter weight summer-time fabric (which I am wishing I had right about now.), and they also made some killer shorts as well. (What's up guys...send me a pair!)

Outlier is killing it. Super fine craftsmanship, great product, and killer style. Hoodies, hats, pants, shirts. Get in to it.