Bicycle Eyes is the work of Don Johnson, a writer/cyclist/runner who lives in rural east-central Indiana. What started as an online journal about cycling has transformed into one that also focuses on running. You’re good with that, right?
ABOUT DON
I’m a full-time free-lance writer who specializes in the antiques industry. I know what you’re thinking, ”Can you make a living at that?” Let me put it this way — I’m still feeding my family, the mortgage gets paid every month, and I’ve got a couple of shiny bikes and two pairs of running shoes that keep me happy both on the road and in the woods.
ABOUT THE BIKES
My road bike is a 2005 Giant OCR C2 which has more than 20,000 road miles. Before I was a cyclist, I was a runner. Nothing in the world compares to a marathon. When I gave up distance running for roughly 15 years due to a recurring injury, I felt practically gutted. Cycling put my innards back. There’s just something about being on a road bike.
My mountain bike is a 2008 Giant Trance 2. It replaced an off-the-shelf Schwinn that got me started biking during the summer of 2004. The Schwinn was great for puttering around that first season, but it was certainly not the bike for a long-term relationship. It was donated to an Indianapolis mission when I bought the Trance. After several years of mountain biking, I’m hooked. I love it more every time I go out.
ABOUT RUNNING
In March 2010 I began running again. Running was my first real passion, something started my freshman year in high school and continued through the early 1990s, but injuries finally brought me to a stop. When Daughter No. 1 started running track, I put on a pair of shoes and tried again. I had forgotten how much I love the sport.
Of course, why just run when you can race? I did the Tecumseh Trail Marathon in early December 2010. Two weeks later I completed my first ultra, the HUFF 50K. Not bad for a guy whose last marathon was 17 years prior. Recent races have included Dances With Dirt in Gnaw Bone, Ind., and a series of all-comer track meets.
ABOUT THE SHOES
I wear a pair of Brooks Cascadia 6 for trail running and a pair of Brooks Ghost 3 for on the roads. Having previously worn two pairs of Adidas adiZero XT that were feather-light but tended to beat up my feet, the Cascadia 6 provide the right balance of weight and protection. As for the Ghost 3, they’re fine for pounding the pavement — what little of that I actually do.
ABOUT THE CAMERAS
The pictures you see in this blog were mostly taken with an Olympus Stylus 770 SW. (That line is now known as the Olympus Tough.) Other than the small size, which means it easily fits in a jersey pocket, the Stylus 770 SW has three features that make it the perfect bike camera. First and foremost, it’s shockproof. You can drop it, and it still works. Having bounced it off the pavement during a ride, I can attest that the little bugger is tough. Second, it’s waterproof. No need to worry about a little rain. You can take this guy scuba diving and not fear that it’s going to go belly up. Finally, its freezeproof. Olympus claims the camera works down to 14 degrees. I’ve had it on colder rides, and it shot just fine. As an added bonus, it’s also crushproof, should you happen to sit on it. The Olympus goes with me on almost every ride and on many runs.
When I want to get serious, I reach for my work camera, a Canon Digital Rebel XTi. It’s one heck of an outfit when more than a little camera is needed. I rode with the Canon strapped to my back during the second day of the Hilly Hundred in 2007. It’s not the right gear if you’re counting grams, but it sure does take sweet pictures.
