You’re entering the vicinity of an area adjacent to a location. The kind of place where there might be a monster or some sort of weird mirror. These are just examples. It could also be something much better. Prepare to enter The Scary Door.

This past week has been quite odd. Not sure what to make of it, but I feel like something is about to happen. It’s weird but my senses are all on alert for some reason. Anyone else ever get like that?

I got a new chariot. I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t help myself. I’ve never heard of the bike before - Carabela - and it looked great in the photos. I’ve got plans for her and plenty of time. The problem is that I don’t have a whole lot of money. Hit me with your freelance work so I can fund this rebuild project!

I realize I haven’t mentioned anything car related in a while. It is fitting that I should make this the article where I do so. Porsche recently unveiled its ultra sleek “Porsche Design Edition 1” Cayman S.

Porsche has done very little to stray from the visual identity of their cars. Their forte is performance first with a sexy body second. Most often, Porsche automotive designers and engineers modestly improve on the look of the cars. But this year, it will be different…Porsche Design has been handed the torch.

This is the first time that the Porsche Design division has been involved in bringing the sophisticated look of their consumer branded products to the actual automobile. And it comes at the 35th anniversary of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche who first introduced the Chronograph 1s.

Porsche Design certainly left no stone uncovered as the instrument cluster, interior, exterior, wheels and vehicle height have been finessed. The result is a gorgeous black on black example of minimalist form and function.

To sweeten the package each owner will receive a personal briefcase which will include items designed by Porsche Design such as a chronograph, pen, sunglasses, knife, and keyring…all matching the car.

Only 777 variants will be made and European markets get first dibs when the car goes on sale this November.

If you’ve been holding out on purchasing something with that bonus you received, your moment has arrived.

Every so often I come across a bike that makes me say, “Ah, that’s nice.” Recently I had the privilege of seeing a bike that completely struck me with cycle envy.

For the second weekend in a row, I passed a young lady on a shiny, all steel, fully lugged, yellow stallion. Discreetly emblazoned on the down tube was the name Ebisu. The first time I saw the bike I enthusiastically yelled to her, “Nice bike” as I rode past. This past weekend a simple nod and thumbs up did the trick. Each time, riders with bikes costing thousands of dollars and color schemse that can cause seizures would scoff. Quietly this woman - and I - knew that she had something more special than they could imagine.

Ebisu bikes are the loving creations of Hiroshi Iimura. Originally an industrial designer who helped develop the first general Honda Civic, Mr. Iimura soon transfered that talent to bicycle frame building.

The slap in the face to the “lycra jockies” is that while their bikes have blades, wings, carbon fiber and colors taken from episodes of Rainbow Brite, each of Mr. Iimura’s bikes are handbuilt. His frames represent timeless, classic builds using traditional methods for assembling frames (instead of welding, he uses lugs and brazes the tubes together). This labor of love means that each Ebisu bike has the glorious tag “hand made”, rather than grossly manufactured. And, if you are so inclined, Mr. Iimura will build you a fully custom, uber exclusive frame that is suited to only you.

The young woman and I are not the only ones that “get it” either. The NYTimes ran a short article detailing Mr. Iimura’s shop and his philosophy on bike building.

If you are in the California area or plan to visit, make sure one of your stops is to Berkley to check out Jitensha Studio.