I No everything, just ask Me

I get several questions daily about bicycles, photography, and other subjects, so I thought I would pass on some of the recent emails I have received.

"Matt, what kind of bike should I get?"  William from Raleigh, NC

Good question Bill, I would suggest a blue one.


"Hey guy, what is the best bicycle for under $300.00,  I am getting into triathlons and am on a budget." Jerry from Houston, TX

Jerry, I would look for a Nishiki International circa mid 1980s, a great road bike, Tange frame, very fast, I have one that I bought new in 1986, still rides great. Look for them on eBay, they come up every so often and are a bargain at any price under $425.00.

"Matt, my buddy has a Canon D7 and I have a Nikon D7000, he says his camera is better, but I think my camera is better, who is right?"  Artie from Macon, GA

Thanks for the question Artie,  but let me ask you a question, say I'm standing next to Picasso and he has a Richeson Student paint brush, retail .35c, and I have a Da Vinci Maestro brush,  retail $520.00, who's paint brush is better?  

"I take it you are not a fan of Chinese made bikes, but in doing so you eliminate about 80% of the market, how can you say all Chinese made bikes are bad?"   Leng from Pensacola, FL

Thanks for your question Leng, however I have never said, nor do I think that all bikes made in China are of poor quality.  In fact, some very good bicycles come out of the factories in China, but not the Schwinn I bought my daughter a few years go when the kickstand separated from the frame on Day One, or the Mongoose BMX bike that my neighbor had that almost turned him into her when the seat stem split in two, or my nephew's Raleigh Venture that brought new meaning to "bouncing baby boy" when the front fork broke.  When shopping for a bicycle, look to see where it was made, personally I would avoid a "Made in China" bike, but  likewise I would not be hesitant to purchase a 'Made in Taiwan" bike, they do not seem to have the poor quality issues found in the bikes made in China.

Amanda from New Orleans asks, "Matt, how come the video from my Olympus E-PL1 sucks compared to the video Olympus shot with their E-PL1 to make the commercial for the camera? Should I return it and get a Panasonic?"

Great question Amanda.  The commercial that Olympus made for the E-PL1 using the E-PL1 is very impressive indeed. Now, when you shoot your video, do you usually have about six assistants with you, a sound man, a focus puller, a few folks handling the lighting, a dolly, a post production crew, and about $5,000.00 in editing software?  Well if not, don't worry, you can get very good video from your Olympus, or any other dslr, or micro 4/3rds camera, but it takes practice and you need to know the limitations.  Keep in mind that the really good videos you see on You Tube made with these types of cameras are made by skilled photographers adept in video and post production.  Keep your Olympus, and with a little practice and patience you will get good results. And get a tripod.

Got a question about something? Just ask me.