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Zeff Svoboda

@alteredconstants.com
49 followers 183 following 32 posts

Twirling, swirling 'round the pylon. (he/him)

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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 01/05/2026
A modest tour of the city for the finale of #30DaysOfBiking. In 30 days, I did 5 of 6 errands by bike, 363 miles, saw many familiar sights and several new, and am tired but have plans for another ride tomorrow with many more to come this year. Hope everyone had fun whether you rode 1 or 30 days.
A bike path, at night, under a bridge meandering off into the distance under another bridge. A bike is leaning against the pier of the bridge.A white domed building on a hill in the distance with a cityscape around and below it, framed in by the silhouette of tree branches and leaves at night.A city skyline at night reflected in a river below with strings of lights over several bridges spanning the river.The Moon glowing in the black night sky illuminating pillowy grey clouds below.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 30/04/2026
A little treat for the penultimate day of #30DaysOfBiking. I had to go check it out for myself.
A bike in a bright green bike rack in the parking lane of a city street at night. A pair of thin, plastic, reflective bollards mark both ends of the bike parking area with black and yellow striped curb just inside them, perpendicular to the road. The bad bike rack it's superseding is in the background, shoved up against the wall of a building.A bike in a bright green bike rack that says "Macalester Groveland Community Council" on both ends in the parking lane of a city street at night. A pair of thin, plastic, reflective bollards mark both ends of the bike parking area with black and yellow striped curb just inside them, perpendicular to the road. A bad, front-wheel-only bike rack is visible behind it.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 29/04/2026
A casual ride turns practical on day 28 of #30DaysOfBiking. Wasn't sure what I wanted to do today, but I left with a bag and a bike lock (like I always used to do) and realized that I could stop at the grocery store and pick up a few things. Easy and practical on a really nice evening.
A bike, half out of frame, leaning against a tree in front of a lake with many little ripples. The sky has a faint orange glow near the horizon framing a pavilion building across the lake separated from the dimming blue above by wispy dark clouds.A bike locked to a bike rack in front of a nondescript block wall of a building.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 27/04/2026
Some days of #30DaysOfBiking are going to require getting a little wet for an appointment, but that's okay. With a bit of rain gear, it's actually pretty nice out. (My bike thankfully was still there when I got back in spite of this suspect rack.)
A bike locked to a bike rack which is mounted a foot from the wall on an angled piece of metal (possibly aluminum) C-channel with a tiny anchor bolt holding it to the concrete block of the wall. The nuts and bolts holding the rack to the C-channel are exposed on the open end of the channel.A wet bike helmet and a rain coat on a carpet floor.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 27/04/2026
Still not summer yet for #30DaysOfBiking, apparently, but it's getting there. Liking this weather better anyway for daytime rides.
A bike in front of a fence over a water feature in a park without water in it.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 26/04/2026
A bit of exploration (on a longer ride) of a neighborhood I haven't spent much time in for day 25 of #30DaysOfBiking. I love the pockets of unique character and cultures that you can stumble upon throughout the city when you experience it at human scale.
A large brick house on a hill with a turret and ornate stone– and woodwork. A bike is leaned against a limestone wall at the edge of the property.A sculpture of a large painted monarch butterfly on plywood with cut-outs in the wing patterns showing the park behind. Above it reads "Protect Immigrants" and "Abolish ICE!". Next to it is a smaller version of the same that says "Migration Is Natural" above it.A large lake on an overcast day. In front of the lake, a bike is leaning against a railing with an half-circle pattern in the middle.A bike in front of many large, black timber piers and cross-braces below a pair of rail bridges.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 24/04/2026
Car-oriented development results in some truly absurd and dystopian spaces. How many apartments could you fit in this weird wedge alone. Just development (and lack thereof) investigation on day 24 of #30DaysOfBiking with the news that the Midway CVS site may someday not be a wasteland (skeptical).
A large empty space, covered in asphalt, between tall block walls of two featureless buildings meeting at an awkward, acute angle. A bike is leaned against one of the walls, dwarfed by the scale of the space.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 23/04/2026
#30DaysOfBiking, rain or shine. (Actually felt kind of nice.)
A bike path, with patches of water on it, in a park leading under a bridge surrounded by leafless trees on a grey, gloomy day.The handlebars of a bike with droplets of water all over it and a wet pant leg below.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 23/04/2026
On such a nice night for day 22 of #30DaysOfBiking, I had to stick to a strict route or else I was going to wander off for hours.
A bike leaning against a chain link fence at night overlooking a train as it vanishes off into the distant light of a far-off downtown skyline.A bike leaning against a fence overlooking empty train tracks at night.Trees silhouetted against the glow of the night sky, the moon bright in the center with a few stars visible around it.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 22/04/2026
Heard some frustrating rumors about the future of St. Paul bike infra, so I needed a #30DaysOfBiking ride to clear my head and see what Minneapolis has been doing lately. St. Paul has done a lot too but could be so much better! Also reminded of how massive car infra is compared to cycling and rail.
A city intersection with large buildings all around and sidewalk-level cycle paths intersecting at the corner and continuing on into the distance past a bus shelter. A bike is propped against a street light half out of frame.The underside of a large road overpass with enormous concrete piers and the deck covering half the frame in shadow, with seemingly more bridge continuing off the side. Under the bridge are some train tracks and a paved cycle path with light posts, the closest of which has a bike propped against it. In the distance off the other side in the bright sunlight, the train tracks lead to a train station.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 20/04/2026
I don't usually ride around rush hour, but being able to look back at the 30+ cars I passed is fun. The small joys of #30DaysOfBiking.
A busy intersection with many cars backed up across the street with a bike leaning against a lamppost near the corner.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 20/04/2026
Finally got to ride with some other people for day 19 of #30DaysOfBiking. It was nice to chat with everyone while we casually rolled around the city at sunset.
A bike leaning against a very tall railing stretching all the way out of frame, overlooking a wide river with a bridge lit up blue and pink in the distance. The sky glows a deep orange gradient divided up by various building towers all across the horizon. There are other bikes just peaking into frame.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 19/04/2026
Glad I waited for the wind to die down for day 18 of #30DaysOfBiking. It was definitely colder at night, but at least that I can dress for. Wind is miserable no matter what.
A large grassy median (starting to turn green) at night with streets either side, large trees (still leafless), and glowing lampposts lining either side. A bike is propped up against one of the trees.A pedestrian area at night lined with benches and plants, some still leafless, in front of a building mostly made of glass and a large glass dome greenhouse imposing behind. The yellow glow of the lampposts contrasts with the white light emanating from the greenhouse. A bike, partially obscured in the shadows, leans against the nearest bench.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 18/04/2026
Back to the grocery store to actually make use of the (good) racks across the street (and pick up a couple things) for day 17 of #30DaysOfBiking. Someone else made a reasonable attempt with the bad one.
A bike locked with a U-lock to a "lollipop" style bike rack on a wide concrete pad in the boulevard of a street.A (different) bike locked to a "conjoined sideways S" style bike rack using a cable lock wrapped around the frame. The bike's back wheel is sticking out over halfway across the sidewalk (with room around it in the concrete-covered boulevard) with its front wheel up against the wall of the building that the rack is in front of.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 16/04/2026
Finally made it back to the post office for my first real "errand" of #30DaysOfBiking. Decided to take the long, scenic route to get a little more ride in.
A narrow city street with a few parked cars on one side and a bike leaning against a no parking sign next to a sidewalk on the other side. There are apartment buildings either side amplifying the enclosed effect and casting shadows across the street on a bright day.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 16/04/2026
While I prefer to be around the commotion of many people going about their day rather than suburban or rural life, the calm of a sleeping city is still the best. Day 15 of #30DaysOfBiking was supposed be shorter for me, but I couldn't stop with a night like tonight. Fitting celebration of half way.
A bike leaning against a metal railing overlooking a lake at night with various little dots of light along the opposite shore reflected into the perfectly still water.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 14/04/2026
Sure would be nice if Summit had a proper bike path to make #30DaysOfBiking viable for more people. A 3–foot wide gap, completely covered in road sand/debris, between tons of moving steel isn't exactly pleasant. I've been riding city streets for nearly 20 years and even I don't feel safe here.
A city street with a painted bike lane narrowly sandwiched between a row of parked cars off into the distance and a truck and car in the driving lane with more coming behind them. The bike lane abruptly ends at an intersection with another street. There is a bike leaning against a lamp post in the foreground.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 13/04/2026
A quick li'l ride to the park for day 13 of #30DaysOfBiking before the sky breaks open and unleashes its mighty fury (allegedly).
A tall brick and stone gate structure with a bit of ornate carved stonework. There is both a road and a bike path passing through two different openings and the bike path leads off into a nice wooded area. A bike is leaned against one of the gate columns.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 13/04/2026
Another late night for day 12 of #30DaysOfBiking. Hello, Minneapolis.
My bike, very brightly lit, propped against a picnic table. In the background, in increasing darkness of night the farther away you get, there are several sailboats at a dock on a lake. Across the lake there are many buildings along the shore of varying heights, lit with many shades of warm white and red lights.My bike, at night, propped against a bench in a lightly wooded area with a creek behind the bench. There are houses across the creek up a hill.A lake with a path and a few trees on the shore and the blown-out glow of lights at night across it. My bike is partially in frame in the lower right leaning against a tree.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 12/04/2026
Ended up doing a minor repair en route tonight. Good thing I always have my multi-tool with me. And then I ran into an old friend (pictured). I missed what seemed like a lot of activities earlier in the day, and hopefully I can get out to more events, but it was still a good #30DaysOfBiking night.
My bike, brightly lit with harsh shadows cast behind it, propped against a tree by the side of a wet road at night.A large, copper, green-tarnished statue of a tortoise raising its head up toward the sky at night, illuminated by a bike light on my handlebars just in frame. Behind the statue is a dark, empty playing field.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 11/04/2026
For day 10 of #30DaysOfBiking, I decided to do this challenge by finding some of the hills I've had to deal with regularly at various points in my life. Sometimes they're a slog, but tonight they were fine and didn't detract from another beautiful night of exploration.
A street at night. The street climbs upward at a decent slope with no end in sight. The image is awash with street lights, cars lights, and traffic signals creating smudgy halos as the street converges far off into the distance. My bike is propped against a traffic sign on the side of road in a concrete median.My bike propped against a bollard and sign post on the side of narrow road curving around a large brick building. The road ascends up steeply as it rounds the back of the building and disappears.My bike propped against a traffic sign just off the curb of a road over a bridge. The bridge curves off to the right after climbing 20+ feet above another road adjacent to it. It's night out and the lighting is harsh and blurry, illuminating warehouses around the bridge.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 10/04/2026
On a frustrating and tiring day/week, sometimes you just need to ride a simple loop that you've done dozens of times. A nice, quiet, calm night. Serene. The best day of #30DaysOfBiking so far for me despite almost not going out at all.
A road at night lined with tall, leafless trees. It has a satin glow from recent rain reflecting streetlights off into the distance framed under a low metal bridge on concrete piers. My bike is on the edge of the curb, relatively small in the frame and obscured in the dim light.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 09/04/2026
Apparently I've decided I'm investigating racks at all the nearby grocery stores for #30DaysOfBiking now. The Cub in Har Mar (1st image) has nearly the worst kind save for the end loops, and the Cub and Aldi (2nd and 3rd) at Roseville Center are a bit better than the Kowalski's from the other day.
My bike sideways inside a rack that you put one of your wheels into with nowhere to lock up to. The rack, in front of a long, barren brick wall with a Cub Pharmacy sign high up above, also has two tubular metal arches on either end supporting the wheel slots that could be used as real, actually useful places to lock your bike but don't appear to be intended for such.My bike leaning against one of two bike racks. The racks are the "conjoined sideways S" kind made of thick metal tubes with 6 vertical sections per rack. It is in a fairly empty corner of a building but there is room around it to actually get multiple bikes in perpendicular to the rack.My bike against another bike rack of the "conjoined sideways S" variety. This one is made of thinner tubing which would be easier to get a U-lock around. It also has clearance to attach bikes perpendicular in order to fit more in, though there is only 4 vertical sections and it is partially blocking the pedestrian sidewalk.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 08/04/2026
I saw someone else post from the falls for #30DaysOfBiking so I figured I'd go check it out for myself as well. Somehow, despite supposedly being warmer and less windy out, it was seemingly neither of those. I guess that explains the ice that remains.
A tall waterfall will some towers of dirty ice around the edges of it. My purple bike is in the foreground, half out of frame, up against a large stone wall overlooking the falls.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 07/04/2026
Why do grocery stores always have the worst bike racks and hide them out of sight of the main entrance. I wish more were open late at night also, but that's just me being weird. Some good investigation for potential #30DaysOfBiking grocery gathering this month, at least.
My bike propped against a bike rack made of large tubes bent into conjoined sideways "S"s. The rack is parallel to and only about 1.5 feet from the wall of a building. It's dark outside and my headlight is the only light illuminating the rack. The parking lot next to the building is fully illuminated, as is the inside of the building visible through the windows above the rack.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 06/04/2026
One of my favorite spots in the city for day 5 of #30DaysOfBiking. Best at night.
A downtown city skyline lit up at night across a river, including several strings of lights lining the bridges crossing the river. My bike is in darkness in the foreground.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 05/04/2026
Day 4 of #30DaysOfBiking, I decided to check in on the Ford site development. Continuing to developed into an odd little urban oasis on the edge of the city. More apartments would probably be good, but the rows and rows of... row houses is certainly unique and cool for the Cities.
My bike against a light pole with a no parking sign on it. There are newly build/modern row houses on the right off into the horizon, a playground on the other side of the street, and more row houses further off in the distance along all the other blocks visible.A concrete walk/platform on the edge of a large-ish pond in a park with a pedestrian bridge in the background connecting the park across the pond. Further back are more new row houses, a crane, and further back still some large apartment buildings, new and old.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 03/04/2026
I almost rode to the post office to pick up a package but I wasn't sure if it'd fit in my bag (it would've), so I ended up driving. I rode back there after anyway just 'cause. I do want to do more trips by bike. #30DaysOfBiking
My blue bike leaning on a black metal fence in front of a red brick building with a tiny, faded and deteriorating sign that says "United States Post Office" in the window.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 03/04/2026
Not the most pleasant ride ever, but a quick jaunt around town for day two of #30DaysOfBiking. Only a little moist.
My light blue bike up against a slightly soggy tree with a red park rec building and other trees in the background. The sky is grey and the bike paths are damp.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 01/04/2026
I somehow managed 31 days in October once, so surely I can convince myself to stick to #30DaysOfBiking.
My bike (carefully) propped up on a small tree near the shore of a lake with a pavilion in the distance across the lake.
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Zeff Svoboda @alteredconstants.com · 21/08/2023
Me, facing away from the camera, sitting on the edge of a wide, turbulent waterfall, carved through ancient volcanic rock with green trees and bushes in the distance.
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