Reader’s Journey: In Between Moments at Love Letter Turbo 2
Heads Up: Here is another “Reader’s Journey” a.k.a. guest articles. This time by Conor how was at the second edition of the Love Letter Turbo Weekend.
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Hey guys, Conor here. If you were at Love Letter Turbo 2 (LLT), you probably know me as the tall guy in black. If not, you might know me from Instagram as @clarkestreet for my photos.
I’ve been riding and shooting for half my life, mainly BMX, with a few fixed gear conversions along the way. After the first LLT, I finally built a proper track bike, and wow, what a difference.
Photography-wise, I learned on black and white 35mm film in college and stuck with it for years, occasionally trying color and digital. Lately, I’ve been into Kodak Ultramax as it’s affordable and has the right speed.
First off, a big thank you to Corentin and Stéphane for organizing the second edition of Love Letter Turbo, and once again giving me the opportunity to showcase some of my work in their publication. This time, my friend Toby and I teamed up on a more focused visual take on the Dogeth video, something we’ve been quietly working on for the past few years. Our contribution is sandwitched among the many incredible pieces from the talented artists who took part in this second LLT release. So, if you haven’t had a chance to check out the publication yet but have eight minutes to spare, we’d love for you to give the video a watch.
The weekend kicked off Thursday evening at Quintal Atelier, the publishing house behind the book release. I was genuinely impressed by the sheer volume of artwork, zines, and of course, the publication itself, all created by a dedicated crew of contributors. The turnout was just as impressive: the atelier was packed, and the crowd even spilled out onto the street. The space itself was beautifully curated, dense with inspiration but not overwhelming. I’d love to return when it’s less busy to really take everything in. And I feel that, as the first gathering of the weekend, it was the perfect moment to reconnect with friends, many of whom I hadn’t seen in over a year.
Friday was all about riding. A big chunk of the Slow Spin boys linked up for a tourist day. Even though I’d been to most of Paris’ landmarks before, cycling between them gave me a whole new understanding of how the city connects. There’s something special about experiencing a place above ground, at bike speed.
After a quick stop at Mass Works, we headed to Place de la Bastille to prep for the Fast Ride. Things started off chill but quickly turned into what felt like a group Hotline video, with friends bombing through tunnels doing wheelies, while somehow keeping pace with the pack. Good Times! Then came the climbs. I lost the group, gained some elevation… and full-on cramped up. Bad Times! But we all made it to the afterparty at Stolen Garage, a familiar spot for many of us since it served as home base during last year’s event.
By Saturday, I had to admit: I’m not as fit as I thought. I ended up skipping most of the group hangs to explore the south of Paris solo. As much as I hated missing time with everyone, it was the right call. My legs would’ve hated me otherwise.
Sunday was a mellow one, mostly spent at Mass Works geeking out about bikes and cameras, and trying to convince people that buying a Leica is totally reasonable thing to do… If you know, you know. Later, we rolled back to Bastille (basically the default fixed gear meetup spot it seems) for a chill trick session. I don’t often get the chance to ride trick-track with a group, so being surrounded by people all pushing for the same goal felt great. It really pushed me to land something before the day ended.
If you noticed, most of the photos in this article don’t show anyone actually riding bikes. That was intentional. I wanted to focus on the “in-between” moments, the parts that really made the trip special for me. Whether you were a local or visiting from abroad, the vibe felt like a massive group of friends just hanging out. The cycling was almost just a bonus. Of course, there were so many beautiful bikes to admire, custom paint, custom frames, dream builds. My own bike even made its first trip outside the UK. There was truly something for everyone.
Before wrapping this up, I want to thank Paul for creating Slow Spin Society. If I hadn’t discovered the podcast, I wouldn’t have had my work published in two books, wouldn’t have met any of the people I now call friends, many of whom are scattered around the globe, and I definitely wouldn’t have reignited my love for fixed gear. Hearing how many local scenes are fading makes me realize how lucky I am to be part of something this special.
And a massive shoutout to my friend Mathieu for putting me up all weekend and giving me a place to crash.
Thanks for reading my first ever article. Peace out.
Travel with your bike. See new places. Have fun.
✍️: @clarkestreet
📸: @clarkestreet
🎞: Kodak ColorPlus 200 / UltraMax 400
📷: Leica M3
📍: Paris