Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - * * messenger rant * * (or maybe not?) WTF

...riding home on a lovely, all too warm winter evening, approaching the Manhatten bridge. riding in steady pace, i come upon a messenger riding over on the right side of the right lane. i ride past him up the center of the lane (simple enough). as soon as i pass him, i hear an ever fading 30 second stream of blather behind me. i think to myself, what's the deal? however, being prone to altercations, i keep my pace, & let it go. only moments later does this curious specimen pass me, pull directly in front of me, & slow down... (prancing with his bike) ...i've been served. i yell, what the ****'s the deal? he darts through traffic, & disappears into the night.

this is a curious meeting of strangers if you ask me. i treated it as (i imagine i would) the sighting of a one legged squirrel. is there a unspeakable code of conduct i have broken, or was he simply an a hole?

...curious indeed.

It's after this kept happening to me that i figured out i should ride around with "hitler rocks" written on the back of my bag.
Who would have thought.

Did you offer the secret handshake?

you shoulda went around him and raced him

I think he was challenging you

no handshake, but he did have some fancey moves as he pulled away.

this could have been one of two messers that i know of. don't sweat it. neither are worth worrying about.

one of the two did a lot worse to me once. even brushing up against me (i physically pushed him away) and then trying his darndest to keep up with me in traffic and yelling obscenities.

drugs do wonderful things, too.

drugs do wonderful things, too.
gimme

Thrashin' II

Genre: Action / Drama

Tagline: Reckless! Totally Insane!

Plot Outline: Two bicycle gangs battle each other for supremacy, and a member of one gang falls in love with the sister of his rival.

Not it.

Is it going to have a downhill race with one of the participants in a cast?

Is it going to have a downhill race with one of the participants in a cast?
not it.

So one thing I don't get is how you knew he was a messenger?

He sounds like a ****** for sure, but was he wearing a bag with the company name so that told you he was a messenger?

^^^ Good point

perhaps ***** is the messenger.

So one thing I don't get is how you knew he was a messenger?


He was riding a fixie, but his hat was on straight and he didn't have a white belt.

Couriers are pretty easy to spot, just look for the enormous bag, radio and lack of decals on the bike. BTW not all couriers ride fixies, only the ones in the know.

it was his... fancy footwork. you simply know these things.

it was his... fancy footwork. you simply know these things.

maybe he was trying to pick you up

Man you totally blew it. Shoulda busted out the james bond oil slick style.

Couriers are pretty easy to spot, just look for the enormous bag, radio and lack of decals on the bike. BTW not all couriers ride fixies, only the ones in the know.


EL. OH. EL.

wait, so you knew he was messenger because he was a good rider, is this what you're saying? what about looking for a radio or a company name?

and not it, whatever that's all about.

Thrashin' II

Genre: Action / Drama

Tagline: Reckless! Totally Insane!

Plot Outline: Two bicycle gangs battle each other for supremacy, and a member of one gang falls in love with the sister of his rival.
"When you're a Jet, it's a Jet you will stay, from your first cigarette 'til your last dying day..."

oh yeah, i was also gonna say, while that sounds unoriginal, i'd buy a movie like that, because it has bicycle gangs and the tagline "reckless! totally insane!"

"When you're a Jet, it's a Jet you will stay, from your first cigarette 'til your last dying day..."

"Breakin's a memory"

I really don't see how his being a messenger is relevant to this story.

It just sounds like this guy is an ass, and thus not worth worrying about.

Or else, as heebro said, he wanted to get your number.

Couriers are pretty easy to spot, just look for the enormous bag, radio and lack of decals on the bike. BTW not all couriers ride fixies, only the ones in the know.

I gotta call bull**** on this.

In SF it is more like "only the couriers on the short/legal board". Out of all the guys riding long board in SF (Western, Pro, Godspeed, pretty much anyone else going into the avenues) I only remeber a few of them being on track bikes 5 days a week (Demarco, Fergus, Carrier, Dan.) Elite companies like Jetset and NOBS had some riders on track bikes, but I never saw those guys going to Brisbane or getting hot on Ocean ave. If you are going long on a regular basis a road bike is faster and takes less energy. Don't get me wrong. I love track bikes, but there are plenty of rookies on track bikes and plenty of excellent messengers on road bikes. Besides, look at those who have done it for more than 20 years (shark, glen/glenda, friedman, junior, etc.) they are mostly riding basket bikes with high handlebars.

-James
(ex-messenger who almost never rode a track bike for work)

I think katio was making a joke.

what did it look like?

"When you're a Jet, it's a Jet you will stay, from your first cigarette 'til your last dying day..."
(snaps finger*)

not it!

huh? huh? come on everybody, I've got that fancy footwork...

I gotta call bull**** on this.

In SF it is more like "only the couriers on the short/legal board". Out of all the guys riding long board in SF (Western, Pro, Godspeed, pretty much anyone else going into the avenues) I only remeber a few of them being on track bikes 5 days a week (Demarco, Fergus, Carrier, Dan.) Elite companies like Jetset and NOBS had some riders on track bikes, but I never saw those guys going to Brisbane or getting hot on Ocean ave. If you are going long on a regular basis a road bike is faster and takes less energy. Don't get me wrong. I love track bikes, but there are plenty of rookies on track bikes and plenty of excellent messengers on road bikes. Besides, look at those who have done it for more than 20 years (shark, glen/glenda, friedman, junior, etc.) they are mostly riding basket bikes with high handlebars.

-James
(ex-messenger who almost never rode a track bike for work)


james? as in Big james? who absolutely owns with: BMX, Skateboard?
wait... he's a messenger?! =o

I'm IT!!!

but I don't have a big bag, or a radio, or fancy footwork, nor can I pass anyone, nor was I on the bridge today since I'm home sick...

guess I'm not it... :(

but I can cuss people out quite well!

james? as in Big james? who absolutely owns with: BMX, Skateboard?
wait... he's a messenger?! =o

No. this is cranky virginia james.