Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Interesting read

While roaming around Barnes & Noble the other day I found a pretty interesting read in the Sports/Cycling section.

"The Immortal Class", Bike Messengers and the cult of human power. Written by Travis Hugh Culley a former messenger from Chicago. A shade over 300 pages and gives a pretty good sense of the lifestyle and the problems facing ALL cyclists as they interact with the community as a whole.

$11.95 so really no excuse to pass it up. Hell, give up your Starbucks hit for a couple of days and your there.

Dave

the IFBMA messenger list has been lit up lately with people talking about travis. the story as i hear it is that he messengered for 9 months (i guess he missed out on the chicago winter) and wrote a memoir about it. "world famous rookie" is how i've heard him described. also, apparently it was originally billed as a compilation, and some of the "compiled" work from other authors might have made it into the final memoir without attribution. *shrug*

some criticism of "the immortal class" and travis:
http://www.dccourier.com/messengers/messenger_archives_2003/msg01607.html
http://www.dccourier.com/messengers/messenger_archives_2003/msg01600.html
http://chicagocriticalmass.org/media/greenfieldtravis.html

ouch i didn't know that. i thought it was a good read though.

Well, we found the cloud to the silver lining. That's too bad. I'm just glad to see that there is atleast some validity to his writings. Perhaps the creative liberties were a little strong?

Dave

I've seen Travis at Mass a few times and he's friends with some of the people I've worked with at the Chicago Bicycle Federation. He seems cool.

I loved his book. Whether or not it's true, it is thought-provoking and sends an interesting message. Because it also takes place in the city I live in, it has more resonance for me as well.

Take it for what it is, whatever it may be.

A guy I know that messengers,rides with the cutting crew, in Chicago(But buys his steel toe clips from us in Raleigh, NC when home visiting parents :D ) Says there is mixed opinion about Travis. It was good to get the story out but he stepped on some toes doing it.