Bike punks or punks on bikes? I never really understood mixing bike with more over-the-top punk culture... I mean, bondage belts get caught on ****.
As for dirty brown shirts and nasty hair, well, it's just apealing. Some of the most "punk" looking people I know listen to folk and country strictly. Likewise with bikers. I think it all comes down to that whole "rugged individualism" deal, the 'lone biker', them against the world with nothing but one gear and a big bag, like Mad Max on two weels, a new-age urban cowboy. It's just attractive to pretty much anyone. Of course Capitalism has had it's fair share in trying to co-opt the bike scene. (via store-bought fixies and Lincoln SUV commercials praising couriers!) but couriers just continue to be too damned elitist. Maybe this is a good thing? I mean, otherwise, even MORE people would be into the messenger scene, and it would become mainstream (like punk did)... blech. Atleast it's still something of a counter-culture, like not everyone knows what a reference to say.. 42X15 means, not like they recognize Sid and Nancy...
That's what we have to worry about, when 13 year old kids who've never actualy owned a bike start wairing Campy hats!