Bike Messengers Who Love Classic & Vintage
02-28-17, 12:57 PM
#26
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3 bikes stolen in 13 months in that town. Also had my wife's Brooks taken in broad daylight on Market street, with a chain lock through the rails.
02-28-17, 01:24 PM
#27
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Messengers like fast and cheap. I'd reckon it's more that than any sort of appreciation for vintage classics. There are a lot of old racing bikes floating around the bay area, because cycling has always been popular there. Because theft is rampant, bikes have to be considered semi disposable.
I got away with an old Brooks on my commute bike in SF for most of the 90s, but people didn't really know what Brooks was then, other than old fashioned and beat up...
I got away with an old Brooks on my commute bike in SF for most of the 90s, but people didn't really know what Brooks was then, other than old fashioned and beat up...
03-01-17, 01:16 PM
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03-01-17, 06:22 PM
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https://vimeo.com/164373283
03-01-17, 11:27 PM
#30
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I've started putting a cable through my Brooks as well. I keep fixing old bikes up, and occasionally think it would be awfully nice to have a beater to lock up in town (like during the Hardly Strictly festival, for example), but mine all have Brooks, which is like attaching a big red flag saying "steal me".
Last edited by sunburst; 03-01-17 at 11:34 PM.
03-01-17, 11:39 PM
#31
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This is the last one I took today before heading home. It's a pretty cool looking Faggin. Another bike I don't know the history of very well. Looks like the front fork has been replaced (my uneducated, un-researched guess) with an Easton one.
I wonder if having messengers riding cool classic steel is something distinct to San Francisco?
It doesn't seem like it would be but then again I haven't had the opportunity to take a long close look at what messengers are riding elsewhere.
I wonder if having messengers riding cool classic steel is something distinct to San Francisco?
It doesn't seem like it would be but then again I haven't had the opportunity to take a long close look at what messengers are riding elsewhere.
03-02-17, 12:08 AM
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Hey! Think I may have this guy's original fork on my Titan. Bike looks to be the right size and I got the fork on eBay from S.F. Don
03-02-17, 03:42 PM
#33
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03-02-17, 03:48 PM
#34
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Bike Messengers Who Love Classic & Vintage - De Bernardi Track
Here's one I caught a little earlier today. I know next to nothing about De Bernadi, but a quick search turned up that he worked at the Legano factory and he was in charge of the custom work and racing frames for Legnano’s professional teams before starting his own workshop in the early 80s. Not sure if that's accurate, but curious if anyone has any light to shed here.
Despite being parked with all of the messenger bikes, I wonder if this is used as a working bike at all... since it's one of the first I've seen in this group with no rack and no gears (unless you count the flip flop).
Despite being parked with all of the messenger bikes, I wonder if this is used as a working bike at all... since it's one of the first I've seen in this group with no rack and no gears (unless you count the flip flop).
03-02-17, 10:28 PM
#36
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Totally agree! My much more bike-knowledgeable neighbor suggested it is pronounced "fa-zen."
In not sure how that falls out of that spelling but I'm not "eye-tal-yun" either.
And yeah, this is a cool thread. Saw a CIOCC in North Beach recently and was pretty gobsmacked it was just locked up on the street like that.
In not sure how that falls out of that spelling but I'm not "eye-tal-yun" either.
And yeah, this is a cool thread. Saw a CIOCC in North Beach recently and was pretty gobsmacked it was just locked up on the street like that.
Last edited by sunburst; 03-02-17 at 10:31 PM.
03-07-17, 11:42 AM
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Bike Messengers Who Love Classic & Vintage - Tommasu
Spotted this one on the way in today. I had to look it up. Borderline C&V (I think - since I can't date it), but from what I gleaned Tommasu are Italian designed and Colorado manufactured? Curious if anyone has any opinions or experience with them.
Also, the fork on the bike to the right in the background is familiar, but I can't place it. I saw a beautiful Zunow a while ago being ridden by a bike messenger in SF and didn't manage to get a picture of it. I've been keeping my eye out ever since. It had a similar paint scheme, but not quite the same. But seeing this made me think it might have been the Zunow which looked like the below.
Also, the fork on the bike to the right in the background is familiar, but I can't place it. I saw a beautiful Zunow a while ago being ridden by a bike messenger in SF and didn't manage to get a picture of it. I've been keeping my eye out ever since. It had a similar paint scheme, but not quite the same. But seeing this made me think it might have been the Zunow which looked like the below.
03-07-17, 05:47 PM
#38
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I've started putting a cable through my Brooks as well. I keep fixing old bikes up, and occasionally think it would be awfully nice to have a beater to lock up in town (like during the Hardly Strictly festival, for example), but mine all have Brooks, which is like attaching a big red flag saying "steal me".
03-07-17, 06:48 PM
#39
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I've been sending beat-up Ironman frames to a certain bike messenger in Montreal for a few years now.
Also, at Richmond's Bike Yard Sale, the messengers' sale table is by far the most fun to visit.
The parts are beat to heck, not worth a look, but the people are a hoot. Real folks, real cyclists.
They sell, chat, crack on each other, make enough for dinner and some brew, and make me glad they're around.
Also, at Richmond's Bike Yard Sale, the messengers' sale table is by far the most fun to visit.
The parts are beat to heck, not worth a look, but the people are a hoot. Real folks, real cyclists.
They sell, chat, crack on each other, make enough for dinner and some brew, and make me glad they're around.
03-07-17, 10:08 PM
#40
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Bike Messengers Who Love Classic & Vintage - Mystery
So this one caught my eye today but I was hurrying along and only took this one picture. Anyone out there have any idea what this is? For a second I thought it might be a Mercian, but I don't think that's the case.
Any guesses? I know the angle doesn't help and neither does the fact that the seat has been chained to the frame obscuring the rear lug work which may have been telling. I wonder what that cover is on the seat-chain (dibs on coining that term... who would have thought any bike other than a tandem would have multiple chains -grin-). Maybe it's plastic or leather to keep things from being scratched up. It almost looks like a twisted up old tire. The way the owner has twisted it up reminds me of how leather toe straps are (were) often twisted up in a similar fashion, presumably to allow some "give" (can anyone enlighten me about this?). Are those chromed Campagnolo drop-outs at the rear? The fork crown looks familiar as well.
Any insight greatly appreciated! Is it something interesting or am I barking up the wrong tree?
Sorry about the poor photo. If I catch this bike again I'll try to post a better one.
Any guesses? I know the angle doesn't help and neither does the fact that the seat has been chained to the frame obscuring the rear lug work which may have been telling. I wonder what that cover is on the seat-chain (dibs on coining that term... who would have thought any bike other than a tandem would have multiple chains -grin-). Maybe it's plastic or leather to keep things from being scratched up. It almost looks like a twisted up old tire. The way the owner has twisted it up reminds me of how leather toe straps are (were) often twisted up in a similar fashion, presumably to allow some "give" (can anyone enlighten me about this?). Are those chromed Campagnolo drop-outs at the rear? The fork crown looks familiar as well.
Any insight greatly appreciated! Is it something interesting or am I barking up the wrong tree?
Sorry about the poor photo. If I catch this bike again I'll try to post a better one.
03-08-17, 11:40 AM
#41
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Bike Messengers Who Love Classic & Vintage - F. Moser
Spotted this F. Moser and have no idea how old or recent it is. Looks like a nice frame. I like the chrome stays. I wonder if it originally had a chrome fork.
03-08-17, 11:49 AM
#42
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@CriticalThought - That fork does look out of place. Not a messenger but on the street in DC there are lots of bike "Hoops" for locking bikes. There is a De Rosa that looks well used on one of them within a block of the same location. It has full Record 9 or 10 speed on it. I am amazed that it hasn't been molested!
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03-08-17, 01:22 PM
#43
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There is a facebook group called Bicycles of New York or something like that, and it features bikes locked up outside. You might enjoy it.
Old bikes make a lot of sense if you are going to ride a lot, lock it up a lot, and treat it rough.
Old bikes make a lot of sense if you are going to ride a lot, lock it up a lot, and treat it rough.
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03-08-17, 01:36 PM
#44
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Messengers like fast and cheap. I'd reckon it's more that than any sort of appreciation for vintage classics. There are a lot of old racing bikes floating around the bay area, because cycling has always been popular there. Because theft is rampant, bikes have to be considered semi disposable.
I got away with an old Brooks on my commute bike in SF for most of the 90s, but people didn't really know what Brooks was then, other than old fashioned and beat up...
I got away with an old Brooks on my commute bike in SF for most of the 90s, but people didn't really know what Brooks was then, other than old fashioned and beat up...
We wanted fast, reliable/durable, COOL, and cheap. Vintage bikes tick all those marks.
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03-08-17, 02:54 PM
#45
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03-08-17, 03:31 PM
#46
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Bike messengers all have amazing stories. I like to hear them, and I like to watch bike messengers work. We have a ton of them here in NYC. It's not a job I would want.
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“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
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“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
03-08-17, 05:28 PM
#47
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Bike Messengers Who Love Classic & Vintage - Fuso
So it surfaced again... just spotted the messenger bike I've been trying to find after having seen it at a distance some time ago... not quite as easy to spot as the Zunow Hummingbird I've been looking for, but really nice (in it's own SF-messenger-bike sorta way). The elusive Fuso!
A couple of other reasons I get a kick out of this bike... the new-to-me locking technique. I've never seen a kryptonite lock used that way. I also love the creative use of crossed cables to hold a pack of cigarettes to the bars.
And this one has what seems to be its original fork! Almost makes me doubt it's a messenger bike!
Love it!
A couple of other reasons I get a kick out of this bike... the new-to-me locking technique. I've never seen a kryptonite lock used that way. I also love the creative use of crossed cables to hold a pack of cigarettes to the bars.
And this one has what seems to be its original fork! Almost makes me doubt it's a messenger bike!
Love it!
03-08-17, 05:59 PM
#48
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Maybe it's just the angle, but that ulock doesn't look like it's actually locking anything. It goes over both chainstays, and doesn't even look like it's catching a spoke. ????
03-08-17, 06:08 PM
#49
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04-04-17, 06:07 PM
#50
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Messenger Merckx
Saw this pretty Merckx today parked in the financial district in downtown San Francisco today. Seems to keep in the SF messenger bike tradition of nice frame with a replacement fork. Last week I saw the beautiful Zunow Hummingbird I've been trying to take a picture of. It was flying through a crowded intersection with no chance of a photo. Maybe next time... but for now I'm happy to have seen this Merckx!
