Damn, Joey it looks like you have the beginnings of a cult following, just keep it to NOLA though, I hear Waco and French Guiana aren't too receptive.

Yep. Dennis Hopper. I own that DVD of the Redux. Used Vagner's Flight of the Valkyries in one of my videos too. First movie I ever spent $3.00 to see at the theater. Yes, I really am nearly 52.

Or... rather than clicking on the link in my other post, click here and fast forward to about 6:40 (that's more for the uninitiated than for you).

I am a Libertarian. My followers would be free to do as the please pretty much.

I take full responsibility for myself. You can show me how I can improve my cycling, but I will be the one who is cycling. I don't do stuff I think is dangerous - no point.

Regarding a point made earlier about having spikes instead of airbags, I have to say I agree too - although in principle not in practise. Cars have become too safe so that the driver is at very little risk if they drive badly - therefore there is little point in them making the effort to be safe. Also the punishments for bad driving are very low, again no incentive to make an effort.

One day those in charge MAY realise that driving is a privilege and not a right, at least I hope they do.

If not, fuel prices will eventually change car culture. For sure.

Nice, you made my morning with that one!

i had the same first impression that most have after watching joeybike's videos. i figured he was a wreckless hotdog spitting in the face of darwin. then i read his take on red light running and couldn't refute a single bit of it. another thing to take into account is that most all his vids are run at faster than real time. this effect makes it seem like he is shooting traffic gaps closer than he really is. fortunately for me, my biggest commuting battleground hazards are squirrels who make joey look like a saint. i have one intersection that presents something close to what joey deals with at pretty near every intersection and i negotiate it differently than i used to thanks to joey.

AWESOME, *sniff* that's special I have to admit. Joey and I generally feel quite alone about this style of riding for the most part. It does seem mad at first glance I will admit, but it works. Messenger style is the way to go baby.

I did a search and didn't come up with a lot. I would love to hear JoeyBike's explainations for how he rides. I think I could learn a lot from it. JoeyBike, you have a summary laying around somewhere?

But not messenger style as shown on some of the "race" videos. That just puts everyone at risk as you can see most of the people on them almost get hit by a car or almost or do hit pedestrians.

Here:

http://www.vimeo.com/7171146

Messengers don't ride the same way when workin'. Racin' is racin', workin' is workin'. That's like saying NASCAR is indicative how people drive during their commutes. I take ALOT more risks in an alleycat than just heading to the office and back.
It's not necessary but being/having been a messenger is a quick route to learning those core riding skills Joey shows off in his vids.

I watched a couple of them. Specifically, I watched the best of 2009 and the 30 Mile NOLA commute. I don't see how riding like that is ever going to give cyclists a good name. It seems like overly aggressive riding, but I can see why cars would keep clear, because they don't know what is going to happen next.

joey states right up front that being a good embassador for cyclists is not his chief concern. he says that motorists, for the most part look down on us anyway and he's not gonna worry about it. Not getting dead is job #1.

His point is that the worst thing you can do is assume ANYONE is paying attention to their driving. Ride like you are invisible, because, you pretty much are. This means that you must always be in a position to get out of the way. This is best done by keeping moving. If you are standing flatfooted at an intersection, you are helpless. You have zero maneuverability. Which, if you remember the part about being invisible, means eventually someone is gonna take you out.

Just remember, being "in the right" ain't gonna do you a damn bit of good when you are under somebody's oil pan.

Except you don't "NASCAR race" in the street - you do it on a specially built track without endangering those who don't wish to partake.

Bingo, it's exactly how I ride as well. Joey and I have both come to the same riding style on our own, with thousands and thousands of urban core miles spread out over decades. In my current city I swear I'm safest on the yellow line that separates the oncoming with my direction. Being curb centric is the kiss of death, give yourself as many escape/evasion vectors as possible. The idea that a motorist, upon seeing a cyclist go through a red, will retain some sort of rage inside until they come across the next cyclist and take it out on them, is frankly, ludicrous.

Not to be confused with Ludacris.
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Yea racin' in the streets never happens ....'cept for as long as there's been cars. Sorry but to my knowledge nobody has ever been killed, by an alleycat race going by.
I know of one non-messenger alleycatter who was killed racing. In response to that many alleycats now are on a we-need-to-know-you basis, or you ain't racin'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLzGj10fg2g this is the kind of mentally defective behaviour I am talking about. MANY times cars with the right of way are forced to stop, pedestrians with the right of way are forced to jump out of the way.

Joey's riding never causes this - and this is one thing I GREATLY admire about him. Never in his videos is another road user, with the right of way, caused any inconvenience.

The kind of riding I linked to is stupid and dangerous - to those taking part and those who happen to be on the street at the time.

Here ya go, in words:

I have a nice selection of links on this blog too, some of which analyze why cyclists do what the do.

http://joey-bike.blogspot.com/

Nice blog, Joey, full of dreams. No state in USA will ever introduce stricter licensing, for example, because the corporate goons that run this country want as many licensed drivers as possible, otherwise who'll be buying cars and gas? For the same reason, there won't be stiffer punishment unless it's really bad and gets public attention. We, cyclists are weird by any standards in the USA, and an inconvenient voicless minority. We're trying to go against the flow of consumerist car culture which is part of the so called American Dream. Unless gas prices hits $8/gallon no one will take cycling seriously.

Adam

... and while being percieved as dangerous, rude, and antisocial, those lads had a great rip through town and we witnessed exactly ZERO injuries and/or fatalities. It only looks insane to the uninitiated. Even some of those riders will admit damn that was close when I carved left around the car then right around the ped. hmmm he could have just forced her out, or bowled her over, he didn't. Even on a race track I've gone well over 100MPH which many people would OMG that's crazy dangerous, maybe to you it is. To others ..... maybe not so much. Even at top riding speed I don't get nervous when I can reach out and touch a car by extending my elbow, whereas most people would be hyperventilating on the side of the road having peed their shorts.

Messengers can/will do things on a bike even ProTour riders will shrink from. Its all a matter of degrees. It's snowboarding down a skihill vs. jumping a cool 40 footer.

I've ridden in your city and riding the double yellow down Yonge is usually the safest place to be. Surprises the crap out of drivers too, and makes me feel like an alien for doing it though since most other cyclists follow the rules and ride like they're in a car. There's no hard and fast rules, you just feel your way through traffic using negative space and vehicles to make room for yourself for the small amount of time you need it. Trying to impose order on something organic is pointless. Just keep your head up and let it flow.

Suitable source, considering the drivers on the road today...

I ride a much tamer style, but when I do "bend the rules", I make that a primary consideration- I try to NEVER mess with anyone's right-of-way. I think in the end that's why I could accept JoeyBike's antics with a wink & a nod. In the beginning I blasted him. I was one of those "uninitiated" people. Once you understand what he's doing, it's easy to justify. I don't ride with a style that wild, but I use the same core philosophy of staying out of the way of others.