poppalurch

can i get one of shirts, btw? My elitist messenger buddies would think it was "suuuper ironic"

ostro

I understand your frustration...your identity has been mainstreamed and now everyone and their mom looks like and uses equipment that was initially adopted by the messengers. They were the ones who tested the products and lead the development of cycling accessories. Now these accessories are being used by people who ride bikes for reasons other then messengering. There is a reason things are adopted by the mainstream, some for hipness, other reasons for practicallity.

As for track bikes, well, not all messengers ride track bikes and not everyone rides them for the same reason, messengers do not own the phenomena of track bikes, track racing owns track bikes. This has happened year after year after year, time and time again, different technologies/ideas/inventions/etc... are adopted by other groups of people. Its natural to progression and it stimulates growth of the thing in question. In this case people are riding bikes, a great thing, not something to be frowned upon. If anything the fixed gear explosion is a good thing from many perspectives

Im not quite sure why you would have so much resentment towards a community that is here and fairly large in its representation. Non messengering Fixed gear riders greatly out number messenger riders easily 50 to 1.

Just relax and ride your bike

poppalurch

I do ride my bike, in order to feed myself and keep my weed habit intact. But you got me all wrong. I think it's great that people are riding bikes, hipster or not. It's gone too far. Why did you complain about being confused as a bike messenger? Probably because you look just like one. Why is that? That's what I'm talking about!

Remember that block party on Treat St. a couple of weeks back? Remember how the only people riding around that day were the messengers? Why was that? Could it be because the non-messenger track bikers were in awe of the real deal? Or is it because they didn't want to mess up their flossy clothes and track bikes?

The whole damn thing has been jacked, just face it. The whole deal. The oversized bag, the fixed gear bike, the u-lock in the pocket (unless your pants are too tight of course), tattoos, and now alleycats? C'mooon. Just want to put this in perspective.

I know the deal. I'm always out there. I know when it rains/fogs/whatever there are a hell of a lot less fixies out there.

My props go out to the dudes with fixed conversions, brakes, helmets,and flourescent jackets. I'll never talk **** about those cats. But these mofos I see going all of 15 mph with no brakes and a white belt make me puke.

Bicycles are not fashion.

King of Kadence

hey pop, I was a punk way before you was a punk. Now stop arguing on the internet it only makes you sound stupider

poppalurch

I have to agree with you there, but that's why they call it a forum, right?

puckman

sadly.... this thread has ended in the same BS as expected..

OneTinSloth

i didn't know getting tattooed was something that only messengers did...damn, better tell all those marines, sailors, and rock stars not to get tattoos anymore, lest they cramp your style.

well, i'm off to get mine lasered off now.

dokushoka

Should I be upset over people riding a TRACK bike around town instead of on a TRACK. You know, people like messengers? Should it matter?

Mouton

I invented jeans. You all better step off.

46x17

A while back Wes Humpston (watch the dogtown movie if this name doesn't ring a bell) was telling us about the good old days of skating in Venice: "Back then if you stunk we beat you up - I mean we had to actually beat people up to skate a pool!"
My friend who was making a bunch of boards for him at the time replied with a smile:
"Damn! Sounds like it sucked back then! I mean, now I can go to any skatepark I want cruise around and have a good time!"
The topic was changed after that.

Jose R

I always find it laughable when a messenger claims a priori legitimacy or authencity to the act of riding a track bike (or any bike for that matter) on the street; simply because he delivers packages to corporate offices.

As far as I remember, delivering packages is an occupation. But, at some point messengering became a culture. And then at a later point it became a culture of exclusivity, your "lifestyle," where having street cred has overwhelmed the actual act of riding a bike.

And its a bourgeois lament to call others "amateurs" while calling yourself the "real deal." With that kind of self-perception, you have more in common with christian fundamentalists than you do with the Cheetah.

Q23

WTF??!!
Nobody own's nothing. It's not yours, just remember your following somebody too...
So if I'm not a gangster I shouldn't listen to hiphop??
If I'm not a squater, I'm not a punk?
Fashion is always lame when it comes to claims, and it's all recycled anyway.
Get off it, respect and be respected.

karmical

then maybe you need to roll fatter joints or smoke better pot because it would appear that whatever you're doing thus far isn't enough...

but i'll never get into an "us against them" over something so trifling...


but some of this thread is pretty damn funny

HereNT

You know, out here, there are a lot more fixies when it's sheet ice and/or 40 below, with headwinds over 30mph. I'm not a messenger, but I ride in it every day... Would you like to come out to MPLS and see what real weather is like?

Sorry if this is a little late...

r-dub

wow...upsetting to see that this got hijacked into yet another messenger/posenger flamewar...especially since I'm of mixed blood in this as in so many other ways.

Anyway, I'm sorry to say that I'll be out of town for this one just as I'm getting the racing bug back...but i'll make sure to be here for the next roundup. rw

jacobs

I thought an alleycat was a "messenger race"'? Getting manifests signed, etc, etc?

karmical

ok not looking like i can make it out to this....but where's the afterparty...

cphfxt

i invented gary fischer, so get in line..

-seriously i see no point in alleycats where you only can ride a specific bike. its all so uci.. but hey i dont have to come..
in cph we have a race called fixed rookies- its effing hilarious, its invented by a guy who has been on the track since he was 10, as he puts it: we´re all rookies..
or the older i get the faster i was..

its just a bike . come off the high horse..
and make our culture inclusive not exclusive..

futurewolf

you know.. just to mix things up: motorcycle groups have competitions with very similar formats to those of alleycats. I dont feel as though it is an exclusively messenger based competition in that respect at the very least.

When i lived down in San Diego there wasnt a big bike culture and the alleycats were pretty open as far as i could tell. (i didnt compete so i dont have the most educated view on this) Now that i have moved back to SF i feel weird when i am out riding. it isnt as fun or as personal anymore. i actually thought moving back here would make riding even more fun but it has unfortuantely not been the case.

best of luck with the alleycat. i hope everyone has fun regardless of what they are wearing or riding.

ostro

Hey thanks for the well wishes!

I am in total agreement with you as i have ridden in dozens of organzized motorcycle group rides that are carried out in a similar fashion. Motorcyclists have been doing these types of races for now over 50 years. The poker run is the most common style of race i have seen some alley cats mirror this too. Scanvengers and bar hops are other similar contests.

You should come out and race.

definition

I.. I've never seen an alleycat before. I'd love to just come and watch the start if that is cool. Will people see me and think that I'm a posenger and hit me with U-Locks? Geez!

(I'd volunteer to work a checkpoint if it is not something that is too complicated for a newbie to do)

dolface

why not race?

definition

Oh man, I'd love to but my bike was stolen and I'm still trying to find an old road to convert.

dolface

ouch. sorry

definition

I'll be in SF this day anyway since i'm flying out of SFO the next day. If I want to watch some action, where will be the best place for me to post up?


(also, thanks for the condolences)