A Cycling & bikes forum. CycleBanter.com

Go Back   Home » CycleBanter.com forum » rec.bicycles » General
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Interesting article about bike messengers



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old September 2nd 03, 03:18 AM
Claire Petersky
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Interesting article about bike messengers

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pac...831/cover.html

Warm Regards,


Claire Petersky )

Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
Singing with you at: http://www.tiferet.net/
Books just wanna be FREE! See what I mean at:
http://bookcrossing.com/friend/Cpetersky
Ads
  #2  
Old September 2nd 03, 09:27 AM
Tom Keats
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Interesting article about bike messengers

In article ,
(Claire Petersky) writes:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pac...831/cover.html

Remember the ol' paperboys/papergirls, distributing ppl's
evening, last-edition newspapers? The ol' canvas sacks w/
Gothic-lettered "Vancouver Sun" or "Seattle PI" silkscreened
on 'em? Hangin' around the Paper Shack with the Big Guys,
all of whom were tough Greasers, but some certain ones had
the remarkable distinction of also being Crushers (as in,
they could beat a guy up real bad)?

I'd like to get me one of those old canvas Vancouver Sun
sacks. But the Crushers, I think I'd rather leave alone.
'specially Crazy Rick Millovich, who used to like to pack
scissor-halves, and use 'em.

Daytons were safety, if one could use 'em.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca
  #4  
Old September 2nd 03, 08:39 PM
Chalo
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Interesting article about bike messengers

(Claire Petersky) wrote:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pac...831/cover.html

Hey! Those are my homeboys, some of them. Irving Arzeta and Matt
Messenger are both distinguished veterans of my own tallbike. They
can both ride a sustained wheelie on it, to my amazement.

Nice to see an article about cycle messengers that isn't
condescending. Hardworking folks, those. My hat would be off to
them, if I wore one.

Chalo Colina
  #5  
Old September 3rd 03, 03:30 AM
Tom Keats
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Interesting article about bike messengers

In article ,
(Claire Petersky) writes:
(Tom Keats) wrote in message ...
In article ,
(Claire Petersky) writes:

Remember the ol' paperboys/papergirls, distributing ppl's
evening, last-edition newspapers? The ol' canvas sacks w/
Gothic-lettered "Vancouver Sun" or "Seattle PI" silkscreened
on 'em? Hangin' around the Paper Shack with the Big Guys,
all of whom were tough Greasers, but some certain ones had
the remarkable distinction of also being Crushers (as in,
they could beat a guy up real bad)?


My older brother worked his way up the paperboy chain until he was
Shack Manager. Girls in those days were not supposed to be paperboys,
but I used to sub for him from time to time, wearing that grey (when
new, white) Seattle Times canvas bag. And nowadays, the Seattle Times
comes not in the afternoon delivered by a teen on a bike, but in the
morning, delivered by an adult in a car.


If anybody ever did much to promote cycling back in
the good ol' days, it was the newspapers. I dunno
what happened since, but I bet a line graph would
show acorresponding decrease in cycling-in-general,
and bicycle newspaper delivery.

There used to be an art to rolling up a newspaper and
tucking-in the top corner to keep it tightly rolled up --
even after it bashes the mesh out of ppl's screen doors.

Nowadays some crusty old, disgruntled, retired guy who
hates dogs, cats, kids, and everybody else, drives up
and leaves it flat on your welcome mat. If you're lucky.

Paper shacks were Sanctum Sactoria. And violin teachers
always situated themselves near them, so their students
would necessarily have to go past them and be subjected
to the usual punishment for nerdism.

I'd love to get my hands on an old Vancouver Sun canvas
sack, just to hang on the wall, next to my Jolly Roger.
Those things were the forerunner of the courier bag.

I sometimes also would like to look up some old paperboys,
and get even. Maybe force them to listen to me play "Lady
of Spain".


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca
  #6  
Old September 3rd 03, 11:33 AM
Arpit
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Interesting article about bike messengers

On 2 Sep 2003 12:39:20 -0700, (Chalo) wrote:

(Claire Petersky) wrote:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pac...831/cover.html

Hey! Those are my homeboys, some of them. Irving Arzeta and Matt
Messenger are both distinguished veterans of my own tallbike. They
can both ride a sustained wheelie on it, to my amazement.

Nice to see an article about cycle messengers that isn't
condescending. Hardworking folks, those. My hat would be off to
them, if I wore one.

Chalo Colina



Heh, I can't work out how to do a wheelie, most I get the front wheel
off the ground by is about 10 cm
  #7  
Old September 3rd 03, 02:30 PM
hippy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Interesting article about bike messengers

"Arpit" wrote in message
Heh, I can't work out how to do a wheelie, most I get the front wheel
off the ground by is about 10 cm


Try a lower gear and throw your weight back at the same time as you
stab the pedals.
You should be moving slowly before starting and be ready to stop
yourself from flying off the back by using your rear brakes.

hippy
-still practising :-)


  #8  
Old September 16th 03, 08:11 AM
Bernie
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Interesting article about bike messengers



Tom Keats wrote:

In article ,
(Claire Petersky) writes:
(Tom Keats) wrote in message ...
In article ,
(Claire Petersky) writes:

Remember the ol' paperboys/papergirls, distributing ppl's
evening, last-edition newspapers? The ol' canvas sacks w/
Gothic-lettered "Vancouver Sun" or "Seattle PI" silkscreened
on 'em? Hangin' around the Paper Shack with the Big Guys,
all of whom were tough Greasers, but some certain ones had
the remarkable distinction of also being Crushers (as in,
they could beat a guy up real bad)?


My older brother worked his way up the paperboy chain until he was
Shack Manager. Girls in those days were not supposed to be paperboys,
but I used to sub for him from time to time, wearing that grey (when
new, white) Seattle Times canvas bag. And nowadays, the Seattle Times
comes not in the afternoon delivered by a teen on a bike, but in the
morning, delivered by an adult in a car.


If anybody ever did much to promote cycling back in
the good ol' days, it was the newspapers. I dunno
what happened since, but I bet a line graph would
show acorresponding decrease in cycling-in-general,
and bicycle newspaper delivery.

There used to be an art to rolling up a newspaper and
tucking-in the top corner to keep it tightly rolled up --
even after it bashes the mesh out of ppl's screen doors.

Nowadays some crusty old, disgruntled, retired guy who
hates dogs, cats, kids, and everybody else, drives up
and leaves it flat on your welcome mat. If you're lucky.

Paper shacks were Sanctum Sactoria. And violin teachers
always situated themselves near them, so their students
would necessarily have to go past them and be subjected
to the usual punishment for nerdism.

I'd love to get my hands on an old Vancouver Sun canvas
sack, just to hang on the wall, next to my Jolly Roger.
Those things were the forerunner of the courier bag.

I sometimes also would like to look up some old paperboys,
and get even. Maybe force them to listen to me play "Lady
of Spain".

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca


I hung around the Vancouver Sun paper shack in Port Coquitlam until I was the shack manager.
delivered from about 50 dailies to max 75 on Saturdays. Did any one here ever go to the Sun
paperboys' Camp Gates on Bowen Island?
Also, does your right shoulder hang lower than the left? :-)
Bernie

  #9  
Old September 16th 03, 11:45 AM
Steve McDonald
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Interesting article about bike messengers


Remember the "paperboy shuttle", a style of riding with full bags
on steep hills? You would angle back and forth, to decrease the rate of
climb, instead of going straight up. Single-speeds made this necessary.
With 21 speeds or more nowadays, anyone who still climbs like this is a
wimp.

Steve McDonald

  #10  
Old September 16th 03, 07:11 PM
Fabrizio Mazzoleni
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Interesting article about bike messengers

Bernie wrote in message ] bc [point] ca

I hung around the Vancouver Sun paper shack in Port Coquitlam until I was the shack manager.
delivered from about 50 dailies to max 75 on Saturdays. Did any one here ever go to the Sun
paperboys' Camp Gates on Bowen Island?

I never really got along very well with those types.

I remember back then I would be out training before
and after school on my white Bottecchia wearing
my Ricordi Vini kit. I couldn't even bring myself to
look at them, they looked so lame, riding their heavy
dept store bikes with those steel handlebar carriers
and kickstands.

They seemed bitter towards me, I guess it's not nice
to have to pack newspapers and then see some
top level cyclist like me out there looking so good.

I wonder whatever happened to those kids, probably
riding some stupid hybrid to work everday so they
can feed a bunch of kids back home. Sad!
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Single Speed Cruiser vs. Mountain/All Terrain Bike for Commuting? Luigi de Guzman General 2 August 21st 03 05:02 PM
It's Already Starting-- The Timeline of My Bike Purchase William Blum General 7 August 19th 03 01:27 AM
Best Way to Travel with a Bike on an Airplane F1 General 5 August 14th 03 10:39 PM
One for the Economists: inflation, road bike pricing, etc S. Anderson General 18 August 14th 03 04:53 PM
Looking for a cheap road bike Mike Jacoubowsky General 8 August 7th 03 12:12 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 07:20 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 CycleBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.