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The Athens Divide is proof that you don’t have to lose a night of sleep to experience the full range of adventure racing. Billed as a “micro adventure,” this point-to-point race hosted by Donhou Bicycles takes riders over Athens’ urban ridgelines where, no matter the bike, everyone’s hiking somewhere. Read on for Tom Donhou’s recap of the first Athens Divide, with photos from Maliakos Nikos.
The San Francisco (SF) Supermarket Street Sweep may just be the only “race” in existence where cargo bikes, basketpackers, and panniers are an advantage. After a few-year hiatus thanks to the global pandemic and atmospheric rivers, Erik Mathy covers the return of this grocerycat fundraiser!
In this episode of The Pro’s Closet Bicycle Kingdom, we explore the intricacies of Monster Track. Monster track mirrors the chaos of the city it takes place in, New York City. It is the pinnacle of Alleycat racing. It’s part party, part race, but in the end, it’s all about community.
Disclaimer: Riding bikes is inherently dangerous. That said, while we are not encouraging people to ride fixed-gear bikes in a crowded city, we do see value in sharing this story of a longstanding subculture in NYC and cities around the globe. Be careful. Ride respectfully. Spread bike love.
My partner Karla and I find ourselves in México City after what feels like going in and out of a pipe from Mario’s world. The truth is we took a plane, but after so much time of having this trip in mind, it takes a while to assimilate that it’s actually happening. We spend an afternoon putting our bikes together and some bolts later they’re ready to take us around this city; we feel quite intimidated by its size and the never-not-honking cars but the bike paths that have emerged over the recent years make riding much more manageable. Coming from a place that’s pretty much at sea level, the 2200 meters of elevation squeeze our lungs on the slightest uphill and when we arrive at the address on our map our hearts are beating fast. There’s no sign outside the place but a rack full of bikes indicates we’ve made it to Básica Studio, home of frame builder Eli Acosta.
Many of you know Fergus, either from the Bay Area scene, or through his job at Ritchey. This week’s Readers’ Rides comes from Fergus and is featuring his beloved Falconer Cycles Road. This one’s got all the beausage and quite the story, so read on below!
My mom has a habit of pulling over and sitting in silence every time an ambulance drives by with its sirens on. She would say a short prayer and only start moving once she felt done. It’s one of the starkest memories I have, her hushing us in the backseat of her ‘88 Honda Accord, trying to instill a modicum of reverence into our young, dumb hearts. I often forget about this but it’s been making its way into almost every dream, every night, for the last 6 weeks.
Los Angeles has some incredibly diverse riding. For those wanting to see the sights and sounds of the city, or to find solitude in the mountains, there’s something for everyone. Portland Design Work‘s new video showcases just that.
One Arm Bandit: Little Wings, Big Things
Photos and words by Ryan Le Garrec
François is what you would call in French a “fonceur”.
Literally, the word means “fast guy” but it’s more of an expression.
It evokes enthusiasm, determination, well, a lot of will and positivity,
and I couldn’t think of a better way to define this guy.
He won’t take no for an answer. From anyone. He is driven.
At the beginning, he was the first messenger working for Hush Rush, that another François created. He soon took the project by himself and managed to develop it into a real company.
FINGERSCROSSED collaborated with Berlin-based fixed gear athlete Til Schuster. They followed him along as he shows us what riding in Germany’s capital is about. He shares his thoughts about the sport, riding, racing, and life as he navigates his bike through the city.
Happy is the Messenger
Photos and words by Ryan Le Garrec
HAPPY IS THE MESSENGER
asphalt surfing
NO GPS, NO DEVICES
No GPS, no Strava, no smartphone, no device if only an old Nokia burner. No Macbook in the bag but a map book that rarely makes it out. After ten years on the streets, Karadama a.k.a. Karl Heinz Pohl knows the client list and all their locations well enough. He knows enough shortcuts and safe ways to make his day smooth rolling, dodging delays, anticipating complications, chasing any trouble out of his way. You’ll rarely see him hammer but when he does it’s with this emergency motto in his head “it had to be done yesterday”, that kind of speed.
This documentary from the early 90’s looks at the bike messengers of San Francisco. Thanks for emailing this video, Dan!
In an era where events are covered almost exclusively by digital cameras, Crazy Nick takes to the messenger community in NYC with his Polaroid camera.
All-City has teamed up with the Women’s Bicycle Messenger Association on a limited edition cycling cap. This is for an amazing cause and for more information on the project, continue reading below.
Terry continues his 4K Chasing series with Stoked Johnny, while he worked a chill cargo bike shift for Samurai Messenger Service.
The Indian capital city is no joke for cycling, yet these talented riders take it on with ease.
… after quitting her studies in microbiology. Find out more about Kelsey’s life as a bicycle messenger in this profile video.
Photos by Chris Lee
Over at the New York Times, there’s a great write-up from the 2016 North American Cycle Courier Championship, featuring photos by Chris Lee. Nico and Christina took home first place from this year’s event, which landed in New York City. Head to the New York Times to see the full piece and check out a few more photos below.
Chances are, you’ve never heard of Fast Eddie. He didn’t win any pro race, or invent a bicycle component, or write any tech articles. In the modern world, there wasn’t really a way to connect with Fast Eddie except in person, on the streets of New York City.
Fast Eddie was as much a bicycle messenger as he was a modern anthropologist. He’d document his world with either a video camera, or a 35mm film camera. Eddie was a tall man, but he had a way of falling into the crowd and capturing intimate moments with his lens.
I knew Eddie when I lived in NYC and he would always give me pointers on photography, or we’d talk about buildings. Eddie was always around and was always smiling.
If you’re unfamiliar with Eddie’s work, check out his book ‘Bike Messengers Life: New York City‘ – most shops in NYC probably have this in store. Here’s an older video project he made, showcasing the messenger scene in NYC during the 90’s.
