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Issue #38

August 2013

Brad Quartuccio

Editorbrad@urbanvelo.org

Jeff Guerrero

Publisher

jeff@urbanvelo.org

Editorial intern: Krista Carlson

On the cover: 2005 Bike Forums Single Speed Fixed
Gear Meat and Greet in Chicago. Photo by David Munson,
www.davidrmunson.com
Co-conspirators: Takuya Sakamoto, Cynthia Gu, Ed Glazar, Kevin Dillard, Jason Montano, Trevor Hughes, Kurt
Boone, Thomas Prehn, Andy Singer, Sam Brasch, Brendan
Kevenides, P.C., and Dyami Serna
Urban Velo, PO Box 9040, Pittsburgh, PA 15224
Urban Velo is a reflection of the cycling culture in current
day cities. Our readers are encouraged to contribute theirwords and art.
Urban Velo is published bi-monthly. That’s six times per year,
on the even months. Issues are available for free download
as they become available. Print copies are available online
and at select bicycle retailers and coffee shops.
Bike shops, check out urbanvelo.org/distribution
Printed in Pittsburgh by JB Kreider - www.jbkreider.com

All contents © 2013 Urban Velo, no unauthorized reproduction(online or otherwise) without written consent.

NO LONGERBANNEDIN D.C.
(actually, it

never was)To learn how incredibly affordable
it is to carry Urban Velo visit

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Alleycat photos from over the years by messenger and photographer,
Takuya Sakamoto. See more on page 28.

contents
10

Editor’s Statement
Brad Quartuccio

12

Publisher’s Statement
Jeff Guerrero

14

I Love Riding in the City
Readers share their tales of city cycling.

22

Product Spotlight
New gear for the urban rider.

28

Alleycat Explosion
Krista Carlson
From humble Toronto bicycle courier beginnings
alleycats have grown to be an inseparable part ofurban cycling culture.

40

Gallery: The Bike Messengers(1992-1998)
Trevor Hughes

46

Product Reviews
Fyxation, Wyatt, Retroshift, Giro, Planet Bike, PDW
and more.

62

The Cheetah: Nelson Vails
Kurt Boone
The first African-American to win an Olympic cycling medal, and “that guy” from the movie Quicksilver.

66

Denver’s ReCyclery Café
Sam Brasch
Coffee, food, bikes and beer... The perfect combination for this Rocky Mountain establishment.

70

Cycling Legalese
Brendan Kevenides, P.C.
Chicago-based injury lawyer answers your questions
pertaining to bikes and the law.

74

Rim Brake MaintenanceBrad Quartuccio

78

Outro
Dyami Serna
Fixed Without Dix.

Editor ’s Statement
By Brad QuartuccioI

f you aren’t getting dirty, you are doing it wrong. I
can’t help it—no matter the bike, no matter the ride
my wheels get dirty along the road less traveled.
You don’t have to get your downtube shifters muddy,
but no matter where you call home, ride enough andit’s inevitable that you’ll get stuck out longer than
expected, along a tract of dirt where there used to bea road. There is something to be said about learning tolove the punishment when you can control the dosage
to make the days that the universe dishes it out moretolerable.
Just as not every ride should be a sufferfest, notevery ride can be an idyllic sunny day spin. Everyday
commuters and working couriers experience theworst of it, with rides determined solely by the clock
without concern to the weather or traffic conditions.
Even but a cursory acknowledgement from a fellow
rider when you’re both “in the shit” has weight—misery loves company, as they say.

Sometimes the misery is self-inflicted, with racing being the long-standing go-to competition to test
one’s limits and build camaraderie. On page 28 ourfeature story explores the explosion of alleycat racing throughout urban cycling and some of the influence
it has had on the culture, moving from the exclusive
courier world into the general consciousness. I am
but one of many that got seriously hooked on urban
cycling partially through alleycats and the people thatsurround them. While my risk-taking has toned down
since I entered my first in 2003, the allure and trepidation of riding fast with friends on someone else’s terms
remains. The particulars of post-race conversations
are lost to the ether, but the bonds over tales of spectacular equipment failure, triumphant routes, trafficclose calls and bonking in the freezing rain remain. Not
only something to codify friendships over, the experiences make the third flat on a tired rainy ride bearable.
At least it’s not a race.

We want your words. Send your editorial contributions to brad@urbanvelo.org

10 URBANVELO.ORG

Photo by Brad Quartuccio

publisher’s
I never cease to be amazedat how many average people—folks who you would
never think of as cyclists—
are lifelong bicycle enthusiasts. I know I shouldn’t be
surprised. Learning to ridea two-wheeler is a childhood rite of passage the world
over. I remember growing up in suburban New Jersey,
bikes started out as play things and soon became impliments of freedom. My friends and I were no longer
confined to the yard, or the block. We could ride themile and a half to buy candy at Wawa, or if our parents
were feeling generous we could ride to the pizza shop
for a slice. We weren’t “cyclists,” we were just kids.
I’m willing to bet that I’m the only one of my childhood friends who still rides a bike on a regular basis.
Or at least one of the very few who rides for anythingother than entertainment and fitness.
It’s sad, because as much as bikes are a rite of passage, they’re also something that most people feel theneed to “grow out of.” It’s not just about getting a car,but seemingly about acting like an adult. I’ve noticed
something interesting about teenagers that I know—
the only ones who endeavor to ride a bicycle for transportation are the ones who could care less about what
other people think of them. These kids tend to bewicked smart, reasonably athletic and doggedly independent. So before I move on, I will say that there ishope among the youth of today.
Moving on up into the realm of college kids andother young adults, I notice that there is a lot of interest in using bikes as a means of transportation, butthey seem to think that logistics will get in the way.
“What if it rains? Can I really ride that far? What if
I need to look presentable?”
The answers, as you and I well know, are relatively
simple. Still, with nobody guiding them, most of thesefolks end up waiting for the bus.
Of course adults as a whole, especially those in the
20 to 40 year age range, represent the largest pool ofStatement
By Jeff Guerrero
potential cyclists. I think it’s safe to say that more than
90% of the people I know have ridden a bicycle before.
They know it’s enjoyable, they recognize the healthbenefits, they probably wouldn’t be opposed to doing
something good for the environment. So why aren’t
more people getting around on two wheels?
People don’t believe cycling is safe. And you know
what’s terrible? The older I get, the more apt I am toagree with them.
The other day a friend of mine confided that she
was seriously thinking about getting a bike, but decided
that it’s simply too dangerous. She would only have toride one mile to get to work, and just under two miles
to class. If she were back in her home country—wherecity traffic is nothing short of notorious—she wouldn’t
have to think twice because bicycles are a part ofeveryday life. But here in the United States, bikes arestill the odd man out on roadways.
As much as I would like to encourage her to follow
her initial inclination, I find it difficult to do so. WhenI considered her particular commute, there were virtually no bike ammenities to be had. No dedicatedbike lanes, no bike trails, barely even any sharrows.
She would be faced with some of the most dangerous
traffic situations our town has to offer, including roads
where there have been numerous cycling fatalities thisyear. Throw in a few high-crime intersections for goodmeasure, and I’m on board with her plan to renew her
bus pass.
But it’s a shame, really. Because in the back of mymind I know she would love doing what I do—zooming through the streets after work with the wind in
her hair and a smile on her face. Thankfully, I do havehope for the future. That hope is due in large part tothe efforts of our local bike advocacy organization. In
recent months alone they’ve been able to influencechanges that make the roads safer for my friends and I.
And I know they’ve only scratched the surface. That’s
why my membership is set to automatically renew, andmy wallet opens up every year for the annual fundraiser. I highly encourage you to do the same.

Urban Velo issue #38, August 2013. Print run: 6500 copies. Issue #37 online readership: 55,000+

12 URBANVELO.ORG

Photo by Cynthia Gu

iriding in the cityriding isn’t your thing, the last
couple of years have sprouted
the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail (KRVT), which provides a safe two-way pathfor cyclists from one end of
town to South Haven, nearly
70 miles outside of town on
Lake Michigan.
What was your favorite city
to ride in, and why?
Being that I have threesmall children, getting out of
town is a little difficult withmy bike. So my favorite city
to ride in is Kalamazoo. Not
only because I live and ride
here, but because I, as wellas the other cyclists wholive and ride here, love ourcity. There is no shortage ofcoffee joints, bars and nightlife to ride to and from; also
the summers are filled withdowntown festivals thatshouldn’t be missed.

NAME: Dan Kitchen
LOCATION: Kalamazoo, MI
OCCUPATION: Co-Founder of Fixed 269
Where do you live and what’s it like riding in your city?
I live in my hometown of Kalamazoo, MI. My city is a great place to ride
due to the always growing cycling culture and awareness that surrounds us. The
city riding is not terribly challenging but a ton of fun. Downtown is all sprawling
four-lane one ways with a ton of back and forth cut through streets. If city street

14 URBANVELO.ORG

Why do you love riding in thecity?
I love riding in the city forthe everyday surprises. Thereis always new pavement to
explore, a new route to take,traffic to get around and people to meet. Having a great
community of riders here hasreally brought the consciousness of cyclists on the road tothe front of motorists minds
so the daily commute or evening bomb around downtown
is all the more enjoyable.
www.fixed269.com

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iriding in the city

NAME: CJ Arayata
LOCATION: Philadelphia, PA / Baltimore, MD
OCCUPATION: Psych Grad Student, Bicycle Coalitionof Greater Philadelphia Intern
Where do you live and what’s it like riding in your city?
Half of the week I live in northeast Baltimore, MD
and the riding here sucks. The roads that I have totravel on are busy, hilly and poorly maintained. Not
to mention most streets in my area run diagonally or
curve and meander every which way so without a map
handy a wrong turn can’t easily be corrected as on agrid. I don’t ride nearly as much here as I would like,which is upsetting.
The other half I “live” in Philly. Riding here is great!
It’s 99% flat unless you travel to West Philly, and eventhen it’s pretty manageable. The bike infrastructure is
awesome and constantly improving: major north-southand east-west bicycle corridors and buffered bike lanes
can get you practically anywhere, and on-street bikecorrals have been popping up throughout to city toease bike-parking issues at hot spots like grocery
stores and bars.

16 URBANVELO.ORG

What was your favorite city to ride in, and why?
Brisbane, Australia. Perfect weather, beautiful biketrails and paths that run along and over the Brisbane
river, great public transport, and a very small CBD aresome of the reasons. But the best part about it wasthat because there were so few urban cyclists there
was no courier/fakenger distinction or related disdainthat is so common in other cities. Everyone was welcome, and could just bond over their love of riding in
the city.
Or just say whatever you want about riding in thecity… Poetry anyone?
Life’s a piece of cakeWith someone to pedal
And someone to brake!
Check out www.cranksgivingphilly.com

iriding in the city
NAME: Avril AVR (left) & Chv Chvasta (right)
LOCATION: Atlanta, GA
OCCUPATION: Designer, PALACES Bass Player
Where do you live and what’s it like riding inyour city?
We live in the tiny little town of Atlanta,
GA. Atlanta is pretty spotty, with lots of “surprise” hills, tons of hostile angry road raging
drivers, drunks, and folks that openly hate bikes/
bikers/bike culture in the local media. Despite
the “goonery,” Atlanta is a fantastic place toride! The traffic is insane, the sparse bike lanes
are usually full of debris and unusable, but thestreets are absolutely the place to be. Honking,revving engines, and death threats? Absolutely!
We wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s whatmakes daily bike commuting and nightly stomps
through town colorful.
What was your favorite city to ride in, and why?
Well, we have to give props to the Capitalof The Dirty South, Atlanta! The urban bike
culture here gets more awesome every year.
We’re coming up on our huge yearly SOPO
BIKE Co-op Broken Hearts and Bicycle Parts
alleycat, alleycross, and goldsprints event. Folks
come from all over the southeast region to participate. There seems to be an alleycat about
every month here, not to mention monthly bike
“Mobile Social” events sponsored by the Atlanta
Bicycle Coalition.

Photo by De Mis Ojos Photography

18 URBANVELO.ORG

Why do you love riding in the city?
As ugly as the streets can sometimes be during the day, night riding in Atlanta is a completely
different animal. With some decent illumination,
we own the streets after dark in this town! The
dense traffic congestion thins out quite a bit
after 8 PM, and Atlanta is sprawling! There aretons of great late-night bike destinations: coffee
stops, beer stops, bike-friendly music venues,
and a brand new paved trail that connects one
side of town to the other if you want to avoid
using roads.

iriding in the city

NAME: Beaux Jones
LOCATION: Baton Rouge, LA
OCCUPATION: Environmental Lawyer
Where do you live and what’s it like riding in your city?
I live in Baton Rouge, LA and riding in the city canbe tough due to the lack of biking culture and infrastructure. People often look at me crazy when I walk
into work in the morning covered in sweat or when I“click clack” through the line at the coffee shop trying
not to slip in my cleats. Many people don’t understand
why I ride. But every once in a while I make eye contact with someone in their car and I see that glint intheir eye where they rethink the way they are getting
around.
Why do you love riding in the city?
I choose to live in the city because I enjoy people
and I love to ride in the city because I love to connect with those people. In the country (where I grew

20 URBANVELO.ORGup) every person essentially lived on islands that wereconnected by their trucks. In the city, on a bike, I feellike I understand why people move to the cities—toexperience and be a part of their community. On abike there are no barriers between me and the rest of
the world. There are no windshields to “protect” mefrom the elements. No radio to drown out the soundsof the world.
Or just say whatever you want about riding in thecity… Poetry anyone?
No matter how chaotic the world around me is,when I look down and I see the simplicity of the chain
and the repetition of my pedaling it brings me peace. It
is like the breath in meditation. If you focus on it, thesimplicity will always trump the chaos.
Check out www.bikebr.org

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Retroshift BURD Derailleur
The Retroshift CX integrated shift system reviewed on
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has introduced the Blatantly Upgraded Rear Derailleur
to complement their shifter offerings. The BURD is acustom engraved Shimano-compatible Microshift rear
derailleur with replacement pulleys for better shiftingand fewer mud complications. Available with Shimano
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22 URBANVELO.ORG

Bern Allston
The long awaited Bern Allston helmet is now available
at dealers for $90. One point of criticism of Bern helmets has been venting and weight, both of which are
addressed in the Allston, with 16 vents and a weightof just 13 oz. Billed as their first true cycling-specifichelmet, the Allston retains the low-profile urban lookand ships with a removable liner for cold weather.
www.bernunlimited.com
Skully NinliteWith two ultra-bright LED lights
for eyes, this little ninja will help
you see and be seen. Its silicone
body mounts easily to standard
and oversize handlebars. Available with white or red lights
for $17 and $14 respectively.
www.skully.com.tw

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FURLEY
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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Legacy Frameworks
Designed, manufactured and assembled in Chicago,
ready to ride Legacy Frameworks single speed models
start at $1100, with an internally geared hub available
for an additional $250. Frames are available in either
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5’4” and 6’2”. At less than $1500 complete for a USA
made bicycle they fill a niche for people looking for
locally made goods without the budget for a full custom
build. www.legacyframeworks.com

Ortre BI5 Lock
More secure than a cable but not as theft-resistant asa full size u-lock, the Ortre BI5 (back in five) is a $40
compact lock great for lower risk locking situations, or
as a secondary lock for your front wheel. The lock is a
svelte 511 g and slides into a bag or back pocket easierthen even the smallest mini-u. www.ortre.com
The Handleband

The $25 Handleband
is a silicone band withan aluminum spine tosecurely hold your
Tanaka QR Skewer Fender Mountsmartphone
onto
The Tanaka QR Skewer Fender
your stem or bars. As
Mount can add fender eyewe rely on our phones
lets where there once were
more
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unsightly clamps. The mounts
beyond communicaaccept 5 mm fender stays andfit on any standard skewer tion even bicycle luddites have found the need for aand most fork dropouts for a bar mount on occasion. The Handleband stretchesclean attachment. Available for to accommodate most phone and case combinations,$12 per pair, buy two to outfit and can also be used to hold a flashlight for bail out
night ride lighting. They even put a bottle opener on it.
front and rear. www.somafab.com
www.handleband.com
Campagnolo Toeclip Keychains
There seems to be no end BlinkerGripsof creative uses for repur- These
battery-powered
posed bike parts, like these lock-on style grips bring turn
key chains made from vin- signals to your handlebars.
tage Campagnolo toe clips. Compatible with most trigCarefully cut and with a pol- ger shifters and brake levers,
ished edge, they make a unique gift for that Campy nut they retail for about $60 per
we all know. www.etsy.com/shop/orbitingolive
pair. www.blinkergrips.com

24 URBANVELO.ORG

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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Traitor Crusade Disc Cyclocross Frameset
Traitor Cycles has been quietly working on the $600
Crusade Disc frameset featuring fully butted chromoly
tubes and rocker style dropouts to allow either single
speed or geared drivetrains. The post mount brake on
the fork is a sign of the changing times, and the internal
top tube routing shows off the shouldering roots. It’s
definitely more of a race bike than commuter, with but
a single bottle mount and no provisions for racks or
fenders. www.traitorcycles.com
Surly Straggler
The Surly Straggler is more or less a disc brake Cross
Check with larger tires. The fork features disc compatible rack and fender mounts at the dropout, alongwith rack mounts mid-blade and on the crown. Discbrake only, the rear brakehas stops for full length housing for either mechanical or
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new 700 x 41 Knard tires,and features a proprietary
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fans have have been dreaming of for the past decade.
www.surlybikes.com

26 URBANVELO.ORG

Handsome Cycles Mud
Butler Fenders
Hammered metal fenders
have been all the rage the past
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and classic good looks, butwhile there are a few silver
options available, matte black
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metal fenders in 700 x 35 and700 x 45 widths that have amatte black powdercoat forgood looks and durability.
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Fixcraft Lifeline Dual Pull Cable Kit
The Lifeline dual pull cable kit allows nearly any brakelever on the market to actuate both brakes at the sametime—perfect for bike polo or adaptive cyclists. The
front is 30”, the rear 60”, both Teflon-coated and with
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Available now for $28 in either long or short pull at
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Pake Pedal Straps
Pake pedal straps feature
multi-layered nylon construction, and full-length
hook and loop closure forconvenience and precise fit.
They retail for $38 per pair.
www.pakebikes.com

AlleycaT
ExplosioN
BY KRISTA CARLSON

Takuya Sakamotonnttoo
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Brad Quartucciotoday nearly everyone and their cousin has heard
stories of infamous alleycat races—of messengers jetting between cars and skidding throughintersections, reckless and crazed, like a sharknado
on bikes. In the last decade, alleycats have gone fromunderground to ordinary, almost de rigueur. Races
like Monster Track, Quake City Rumble and Stupor
Bowl have established themselves as long-standing
traditions, while countless others in cities across thecountry are one-and-done affairs of varying size andintensity.

Ed Glazar

Bike races—just plain ol’ bike races—havebeen around for as long as there have been bikes.
And messenger races—well, they’ve been aroundeven longer (first on foot and then by horse). Oneof the earliest recorded bike messenger races was
the Critérium des Porteurs de Journaux, a checkpoint race in which racers would exchange packages for tokens. Held as early as 1895, the Critérium des Porteurs de Journaux continued forseveral decades.
“Before alleycats there would be unofficial,unspoken races when you saw someone on thestreet,” says Corey Hilliard, who began his career
as a courier in Philadelphia in 1990. “You give thema look—I’m looking at him, he’s looking at me.”
Kevin Dillard

URBANVELO.ORG

29

Brad Quartuccio

What started out as casual competitions spurred
the formation of a community that has served as both asupport and incubator of messenger and urban cycling
culture. There was an early, informal stage from around‘85 to ‘93, following the boom in the bike courier business in the 1980’s, where these races were happening with regularity and spontaneously as messengers
would see one another on the street more and more,with the increase in employed couriers. Today prettymuch everyone agrees that alleycats as we have cometo know them—chaotic, fun, and more than a little
dangerous—were born on the icy streets of Toronto.
In 1989 John “Jet Fuel” Englar, owner of Toronto’s
Jet Fuel Coffee, dubbed his annual Halloween race the“Alleycat Scramble.” A few years later in 1992, German courier Achim Beier had the idea to hold a world
championship event for messengers.
The next year, 500 messengers gathered in Berlin
for the first Cycle Messenger World Championships,

30 URBANVELO.ORG

giving messengers from all over the chance to catch up,
commiserate, race bikes and let loose.
This pivotal event served as a fertile breeding
ground for sharing and spreading ideas, and the alleycat
was a prime concept to be adapted in cities the world
over. An “alleycat” came to be understood as a race
held in live traffic, and when Toronto messengers tookfilms of their races to the inaugural CMWC, it set off
an enormous ripple effect throughout cities in every
developed nation.
Just as wildfire can jump from branch to bush andleave untouched grass between them, the spark of thealleycat leapt from Toronto to Berlin to London andback to North America, to eventually course throughthe streets of every major city with a cycling presence.
London’s first true alleycat, held on open streets,came a few months after the 1994 CMWC. Putting inmuch of the work to make the second World Championships a success, “Buffalo Bill” Chidely and BorisCaptain were too busy to actually participate in the
CMWC events that weekend, so they took a trip to
Toronto later in the year to be a part of the sixth
annual Hellowe’en Alleycat Scramble—the event that
had truly lit the fuse.
“It wasn’t linear in time or space,” Chidely wrote inMoving Target Vol 4 #3 (Spring 1995) trying to recap
the Alleycat Scramble. “It was more like a riot than arace. Obviously, it had a beginning and an end. But inbetween... I have so many unanswered questions... It wascomplete and utter urban bicycle bedlam. It was the mostfun I ever had on bike. In the cold light of the day, racing
illegally at night, through a city centre is plain stupid. But
when I was doing it I felt more fulfilled, more alive than I
had since, well to be honest, I have never felt more alive. It
was the biggest rush ever.”
About a week later, they threw the Andy Capp in
London. Nine people showed up to race. “Boris, who
had organised the race, was steaming mad that so few
people made the effort,” writes Chidely in Moving Target in 2008, looking back on the race fourteen years
later. “The week before Boris and I had been in Toronto
for the 1994 Hellowe’en Alleycat Scramble, and there had
been a HUGE number of riders. So to come back to ourown city and see so few turn out was a little demoralising.
But hey, London got there in the end.”

David Munson

Ed Glazar

Squid, who started working as a bike courier in1990 and is now the man behind Cyclehawk, first heard
about CMWC when it was held in London in 1994. “Itamazed me, the idea of it. The following year the championships were going to be in Toronto. I’d met somemessengers from Boston who were planning on going;
they offered me a ride up there, so I ended up goingwith them. The first time I ever heard about alleycats,
and all that stuff was at the World Championships.
At the time in New York there wasn’t a big community. The only time messengers would get together
would be for a memorial,” Squid says. “If someone got
killed while they were working, so that was the only
kind of group event I’d been to before the championships. Going to the Championships inspired me tothrow my [first] alleycat.”
A few years later, the Warriors race in New York
would be hugely attended. Set to take place overnightand end at Coney Island at sunrise, the ride kicked off
with a tug-of-war in the Bronx. Organizers hoped tosee at least 200 people, but when the night came morethan 600 cyclists would take to the streets in the formof 89 different bike “gangs,” hailing from as far away
as Japan.
“For New York that was a big crossover event
because so many people came out that weren’t bikemessengers. The format was friendly to people… Analleycat can be kinda scary to the individual, but a teamevent where you’re going out with a bunch of yourfriends is a lot more welcoming to different levels—so
you don’t have to be a badass racer to go to a fun ridewith your friends.”
URBANVELO.ORG

31

What Is An Alleycat?

The defining elements of an alleycat are pretty
basic, leaving the design of the race largely up to theorganizer’s imagination. A lot of the times it’s a matter of how to make it as fun and challenging as possible.
“The alleycat is its own special thing, the perfect combination of these skills that you just kind ofdevelop riding around and getting to know your city,”says Jeff Frane of All-City Cycles and Bike Jerks Minneapolis.
The basic structure includes a manifest, checkpoints, and challenges; like a scavenger hunt, youhave a set of locations to get to, but you can get
there any way you want. On top of being laid out on
the most challenging streets, add into the mix a hostof checkpoint challenges. Just about anything thatyou could think of making someone do is fair gamefor an alleycat challenge.
When we started it was very basic,” says Squid.
“The first Halloween one that we did, everyone put
in $5 and it was winner take all. After a while different cities started doing stuff that was a little more funor different. The Boston kids were probably wackier
than most. One time there was a checkpoint a block
away from a police station and they had boxes ofdonuts, and you had to take a donut and throw as
close to the police station as you dared.”
One popular sentiment in alleycat culture isthat it’s fun to suffer. What that translates to in thealleycat community is races scheduled for the mostgrueling time of year, in the dead of winter. The longstanding St. Valentine’s Massacre Race was among
the first to set this precedent.
“Race to a checkpoint, drink a beer, do something
silly, fix a flat, answer a question, play hopscotch—
whatever you need to do to get your manifest signed
to head off to the next checkpoint or a race meant tosimulate a day in the life of a working messenger, forexample, picking up packages or envelopes and routing yourself to the next pickup/drop location,” says
Sean Martin, describing some of the possible challenges that face alleycat racers. Martin, who hosts
the grueling Lord of Griffith fixed gear hill race every
year, began throwing races to pass on the fun he’dexperienced at messenger-hosted events.

32

TakuyaURBAN
SakamotoVELO.ORG

Brad Quartuccio

Growth and Sponsorship

Sponsors have been involved since the early days,
but as the scene grew organically by word of mouth,
more companies found reasons to get involved. The
first major sponsor on record is Dunhill Cigarettes
who lent their support to the Toronto alleycat scene.
“In 2003 we did a dispatch-style race with Bodyglove... for some reason they thought New York messengers were tough or something like that, so theywanted to do an event that had a lot of messengers
showcasing their gear,” Squid reports. “We helped
them get a ton of messengers together and rock theirjerseys and do a ‘work challenge.’ Basically an alleycat, but we made it look legit. The way I look at it is
it’s good exposure for cycling and if big companies aregonna help us out, it’s up to us make the best out ofit, ya know?”
In 2004 Puma approached Squid and several other
NYC messengers about putting together a track team.
The following year, the company sponsored CMWC in
New York. Over time, others in the bike scene started
throwing alleycat-style checkpoint races. Althoughmessengers have a familial community, it’s certainly notmade up of exclusively messengers—family, friends andthe like have always been involved to help run checkpoints and generally be a part of the fun.
“Fast Friday was started by Dustin [Klein] but was
assisted by non-messengers,” says Martin “It was thecommunity getting behind each other and progressing the fixed gear scene. It wasn’t about messenger or
non-mess, it was about the bike, the fixed gear andwhat could be done with it.”

The emergence of localized bike forums online
opened up a new channel for people to find out about
and organize events everywhere.
“People on the Bike Forums Single Speed and Fixed
Gear board put together a full-scale alleycat in Chicago
in 2005,” David Munson, long time Chicago area rider
and photographer, recalls. “It was primarily a non-messenger crowd. People came from all over the country.
It was the ‘BFSSFG Meat and Greet’ with meat spelledlike animal flesh because we were all meeting up inmeatspace. It was the first time I think I really saw thata not-necessarily-messenger urban cycling event could
actually work.”
With the support of these forums races grew in
attendance and frequency, and the first decade of the
21st century saw the streets blush with fixed gear
fever. It wasn’t always that way, though.
“A lot of guys are trying to do all these alleycats on
brakeless track bikes,” say Hilliard. “When [alleycats]
started out messengers would just ride whatever twowheeled thing they could throw together.”“Nowadays, everyone worldwide are throwing
street races,”says Martin “It was a natural progression
from what messengers were doing worldwide back inthe day. Riders wanted to show their bikes, tricks, bikehandling and of course who was the fastest. There wasalways non-messengers racing alleycats throughout theyears, but the explosion of the fixed gear bike throughblogs, forums, word of mouth, shops, etc. really madeit accessible those who didn’t know messenger culture.”
The downside is races getting blown out when they
get too big to fly under the radar, cyclists coming out
just get prizes, others overestimating their handlingskills or underestimating the force of a car that has theright-of-way.
“An alleycat is typically an illicit thing, and is best
manifested in a subculture that’s not going to spend
a lot of time blabbing about it online before the fact,”says Munson. “The more popularity grows in moremainstream parts of the culture, the more at risk the
tradition is put. There is real fallout from it. Word got
around a bit too much in Kyoto in 2009, for example,
and the main race of Kyoto Loco had to be cancelled
because authorities had caught wind and leaned on theorganizers to stop it.“
URBANVELO.ORG

33

Brad Quartuccio

Risk

In some ways, the takeoff of alleycat style races
has helped to validate the physically and mentally
demanding work of bike messengers. At the sametime, the mystique built up around alleycats likewise
involves running red lights, riding against traffic, andheavy drinking. Some people hate alleycat racers fortheir devil-may-care notoriety; others fantasize about
having the skills to carve a path through unpredictabletraffic. As multimedia technology has grown moreaccessible and social media more inherent to everyday
life, the apparent daredevil moves have enchanted awider audience of novice cyclists bent on getting in on
the action.
“I’d be in a few events where.a police car is chasing
us…but they can’t really catch you,” says Squid. “Youkind of just disappear into traffic.” Not everyone is solucky though, and it’s not unheard of to get a ticket in
the midst of all the excitement.
For the most part cops don’t bother with theraces. The greater concern is safety for those involved,
and others using the streets for regular travel—rather
than as a race course. Most of the time, no one getsbadly hurt and everyone has the best time ever. Someone has a brush with a car on occasion.

34 URBANVELO.ORG

It was in Chicago in 2008 that everyone’s worstnightmare took place: “I was living in Texas but heard
immediately about Matt Lynch’s death in the Tour daChicago. I knew that intersection. I knew other people
who were racing that day,” says Munson. “There wasa definite reaction. People lashed out against alleycats,against people riding dangerously in traffic. Other
races got cancelled, some were changed in format tominimize risk, but ultimately, it seemed like very little
actually happened. For those of us who have long-ridden in traffic, especially in a place like Chicago that’s anendless freak show of bad drivers, it does underscore
the real risk of riding. Not just in races, but in traffic
on an everyday basis.”“It’s super easy to fall into this cliché that it’s thisridiculous thrill-seeking, adrenaline junkie thing—the
number one thing in mind when I go out to race is tokeep myself as safe as possible,” Frane says. “People
say there’s ‘hellions on the streets’—it’s so much morenuanced than that. People miss that because they see
it as reckless behavior, but it’s not reckless behavior atall. It is the precise expression of this unique skill set.
When you cut some beautiful lines through downtown
traffic, it just feels great.”55 Main Street #213 Newmarket, NH | 603-292-6485 | baileyworks.com

100% MADE IN THE USA

Ed Glazar

Paying It Forward

The appeal of alleycats is more than just riding fastthrough traffic—the real clincher that makes people
fall in love with the experience and share it with others is the camaraderie. It’s everyone doing it together,in the same city, on the same streets, celebrating the
bike and celebrating what can be done with it (and how
much abuse in the form of bike wrecks and boozing abody could take).
“We only ever started organizing alleycats as ameans of starting a sense of community amongst messengers, not to be ‘bad-asses’ or to be ‘really rad’,”says Chidely.
When Bodyglove asked the New York messengers who had been a part of the “work challenge” howthey’d like to get paid, they asked for help in establishing official nonprofit status for the New York Bike
Messenger Foundation.

36 URBANVELO.ORG“That helped us rally the community behind thewhole thing, going ‘Hey, it’s not a couple messengers
getting paid by a corporation, it’s us using this connection to make something happen that will last a longtime and benefit people over a number of years,” says
Squid.
It’s not unusual for an alleycat to have a community-oriented goal, whether it be raising money for the
local messenger association or the Emergency Messenger Fund, to raise awareness for a cause such as
the Global Warming Alleycat, or donate to charity as
Cranksgiving does. An alleycat in which racers gather
food to donate for Thanksgiving, Cranksgiving has
been adopted in dozens of cities and continues to be
one of the most popular alleycats anywhere (For more
on Cranksgiving see Urban Velo issue #35).

Have fun out there.

Kevin Dillard

Most Fun Wins

Jason Montano

38 URBANVELO.ORG

The alleycat scene has grown and matured simultaneously with the contraction of the bike messenger
industry that spawned it. Despite the valid criticismsof the renegade events, over time they have become
an inseparable part of urban cycling culture. They haveprovided an accessible competitive outlet for a wide
range of people who might never have found themselves engaged in racing or bicycle culture otherwise.
The challenge and community has brought people
together, with the last decade’s alleycat boom providing a jumping off point to a bike lifestyle for manyriders.
“The track bike was the way in, and now everyone
is stoked on road and ‘cross bikes, and that’s a wonderful thing. So many people have rode in an alleycat,
had some fun, decided they wanted to try harder—andnow those people are racing road and on the track andin cross and because it is so accessible,” says Frane.
“You can get last place in an alleycat and no one gives ashit. Most fun wins.”

Photos from Duraath, fIrhaN & tEam

Fixed
gear
framessince
2005The Bike Messengers (1992-1998)

presented bywww.panaracer.com

by Trevor Hughes

Photographs are from between 1992
and 1998, taken while I was working
as a bike messenger in Toronto.

40 URBANVELO.ORG

Check out flickr.com/trevorhughesTOURGUARD PLUS
700x28, 32, 35, 38, 42C

26x1.5, 1.75, 2.0

TOURGUARD PLUS
5MM. EXTRA PUNCTURE

PROTECTION
5mm

PANARACER

www.panaracer.com

The Bike Messengers (1992-1998)
by Trevor Hughes

42 URBANVELO.ORG

Check out flickr.com/trevorhughespresented bywww.panaracer.com

URBANVELO.ORG

43

The Bike Messengers (1992-1998)
by Trevor Hughes

44 URBANVELO.ORG

Check out flickr.com/trevorhughespresented bywww.panaracer.com

URBANVELO.ORG

45

PRODUCT REVIEWS

Fyxation Quiver
I’m going to start this review out with a pretty boldstatement: I’ve never felt so immedietly comfortable
on a road bike before. And for serious commuters,
comfort is absolutely key, not necessarily because
you’re riding long miles but because you’re riding every
day, several times per day.
The Quiver is Fyxation’s do-it-all chromoly commuter bike. The name comes from the fact that thisone frame can potentially be any number of bikes—
single speed, fixed gear, internally geared or fully
geared road bike. This flexibility comes via horizontal dropouts (track fork ends), 132.5mm spacing, anda proprietary CNC-machined removable derailleur
hanger.
This might be a good point to address the comment that I heard over and over again: Isn’t Fyxation afixed gear company? Obviously, they’re not willing tobe pigeonholed. And that’s a good thing, because while

46 URBANVELO.ORG

fixed gears are cool, so are geared bikes. In fact, allbikes are cool. But I digress...
Should you indeed want to run the Quiver as afixed gear, you’ll be happy to know that the cable stops
are all removable for a clean look. Fyxation was sure
to include dual eyelets in the rear for a rack and fenders, though, as well as eyelets on the matching straight
blade 4130 fork.
In my humble opinion, the Quiver is one good looking frame. It features clean TIG welds and a smooth
gloss black paint job. What you don’t see, however, isthat the frame features an electro-deposited undercoat. This means the tubing is protected from the elements inside and out. So bring on the rain!
Speaking of rain, the Quiver has massive clearance
that allows you to still run 35s with fenders. Without
fenders you can run up to 47s. Want to go play in thewoods? Slap some cross tires on and have a ball.

PRODUCT REVIEWS
Of course no bike is absolutely perfect, and I do
have a few nits to pick with the Quiver. I’ve got a
28” inseam and the standover on the 49cm frame
measures just under 30”. This is to be expected froma bike without a sloping top tube, though, and I’m
perfectly capable of dealing with it, but other shortriders might want to take note.
The removable derailleur hanger worked a lot
better than I expected. In fact, it was virtually flawless. But roadside tire changes are not exactly facilitated by the derailleur coming off when the quick
release skewer is removed.
Of course, most people will pretty much shrug
off my complaints when they learn that the Quiver
frame retails for under $300.
My test bike represents a fairly typical build,
but it is a custom component group so I won’t harp
on too much about the parts. The frame and fork
weigh 5 pounds, and of course your complete build
will vary. Still, there are several things that deservea mention.
The SRAM Apex drivetrain was absolutely awesome. Nothing but crisp, positive shifting, day afterday. The stuff looks great and seems like it’s built tolast a lifetime.
The A-Class ALX 220 wheelset is a smart choice
for a commuter who rides well enough to avoid potholes, but knows better than to spend too much on acommuting wheelset. Watch for a separate A-Class
review in the near future.
The Tektro R559 73mm long-reach caliper
brakes did a great job in all conditions. You know I
couldn’t help but take the Quiver off-road (even withslick tires) and I never felt at a loss for braking power.
Fyxation makes handlebars, but for now they’ve
yet to enter the road bar category. As such, they’vedeferred to Salsa for my test bike, and I couldn’t behappier because they know a thing or two about bikecomponents.
Finally, Fyxation rounded out the build with several of their own house brand components including pedals, straps, stem, seatpost, saddle, bar tape,bar plugs, and of course tires. Everything worked as
expected, and I can never really say enough about
their tires. They’re simply hard to beat.
www.fyxation.com
URBANVELO.ORG

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

Wyatt Street KingAn increasing array of single speed bikes offering
flip flop free/fixed hubs are on the market these days,
as the ease of riding and maintenance grows in popularity among riders old and new. Whether you don’t
understand gears or just don’t want to deal with them,the single speed Street King is a no-fuss bike madewith the commuter in mind. It’s both stylish and practical, with thoughtful accents like two brakes, brushed
metal cable guides and built-in chain tensioners, witha reasonable price point of $449.
The Street King is ready to ride in short order.
Practical features include rack and bottle cage mounts,
and the inclusion of both a fixed cog and freewheel,
giving this Wyatt a leg up on many bikes being designed
for urban riding which tend to lack the more utilitarian
braze-ons. Another nice thing about it is that it ships
with two brakes—the Street King certainly doesn’t
forfeit any stopping sensibility in the name of fashion.
It’s a solid machine, built with 4130 chromoly frame

48 URBANVELO.ORG

and fork, and weighs in at 25.5 lbs. with semi-aggressive geometry that makes it good for both cruisingand crushing on the street. The frame design mimics
sleek aluminum track frames, with a large diameter
downtube, but being that it’s not made of aluminumor intended for track racing it seems like an unnecessary flair that adds weight more than anything else.
That said, the bike is not cumbersome to ride, norparticularly sluggish when cranking up hills—and it did
generate a host of compliments out on the street.
It handles nicely. The Street King is a solid single-speed with a tight rear triangle featuring 405 mm
chainstays behind the 74º seat tube and a 73º headangle with a 45 mm road-offset fork up front, making
for fluid turning. The 50 mm of bottom bracket drop
helps to keep pedal strike under control and the bikefeeling responsive at low speed while sacrificing someof the stability that a lower bottom bracket would
lend.

PRODUCT REVIEWS
With 46x16 gearing it’s a reasonable city gear topedal, riding fixed or freewheel. The 28c tires are
great for getting around town, but they also wide
enough to take a ride on some dirt or gravel without
feeling wary, especially seated in the double-walled
35 mm deep V Street King wheels. The chain tensioners built into the dropouts make for easy wheelalignment, though the rear hub is not equipped withproper track nuts, which is a drawback that almost
cancels out the presence of the tensioners. Sealed
hubs and a cartridge bottom bracket (along with thesingle speed drivetrain) ensure that the bike won’t
need much major mechanical work for a good while.
One of the less appealing features of the bike isthe clunky plastic department store pedals. Toe straps
would be an ideal addition to this build, since riding
fixed without pedal retention is not the best idea. The
other parts on the bike are standard for a bike in its
range, of decent quality—that is nothing exceptional
but entirely reliable and functional OEM parts. All
parts come with a 45-day warranty and the frame andfork have a limited lifetime warranty.
The Street King comes in six standard colorways,
including three single-color setups that feature matching rims and chain—white, black, and lime green—and
three two-tone options: pink/blue, yellow/blue, andsilver/orange. If none of those suit your tastes, you
can pick the individual colors of the frame, fork, rims,
seat, chain and decal on your own Street King for thesame price as the standard models.
www.wyattbikes.com

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

Retroshift Levers
The Retroshift system was born from the desire
for a simpler, more dirt- and crash-resistant systemthan STI, DoubleTap or Ergopower combined shift
and brake levers for the muddy cyclocross courses of
the Pacific Northwest. It just so happens to make areasonable alternative for commuter, adventure andother riders more interested in long term durability
than the most race ready shifting. At it’s most basic,
the Retroshift is a Tektro brake lever with a (patentpending) machined aluminum mount added to the front
to accommodate a downtube or bar-end shifter.
Reliability in the face of abuse is a primary goal
behind the Retroshift design. Rain and mud won’t clog
the shifters and render them inoperable, laying the
bike down is less likely to damage the Retroshifts ascompared to more fragile combined road levers. They
are even a few grams lighter than most other systems
at 380g for the pair.

50 URBANVELO.ORG

While interested in the Retroshifts since themoment I first laid eyes upon them, I’ll admit I was
skeptical of their placement. I’m a big fan of top-mountthumbshifters and have them on a couple of my personal bikes, using models from the 1980s and retrofit mounts that use downtube shift levers to replicate
old models, similar to the Retrofit mounting system.
Perhaps the main downfall of this style of shifter isthe range of motion required due to the lack of any
ratcheting system—one thing on the top of the bars,
another all together on the front of drop bar levers.
I was concerned about inadvertently activating thebrakes, or being able to reach to shift through all of
the gears.
Once installed a single ride is all it took to get used
to the shift action, with my fears of braking interference immediately set aside. If you ride primarily on
the hoods and like the feel of top-mount, bar-end or
downtube shifters you may find yourself in love with
the Retroshift system. You can easily shift through theentire cassette range with a single swing of the rightshifter, and the left friction shifter works double or
triple ring setups with the trim adjustment to makeevery gear silent. While rear shifting is snappy and easy
the range of movement and force required for front
ring shifts can be trying, especially deep into an allday ride I wish the front shifter had a shorter throw.
Shifting from the drops is near impossible, even withmy giant hands. From the hoods however it’s an easyreach, and I happen to prefer the Campy-like shape of
the Tektro hoods over more narrow types. I’d preferthat the shift housing could run under the tape for acleaner look and to not interfere with a handlebar bag,but such a change would invariably alter the simplicityof the entire arrangement. Given my style of riding (ie.
on the hoods, not racing), the Retroshifts have found apermanent home on my bike.
Buy the Retroshift CX2 nude for $130 and use
them with your own Shimano-compatible shift levers
or buy them complete as tested for $190 with Retroshift branded Microshift levers pre-installed. The
V-brake compatible CXV is available for $10 more, thesingle front ring CX1 for $40 less. Break or bend any ofthem in a crash and Retroshift will repair the damaged
brake body, lever or shifter mount for $24.
www.retroshift.com

TM

NEW BARRAGE CARGO PACK

100% WELDED-WATERPROOF ROLLTOP. MADE IN USA. GUARANTEED FOR LIFE.
WWW.CHROMEINDUSTRIES.COM

PRODUCT REVIEWSLight and Motion Vis 180
Rear lights are cheap insurance against getting rearended, with brighter options available year after year
as LED and battery technology continues to improve.
Light and Motion specializes in rechargeable lights, andthe Vis 180 Micro is their take on a USB rechargeable
compact rear light to keep other road users off yourback.
Unlike other “blinkies” the Vis 180 Micro does notblink but rather pulses—less blinding than a high powered blink, but just as eye catching as it takes approximately one second to go from bright to dim and back,never fully turning black. As the name implies, the Vis
180 Micro has 180º visibility thanks to internal reflectors and side cutouts for the secondary yellow LED,and while more visibility is always better I question if
sidelights prevent broadside collisions given the way

52 URBANVELO.ORG

they tend to occur at intersections. Four modes give
you a few light options—high pulse, low pulse, high andpaceline mode. High pulse and high set the red LED
at the full 25 lumen brightness, with low pulse halving
the power and paceline cutting out the main LED altogether for riding in a group where the Vis 180 Microwould otherwise blind the following rider. Even withthe light in the constant high mode you can expect
about 4 hours of runtime out of the Li-ion battery,with high pulse clocking in about 6, low pulse 12 andthe paceline mode a reported 20 hours of light. By far
the longest running (bright) rechargeable rear light I’ve
yet used, I easily get a couple of weeks of short evening
commutes out of it on my backpack.
The Light and Motion Vis 180 Micro has a hinged
mounting clip that clicks closed, providing a securemount that has yet to eject from my backpack as somany lights with simpler slide-on clips have. The clip
hinge has positive detents to keep it in place on a backpocket (though I wish it locked in place even moresecurely in the closed position), or you can use theincluded silicone strap to mount the light to your bike.
A rack mount is available separately.
Even after a year of being set down on countless
floors and rough surfaces I’ve yet to crack the clear
housing of the Vis 180 Micro mounted on my backpack.
Light and Motion considers this light weatherproof andwater resistant but not fully submersible, and eventhough the rubberized on/off button covering came off
within a month of using the light I’ve not had it malfunction because of it. I’ll be the first to admit that I do mybest to avoid riding long distances in downpours but it
does happen on occasion, and the Vis 180 Micro has
not let me down because of it.
Given the USB recharging capabilities, long runtime and excellently designed mounting clip the few
dollar premium over other high end non-rechargeable
tail lights seems reasonable for the $50 Vis 180 Micro.
While carrying the “made in China” label due to someinternal components, like all Light and Motion products the light is designed and assembled in Monterey
CA with as many bits and pieces created in-house andlocally sourced as possible. If you ever have issues withthe light, Light and Motion is but a phone call away andprovides repair service in house.
www.lightandmotion.com

www.bianchiusa.com

PRODUCT REVIEWS

Portland Design Works Excalibur
While nothing keeps water off of your bike andbody better than full wrap fenders, there is a timeand place for clip-on or seatpost mounted versions.
Whether for aesthetic concerns, compatibility issues,
total lack of mounts or just plain simplicity seatpost
mounted fenders have been popular for years as a convenient way to keep the reverse skunk stripe of riding on wet roadways to a minimum. Portland Design
Works introduced its second generation seatpost
fender the Excalibur this past season, and I’ve beenusing it throughout the winter, spring and early summer to keep road spray to a dull roar.
The Excalibur fender is made from aluminum alloy,
extending a full 20” back from the seatpost with a 70
mm wide profile. The clamp is doubly hinged to fit any
size round post and includes both a QR lever for quick
deployment or a 5 mm allen bolt for theft resistance. It
overall looks fast for a fender, with a sleek form that is
as easy on the eyes as a clip on fender gets.
In use you can’t expect a seatpost mounted fenderto block the same amount of water and road grit as afull coverage, closer fitting fender, but the Excalibur
does block a significant amount of grime from reaching
your bottom. It doesn’t block all of the overspray and

54 URBANVELO.ORG

does nothing to keep your feet dry, but does a pretty
good job of preventing a butt-stripe when blasting
through a puddle on the way to the office. It’s pretty
nice being able to quickly move the fender between
bikes no matter the seatpost size, but on smaller diameter posts the QR lever bolt is long enough to snag myshorts. Easily cured with a hacksaw trim, such is thecost of compatibility.
PDW designed the Excalibur with road and city
bikes in mind, so try to avoid the mountain bike trailswith this one. I did not heed their warned and broke
my previous generation Machete fender hopping curbs
and while the Excalibur solves the pinned weak point of
the earlier design I’ve learned my lesson. While there
is a certain allure to the seamless form of the Excalibur I ultimately wish that the angle of the fender was
adjustable—I’m a tall guy, and on my bikes the fenderis positioned far enough away from the tire to experience overspray. Given how far away the tip of thefender is from my rear tire I have found that I ding it
when mounting and not thinking about it, not a pleasant sensation of jamming my ankle on the metal endof the fender. That said, the Excalibur is rarely not
mounted to one bike or another—I use this fender afew times per week without fail.
The Excalibur weighs 260 g and is available in either
black or silver polished for $48.
www.ridepdw.com

PRODUCT REVIEWS

Planet Bike Blaze 2W Micro
Planet Bike has been at it for years making affordable commuter lights and blinkies, incrementally
stepping up the light output as LED technology has
evolved. The Blaze 2W Micro is a 139 lumen output(reported) light that will make sure you are seen byanyone that is looking, and is bright enough to navigate
dark streets and paved bike trails on night rides andthe commute home.
The $40 Blaze 2W Micro is both a be-seen andhelp-to-see light with three modes depending on yourride needs. Switch between steady high and low beams
to light your way, move over to the Superflash mode
for a pulsing pattern bright enough to be seen in direct
sunlight. Getting caught in rain at dusk or dawn can beone of the most dangerous situations to find yourself inon the road, and the Superflash mode seems made formaking other road users aware that you are pedalling
along. Back in steady mode, the light is bright enough toride with at commuting speeds in town, especially witha bit of ambient city light pollution. You might have toslow down a notch on completely unlit roads and trails,
but continuing the ride safely is doable with the Blaze
2W Micro. The beam pattern on the light is even, but
perhaps more of a spot focus than some would prefer.
Mounting couldn’t be easier with the QuickCam

56 URBANVELO.ORG

bracket—no rubber gasket needed, and the quick
release mount fits any common sized bar without
tools. Not only does the light slip from the mountquickly and easily, the mount itself can be moved biketo bike easily, or another one purchased for $5.
While internal rechargeable batteries are all therage, the Blaze 2W Micro uses a pair of standard AA
batteries. Sometimes I prefer alkaline batteries, bothfor run time between outages and shelf life between
rides. Rechargeables with best-case 2 hour run times
have left me in the dark on rides more times than I
can count, while alkaline batteries seemingly last forever and tend to dim as they reach the end of their life
rather than just go out completely. Planet Bike quotes
60+ hrs of run time per pair of batteries in Superflash mode with roughly 5/12 hours on high/low steadybeams modes, perhaps requireing battery replacement
more often than is ideal, but a 4-pack of rechargeables
is fairly inexpensive for the regular night commuter.
The Blaze 2W Micro is available in black or red housings for $40, or packaged together with the industry standard Superflash Turbo rear blinkie in white
housing for $75. Like all Planet Bike products, 25% ofprofits goes to bike advocacy for a better tomorrow.
www.planetbike.com

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

Green Guru Ruckus Backpack
Green Guru has been recycling and repurposing
durable but discarded materials into useable items forsome time, learning and refining the process along theway. From simpler beginnings the line has grown to
include full feature bags, such as the Ruckus Backpack.

58 URBANVELO.ORG

The bag is made from six repurposed bicycle innertubes and recycled PETE fabrics and features a large
overlapping flap closure, with multiple pockets for easyorganization and a built in laptop or document pocket
for the commute. The back is heavily padded mesh withlarge channels for airflow, reducing the feeling of wearing a giant piece of impermeable rubber against yourback and also has removable waist and sternum straps
for stability on the bike or on your feet. A sleeve accommodates a hydration bladder, but the paranoid person
inside me doesn’t like the idea of mixing a bladder andthe electronics many of us tend to have on board.
The stated size of the Ruckus is 30 liters, expandable
to 41 liters, with the unorthodox test of 12 oz glass
bottles coming in at just one or two short of a case. It’sa big bag, capable of carrying most everything you needfor the day. Zippered pockets help to keep important
things in place, and Green Guru didn’t forget the pen
holders so many new bags are ditching. The light colored liner with drawstring closure is welcome, as darkbags can form an abyss that can easily swallow keys andwallets out of sight out of mind.
The bag itself is somewhat heavy at 3.5 lbs, but
unlike other materials that can absorb water when wet
the recycled inner tube construction doesn’t get soggy.
Even the extensive mesh back padding doesn’t absorb
water in heavy downpours. After months of mid-Atlantic winter and spring commuting the bag itself is holding up well, even if some of the nylon clips have broken.
Perhaps a bad batch of clips, either way Green Guru
stands up for their gear and will replace broken hardware without fuss. The friend that has done the bulk of
the riding (and the carrying around of cases of bottled
beer…) reports that the stitching is solid, the laptop
compartment fantastic and trustworthy in the rain,
and that besides those clips the bag is holding up to his
ongoing abuse. Even when loaded down, the shaped
and padded straps and yoke have proven comfortable.
The Ruckus backpack retails for $140, in my estimationa fair price for a sustainable, made in the USA backpackof this ilk that carries a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects. Available in any color of black bicycle inner tube you’d like, with smaller day backpacks,
commuter packs and messenger bags also available.
www.greengurugear.com

PRODUCT REVIEWSFix It Sticks
Fix It Sticks are geniusly simple modular tools—
a Y-wrench in a multitool, with two identical aluminum wrench bodies fitting together to form a T-shapethat can deliver four flavors of torque far better thanfolding versions. Each pair features four different nonremoveable bits with no small parts to lose, available incommon combinations for $30 per pair or with custom
bit combinations for an extra $5. Start bolts by spinning the body in your hand, tighten them down using
the T-shape, easily applying up to 15 Nm of torque(enough to meet most bicycle torque specs). The Fix It
Sticks make quick work of roadside repairs and adjustments, but given the torque limit of the wrench bodyit’s best to use shop tools to break free stuck bolts as I
cracked the Fix It Sticks body trying to loosen a stuckquill stem bolt. No tool fits every bolt, but it’s hard tofind a place beyond a bottle boss or inconvenient rack
mount that the Fix It Sticks can’t reach. At 51 g per pair
the Fix It Sticks are a lightweight addition to the travel
kit—combined with a chain tool and a wrench fitting
your axle bolts of choice you should be able to fix mostany roadside mechanical. Increase the torque spec to
be able to handle stuck bolts and I’d be among the firstto outfit my workbench with a full assortment of Fix It
Sticks. www.fixitsticks.com

60 URBANVELO.ORG

Photo by Cynthia Gu

Giro Ride Jersey
As the name implies, Giro’s New Road collection
was designed with road riding in mind. They’ve put anemphasis on fashion, creating a high-end alternative togaudy lycra and spandex. Giro took the approach of
making high-performance cycling wear that makes nobones about what it is, but simply looks so nice that you
wouldn’t feel self-conscious wearing it into the café.
Made from a merino wool blend the Giro Ride jersey
features an eight inch zipper and three rear pockets.
The fabric looks and feels like high-quality cotton, but
performs like the original technical fabric should. Other
features include forward facing vents on the shoulders
and a rubberized elastic waistband. The jersey is notquite form-fitting, but it’s far from baggy. The blendof 80% wool and 20% polyester makes the Ride Jersey
significantly more durable than 100% wool garments,
thus it can be machine washed and tumble dried. The$150 Ride Jersey was sewn in California from imported
raw materials and is available in sizes XS-XXL in fourcolors. www.giro.com

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The
Cheetah
NELSON VAILS
By Kurt Boone
www.kurtboonebooks.com

Nelson Vails got his nickname “The Cheetah”
from an announcer at a race at the Lehigh Valley Velodrome in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania
early in his racing career—a career that includes racing professionally in Europe and Japan, induction into
the Cycling Hall Of Fame, a silver medal in the 1984
Olympic Games, and it all began as a bicycle messenger. I met him at Toga Bicycle Shop in New York City,
where Nelson Vails was having a party to preview his
cycling clothing line and working with a film crew on a
documentary film about his life called “The Cheetah:
The Nelson Vails Story.”
Nelson grew up in 1960s Harlem, on 115th Street
and Lenox Avenue in the iconic Northern Manhattan
Photo by Thomas Prehnneighborhood. He attended Catholic school and began
riding a bicycle like many of his generation, atop a Schwinn banana seat, exploring Harlem with his friends.
At fifteen years of age Nelson started developing a lovefor cycling. By the age of eighteen he knew he could
be a successful racer. He joined the Toga Bicycle Club
Team and soon after that Larry Preheim, owner ofToga Bicycles, first took him and the rest of the teamto the Kissena Velodrome. In addition, Larry would
introduce Nelson to an owner of the bicycle messenger company Cycle Service, where Nelson found work
as a courier.
It was around this time, in the early 1980s, that
I learned that Nelson Vails was a bicycle messenger
URBANVELO.ORG

63

“Being the first African American to win an
Olympic Cycling Medal and one of the firstto race on the international circuit I neverlooked at color because I was just a member of the team. I was a member of the US
National Team and a member of the Toga
Team. There never really was a color barrier for me because I didn’t see beyond thatas being the only black guy racing at thetime.” –Nelson Vails
and an Olympic Team hopeful. Nelson became goodat courier work, bringing in at least $500 a week andearning the reputation as the fastest bicycle messenger
in his company. He was also attracting the attention of
the New York media.
“It was like reality TV today, pretty much,” Nelsonsays. “It was the pressure of maintaining my focus on
my racing and my training to prepare for the next race.
So I always worked on staying focused on that.”
Long before the widespread use of fixed gear bikes
on the street, Nelson rode an old Bianchi frame witha single gear and two working hand brakes to workon his cadence while on the job. By combining training
with the Toga Bicycle Club and working as a bicycle
messenger, where he had to stay alert and very awareof his surroundings in the hectic and dangerous New
York City traffic, Nelson became an accomplishedregional racer.
Racing in New York City he competed in road andcrit races and all nine track disciplines, leading him tonational success at sprint events and culminating in asilver medal in the match sprint at the 1984 Olympic Games. Nelson’s podium achievement made him
the first African-American to win an Olympic cycling
medal. While competing in the 1984 Olympic Games
a movie producer from Columbia Pictures contacted
him about the upcoming movie production “Quicksilver” eventually casting him as a bicycle messenger

64 URBANVELO.ORG

opposite Kevin Bacon and Laurence Fishburne, further
securing his ‘80s cycling courier legacy.
“I trained [the other actors], so we were in a situation where I would tell them how to ride their bikes
with a little bit of technique,” he says. “That was kindof cool.”
Nelson moved to Belgium and turned pro in 1988,
living in Europe for the next eight seasons while pursuing his racing career. During the off-season he would
go to Australia, then back to Europe, Japan and theUnited States to race. From the six-day circuit inEurope to Keirin races in Japan, he travelled the worldcompeting until his retirement from the professionalranks in 1995. The US Cycling Hall of Fame recognized
Nelson’s accomplishments with his induction in 2009.
After some time away from the bike, these days you
can find Nelson out riding and at events across thecountry sharing his love and knowledge of cycling with
the next generation.
Visit www.nelsonvails.com for more information anda gallery of historic images.

SEE WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MISSING.
visit www.statebicycle.com | facebook.com/statebicycle | Instagram @statebicyclecoDe n v e r’s
RECYCLERY
Ca fé
By Sam BraschMy first step into the ReCyclery Café caused
a moment of gear-head geek out. Just about
everything was once another man’s trash and,in most cases, that trash was a piece of a bicycle. Combination bike and coffee shops aren’t new in Denver,entrepreneurs have begun to realize they can squeeze
everything Colorado cyclists want into one storefront:
coffee, beer, quick healthy food, and a solid repair
shop. The ReCyclerly Café in Denver’s thriving Capitol
Hill neighborhood stands out among the pack.

66 URBANVELO.ORG

Owners Brian Clees and Justin Worrel built thetables by taking old wheels, encasing them in concrete, and then coating them with a high-grade epoxy.
The barista doesn’t slide your coffee to you over thecounter; he swings it to you atop another bike wheelthat has been refashioned into a Lazy Susan. Even theclocks are made from old gears and spokes.
Yet the aspect that makes the ReCyclery Café atreasure among Denver’s bike-coffee combos is thecomplete absence of any cyclist snobbery. As Clees

put it, “We don’t care if you come in with a Mongoosefrom Kmart or a Pinarello. We try to treat everybody
here with the respect they deserve.”
The democratic attitude translates to the shop,where you are inclined to linger awhile before pedaling on to work. And if you do decide to cash in someflex hours and stay, you’ll see a panorama of Denver’s
cyclists. The morning I camped out at one of the café’senormous windows I watched a string of retirees,
fixed-gear couriers, and spandexed athletes rotate
through the shop. A man towing his sleeping bag andfood with a rusted mountain bike used the shop’s sink
to fill a dog bowl. Brian and Justin greeted every customer just the same.
This isn’t the first time Brian has owned a bikeshop. His old shop, which he sold to another groupof mechanics, is just a few blocks to the south and a
few price brackets upscale from the ReCyclery. For themost part, he sold new bicycles.
Today, the ReCyclery almost exclusively carries
secondhand bikes. “The majority of our inventory isused and arrives in real bad shape,” he told me, rolling a refurbished Schwinn up and down the sidewalk.
“We’ll take it, shine it up, put new tires on it.” Brian
now wants to start aiming at higher level clientele,bringing in the top products for the cyclist planning ona handful of mountain centuries this season, but for
now he likes the look of the reborn Schwinn.
Then again, the ReCyclery Café could be perfectly
tuned to the future of cycling culture in the Mile High68 URBANVELO.ORG

City. Colorado is a capital of high-end recreational
cycling, and for good reasons. Trails lead to roads that
can take you as far as Aspen. Despite the snow that
falls on the Broncos whenever they play on national
television, Colorado gets over 300 days of sunshine,which is part of the reason the state hosts the USA Pro
Cycling Challenge, America’s answer to the Tour deFrance. In a given bike shop, especially in the eco-haventhat is Boulder just north of Denver, it isn’t uncommon
to hear strangers trading their VO2 maxes as a pointof conversation.
At least in Denver, a greater number of people aremounting bikes to get around the city rather than toescape to the mountains. BikeScore named Denver thethird best city for two wheels this year, just behind
Portland and San Francisco. Denver’s B-Cycle sharing
program has won increasing numbers of members andstations since its inception in 2007. Brian and Justin
have recognized that you don’t need a top of the line
machine when your objective is getting to work or thegrocery store.
In fact, they’ve designed their menu around cyclists
on the move. “All of our salads are hand held, in a wrap
and sealed with a Panini grill, so you can eat while biking down the street,” explained Justin. The shop planson opening the city’s first “bike thru” window this summer. The owners had no comment when asked how
quickly one can bike while eating.
They also each wore a quiet smirk when asked
about their expansion plans, but spilled the beans aftersome prodding. The two have leased the area above
the shop to build a yoga studio and a stage for open
mics. The City of Aurora, a suburb to Denver’s east,
approached them about helping revive their downtown
with a new café. “We might be talking about a franchise,” said Justin.
For now, circles of reuse and repurpose keep the
ReCyclery rolling. Coffee grounds and compost go
to an urban garden a few blocks away and return as
fresh produce. With a little love and labor, used frames
become ways around the city for a customer anda profitable mark up for Brian and Justin. Just as theowners had hoped, a community has found a home inthe center of those circles.
“Makes you want to play that opening song of
the Lion King or something,” said Brian. “Yes, Simba.
Everything the sun touches is ours.”
www.recyclerybikecafe.com

Handmade in Newmarket, NH.

Cycling
Legalese
By Brendan Kevenides P.C.

Cycling Legalese is contributed by everyday cyclist andChicago-based injury lawyer, Brendan Kevenides. He is
the creator of popular law blog The Chicago Bicycle Advocate (www.mybikeadvocate.com) and is a Certified Bicycle Instructor by the League of American Bicyclists. His
Chicago law practice is dedicated to representing cyclists
injured by the negligence of drivers, government officials
and equipment manufacturers. In this installment of
Cycling Legalese Brendan tackles reader questions about
the unseeing eye defense and biking under the influence.
I’ve heard drivers claim that they often just can’t
see cyclists. Is that really a defense a driver can raise
following a crash?
Brendan Kevenides, P.C.: The most common“defense” in bicycle crash cases is no defense at all. Let
me be blunt: “I didn’t see Mr. or Ms. Bicyclist,” is nota defense, it is an indictment. Nevertheless, it is a socalled justification for causing a crash that I hear over
and over in my law practice—the ol’ “unseeing eye”
defense. It is often raised in intersection cases and it
goes a little something like this: The motorist assertsthat he or she entered the intersection while carefully
looking in all directions before beginning to turn. No
bicyclists were seen. As the motorist executes his or
her turn, however, the bicyclist materialized, seemingly
out of nowhere. The defense asserts that the collisionitself notwithstanding, the motorist was careful, notnegligent and, therefore, should not be held responsible for the bicyclist’s injuries. It was just one of those
things...
Several years ago I represented the family of a

70 URBANVELO.ORG

man who was hit and killed by a motorist in a small
town in central Illinois. At the time of the collision, theman was riding his bicycle slowly and carefully acrossan intersection with the light in his favor. He was 80
years old, and in excellent health. The bike was of thecruiser variety, was bright orange in color and had a bigorange basket on the front. He was legally riding withina crosswalk in the middle of the day. (Doing so may
not be legal everywhere, but it was in his town.) The
driver that struck him was making a left turn and said
that she did not see him until, tragically, the man’s head
shattered her windshield. He died a few hours later.
This bicyclist could not have made himself much more
visible to drivers had he worn antlers on his head anda flashing sign that said, “Don’t Hit Me!” The driver,whom we sued, testified in her deposition that she feltthat her minivan’s internal roof support beam obscured
her vision of the cyclist. “I didn’t see him,” she sobbed.
I am sure that she indeed felt horrible about striking
the man. There was no allegation or suggestion thatshe did so purposefully. But in a civil lawsuit alleging
negligence, intent is irrelevant. If she could not see
adequately in the direction of her turn she should haveslowed down, stopped, craned her neck or have done
whatever else it took to proceed with full view of what
was in her vehicle’s path. To be negligent is to fail toact with due regard for the safety of others and is verymuch dependent on the circumstances. If it is snowing,slow down. If your vision is obscured for any reason,
be extra vigilant.
Long ago, courts in my home state of Illinois recognized the importance of claiming to have looked

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but not seen. In 1965, the Appellate Court of Illinois,stated, “It is well settled that one may not look withan unseeing eye and be absolved of the charge of negligence by asserting that he maintained a continuous
lookout, yet failed to see that which he clearly shouldhave seen.” Payne v. Kingsley, 59 Ill.App.2d 245 (2ndDist. 1965).
Often, in my experience, the reason offered by
the motorist for having not seen the bicyclist is no
justification. Traffic was blocking my vision. The sun
was in my eyes. My van’s support beam obscured myvision. Lame, and of no legal consequence. To state
what should be obvious, drivers must be able to see
where they are going. They must be able to visualize
all potential areas from which bikes, cars, pedestrians,
motorcycles, etc. may emerge. If they cannot, thenthey may not proceed.
Q: I love fueling my rides through the city with beer
but I’m wondering; could I get in trouble for biking
under the influence?
Brendan Kevenides, P.C.: The degree to which you
can find yourself in legal trouble for cycling while intoxicated varies depending on where you are. In someplaces, bicyclists cannot be charged under a particularstate’s DUI law. In Illinois, for example, the appellate
court decided in 1995 that the state’s DUI statute only
applies to a “vehicle.” Under the Illinois Motor Vehicle
Code a bicycle is not considered a vehicle. Therefore,
cyclists may not be charged under that particular law.
The same is true in New York and several other states.
However, if you are drunk and acting a fool you many
still find yourself in trouble for violating local public
drunkenness and/or disorderly conduct laws. Theselaws generally do not carry penalties as great as DUI
statutes; still, you could wakeup the next day with areal legal hangover.
On the other hand, there are states that do not bat
an eye at charging cyclists under DUI laws. If a police
officer in Oregon stops you after knocking a few backdo not expect a Kumbaya moment. In the home ofPortlandia bikes are considered vehicles and a cyclist
may face the same penalties for pedaling non compos
mentis, as would a motorist. The same is true in Pennsylvania and Florida.
California is special in that it does not mess aroundwith the “is a bicycle a vehicle or not” distinction. Its

72 URBANVELO.ORG

legislature passed a law just for pissed pedalists. It
plainly states that, “It is unlawful for any person to ridea bicycle upon a highway while under the influence of an
alcoholic beverage or any drug, or under the combined
influence of an alcoholic beverage and any drug.” Hard
to find any wiggle room there. On the other hand, theconsequences in California for BUI are not the same
as for driving under the influence: “A conviction of aviolation. . . shall be punished by a fine of not morethan two hundred fifty dollars.” The State of Washington has also taken a somewhat unique approach to
drunk cycling. In 1995, that state’s appellate court heldthat the DUI statute did not apply to bicyclists. So, in2000 the legislature passed a new law permitting police
officers to take a real hands-on approach. If an officer
believes a cyclist is drunk they may offer to “transport
the intoxicated bicycle rider to a safe place; or release
the intoxicated bicycle rider to a competent person.”
The cyclist has the right to rebuff the officer’s offer ofassistance. However, if the officer believes the bicyclist
posseses a “threat to public safety” the bicycle may be
impounded.
For some reason biking and drinking tend to alignlike mustaches and irony. These days bikes, bicycling
and alcohol are often marketed together as if the one
experience implies the other. Perhaps, it is the memeof vitality, youth and freedom that cycling and conspicuous drinking share. Regardless, there are potential
consequences, legal and otherwise, to biking drunk.
Alcohol is involved in more than one-third of all bicyclist fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Read more Cycling Legalese and submit your own
questions for Brendan Kevenides at www.urbanvelo.org

Nothing contained in this column should be construed
as legal advice. The information contained herein may or
may not match your individual situation. Also, laws differ
from place to place and tend to change over time. No
reader should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any
information presented herein without seeking the adviceof an attorney in the relevant jurisdiction. This column ismeant to promote awareness of a general legal issue. As
such, it is meant as entertainment. It does not create an
attorney-client relationship between the author and thereader.

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Rim Brake Maintenance
By Brad QuartuccioR

im brakes are the original disc brakes, with therim itself acting as a large disc rotor in addition
to being a structural part of the wheel. Even as
disc brakes continue to move deeper into the market
as performance improves and entry price drops, rim
brakes remain a popular choice on new bikes and, aside
from mountain bikes, standard issue on most any bikemore than a few years old. Simple in design and operation, rim brakes work perfectly well to control speed
and stop under most riding conditions, and with a bitof attention will remain a reliable system for years tocome.
Brake Pad Choice - The pads that come stock onmost bikes are notoriously bad—replacing OEM brakepads with higher quality aftermarket shoes can go along way to improve brake performance. There is awide variety of pad choices available, with softer compounds generally working better but wearing faster. Be

74 URBANVELO.ORG

sure to choose replacement pads compatible with yourbrake arms and to install them in the correct direction
for models with slide-in shoes (the open end of thebrake pad holder should face the rear of the bike).
Pad Condition - Brake pads wear away with use,
sometimes surprisingly fast in wet conditions. Inspect
regularly, replacing them when they wear past theprinted limit. Carefully remove any small bits of aluminum or debris embedded in the brake pad surface with
an awl. Brake pads can develop a hard, shiny surface—a light file makes quick work removing the glaze andimproves brake performance.
Rim Condition - It should go without saying thatrims should be straight and true—a bent rim is goingto cause the brakes to grab and chatter and not work
as well as they otherwise could. Clean rims can help
prevent brake squeal, stop better and last longer. Rims
build up with a fine, dark powder that degrades brakeA New York
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Brake pads should contact the rim in the middle of the brake surface.

Rims require replacement when the wear line or dots disappear, or thebrake surface feels concave.

performance, especially in wet riding conditions, andoils can accumulate on the rim from handling, roadspills and chainlube overspray. Wipe rims clean witha fresh rag and an oil-free solvent to remove deposits
and debris. Rim walls wear away over the miles, andat a given point require replacement even if the wheel
is otherwise straight to prevent a potentially sudden
rim wall failure. Some rims have dots or wear lines toindicate replacement when they are worn away, otherwise rims require replacement when the sidewalls feelconcave between thumb and forefinger.
Brake Pad Placement - Brake pads should contact the middle of the rim surface to prevent contacting the tire and causing a flat or diving under the rim
and locking up the rim without warning. Particularly
on cantilever brakes the brake pad contact patch
moves down the rim wall with use and may need to be
adjusted before the brake pads require replacement.
Brake Pad Toe-In - The brake pad should be set
so that the front of the pad contacts the rim just before
the rear of the pad (see image page 74). Toe-in helps
to prevent brake squeal, and when set up correctly
wears flat with use. Every brake system accommodates
toe-in differently—some have conical pads, some haveadjustable arms, other older models require the brakearms or pad posts to be bent.
Cables and Housing - New, clean and unkinked
cables and housing is an inexpensive upgrade that
ensures your brakes are operating as they should.
Rust, kinks or broken strands call for cable or housing replacement. Gritty feeling cables can be removed
from the housing and cleaned with a light degreaser
and rag but you should resist lubing the housing as it
attracts dirt in the long term.
Rim brakes vary in quality and construction, andsometimes no amount of adjustment can quiet a squeal
or overcome poor stopping power. Every brake has
nuances in setup that can drastically affect brake performance. Stopping is important, when in doubt consult your local bike shop.

File the hard shiny glaze from brake pads to improve performance.

76 URBANVELO.ORG

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OutroFixed Without Dix, or FWOD, is an all-ladies and transsocial bike club out of Oakland, California. Establishedin 2006, they get together and ride every Wednesdaynight at 7, rain or shine. Meet up with them at the Lake
Merritt BART station to go for a ride with these radladies. All ladies and bikes are welcome to the weekly
rides. FWOD also hosts alleycats and coed events, liketheir semi-annual Sadie Hawkins ride.
Photos by Dyami Serna, twitter.com/tweaksf

78 URBANVELO.ORG

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