Richard, You are probably right. I guess mostly I am thinking about aesthetic issues... I'm sure that you can and are teaching them some things. Jamie
Rich Rose wrote:
> Jamie, although I share certain of your sentiments regarding bike
> messengers (on my last trip to Boston I saw so many cool bikes), I
> respectfully disagree about the cycling community at large.
> I ride with a group every weekend that has grown from a handful of
> cyclists just a few years ago to a group of 25-30 on a routine basis.
> Many are newer riders, some young & some my age (read OLD), many on
> their first ever nice road bike. The one thing common to a rider is that
> whatever brought them out to begin with, and their reasons are many,
> they all share the "passion", to varying degrees.
> I love the look of wonder on some of these faces who are on their first
> ever group ride and cannot believe they are moving with such ease at
> over 20 MPH in a paceline! The lightbulbs are going off all over with
> folks realizing just how cool this sport is. Sure, they want to ride &
> wear what the pro's are, that is their frame of reference. But, the
> enthusiasm that I first felt some 3 decades ago is the same. It's very
> cool.
> Granted, many (most?), wonder about this old guy with the wool jersey &
> the steel bike, but at least they wonder. Maybe I can teach them a few
> things.
> Cheers,
> Richard Rose, getting ready for the lunch hour ride...
> Toledo, Ohio
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: classicrendezvous-admin@bikelist.org
> [mailto:classicrendezvous-admin@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of Jamie Swan
> Sent: Friday, June 07, 2002 10:47 AM
> To: classicrendezvous
> Subject: [CR]bike messingers
>
> Hi Gang,
>
> If this off topic you can flog me with a red Twizzler.
>
> When I sell vintage bike stuff at swap meets many of my customers are
> bike messengers. Most of them are too young to know anything about bike
> stuff from the 60's and 70's. Nevertheless many of them seem to be drawn
> to my wares from a purely aesthetic perspective. In fact they are very
> enthusiastic about the stuff. I find this phenomenon interesting.
>
> When I was first drawn to cycling, part of the appeal was that I was
> escaping the mediocrity of my middle class culture. The counter culture
> movement of the 60's and early 70's was about examining the social
> values of the time. There was a cultural revolution. I believe that we
> now live in a more enlightened and open minded society.
>
> Back then if you clip-clopped into a deli in you cycling clothes you
> were likely to get harassed. It felt good to be different. The status
> quo sucked! Today when I clip-clopp in to deli the guy is likely to say
> something like "great day for a ride". This a good thing...
>
> It is great that cycling has become a mainstream activity. Everyone
> knows about Lance and many remember Greg. Lots more people ride.... On
> the other hand I feel that cycling culture has lost something. Maybe its
> me, but it seems like the bike world is really bland. The bikes and the
> apparel are made by a cookie cutter. Everybody is on a "program". They
> are all reading the same magazine! Where is the creativity? Where is the
> innovation?... Where are the race tactics? The best thing about bike
> racing was that every once in a while you could pull off a nifty move.
> Today the digitally trained pawns turn the pedals and the graybeards on
> the radio tell them when to attack and when to follow.
>
> I find the bike messengers refreshing. They are colorful and creative.
> Many are articulate. They see a rusty old Lejeune track frame and go
> crazy over how beautiful it is. They usually can't afford my stuff. I
> feel like giving it to them. Sometimes I do. They buy parts and
> immediately install them on their bikes. They are startled when I am
> willing to give them information or lend them tools. Being stuck single
> handed at my swap meet table, and having forgotten to bring anything to
> eat, I have actually bartered bike parts for food. I had a guy offer me
> a Russian novel that he had in his bag for a moth eaten wool jersey.
>
> These people are way outside the Bicycling Magazine culture. They are
> riding all kinds of interesting stuff. They have sole. Many are good
> athletes and successful competitors. They have something that the
> mainstream cycling world is lacking: passion.
>
> Peace, Jamie Swan - Northport, N.Y.