e
Two Wheels Good
Bike messengers as fashion icons? Not a new phenomenon, of course, but what happens to the ideals within a community when their symbols (of identity and authenticity and insider status) appeal to a larger group? The bicycle messenger's identity begins, unsurprisingly, with the bike. And no bicycle is more emblematic of the devil-may-care lifestyle of couriers than the brakeless, fixed-gear track bike. ...Taken purely as a fashion accessory, the track bike must rank somewhere between cigarettes and high heels as a health hazard to its operator.
"They're dangerous," says Larry Morris of nonmessenger -- or "fakengers," as he calls them -- track bikes. If Rainey made bike messengers look bad to a mainstream audience, courier bag designers are making them look good. Timbuk2 may be the trendiest bag maker among the noncourier public, but messengers say they prefer side slings made by designers who have been messengers themselves.
"You hardly see anybody with Timbuk2," says John "Ducky" Williams, 20, a messenger for King Courier. "They're not the most durable bags out there. And I want to support bag companies owned by former messengers."
Williams carries a messenger bag by R.E.Load, a company started in 1998 by a pair of Philadelphia bike couriers. Morris sports a side sling by Travis Poh's Freight Baggage. Poh, who still works as a messenger in San Francisco, sells off-the-rack and custom-made bags at the Freewheel Bike Shop, with one location on Valencia street and another on Hayes Street.
"It's the best bag I've ever had," says Morris.
Messenger bags, built to be durable and waterproof, are a hit with the nonmessengering public as well.
"We probably sell more to nonmessengers than messengers," says Poh of Freight Baggage.
Hinds admits that when it comes to bags, for her at least, fashion has trumped functionality.
"I don't like having stuff everybody else has, but I finally break down and get it," she says, nodding to her Freight bag. "I actually prefer a backpack to a side sling, because of better weight distribution, but ..."
Williams, a student at the Academy of Art, says his look is a mix of form and function. The scrunchy key chain he keeps on his arm, his fingerless gloves, stiff sneakers and hip pouch are necessary for the job. But his earring and the patches on his courier bag -- bearing the logo of Mouthpiece, a straightedge band from New Jersey -- tell a more specific story about who he is.
-
oFavorite This
-
Q5Comment
Directory Company Profiles
Core77
Industrial Design
Resources
Industrial Design
Resources
-
Core77 Directory
Find the Best Industrial Design CompaniesGo -
Bould Design
BOULD DESIGN is a strategic partner for bringing highly functional, beautiful and successful product...
-
Doris DevDoris Dev is a New York and Hong Kong-based product development agency with a proven track record of...
-
aruliden
Aruliden is a global design agency born in 2006. We are a collection of people who care deeply about...
-
Ammunition
Founded in 2007, Ammunition is led by partners Robert Brunner and Matt Rolandson. Our work is create...
-
Agncy Design
Using design as a tool to reduce structural inequity. We work with teams and leaders to make the equ...
-
Acorn Product Development
Acorn Product Development is based in Silicon Valley with design centers in Boston, Denver, Los Ange...
-
219 Design
219 Design is an interdisciplinary product engineering firm based in Silicon Valley. Our team of mec...
K
{Welcome
Create a Core77 Account
Already have an account? Sign In
By creating a Core77 account you confirm that you accept the Terms of Use
K
Reset Password
Please enter your email and we will send an email to reset your password.
Comments
as for fixies... never could get completely used to them. only reason i have one is for the rare occasion i have to ride out to the boonies for a drop. my problem is how every hipster teen has one nowadays and dont know how to ride them safely or effectively, i have to dodge more teens on fixies on the street than i do cars in cross-traffic...
As for the Track bikes, being the 1st courier in my area to rock one at work; I can see the attraction to using one, but my extremely aggressive riding style made for to many close calls and even a complete 360 through a corner in the rain that resulted in NO CRASH ( still can't figure out how I pulled that one off ). These days, EVERYBODY has a Fixie, a Chrome bag, and a Mini Krypto tucked into the back pocket of their spandex cutoff jeans. I personally like a free-wheel, and the Fixie for the Loooong flat rides or the Track.
As for the part about us being " Pricks! ", we are; and I proudly say that, since I'm one of the biggest.
On the Road for 25 years and still going, just about to hit 40, look like and feel like I'm in my early 20's, and can ride, party, and destroy the best of them, not to mention the 20 something girls that I have no problem picking up. At my age, most guys are 30 lbs overweight, going bald, three kids, three ex-wifes and bankrupt. God I LOVE being a Bike courier!