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Bike Messengers in NYC

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afrocentric
Posts: 707 - Karma: 29
I don't think this video has ever been posted, but if it has, sorry in advance.

Its summertime and everyone is aching for some snow right around this exact time, mid August is brutal. Like alot of people, i search youtube for entertaining videos from time to time, but this one was introduced to me by a friend. Enjoy


Aug 12 2009 5:34PM
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Twinjibber77
Posts: 6239 - Karma: 2,354
That was really cool, big balls of steel.
Aug 12 2009 5:41PM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
amazing!
i wonder how many accidents happen...
Aug 12 2009 6:06PM
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gmack24
Posts: 4636 - Karma: 31
I know a kid who does that in NYC...he's a crazy bastard, which you would have to be. So sick though
Aug 12 2009 6:11PM
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Slinger1x1
Posts: 8853 - Karma: 66
and you think driving in NYC is easy?
Aug 12 2009 6:29PM
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Shark.
Posts: 3158 - Karma: 270
thats sooo sick dope post.
Aug 12 2009 6:32PM
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Von
Posts: 4869 - Karma: 21
I love that song go BSS. And I'm moving to Boston soon so I'm pretty psyched to ride around all break neck down town passing cars left and right.
Aug 12 2009 6:43PM
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boyd
Posts: 217 - Karma: 256
this guy's pretty crazy. http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj1-218EnvY
Aug 12 2009 6:56PM
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Brenone
Posts: 4944 - Karma: 296
i work in NYC. the bike messengers run the streets. but they got skillz
Aug 12 2009 9:07PM
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b-ladd
Posts: 2300 - Karma: 48
Bike messengers are fucking badass. You should check this book called Bike Messengers and the Cult of Human Power, it's a great read.
Aug 12 2009 9:07PM
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sammiedee
Posts: 974 - Karma: 175
i think i saw on tv that alot of them run brakeless too
Aug 12 2009 9:23PM
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Brenone
Posts: 4944 - Karma: 296
^^^ correct no brakes
Aug 12 2009 9:26PM
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Mooserz
Posts: 2945 - Karma: 32
i just coast sometimes. if i have no particular direction to go and are just riding and i know im not going to make it across the street without getting hit ill change my direction accordingly. im a wuss
Aug 12 2009 9:33PM
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afrocentric
Posts: 707 - Karma: 29
Yeah they are all using fixed geared bixes i'd imagine.
Aug 12 2009 9:41PM
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Peter.
Posts: 23796 - Karma: 13,014
hahahah that was awesome! definitely takes some guts
Aug 12 2009 9:41PM
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afrocentric
Posts: 707 - Karma: 29
epic fail typo. Bikes.
Aug 12 2009 9:41PM
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Slinger1x1
Posts: 8853 - Karma: 66
nah, in the interview, hes got like a 10 gear with brakes and everything, just a very basic bike
Aug 12 2009 9:44PM
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1337
Posts: 31054 - Karma: 29,231
Ballsy. they just go thru intersections and floods of pedestrians and don't hit anything. Amazing, truely amazing.
Aug 12 2009 9:47PM
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kepler.
Posts: 8761 - Karma: 139
Very, very cool. I really should get back on a bike.
Aug 12 2009 9:53PM
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skithebert
Posts: 2163 - Karma: 16
that guy at the end was on a fixie but it didn't seem like most of the other guys were.  im pretty sure i saw them coasting.
Aug 12 2009 9:53PM
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toominator
Posts: 4792 - Karma: 120
badass
Aug 12 2009 10:35PM
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spotter487
Posts: 462 - Karma: 12
you should see how fun it is to do it on a skateboard. the first time i did it in manhattan was when I was 14 lol
Aug 12 2009 10:49PM
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afrocentric
Posts: 707 - Karma: 29
Glad to see alot of positive comments for this post!
Aug 12 2009 11:00PM
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Wild_Style
Posts: 155 - Karma: 10
straight jedi shit, sick video post!
Aug 12 2009 11:10PM
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gmack24
Posts: 4636 - Karma: 31
I just whipped my specialized road bike to the gym and was whipping it through traffic downtown. It was so sick, I was literally moving faster then the cars
Aug 12 2009 11:11PM
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Twinjibber77
Posts: 6239 - Karma: 2,354
I noticed while i was there that almost all are fixed gear. But why brakeless?
Aug 13 2009 12:29AM
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tomahawk
Posts: 2006 - Karma: 53
my threads long vid haha
Aug 13 2009 12:38AM
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45.
Posts: 3164 - Karma: 170
I wonder how many people fling car doors open for fun in NYC?
Aug 13 2009 1:05AM
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A-Lee
Posts: 256 - Karma: 19
Only a few of them were using fixed gears and when you are as good as those guys you can just skid or fishtail(fixed gears) to a stop and most fixed gear riders don't need brakes you just slow you pedaling speed down with your legs. But it just took balls of steel to be able to ride like that.
Aug 13 2009 1:12AM
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ski_DC
Posts: 1347 - Karma: 58
bike messangers are sick. kinda a dying breed in DC though, not sure how they're doing in NYC. probably still have a bigger slice of the market. email and such as replaced alot of the utility of bike messangers, all the guys in my nearest bike shop used to be messengers and talk about it alot. they are awesome guys though and have great nicknames, like cheeto, my personal favorite haha

Aug 13 2009 1:35AM
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BMskier
Posts: 3363 - Karma: 365
thats not the original song to the vid. but great nonthelessssssles les
Aug 13 2009 1:51AM
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Dukeybrains
Posts: 1030 - Karma: 11
Haha they were definitely coasting, contrary to popular belief most messengers don't ride fixies.
Aug 13 2009 2:03AM
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afrocentric
Posts: 707 - Karma: 29
bumper cars.
Aug 13 2009 11:28AM
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sammiedee
Posts: 974 - Karma: 175
6:33 look at their crank arms
Aug 13 2009 11:48AM
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Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
God that was like a 90 degree turn at 4:10 such badassses
Aug 13 2009 11:56AM
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skiblandford
Posts: 1503 - Karma: 2
such a legit way to get around the city though
Aug 13 2009 11:59AM
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Twinjibber77
Posts: 6239 - Karma: 2,354
Oh in the video i noticed that only a couple had fixed gears. A lot didn't. But just from ones i've actually seen in the city i still have seen way more fixed gear than anything. Brakeless is bad ass.
Aug 13 2009 12:04PM
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b-ladd
Posts: 2300 - Karma: 48
Anyone remember this video? Almost takes out Russel Simmons at the beginning, then he catches some sweet air at 2:44. Robin Thicke is the man.
Aug 13 2009 12:32PM
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FUUUCK
Posts: 18426 - Karma: 4,888
nope, about half of actual bike messengers have fixed gears. But that's just a rough estimate from alley cats I've been to.
Aug 13 2009 12:44PM
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Twinjibber77
Posts: 6239 - Karma: 2,354
He looks so weird like that.
Aug 13 2009 12:47PM
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buckers
Posts: 448 - Karma: 12
Fixies are pretty much the standard here in London, I don't tink I've every seen a messenger on a bike with gears.  Those guys are nuts, truely skilled guys. 

Does anyone else think that this could easily be made into a game, delivering package in time, kinda like Crazy Taxi.
Aug 13 2009 12:51PM
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Tasche
Posts: 5422 - Karma: 99
Click for larger image
Aug 13 2009 12:55PM
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Dukeybrains
Posts: 1030 - Karma: 11
Yeah a bike messenger game would be pretty sick
Aug 13 2009 1:02PM
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strongmark
Posts: 3278 - Karma: 883
these videos are kinda dumb to me, i mean thats just kinda how you have to ride a fixed gear in the city, especially without brakes.  youre a lot better off blowing lights confidently, so long as you keep an eye about yourself, than you are riding around timid and unsure about what youre gona do.  thats how you clip rear view mirrors or get broadsided because you crept through a yellow light.
Aug 13 2009 1:14PM
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PopsicleStand
Posts: 6890 - Karma: 147
i could be wrong but it popped in my head when i was watching this that it is video from some sort of unorganized bike messenger race that is held in NYC

also, anyone remember about that one legged bike messenger? i remember reading an article about him like 10 years ago in some bike magazine.
Aug 13 2009 1:42PM
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kepler.
Posts: 8761 - Karma: 139
See that's why I like the videos :D I sure as hell can't ride like that on any sort of bike. I could get high and watch that video all day. Super cool.
Aug 13 2009 1:43PM
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strongmark
Posts: 3278 - Karma: 883
haha yeah it takes a while to get used to it but my philosophy is that youre better off riding as fast as cars than you are riding slower and having to worry about getting him from all angles.
Aug 13 2009 1:48PM
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krystoff
Posts: 228 - Karma: 19
sick, on my to-do list for sure.
Aug 13 2009 1:53PM
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Dukeybrains
Posts: 1030 - Karma: 11
A cop pulled me ovver on my bike for running a red a while ago fuckinggg bullshittt
Aug 13 2009 1:54PM
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kepler.
Posts: 8761 - Karma: 139
For sure, just like sometimes it's better to take a particular line a little faster in skiing. I'm just not to that point in biking so it's really cool to me.
Aug 13 2009 2:12PM
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