The golden age for messengers were the 90’s. Before the internet killed the business. There was a critical mass that formed a culture. An in your face, effortlessly competent, aggressive adrenaline fueled vibe. The messenger community is a tribe with its own rules that exists in major cities around the world. It was not uncommon for messengers to work a few months in New York, then a year in Chicago, then do a messenger race in Tokyo or Paris while taking a week off of work. These people carrying packages are riding bikes worth thousands of dollars. This is less a job and more of a community, a brotherhood, and a lifestyle.
Can somebody explain to me exactly how the internet impacted the business? I can imagine, but I'm curious to hear the perspective of someone who witnessed in firsthand. Thanks
I worked as a messenger in Paris for a year and loved it. Now I'm a chemist and... meh, don't really like it, I wish I was riding a bike when I'm at work. The pay is better, though.
I say it's good as a side 2nd job if you got a regular job cause it is exhausting and sometimes you not getting alot of business only like the weekends
My coworker used to do this in Chicago in the 80's he said he used to make reaaally good money for the 80's. Now like you said you can't make shit on it and why is this guy using zipps on a fixie lol
He's doing what he loves and staying fit while doing it. Getting to explore the city and know it better than most who walk blindly. Mad props to any messenger out there doing their thing
Austin Shoupe damn man idk what to say then 😒 it was intense everytime i went street riding there literally everybody hates you no smiles no waves no nods! almost as bad as san jose IMO
Twenty or so years ago I asked a messenger in the elevator how many miles he rode every day. He estimated fifty. Eight years ago I bought a fixie and started riding hard in the city and got to the point that if I went up Milwaukee to Belmont from the loop at 5pm, the only people passing me were messengers. Then I'd ride over from Milwaukee Ave to around Oak Park Ave. Google maps said my route was almost exactly ten miles, and the fastest I ever rode it was 40 minutes, which is about 15mph. But I'd guess most messengers would ride closer to 10 mph through the congestion of downtown. 50 miles would mean five hours of riding, broken up by stops for deliveries and pickups. It would be fun but terrifying.
that would make a lot of sense! although the effect of the aerodynamics of those rim is virtually nothing nothing with the rest of his set up, non aero frame, forks clothes and backpack. they still look lit on that bike
It took me a number of years to get strong enough to really enjoy this job, going through burnout and returning. Anyone who has done it for six months and says it's too hard, it's just because you haven't yet got your body to a level where it's easy. To become a master at something takes ten thousand hours, but it's awesome when you get there because it feels so easy and everyone else looks like they are pedalling through concrete standing on the pedals while you are riding no hands and putting your gloves on. This work is far closer to man's natural requirements, than sitting under a fluorescent tube all day getting neck ache and a pot belly.
How many miles does he ride a week? Why does his bike have no brakes? Why is he using a single speed bike? What the fuck is he delivering all day? All viable questions you could have asked him instead of playing shitty dubstep music.
probably 150-200mi/week for work plus another 70-100 of off work riding, maybe a 100mi wknd warrior ride, is usually the gist. No brakes bc it's unnecessary weight and parts. Single-speed or fixed gear keeps a straight chain-line; the chain is actually bulkier than a road chain so it's stronger. The track frame is a great tight geometry frame making it speedy in the city. Delivering very important parcels!
I ride a fixie, and stopping using your legs is by far worse than brakes. If you're going fast, expect to have a stopping distance twice that of brakes. That being said, if you don't have brakes, you don't use them. So you find ways maintaining speed rather than slowing down.
If you watch this and think, "Yeah, I'm gonna do that as a job", remember 2 things. Don't do it on a fixie, and second, don't run reds across intersections. Both are completely unnecessary.
Not at all. Be faster in between, although note I didn't say 'don't run reds when turning right or left around a bend/corner (depending on where you are from). Or just do a day where you don't go thru intersections (as seen above) and see what impact it has financially. But how can you isolate the effect of not doing one thing (that might save you 25-50 seconds per run) in terms of earnings? I'd be interested also to see, of the messengers killed on the job, whether running an intersection figures highly on the list. Apart from pissing of other road users and pedestrians, I'd say it would be right up there, due to the high risk and degree of difficulty. Finally, encouraging new messengers to do this? Not smart.
Faster in between as opposed to being faster in-between while not losing many minutes a day due to stopping for the duration of a full light? I deliver for Postmates. I do far runs where I'd be losing more than 25-50 seconds if I stopped through the duration of every light. Plus, lights aren't 25-50 second wait. The average stop light is two minutes. That's a huge loss especially when multiplied over the course of a day. Stop at 5 lights a day for two minutes a time and you lost ten minutes which could be the time you could have done a run or a couple of runs. It doesn't pay to wait at stop lights. I slow down when approaching a red then run through when the coast is clear. Ive been doing this for years and haven't come anywhere close to a car. Yeah if you're just blasting through without stopping then it's dangerous. But if you're slowing down and only passing when the coast is clear I don't see what the problem is.
Get that stop watch out and time each light v your estimate of what it is. Some lights can be quite long due to their importance within a city wide traffic system, but I'm thinking you're over-estimating the time lost overall, whilst under-estimating your ability as a messenger in ensuring you get the work. Knowing the city you're in is much more important than being fast. As regards pay, I'm assuming in your jurisdiction you aren't eligible for a wage/hourly rate? I think we can agree however in that if you're going to do it (I would say don't, but...) make certain you have ample space, as once you're out there, you have little legal/physical protection should you make a judgement error.
running lights yeah not something we do purposefully to run lights, we ride and we aren't in shitty cars, we can see and hear when an intersection is clear so we go. losing momentum esp on a fixie is no fun. also fixie for mess life is where it's at. It's great training. most guys ride fixed in the am then crush the road rides in the pm.
I worked for Cannonball from 83 to 86 and I biked half and walked/took CTA for the other half and I have nice memories of a job that could be tough with those winters. Ten years is a very long time in messenger work. I burned out after those three years. I tried going back a couple of times but my heart wasn't in it anymore. I guess I just got older. When your time comes you will know and a new path will appear and after all you've been through it will be a piece of cake! Best of luck, John 518.
Awesome video! With video, it's incredibly difficult to capture the thrill of riding fast through traffic and the skills required to do it, and I feel you've done it better than most people. I know personally that Nico is an amazing cyclist. I raced with him in an alleycat in the Bronx a few months ago and he beat out all the NYC natives, winning both first overall and first out of town. However, now people who aren't in unsanctioned street races with him can see how amazing he is too!
Subbed ! Great film dude. One man crew? Also what drone was you using, loved the movement on some of those opening shots! Then following the train round the corner, well done man!
Nico may be the best there is and an overall good guy. The problem I have is he is a "professional", highly skilled rider mixing in with a bunch of run-of-the-mill automobile drivers. His stunts, and I don't mean "stunts" in a derogatory sense, are un-nerving to others on the road because his idea of ebb-and-flow are not the same as those he shares the road with. Travel laws are in place to create predictability of movement, like many "serious" riders he appears to ignore this responsibility of being on the road.
@@capnawesome4649 when the front of the car goes down because you skip a red light, it had to brake severely. It's also not about what happened but what can happen. And since he skipped a light it was not granteed that he can get out of the way in time. And if you can understand this very simple concept please do is a favor and stay pod the road. Thank you
@@Daira929 Literally nothing happened and the car barely had to slow down. It wasn't close to an accident or even close to being close. Just because you live a super boring life (eating cake and being a fatass), don't try to force that on others.
@@capnawesome4649 We live in society, there are rules that are there not just for your protection but also for other's. If you wish to live a super not boring life and not follow the rules, you are free to leave society and go live in the woods.
@@capnawesome4649 Nothing happened in this video, but as a person who travels to Chicago from time to time, I have seen this idiots getting hit and some almost got killed because they don't follow the traffic laws. They don't stop at Red lights or Stop signs, and are zig zagging between cars.
I used to ride from school to home everyday, which is a 4km ride on the VERY (emphasis on "very") busy streets of Manila (y'all know the traffic we have here in South East Asia). Jeeps would cut you left to right, at times when rain comes I'd have to take a shelter on stalls, then wade across the after-rain flood in traffic since our drainage system's shit. My trusty and old folding bike with a 6-speed gear carried me through that shitty ass commute. Sold it now for an MTB and moved out to the province, still bikes to school and takes the MTB on trail weekends.
Bud all I can say I have mad respect for you, I'm 61 with CHF and I ride also. I gave up my car to live within my means and use it for everything, work, shopping, the only thing Is the Summers in Phoenix can be brutal, between the heat and the sandstorms, but when I ride especially in over a long distance I reach a moment of clarity which allows me to see the big picture on what I need to do, where I'm going and how to get there. Keep doing what your doing even if it takes another 10 years.
Flat bars could be too wide; some riders (inc me) prefer the straighter wrist position that comes from using the tops and the hoods of drop handled bars - especially important if you’re riding for hours on end, as he is. Could just be personal preference, taste or aesthetics.
I was a messenger for nearly 4 years (1994-1998). I was on CBS 2 evening when the wind chill factor was -76 (cotton,wool,polypropylene,lycra,gore tex,nylon,hemp)
Watching this made me so thankful for the Cycle lanes in Berlin, Germany. I commute by bike daily, and doing that in Chicago seems quite horrifying in comparison to Berlin!
Th majority of what is portrayed in the video is in the downtown area, not the general Chicago area. There are designated bike lanes but this rider probably wanted to take short cuts. Also some bike lanes in the downtown area are more dangerous since it becomes a bottleneck of bike and walking traffic.
For everyone complaining about how he is riding must never ride a bike in general. To be honest it feels a lot safer riding this way then following the rules. I seen more people get hit on bike lanes, cars turning right without a signal or checking for cyclists, doors getting kicked open, Pedestrians walking or standing.
Wow! You have so many views despite of having less than 1 million subscribers. Great job and content! Wish you sucess. I am enjoying your channel. Just subscribed.
You just have to like biking, probably from somewhere in your childhood. Otherwise it’s mostly dealing with external factors like weather extremes which can vary depending on the city.
What's the point of not having brakes on? I literally can't think of any reason to take them off. The extra weight of having brakes is small and it could possibly also save you time by making it easier to get around. On top of that, It's more safe to have brakes than not having any. It's been shown time and time again, that the risk of brakes blocking is much smaller than the risk of getting into an accident because of having no brakes.
@Mambo Jambo That's probably the most dumb shit I've ever heard. If a car drives out in front of you, tell me how you're going to make sure you don't get hit. Nothing you can do, given that you can't swerve past him, the only thing which could remotely save you from hitting that car would be brakes. You can't brake with your fucking feet better than actual brakes on a bicycle.
This is awesome! But I'm curious and mostly because I know nothing about this but what are bike messengers generally delivering when we have the internet and can still use a fax? I've worked in the business world as a programmer and writer for over 20 years and have always been able to do things electronically. Awesome video.
He talks about his 'sixth sense' guiding him through traffic. At 2:43, me eyes tell me the black SUV is about to change lanes to the right. Flashing indicator and road positioning are pretty obvious giveaways, to be honest. But still, he cuts through the gap between the cars and overtakes the SUV on the right. Hadn't the car checked his blindspot again before changing lanes, he would've come directly at the cyclist. What kind of sixth sense is that supposed to be?
If you look at broken lines or solid lines you see how cars start to turn abruptly.. yes unfortunately people buy cars specifically to not use blinkers, but paying attention to small details like that definitely gives you a better understanding of the "sixth sense".
Or riding when you're sick, injured or exhausted, or you're bike is in poor shape, or you just need the money. Or your dispatcher is a dick, or the incidents with other road users. In all weather.
Luis Garcia actually I have family in Chicago and have been there in the summer. Our summers are 110+ with 98 percent humidity, so no Chicago is not hot.
Luis Garcia your family must not be native Texans because I'm from Texas and Chicago doesn't have bad humidity. Chicago's high humidity is around 80. We get that during the fall and spring. Chicago's summers are nice and relaxing compared to ours.
"Freezing cold winters...." as the video pans to the fountain on the lake shore. When I was there, in that exact spot about 20 years ago, my friend who recently relocated to Chicago said, "See that fountain, dude? It was FROZEN SOLID last winter! THAT'S how cold it gets here." I was suitable impressed!
Yeah cars are destroying cities, they occupy to much space. Generate co2, noice and foment lack of movement in people do to car made cities. Not to mention cars are expensive
Don't swerve in between pedestrians. Take some rest at red lights and accelerate a bit faster using gears, putting hoods (and thus brakes) on your bike. You'll be as quick, as tired (or even less), and more of a gentleman in traffic. I really can't agree with riding fixed in a city without brakes. You ALWAYS have conflics this way, and you mostly end up well because other people give you space, even if they have right of way. disclaimer: I ride fixed, single speed and road bikes (in races).
Riding a fixie without brakes in heavy traffic! Thats safe right? Its actually illegal to ride without them in the city of Chicago. This guy is asking to get fined or get hit. I do ride a fixie without brakes occasionally but I have a caliper sitting around ready to be thrown on for stop and go situations such as downtown.
He's been riding like that for 10 years ? The fact that he's still alive is a miracle. Running red lights, cutting people off, this dude's riding is a mess.
C'est principalement dû à son expérience dans le domaine. Au bout de 10 ans à livrer comme ça, tu finis par anticiper les réactions des voitures quand même... Et un vélo c'est plus maniable et ça freine plus facilement que n'importe quoi d'autre.
The run of the mill recommendation to gain an education - and use it to have some say in your work choices - is a much better code than running errands for those that got that education.
People in Chicago must be much more well behaved than here in Boston. If you have a bike messenger weaving through stopped traffic and blowing through red lights here, someone is going to "accidentally" bump into them or open a car door right before they get there. Guaranteed.
Come to Bangkok, Thailand and be a bike messenger. There are very few here and I'm sure the bicycle-unfriendliness and exciting Thai motorists will keep you interested.
@@Albanez39 ofcourse it's a poor driver if the messenger dies because he rode on red when he shouldn't! Then it's not the car drivers fault, who will anyway be haunted by the memory of having participated in someone's death!
According to Cyberdrive IL he shouldnt be running reds. A bike is still a vehicle and needs to be used as such. That being said, the driver of a car should always be in control. Green doesn't mean "go" but "proceed with caution" -- meaning, just because its green it doesn't give you the right to ignore potential hazards and just drive through the light.
I know that feeling as a bike messenger in NYC it’s a rush feeling you can’t describe seriously I take it as you free to do the fuck you want to do and you don’t have no boss over you....
I ride with the traffic on my way to the trails, its not easy but its certainly not something to make a movement about. And i really hate riders that run the red light
Thomas John Solidum i agree , I've ridden from NYC to Tx to Cali through Europe and parts of Asia , you respect laws that's how you build community not running lights
Sorry, you're just the sucker that would do a less than minimum wage job and risk injuries (without insurance I assume). I don't hope you get injured, but I won't be surprised if you run reds and ride like this guy does. Fuck that "sixth sense" bullshit. I can't claim to ba a good driver so "please officer let me speed at 100mph" so the same argument can't be used to ride like an ass in traffic.
What i love about fixie is the speed... Since it's only used for Velodrome before, And also Low maintainace which is good for broke people like me, If the chain broke just buy a few links off the bike shop and you are good to go and no brakes means lighter, Less stuffs to buy, upgrade and Replace!
I like the fixie, its minimalism and zen, but i ride singlespeed for courier work, its acessibility and simplicity. Still couldn't do track stands, skids, or even getting feet into pedal straps on the fixed gear!
For several years there were a bunch of bike messengers in Columbus, then they all disappeared. Something to do with a law around papers being delivered personally? Anyways I miss seeing those badass messengers zipping throug, town cutting their way through traffic and staying upright at red lights on their fixies.
Electronic Signature changed the business. Before that, the bulk of the business was getting legal papers filed, stamped, notarized same day. Also lots of x-rays between doctors and law offices.
Doesn't seem to be a practical bike at all, why would you buy a fixed gear bike with no brakes to do your job in a crowded city ? He's either stupid or a hipster, kind of the same thing though.
Smileyfacedkiller if your skidding in a straight line yea you aren't stopping quickly but if you cut sideways you stop pretty quick. It also lets you change direction much more abruptly if someone pulls out in front. The part where idiots fuck up and make every fixed gear rider look dumb is going faster than they can stop. You should be going much slower if your splitting lanes to cut traffic or riding near pedestrian heavy areas. You have to be prepared for jay walkers and door checks and be going a speed you could stop on a dime brakeless or not. Your broken face won't care who fault it is, it will just be broken.
I think thats what the other side's point is... you can stop faster, and therefor go faster per level of risk, with a front brake... don't use it if you don't have to. The feeling / rhythm / "sixth sense" / whatever is exactly the same, but the IMAGE of your bike looks "less clean" because you have a caliper and a cable. Sooo. There ya go. Not using a front brake on a fixie is PURELY about image. It's not like these are real track frames that aren't bolted for a caliper. And even if they were, the frame you use is your choice. There is simply no argument other than IMAGE for omitting a front brake.
As I am trying to watch this video, the *voice over is so low* in the mix compared with the ambient backgound music that it's difficult to hear. Is anyone else experiencing this issue?
So it looks cool, but when you get hit it’s your fault right ? Like do you, but when you fuck up cause a door swings open or you ran the wrong red light, do you get up and start kick the side of the car or do you pay for damages ?
Clearly he hasn’t figured out the “flow” all that well cause he forced a lot of cars to brake to not hit him. OMG...and he just said he’s been doing it 10yrs. ! Wow... very amateur for a 10yr. rider..
So fixies are really that comfortable to ride? Im planning on building a road bike in the future, so are ss/fixies way better/practical than regular geared bikes? How about climbs? I've seen a video about a guy recently smoking pod and climbing a huge mountain in a fixie hahah.
The fixed geared by reaches full speed in a bout 3 or 4 half cranks. The point being, it only takes a second or 2 to reach the riders preferred, pre-determined max speed. Getting to top gear on a 6 speed takes way to long
First song: "Talk to Me" - Rare
Second song: "Long Distance" - Sam Gellaitry
Please can you tell me which model of glasses are the ones you carry in the video. Thank you.
Owen Schatz Thanks God
I thought I knew that first song. lol
Thank
J. IGNACIO HEREDIA RODRIGUEZ if you didn’t find it those are called jawbreakers
The golden age for messengers were the 90’s. Before the internet killed the business. There was a critical mass that formed a culture. An in your face, effortlessly competent, aggressive adrenaline fueled vibe. The messenger community is a tribe with its own rules that exists in major cities around the world. It was not uncommon for messengers to work a few months in New York, then a year in Chicago, then do a messenger race in Tokyo or Paris while taking a week off of work. These people carrying packages are riding bikes worth thousands of dollars. This is less a job and more of a community, a brotherhood, and a lifestyle.
Yea, I was a messenger in DC from 97-2000. It was cool times 🔥
Can somebody explain to me exactly how the internet impacted the business? I can imagine, but I'm curious to hear the perspective of someone who witnessed in firsthand. Thanks
@@SilasF1sherGood question, I’ll like to know also.
@@SilasF1sherpeople don't need envelopes anymore maybe
They've romanticized a hard, low paid, dangerous and frankly exhausting job. I know because I do it.
I worked as a messenger in Paris for a year and loved it. Now I'm a chemist and... meh, don't really like it, I wish I was riding a bike when I'm at work. The pay is better, though.
And that's why you only do it in 10 years because you *looooooove it*
I say it's good as a side 2nd job if you got a regular job cause it is exhausting and sometimes you not getting alot of business only like the weekends
My coworker used to do this in Chicago in the 80's he said he used to make reaaally good money for the 80's. Now like you said you can't make shit on it and why is this guy using zipps on a fixie lol
YLLA you should quit. Cyclists get harassed because of you criminals
dude, those Zipp wheels cost like 10 years of Bike messenger salary.
he got it as sponsors
and gopro and red bull helmet
I thought this was a joke...
So like $100?
@@CallUrDrop those wheels are easy $1500
"We develop this sixth sense..." Yes unless she opens her car door right in front of you as you are passing by at 25km/h.
I'm laughing very hard😂
Then comes the bike trick..
@Rumpel Felt While that is true, when riding 4-5 times a week and 7 to 8 hours a day, you're likely to make mistakes.
who doing that tho?
Truth is you can see if someone is inside the car and if they're about to open their door before you pass it
He's doing what he loves and staying fit while doing it. Getting to explore the city and know it better than most who walk blindly. Mad props to any messenger out there doing their thing
I agree with doing what you love but not when you bother other people when you're doing it.
I'm an essential worker. You're welcome for all that I do and everything I do not.
breathing in those healthy car fumes all day
Future homeless bum on the street, cause he stayed a bike massager for his adult like.
Didn't see him do one hardcore thing in this video
Preferred Stock you must never been in Chicago traffic.?
j. allday I have. It's not that intense these days.
Austin Shoupe damn man idk what to say then 😒 it was intense everytime i went street riding there literally everybody hates you no smiles no waves no nods! almost as bad as san jose IMO
j. allday bike cultural really exploded. The city is a lot easier to travel by bike now compared to 2012.
That's not hardcore, that's stupid!
I was my towns most hardcore paper boy. Nobody could touch my flinging skills son! You want paper!?!? I got paper!!!
Is that you Cru?
where's your town?
@@Sundog22 Thank you Ma'am
You’re awesome dude!!!
@@swagataraha3707 P-Town son! Represent
Twenty or so years ago I asked a messenger in the elevator how many miles he rode every day. He estimated fifty. Eight years ago I bought a fixie and started riding hard in the city and got to the point that if I went up Milwaukee to Belmont from the loop at 5pm, the only people passing me were messengers. Then I'd ride over from Milwaukee Ave to around Oak Park Ave. Google maps said my route was almost exactly ten miles, and the fastest I ever rode it was 40 minutes, which is about 15mph. But I'd guess most messengers would ride closer to 10 mph through the congestion of downtown. 50 miles would mean five hours of riding, broken up by stops for deliveries and pickups. It would be fun but terrifying.
Messengers spend more time in elevators than anywhere else :)
must be doing good for himself if he can afford those zipp deep section rims
keith c Zipp is one of his sponsors
that would make a lot of sense! although the effect of the aerodynamics of those rim is virtually nothing nothing with the rest of his set up, non aero frame, forks clothes and backpack. they still look lit on that bike
keith c all city nature boy is probably the best commuter bike out there
Haha I was laughing at the aero bars than I see Zipps.. Hopefully all that aero negates that space pack he has on his back.
im not disputing that fact, im saying its not doing those aero rims and bars and favours
Anyone who did this job for 10 years deserves my respect.
Its a passion i dream of having that job
They has strong legs to do that job 🔥🔥
It took me a number of years to get strong enough to really enjoy this job, going through burnout and returning. Anyone who has done it for six months and says it's too hard, it's just because you haven't yet got your body to a level where it's easy. To become a master at something takes ten thousand hours, but it's awesome when you get there because it feels so easy and everyone else looks like they are pedalling through concrete standing on the pedals while you are riding no hands and putting your gloves on. This work is far closer to man's natural requirements, than sitting under a fluorescent tube all day getting neck ache and a pot belly.
“The way we ride can look dangerous”......it does...for people on crossings!
How many miles does he ride a week? Why does his bike have no brakes? Why is he using a single speed bike? What the fuck is he delivering all day? All viable questions you could have asked him instead of playing shitty dubstep music.
probably 150-200mi/week for work plus another 70-100 of off work riding, maybe a 100mi wknd warrior ride, is usually the gist. No brakes bc it's unnecessary weight and parts. Single-speed or fixed gear keeps a straight chain-line; the chain is actually bulkier than a road chain so it's stronger. The track frame is a great tight geometry frame making it speedy in the city. Delivering very important parcels!
Brakes are unnecessary? LOL!
..bc you can stop pedaling through foot retention therefore stoping the bike.
I ride a fixie, and stopping using your legs is by far worse than brakes. If you're going fast, expect to have a stopping distance twice that of brakes. That being said, if you don't have brakes, you don't use them. So you find ways maintaining speed rather than slowing down.
Sit down, breaking distance problem solved.
If you watch this and think, "Yeah, I'm gonna do that as a job", remember 2 things. Don't do it on a fixie, and second, don't run reds across intersections. Both are completely unnecessary.
It's pretty necessary to run reds unless you want to make way less money and take longer to deliver items
Not at all. Be faster in between, although note I didn't say 'don't run reds when turning right or left around a bend/corner (depending on where you are from). Or just do a day where you don't go thru intersections (as seen above) and see what impact it has financially. But how can you isolate the effect of not doing one thing (that might save you 25-50 seconds per run) in terms of earnings? I'd be interested also to see, of the messengers killed on the job, whether running an intersection figures highly on the list. Apart from pissing of other road users and pedestrians, I'd say it would be right up there, due to the high risk and degree of difficulty. Finally, encouraging new messengers to do this? Not smart.
Faster in between as opposed to being faster in-between while not losing many minutes a day due to stopping for the duration of a full light? I deliver for Postmates. I do far runs where I'd be losing more than 25-50 seconds if I stopped through the duration of every light. Plus, lights aren't 25-50 second wait. The average stop light is two minutes. That's a huge loss especially when multiplied over the course of a day. Stop at 5 lights a day for two minutes a time and you lost ten minutes which could be the time you could have done a run or a couple of runs. It doesn't pay to wait at stop lights. I slow down when approaching a red then run through when the coast is clear. Ive been doing this for years and haven't come anywhere close to a car. Yeah if you're just blasting through without stopping then it's dangerous. But if you're slowing down and only passing when the coast is clear I don't see what the problem is.
Get that stop watch out and time each light v your estimate of what it is. Some lights can be quite long due to their importance within a city wide traffic system, but I'm thinking you're over-estimating the time lost overall, whilst under-estimating your ability as a messenger in ensuring you get the work. Knowing the city you're in is much more important than being fast. As regards pay, I'm assuming in your jurisdiction you aren't eligible for a wage/hourly rate? I think we can agree however in that if you're going to do it (I would say don't, but...) make certain you have ample space, as once you're out there, you have little legal/physical protection should you make a judgement error.
running lights yeah not something we do purposefully to run lights, we ride and we aren't in shitty cars, we can see and hear when an intersection is clear so we go. losing momentum esp on a fixie is no fun. also fixie for mess life is where it's at. It's great training. most guys ride fixed in the am then crush the road rides in the pm.
He must deliver a lot of Postmates smoothies on those zipps
I worked for Cannonball from 83 to 86 and I biked half and walked/took CTA for the other half and I have nice memories of a job that could be tough with those winters. Ten years is a very long time in messenger work. I burned out after those three years. I tried going back a couple of times but my heart wasn't in it anymore. I guess I just got older. When your time comes you will know and a new path will appear and after all you've been through it will be a piece of cake! Best of luck, John 518.
I love that he's wearing a helmet...and the music, I love the music
So you love helmets and music!😊
@@ALEXANDERCRETA1 indeed
...the music just made the video 100% better, and he is so true to what he does that redbull recognizes the awsome dude! #PedalToTheMetal
He’s just reppin Red Bull
R3dbull the marketing agency
"Meet the bike messenger in Chicago with the most expensive bike"
Its not that expensive i have the same bike
@@janrynemaghuyop1872 what's the brand?
Not expensive at all
@@ludoviccoutu7960 it’s prob like a 6ku frame with some zipp wheelset
@@blame2bc it’s an All City
10 years and he still hasn't been able to afford brakes.
'We're professionals' - Man with no brakes
U r dumb.
watch Premium Rush to know
It's a fixie lol
Michael Lin exactly
Ur stupid
Awesome video, but the audio isn't balanced all that well. Background music is way too loud
X
Shut up
Cause you don't like the song xD
I was literally not even gonna be surprised if at the beginning it showed him riding on top the train
he's even more hardcore than Chicago's most hardcore plummer and that would put him high in the running for most hardcore worldwide
I moved back to Chicago after 13 years away. I picked up a bike bc my car got towed and I can’t put it down! Feel like a kid again for sure
This video could've been so much better if he got to talk more about his job and the music wasn't drowning out everything he said
Awesome video! With video, it's incredibly difficult to capture the thrill of riding fast through traffic and the skills required to do it, and I feel you've done it better than most people. I know personally that Nico is an amazing cyclist. I raced with him in an alleycat in the Bronx a few months ago and he beat out all the NYC natives, winning both first overall and first out of town. However, now people who aren't in unsanctioned street races with him can see how amazing he is too!
Love to hear that! Nico is an awesome dude and a really skilled rider
Madman on a Fixie, no brakes, legs of steel.
This was amazing. Beautiful editing and filming. Hands down brilliant.
Subbed ! Great film dude. One man crew? Also what drone was you using, loved the movement on some of those opening shots! Then following the train round the corner, well done man!
I am your first comment and like
@@nguyenphung9728 I am your first reply and like
.
I'm not expecting you here in the comment section, I didn't know that you are into bikes. BTW I'm a huge fan of your channel. ❤
Crossing while lights are red, well done. Thank god people have some common sense in Europe, ridding a bike.
Nico may be the best there is and an overall good guy. The problem I have is he is a "professional", highly skilled rider mixing in with a bunch of run-of-the-mill automobile drivers. His stunts, and I don't mean "stunts" in a derogatory sense, are un-nerving to others on the road because his idea of ebb-and-flow are not the same as those he shares the road with. Travel laws are in place to create predictability of movement, like many "serious" riders he appears to ignore this responsibility of being on the road.
"We are professionals" - Man who skips red light forcing others to emergency brake 2:02
Professional in this case means idiot
Forcing others to break. Lol. It looked like literally nothing. They barely had to slow down for a 10th of a second.
@@capnawesome4649 when the front of the car goes down because you skip a red light, it had to brake severely. It's also not about what happened but what can happen. And since he skipped a light it was not granteed that he can get out of the way in time. And if you can understand this very simple concept please do is a favor and stay pod the road. Thank you
@@Daira929 Literally nothing happened and the car barely had to slow down. It wasn't close to an accident or even close to being close. Just because you live a super boring life (eating cake and being a fatass), don't try to force that on others.
@@capnawesome4649 We live in society, there are rules that are there not just for your protection but also for other's. If you wish to live a super not boring life and not follow the rules, you are free to leave society and go live in the woods.
@@capnawesome4649 Nothing happened in this video, but as a person who travels to Chicago from time to time, I have seen this idiots getting hit and some almost got killed because they don't follow the traffic laws. They don't stop at Red lights or Stop signs, and are zig zagging between cars.
This guy is currently competing in the TCR and came out on GCN. What a champ! Go get em', man.
I used to ride from school to home everyday, which is a 4km ride on the VERY (emphasis on "very") busy streets of Manila (y'all know the traffic we have here in South East Asia). Jeeps would cut you left to right, at times when rain comes I'd have to take a shelter on stalls, then wade across the after-rain flood in traffic since our drainage system's shit. My trusty and old folding bike with a 6-speed gear carried me through that shitty ass commute. Sold it now for an MTB and moved out to the province, still bikes to school and takes the MTB on trail weekends.
"Meet Chicago's Most Hardcore traffic Douchebag"
Bud all I can say I have mad respect for you, I'm 61 with CHF and I ride also. I gave up my car to live within my means and use it for everything, work, shopping, the only thing Is the Summers in Phoenix can be brutal, between the heat and the sandstorms, but when I ride especially in over a long distance I reach a moment of clarity which allows me to see the big picture on what I need to do, where I'm going and how to get there. Keep doing what your doing even if it takes another 10 years.
why not use a flat bar if you never reach those drops ? :p
Flat bars are too wide for lane splitting
@@trelane751 Cut them down.
gfsdgfabfsdafjsavbdfs you can’t sprint as well. The sway isn’t as swift
@@gfsdgfabfsdafjsavbdfs1253 tiny flat bars, might as well get the ugly bars
Flat bars could be too wide; some riders (inc me) prefer the straighter wrist position that comes from using the tops and the hoods of drop handled bars - especially important if you’re riding for hours on end, as he is. Could just be personal preference, taste or aesthetics.
Seems like this video was more about the music and the editor than about "Chicago's Most Hardcore Bike Messenger".
I was a messenger for nearly 4 years (1994-1998). I was on CBS 2 evening when the wind chill factor was -76 (cotton,wool,polypropylene,lycra,gore tex,nylon,hemp)
Watching this made me so thankful for the Cycle lanes in Berlin, Germany. I commute by bike daily, and doing that in Chicago seems quite horrifying in comparison to Berlin!
Th majority of what is portrayed in the video is in the downtown area, not the general Chicago area. There are designated bike lanes but this rider probably wanted to take short cuts. Also some bike lanes in the downtown area are more dangerous since it becomes a bottleneck of bike and walking traffic.
I ve been riding for 7 years still don't want to stop
For everyone complaining about how he is riding must never ride a bike in general. To be honest it feels a lot safer riding this way then following the rules. I seen more people get hit on bike lanes, cars turning right without a signal or checking for cyclists, doors getting kicked open, Pedestrians walking or standing.
Wow! You have so many views despite of having less than 1 million subscribers. Great job and content! Wish you sucess. I am enjoying your channel. Just subscribed.
I guess being a messenger makes it okay to run red lights, lane-split, weave through cars, and plow through pedestrian crossings.
Yes lol
Sure does
Pretty much
The best option would be a single speed free wheel with breaks
Fixed gear, steel frame, no breaks.
Can't stop, don't want to.
premium rush ^^
You just have to like biking, probably from somewhere in your childhood. Otherwise it’s mostly dealing with external factors like weather extremes which can vary depending on the city.
Brothers and sisters out there, if you going to use fixie please keep the brake on; it's not only for your safety it's for other around please.
An idiot with brakes is more dangerous than an experienced rider without, just my opinion.
What's the point of not having brakes on? I literally can't think of any reason to take them off. The extra weight of having brakes is small and it could possibly also save you time by making it easier to get around. On top of that, It's more safe to have brakes than not having any. It's been shown time and time again, that the risk of brakes blocking is much smaller than the risk of getting into an accident because of having no brakes.
@Mambo Jambo That's probably the most dumb shit I've ever heard. If a car drives out in front of you, tell me how you're going to make sure you don't get hit. Nothing you can do, given that you can't swerve past him, the only thing which could remotely save you from hitting that car would be brakes. You can't brake with your fucking feet better than actual brakes on a bicycle.
Wow, like 30 seconds in and he already broke half a dozen laws.
who cares?
Typical day at the office.
This is awesome! But I'm curious and mostly because I know nothing about this but what are bike messengers generally delivering when we have the internet and can still use a fax? I've worked in the business world as a programmer and writer for over 20 years and have always been able to do things electronically. Awesome video.
small packages I assume?
I used to ride my bike in all weathers all day, everday, in and out of cars, when I was 10. How come I never got sponsored?
He talks about his 'sixth sense' guiding him through traffic.
At 2:43, me eyes tell me the black SUV is about to change lanes to the right. Flashing indicator and road positioning are pretty obvious giveaways, to be honest.
But still, he cuts through the gap between the cars and overtakes the SUV on the right. Hadn't the car checked his blindspot again before changing lanes,
he would've come directly at the cyclist.
What kind of sixth sense is that supposed to be?
If you look at broken lines or solid lines you see how cars start to turn abruptly.. yes unfortunately people buy cars specifically to not use blinkers, but paying attention to small details like that definitely gives you a better understanding of the "sixth sense".
What's hardcore is what you didn't see him do. Imagine Chicago winters or hot days in summer
Or riding when you're sick, injured or exhausted, or you're bike is in poor shape, or you just need the money. Or your dispatcher is a dick, or the incidents with other road users. In all weather.
Chicago hot? Haha please they don't know hot.
Jeremiah Mauricio you obviously haven't been to Chicago on a hot summer day.
Luis Garcia actually I have family in Chicago and have been there in the summer. Our summers are 110+ with 98 percent humidity, so no Chicago is not hot.
Luis Garcia your family must not be native Texans because I'm from Texas and Chicago doesn't have bad humidity. Chicago's high humidity is around 80. We get that during the fall and spring. Chicago's summers are nice and relaxing compared to ours.
"Freezing cold winters...." as the video pans to the fountain on the lake shore.
When I was there, in that exact spot about 20 years ago, my friend who recently relocated to Chicago said, "See that fountain, dude? It was FROZEN SOLID last winter! THAT'S how cold it gets here." I was suitable impressed!
lowkey best video ive seen
So these are the people car drivers keep complaining about.
PS: I'm actually in favour of city cycling, and removing private cars from city centers.
Yeah cars are destroying cities, they occupy to much space. Generate co2, noice and foment lack of movement in people do to car made cities. Not to mention cars are expensive
Thee real issue is the difference in perception between pedestrians and bikers , especially when you in the zone
2:14 now that move is hella reckless bruh
Don't swerve in between pedestrians. Take some rest at red lights and accelerate a bit faster using gears, putting hoods (and thus brakes) on your bike. You'll be as quick, as tired (or even less), and more of a gentleman in traffic. I really can't agree with riding fixed in a city without brakes. You ALWAYS have conflics this way, and you mostly end up well because other people give you space, even if they have right of way. disclaimer: I ride fixed, single speed and road bikes (in races).
Riding a fixie without brakes in heavy traffic! Thats safe right? Its actually illegal to ride without them in the city of Chicago. This guy is asking to get fined or get hit. I do ride a fixie without brakes occasionally but I have a caliper sitting around ready to be thrown on for stop and go situations such as downtown.
Brakes are a false sense of safety..
He's been riding like that for 10 years ?
The fact that he's still alive is a miracle. Running red lights, cutting people off, this dude's riding is a mess.
C'est principalement dû à son expérience dans le domaine. Au bout de 10 ans à livrer comme ça, tu finis par anticiper les réactions des voitures quand même... Et un vélo c'est plus maniable et ça freine plus facilement que n'importe quoi d'autre.
He's alive because he's not using bike lanes.
the sound is nixed like shit
President Interzone it's a real shame too, because the cinematography is gorgeous.
The run of the mill recommendation to gain an education - and use it to have some say in your work choices - is a much better code than running errands for those that got that education.
People in Chicago must be much more well behaved than here in Boston. If you have a bike messenger weaving through stopped traffic and blowing through red lights here, someone is going to "accidentally" bump into them or open a car door right before they get there. Guaranteed.
Haha the dude rides a bike without brakes with a pair of 1000+ dollar wheels
He's got a coaster fixie
nice wheels to you ride on 25 or 28s tyres. how do you manage not to get this bike stolen in Chicago
I feel like the 20th most hardcore bike messenger in Chicago probably doesn’t wear a Red Bull helmet
Drew Behler it’s all good it’s a fake Red Bull helmet haha
Is it me or did they show him running 2 red lights?
Premium Rush?
We develop a sixth sense of ignoring red lights and never stop at them
Not true. I stop at lights, not so much stop signs.
Depends
Hi! What is the brand of your handlebar mount for your gopro? Do you have too much vibration in your recording?
That was some HARDCORE cycling along the tarmac there, rock on!
Come to Bangkok, Thailand and be a bike messenger. There are very few here and I'm sure
the bicycle-unfriendliness and exciting Thai motorists will keep you interested.
Whoa! That was the most hardcore shit I’ve ever seen.
The ZIPPS on his fixie says it all
Next up, watch my grandma do some hardcore grocery shopping.
all I have to say is email
How many red lights jumped? He'll end up tarmac pizza and some poor driver will get the blame.
Poor driver? Huh, that's a new one xD
@@Albanez39 ofcourse it's a poor driver if the messenger dies because he rode on red when he shouldn't! Then it's not the car drivers fault, who will anyway be haunted by the memory of having participated in someone's death!
10 yrs doin that shit, c'mon man
The thing is that it never happened, only that you're a hateful bigot who wishes him dead just because you're another asshole stuck in traffic.
According to Cyberdrive IL he shouldnt be running reds. A bike is still a vehicle and needs to be used as such.
That being said, the driver of a car should always be in control. Green doesn't mean "go" but "proceed with caution" -- meaning, just because its green it doesn't give you the right to ignore potential hazards and just drive through the light.
That crank is bigger than my frying pan.
I know that feeling as a bike messenger in NYC it’s a rush feeling you can’t describe seriously I take it as you free to do the fuck you want to do and you don’t have no boss over you....
I ride with the traffic on my way to the trails, its not easy but its certainly not something to make a movement about. And i really hate riders that run the red light
Thomas John Solidum i agree , I've ridden from NYC to Tx to Cali through Europe and parts of Asia , you respect laws that's how you build community not running lights
Sorry, I want to make more than minimum wage as a bikie. It's safer to run the red lights most of the time. It gets you way ahead of traffic.
Sorry, you're just the sucker that would do a less than minimum wage job and risk injuries (without insurance I assume).
I don't hope you get injured, but I won't be surprised if you run reds and ride like this guy does. Fuck that "sixth sense" bullshit. I can't claim to ba a good driver so "please officer let me speed at 100mph" so the same argument can't be used to ride like an ass in traffic.
@John Z that sounds boring.
The music was louder then the speaking so I turned it off 🤷🏻♂️
What i love about fixie is the speed... Since it's only used for Velodrome before, And also Low maintainace which is good for broke people like me, If the chain broke just buy a few links off the bike shop and you are good to go and no brakes means lighter, Less stuffs to buy, upgrade and Replace!
I like the fixie, its minimalism and zen, but i ride singlespeed for courier work, its acessibility and simplicity. Still couldn't do track stands, skids, or even getting feet into pedal straps on the fixed gear!
For several years there were a bunch of bike messengers in Columbus, then they all disappeared. Something to do with a law around papers being delivered personally? Anyways I miss seeing those badass messengers zipping throug, town cutting their way through traffic and staying upright at red lights on their fixies.
Electronic Signature changed the business. Before that, the bulk of the business was getting legal papers filed, stamped, notarized same day. Also lots of x-rays between doctors and law offices.
Wtf does a “bike messenger” do? I feel like the internet 100% fulfill that job
For documents which require signatures 🤷
@@BsBsBock there are applications that u can use for signatures
Doesn't seem to be a practical bike at all, why would you buy a fixed gear bike with no brakes to do your job in a crowded city ? He's either stupid or a hipster, kind of the same thing though.
Simon Vuille kick ur pedals backward and it will stop
I don't get the no brakes thing, either
You can't stop as well skidding as you can if you have brakes.
Smileyfacedkiller if your skidding in a straight line yea you aren't stopping quickly but if you cut sideways you stop pretty quick. It also lets you change direction much more abruptly if someone pulls out in front. The part where idiots fuck up and make every fixed gear rider look dumb is going faster than they can stop. You should be going much slower if your splitting lanes to cut traffic or riding near pedestrian heavy areas. You have to be prepared for jay walkers and door checks and be going a speed you could stop on a dime brakeless or not. Your broken face won't care who fault it is, it will just be broken.
I think thats what the other side's point is... you can stop faster, and therefor go faster per level of risk, with a front brake... don't use it if you don't have to. The feeling / rhythm / "sixth sense" / whatever is exactly the same, but the IMAGE of your bike looks "less clean" because you have a caliper and a cable.
Sooo. There ya go. Not using a front brake on a fixie is PURELY about image. It's not like these are real track frames that aren't bolted for a caliper. And even if they were, the frame you use is your choice.
There is simply no argument other than IMAGE for omitting a front brake.
As I am trying to watch this video, the *voice over is so low* in the mix compared with the ambient backgound music that it's difficult to hear. Is anyone else experiencing this issue?
So it looks cool, but when you get hit it’s your fault right ? Like do you, but when you fuck up cause a door swings open or you ran the wrong red light, do you get up and start kick the side of the car or do you pay for damages ?
Where is the Hardcore?
Clearly he hasn’t figured out the “flow” all that well cause he forced a lot of cars to brake to not hit him. OMG...and he just said he’s been doing it 10yrs. ! Wow... very amateur for a 10yr. rider..
Fixed riders do that shit. I have brakes.
So fixies are really that comfortable to ride? Im planning on building a road bike in the future, so are ss/fixies way better/practical than regular geared bikes? How about climbs? I've seen a video about a guy recently smoking pod and climbing a huge mountain in a fixie hahah.
The fixed geared by reaches full speed in a bout 3 or 4 half cranks. The point being, it only takes a second or 2 to reach the riders preferred, pre-determined max speed. Getting to top gear on a 6 speed takes way to long
Since when red bull started sponsoring bike Messengers???
They should have started sponsoring them back in 2006, when bike messengers where still genuinely cool.
"sixth sense"? Bullshit. You might gain more and more experience and understand traffic flow better with time, but the rest is just survivorship bias.
sixth sense, ur right anyone can understand traffic in a month or two
1:18 he was just flexing the whole set up at that point.. I need that helmet low key
I don’t think people see you as a ‘dare devil’ but rather an annoyance riding between lanes or running lights.
Know it looks cool, but he would be so much faster with brake and gears :’)
why so?
@@shhh8170 its easier to ride with gear rather than a fixie
@@breaktherules1554 sure
That didn't tell you anything...
Exactly.. WHY is he the most hardcore bike messenger?!
A bike messenger sponsored by RB. Definitely, I'm in the wrong job.
If you walk in the forest long enough, you will run into a bear.
This is dope