Glimpse of bicycle courier world

[vtec]

Here's a photo of Angus, representing NZ at the Tokyo 2009 bicycle courier world champs... he won the Cargo racing world title.

And the second photo is Ezra, winning one of his heats. He's the most high profile bike courier in Auckland. Awesome guy. He introduced me to Serj Tankian. Bah photo didn't work, here's the link.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bakapucka/3956780615/

Oh yeah, I just learnt to ride a unicycle in the last week. I know, no pics or it doesn't mean anything. It's not my unicycle so I can't get photos now, it's at my mates house.

[jrandom]

... until the economy turns around there will be no entry unfortunately unless you are an established legend.

I'd just like to pop in here and give vtec some props for letting me have his job when he left the country at the beginning of the year.



(Yes, it really is hard to get into bicycle couriering in Auckland. This is why he has to go find a real job now. Ahaha. Ahahahahaha. Ahahahahahaha!)

(Love you bro.)

[XRVrider]

Nice one vtec. Can relate to what you are doing, yeah you get some shit but its not all bad huh.

I was a bicycle courier for a couple of years or so in London. Got to the top of my company, so made good dough. To get there was to know the city super well, go fast and deliver quickly and turn up every day. I had heaps of scrapes, nothing major though.

It was nuts, and I did my best to earn as much as possible, grabbed onto every car, bus and truck going by on longer stretches and up hills. Fastest uphill ever was just over 40 miles and hour, only put myself at risk and never went to a doctor or hospital. We didnt pay tax at all and so definitely nothing toward the government.

Raced motorbikes a bit, we were faster in the centre (if you went for it) like bunny hopping up footpaths around pedestrians, and over traffic islands, running just about every red light. The trick, to avoid every other thing on the roads, and you dont come a gutsa. Plenty thought us crazy and dangerous, but really all we cared about was the dosh and the freedom you had. Upshot was that you were super fit and got pissed on 2 cans.

Keep up the good work mate, and stay out from under a bus

[jrandom]

Hi all, just a couple of vids that I enjoy watching, of some of my friends just doing their jobs. A job that I myself am kind of passionate about.

Now that I've actually had a chance to watch the video - fuck me, that's nicely put together.

Makes me kinda proud to be out there doing that shit. For that matter, it makes Auckland look kinda cool, too, dunnit?

Notice how there's no footage of anyone climbing though. Heh. Bicycle couriers are lazy motherfuckers.

[Ender EnZed]

Notice how there's no footage of anyone climbing though. Heh. Bicycle couriers are lazy motherfuckers.

Climbing what exactly?

[vtec]

Climbing what exactly?

He means there's no shots of hill climbing... apart from when Ezra grabs on the back of the white Toyota Celica going up College Hill Road in the first video... But that's just as lazy. There's some more of Steve williams going up wellesley street. Actually there's a few more, like Jenna at the bottom of Airedale going up the walkway and more. But who wants to watch a bicycle courier doing the grind up hills instead of the blast down them.

[R6_kid:Me]

I just rode from Greenhithe to Haldanes in Panmure and back. Did 75km all up, went down along the waterfront, through town and up College Hill on the way home. It's bloody good fun and some times its more fun than riding a motorbike. Drivers seem to think that they only need to give you room when they pass you so it's always interesting passing them on their right when they stop at the lights!

I had a close call the other day when I was doing about 50km/h down a hill in a 50kmh zone where a car sped out to about 50m in front of me and then decided to turn left across my path without indicating... really felt like I was going to body slam the car but luckily I saw a gap and just made it through - braking wouldn't have helped... the driver in the car that was following said driver drove past me fairly slowly with a rather shocked look on their face!

It's also good fun racing buses down Queen Street. They act like the own the place and often run up right against the curb instead of leaving some room to get past. They don't like it when you beat them across the intersection and then sit at 30kmh in front of them on the way down to the ferry building!

[MarkyMark]

That is awesome. And I thought I was a loose unit on a bicycle...

[jrandom]

They don't like it when you beat them across the intersection and then sit at 30kmh in front of them on the way down to the ferry building!

Queen St is a 30kph zone now anyways. If you're actually doing 30, I doubt the bus drivers GAF.

You don't realise how much of an evil trap it is until you go along it on something other than a bicycle.

Just for giggles, I spent a day as a motorcycle courier on the 1400 a few weeks back. Fuck that shit. Took me a full ten minutes (riding legally) to get from Cook St to Britomart via Queen! Those new double pedestrian phases at all the lights absolutely rape you.

(And then later on I got lost in Glendowie, but that's another story.)

The council has certainly done a good job of discouraging motor vehicle traffic from using Queen St as a thoroughfare.

[kiwifruit]

Looks like an easy job

[jrandom]

... we are very much in the minority, so this doesn't represent the majority of the cycle community at all. They get annoyed with us too.

When they can catch us.

Not too many roadies out there getting in 30+ hours a week of training.

Did anyone see that bicycle courier on 60 minutes the other day?
He was insane, riding in front of cars that were pulling out...doing all sorts of crazy stuff. Drivers or pedestrians had no chance of seeing this push bike.

At least he kinda admitted that he was a bit dodgy with his riding, so if he gets hurt he deserves it.

Aha. Ahahaha. Y'reckon eh. Thread link forwarded to Wayne; I suspect he might want to comment...

[retro asian]

Aha. Ahahaha. Y'reckon eh. Thread link forwarded to Wayne; I suspect he might want to comment...

Well he admitted that already on the show, and told of his past injuries etc...
I don't think he's worried.

[jrandom]

Looks like an easy job

A little bit, aye. Unfortunately, to bomb down all the hills in the vid, you have to climb up them first.

[R6_kid:Me]

A little bit, aye. Unfortunately, to bomb down all the hills in the vid, you have to climb up them first.

Haha, but it is great fun! I've found that I quite enjoy some of the back roads out Albany way. Going through them at 35-40kmh on a pushie is just as, if not more enjoyable than doing it on a motorbike at twice the speed.