Getting the scoop.

… Like any good reporter.


In this dog-eat-dog world of electronic documentation, and information regurgitation, it’s my ‘job’ to get the bits and bites of info up for consumption before the other web site types of sites. For the most part I just wait around, laying naked on my bear skin rug until one of my army of interns finds something useful for me, but occasionally I will get some nuggets from readers.

Why, this exact same thing happened just this past weekend when I received the following transmission from Andres;

“Hey stevil its me again.

If you don’t remember my sparse communications with you, dont worry, I dont either. Before this shitstorm hits the interwebs, or at least your corner of it, i wanted to present it to you with a chance to contain the disaster. The company i’m slanging packages for is getting a tv crew to follow them around in hopes of creating a tv show for the weather channel;

My first reaction was “What the fuck thats fucking stupid” but now as it’s becoming more and more real (At the usual morning hang out there were camera crews and microphones and tiny bar-mounted cameras being mounted onto my friends’ bars) and as work is kind of being shifted around to accomodate the “characters” being featured on tv.

Anyway today sucked and there will be much worse days with the fault lying around the television people we have to accomodate but before anyone else brings this to your site, i want to let you know that i can vouch for the TCB guys as being pretty decent people. You see, TCB gets a lot of flak from other messengers, some of it is deserved, most of it is ignorant. Though food delivery isn’t messengering, it’s still a tough job and when its time to pay rent, you gotta pay rent. Whatever puts the food on the table and the miles in your wheels.

Anyways i’m trying to stay the fuck out of the entire thing. Im trying to make sure not one part with me in it will be airable on national television. Two birds up the whole damn time.

That being said, Check out burgertime’s section of the first video. Dude had me in stitches. He’s great. So is everyone else from boston that works here.

Anyways, bye Stevil, I look forward to all the fun your website’s gonna have on this topic once the shitstorm hits the US, COAST TO COAST ON THE WEATHER FUCKING CHANNEL of all god damn channels.

urs truly
Andres”

The media just goes apeshit for messengers, don’t they? When I was on the road, I recall a number of regular various casting opportunities like this. There was a standing joke about one guy in particular who made far more money looking like a messenger than actually being one. I say these folks should take every opportunity they can in order to keep their heads above water financially, for they never know what doors might open because of it. I know better than anyone that this vocation is truly a labor of love that most mortals can’t do forever. I didn’t do it for the wheelbarrows of money… I did it because there is literally not much better in the world than riding your bike all day with your friends while carrying high powered radios and basically playing an eight hour shift of ‘Marco Polo’.

Treating myself to a fresh Specialty’s cheese bread and small Peet’s coffee in the afternoon and relaxing in the sun at the homoerotic Mechanic’s Monument for another day of not getting killed was a close second.

Anyway, as cliché as it might seem to most of us, nowadays, and for those who perhaps have never spent time in the trenches ‘filling bags and dropping (or in my case, burning) tags’, the life of the bike messenger is as intriguing as ever, and if these folks can make whatever extra scratch they can on a television program because of society’s fascination with it, I’m all for it.

I just probably won’t watch it.

Now that we have your head full of that which is practically news, let us now delve into other matters.

First up from the foul minds at Evil Cycling, the 2012 ‘Shitbird’ jersey is set to be released. This time around they are being made in the mountain top fortress of Castelli, so you know it’s gonna smell like the Dolomites;

That is at least until you get your hands on it.

If this sounds like something you would like to wear on your next group ride (i.e. mass suicide), all you have to do is let your fingers do the walking and head over to the EVIL store.

Speaking of which, Dan from Maximo Supremo residents, The Nashville Bicycle Lounge got in touch a few weeks ago and notified me that Voler was launching their ‘Partnership Program‘, (of which AHTBM is thankfully a part) and told me that he was going to be tra-la-laing through that same program. I’d seen initial design graphics, but only towards the end of last week did I finally see the finished product;

Trans Ams? Iron Maiden? (personally I prefer Paul Di’Anno’s version, thankyouverymuch);

It’s a double dose of bad ass, but when you find included graphics for both Drunk Cyclist, Menstrual Cycles, as well as my humble little imprint, you have that multiplied by at least two and a quarter.

If you find yourself hankering for some black and gold murder-wear, step up to the plate.

Speaking of Dan from Nashville Bicycle Lounge, a friend of his named Mathew got in touch regarding a really cool project which I learned of inbetween bouts of carnal heathenry at last year’s The Las vegas Based Interbike Bicycle and Bicycle Stuff Celebration;

“Stevil,

Hey man! We are based in Nashville, TN, and have been around since 2008. We have donated over 94,000 books and are stoked to surpass 100,000 this year.

I hope you do not hold this against me :0), but Dan Hensley is a good buddy of mine. Actually, he and the Nashville Bicycle Lounge are the largest local supporter of Ride for Reading. Yet another fun fact, last year at Interbike I celebrated my birthday at the All Hail the Black Market Party and had the honor of meeting some pretty kick ass folks! Needless to say, it was a very long flight home the next morning.

Anyway, we are back for another round of Interbike! Just as last year, we are bringing our mission, to promote literacy, healthy living, and cycling through the distribution of books via bicycle to children from low-income areas, to some amazing kids in Las Vegas. With the assistance of over 25 companies and 80 cyclists, including 5 professionals and several ladies from the Elite Jet Cycling Race Team, we donated 2,000 books via bicycle to the children of Peterson Elementary School in Las Vegas! This was extra special, because the school was an active participant in the Nevada Safe Routes for School program.

We are excited to be working with the Clark County School District again this year and hope you will assist us in impacting the lives of hundreds of children through cycling. Our Ride for Reading book delivery via bicycle to a Las Vegas Elementary School will be held on the morning of Thursday, September 20, 2012 and will have minimal impact on your participation at Interbike.

I have attached some photos from last year’s Interbike book delivery via bicycle as well as our RfR Book Delivery Experience Video! Please pass these on if you would like!

CLICK HERE for Photos of our Interbike 2011 Delivery!


Or watch this to see our Book Delivery Experience!

I appreciate any help you can give on spreading the word about the delivery!”

Holy cats, this makes me feel proud to be a bike nerd and an (in)active participant in the Interbike experience. If you are going to find yourself in Las Vegas for the show and want to participate in a small step that can, in fact, change the world just a little, keep your eyes peeled to the Ride for Reading site. In amongst all of the debauchery and bike-jerking that the show has to offer, taking a small bite out of the day to assist in the drive is a pittance.

Generally I’d rather hang out at the hot dog stand or coffee shop than get to where the action is, but that my friends, is front page material.

Spread this like it's sick

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7 Responses to “Getting the scoop.”

  1. Ken July 9, 2012 at 6:35 am #

    That thigh bruise is like a cumulus cloud wherein one can see elephants and volkswagens.

  2. -dan July 9, 2012 at 6:58 am #

    What Mathew and Ride for Reading are doing is the best kind of advocacy. Children are having personal, positive encounters with cyclists, who are doing good things for them and helping them directly. They know this. The fact these kids see that cyclists, who are complete strangers, are good people and truly care about them really promotes the best part of why we ride.

    With everyone’s support, Ride for Reading can really change how the general public view cyclists. When these children grow up and start to drive, they will have good memories of cyclists, and they will see them as people and give them the courtesy they need to be safe. In the mean time, as they sit in a car with a parent, they will recognize the same thing, and hopefully encourage the parent to respect the cyclist’s safety.

    What Mathew and Ride for Reading are doing is so far beyond just literacy, and you can help simply by riding your bicycle.

    • bg_cyclist July 10, 2012 at 5:23 pm #

      Mathew’s a good dude that loves what he does. Respect.

  3. shep July 9, 2012 at 8:02 am #

    that bruise is the shot heard ’round the world

  4. dflbrad July 9, 2012 at 9:34 am #

    How’s come EVERY person in that video talked about their concussion’s yet i know most interviewed still don’t wear a helmet. I wore a helmet watching the tour today, I would like to encourage all these newbie’s to do us all a favor and don a helmet…..

    • Stevil July 9, 2012 at 9:44 am #

      I credit youthful exuberance and invincibility. I rarely wore one the whole time I messengered, with the exception of the third week of August, 1997, when three people died. After that everyone wore helmets… Even the lifers. For a little while anyway…

      • dflbrad July 9, 2012 at 10:59 am #

        that was a bad week for anyone who rode bikes in the city, very ugly accidents……