Final Sunday Thoughts.

“My dad was a vet and I don’t want to sound condescending to vets by even comparing military service to being a messenger but it’s the only relevant metaphor I can think of, just like a Vietnam vet would be offended by some dude their age fronting like he fought I am offended when I see these kids trying to do a backwards circle on a crappy mass produced fixed gear and they have a chain around their waist with the brand new messenger bag(with nothing in it). I know that not everyone can afford a hand built European frame and I totally get that riding a fixed gear is amazing and really fun and all kinds of people should try it. The more people riding bikes the better, whatever kind of bikes, but the messenger style bite is tasteless, unauthentic, these kids look like clowns.

I don’t want to be a hater but companies like Chrome and Cinelli are really banking off this shit, tons of other companies are too. In the big picture though, I reflect on the possibility that if it had not been for the fixed gear craze, thousands of people would not have ever gotten into riding bikes, it’s helped remove the stigma that riding a bike was just for losers that couldn’t afford a car. It made riding a bike cool, for all kinds of people and that is great so I guess being a little offended is a small price to pay for all the good that has come of it.

Was supposed to go on a big ride today but it is pouring here, it’s an El Nino year so it’s supposed to dump all winter, last El Nino was 97-98. I was messengering then and it really, no exaggerating, rained for almost a month straight with no break, we are pussies out here when it comes to inclement weather so that was a big deal for west coasters. One day of that winter, close to the end of the day, I was riding and had to pee and I just pissed myself because it was raining so hard and I was so soaked that I figured the rain would rinse me off, it was just like standing in the shower with all your clothes on. I was freezing too so it warmed me up for a minute.”

-Oakland Andrew