In the market for a new bag?

Free worldwide delivery on PAC bags until October 28.

www.pacdesigns.com

http://www.leichhardt.nsw.gov.au/Content.aspx?PageID=34&ItemID=269

Apparently not everyone agrees that the day is correct .. but bugger that I say.

MESSENGER APPRECIATION DAY

Pass the good word.

I got this in my "in box" it seems harmles and legit.

its a survey about bike riding and some stuff (you know stuff...)

Hi Yogi,
Apart from the fact that I love biking, I am also a student at the University of Amsterdam and doing research on cycling behaviour around the world. If successful, the research will be used to convince governments all over the world to actively promote biking both in resources as well as city planning. I have produced an online survey (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=WWz4WsmMLuYHhU6qJyXisA_3d_3d), which I am spreading on international bike forums, etc. Could I post it on your site as well? And if not, could you by any chance help me to spread the link through your community?
Thanks very much in advance!
Best regards,
Ferdinand

Hey guys just seeing who's interested in getting involved in putting an oh&s section together in our National forum?

Basically what we should be aiming to achieve is bring the nation of cycle messengers together on Cycling issues such as road and cycling safety and fair and ethical work practices.

We should be aiming to do a group collaberation that figures out what our problems are as messengers and cyclists and how we could solve these issues or make improvements regarding cycling and workplace safety. (And let the general public know that we are actually concerned about road safety eg. Not getting runover (apparently thats more or less pretty much all we care about))

How should we go about this?

What we could do is just create a little mailing list, this will include anyone and everyone who would like to be involved. And if anyone has any ideas they put it to everyone who is on the so called"committee" and give it a week or so for some constructive feedback and replies then tweak the idea a little and submit it to our national oh&s section.

Hello Everyone

To win your own Crumpler custom bag log onto: http://search.ebay.com.au/_W0QQsassZcrumpler2042

Help support 2042:Art on the street. If you haven't already checked it all out, you've got until Monday the 6th October!

Cheers

Amy

Original, one-off bags created by in-store artisans. Wear your art on your sleeve...

Event: Polo extravaganza
What: Sporting Event
Host: Simon McKenzie
Start Time: Monday, October 6 at 1:30pm
End Time: Monday, October 6 at 5:30pm
Where: Newtown performing arts school

facebook here

A new doco on bike messengers aired on discovery channel in North America a few days ago... It is now available on you tube in 5 parts.

Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT9Vx24Npec
Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efWrwSekb-M
Part 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUA8MT2HWis
Part 4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVno0UQX1qw
Part 5 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq0LBz08sc4

here is your chance

GAMES ARE PLAYED EVERY SUNDAY
1330 @ NEWTOWN SHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS,
WHITEHORSE ST, NEWTOWN.
THE MORE THE MERRIER SO COME ON DOWN

there is a forum here
http://sydbma.org/bikes/node/245

BFF is coming to Sydney
November 13-15

http://bicyclefilmfestival.com/2008_site/sydney/

If you don't know these two then i'll let you know that they're great couriers and people. It's always an inspiration to see messengers trying it on their own and pulling the company dick out of their mouth. I have to go brush my teeth now after another lovelly day at Crisis.
http://velocitycouriers.ie/

13th September some prick tailgating in a ford territory.
Today 18th another fucking bus pulling out without waiting, looking or caring.

Courier Andrew White said cyclists needed to be vigilant.

"Your safety is your own thing. You can only look after yourself and make sure you wear a helmet. But even if you do everything right, you can still get hit. People just need to look out for each other."

http://www.theage.com.au/national/council-knew-of-cbd-bus-dangers-200809...

Hello there our pedal pushing pals,

Ready, Set... Apocalypse Ride! is only a week away!
c'mon now, write it up on your calender, it is the end of the world after all!
Monday 22nd September
(world car free day)
Meet 7pm Victoria Sq

Join other characters of the apocalypse on a mystery bike ride through darkened streets and pathways, we'll play games and have general apocalyptic bicycle related fun!
It is a dress up ride so be sure to get started on your costume as there'll be a prize for best dressed.
take a gander at our poster attached

Give your trusty stead a good old polishing so you'll both look your best for the last day on earth!

Don't forget to bring your lights

Love
the Ready Set Ride crew
Bonnie, Nicole and Darren

Don't f**k with this cyclist ...
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/17454374/detail.html

Hello all

I'm organising a team for the Gong Ride - did it last year and had a pretty mixed group of messengers, fessengers, exengers, commuters and a couple of the critical massiv. I know most of this forum rides every day but it's a nice day out ... and you can get drunk at the end (another thing some on this forum does every day).

It's on 2 November but entries are $50 if you register by Friday.

Below is the link to join the team ...
http://register.gongride.org.au/?Fexengers

Hope to see some sydbma representation!

Sax

The Markus "Fur" Cook Award

more info from IFBMA

What is the MCA???

The MCA for services to the International Messenger Community is not a prize for winning a race. At the time the Award was conceived, CMWC was beginning to be more about the racing than the happening. I [Buffalo Bill] wanted to re-establish the spirit of the championships, to restate the reason that we all come to this event every year. The MCA is a reflection of the axiom that everyone who comes to a CMWC is a winner, whether they race or not.

Markus himself was very much in love with the CMWC, and in many ways he was the unlikeliest bike racer imaginable. He was several other things, of course. Editor of Mercury Rising messenger zine, unofficial spokesperson of the SFBMA, leader of L Sid, and a friend to all. The enthusiasm of Markus brought CMWC and the international messenger community to San Francisco, and it saddens many people to this day that he did not live to see it.

Its on again, Different venue this time so make note. There will be a bike lock up area and it will be accessible from the service road on the inside.

The Earthdance Global Music Festival for peace is back in Sydney for some more action packed festivities slotted for Saturday 13 September at the new venue of Prince Alfred Park in Surry Hills. Spring and Earthdance is in the air! Furthermore be sure to keep checking this website, facebook and myspace pages regularly as details of artists, performances and activities on offer are beginning to emerge.

Over the past decade Earthdance, the global festival for peace, has become renowned around the world as a celebration of cultural diversity, music and the arts. Since launching in Sydney in 2004 the popularity of Earthdance has increased rapidly, with a huge turnout making last year the biggest Sydney Earthdance yet. This year Earthdance falls on Saturday 13 September, where the entire city is invited to enjoy the broad array of festivities - spanning music and drama to interactive workshops and markets and much more - at the new location of Prince Alfred Park.

more info here

see you all there and come and say a hello.

Was a great weekend had by all in this bike friendly city of Chicago.

Bike polo was a fiercely fought out tournament that got attendance up and kept everyone interested. Backwards circles was replaced with best trick, Footdown allowed for some push and shove (one hand must be kept on handlebars tho)and the main race returned to a one way closed circuit format.

Final Results. Top Mens Messenger: Austin Horse from New York. Top Woman's Messenger: Kimberly Perfetto from New York. Top Men's Non-Messenger: Stan Schultz from Chicago. Top Woman's Non-Messenger: Anzie Nelson from Portland, OR.

http://urbanvelo.org/naccc-chicago-photo-teaser/
http://www.chicagonaccc.com/index.html

Everyone that made it to Sydney in 2006 says a big "gudday".

my favorite entry to the BFF last year.

Here is a "YOUTUBE" of it for you.

Enjoy

Editor's Note:
While many of the readers may be interested in the racing and results from the events, most of what has been recalled by 390 has nothing to do with that side of things. This was his holiday and competing in anything other than loudest tiprat king was not high on his agenda. Of the serious matters he has remembered what he can.

--------------------------------------------------------

Christ, I’ve put this off for almost three weeks now. Trying to report on my trip to the European Cycle Messenger Championships, which was a month long party the surliest Kings X bum would have been afraid of, seems overwhelming.
It's that much easier now that my notebook with scribbling of some of what happened has disappeared. Damn the devil to hell.

Live in a half built room and eat enough noodles for long enough and you have saved for the trip. Annoy the nation and then stun them by acquiring Australian citizenship, you have a little book which allows convenient travel through Europe. All set.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kFEHOnGHBc
http://www.flickr.com/groups/eastvanbikepolo/pool/
Many thanks to the east van bike polo club for showing myself and the calgary massive a great weekend.
Cant believe i couldn't even win dfl after losing that indian leg wrestling match. now i know how Germany felt back in the 1908 olympics when they lost to Ireland 3-1 back at the Sheperds Bush stadium in London http://www.oakendenpedallers.co.uk/id1.html.

(they couldn't stop telling me about there aussie x messenger mate who left Vancouver and got the bike polo scene started in Melbourne.... http://urbanbicyclist.org/polo/)

On Saturday 6th September at midday.
Leaving the campsite at Zeeburg on the outskirts of Amsterdam and heading north through Holland and across the world famous afsluitdijk to the first checkpoint in Bolsward. After that, through Friesland and the North-East Polder to Zwolle for the second checkpont. Then over the Veluwe to Arnhem for the third. And finally along the length of the Utrechste Heuvelrug back to Amsterdam.

The shortest route is about 380km and the winner will likely be back in Amsterdam before dawn. I will be aiming to finish in under 20 hours.

More information here : http://www.dutchmessengers.nl/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=630

If you want to register you can do so here : http://www.dutchmessengers.nl/inschrijving.php

You can see who has registered already here : http://www.dutchmessengers.nl/inschrijving.php?getall=1

Delivering packages around Auckland city has helped turn courier Jenna Makgill into a world champion.

Auckland City Harbour News, Friday, 15 August 2008

By SCOTT MORGAN

The St Lukes resident was the best woman rider in the Cycle Messenger World Championships held in Toronto during June.

The 22-year-old, who works for Urgent Couriers, says she wasn?t expecting to come away a winner.

"It?s kind of surreal. I just went there to meet other couriers and hang out."

But riding around the hilly streets of Auckland gave her the edge on the competition.

"Auckland is one of the hardest cities to courier in. Here couriers are more aggressive and people aren?t used to having bikes around," she says.

"There are more dangers and I?m really conscious that I?m going to get hurt."

The competition involved riding a set course for three hours dropping off and picking up packages at different checkpoints, while locking up her bike in-between deliveries.

((read more))

Christian Wolmar, one of Britain's leading transport commentators, serves on the board of Cycling England, which promotes cycling. Last month he spoke at three On Your Bike conferences organised by the NSW Government.
ripped from The Sydney Morning Herald
By Christian Wolmar
August 12, 2008

When I came to Australia to talk about cycling, I borrowed a bike and headed off to the suburbs, with the help of an experienced local rider. It was an eye-opening experience. I had no idea how far behind Sydney was compared with most European cities in terms of accommodating, let alone encouraging, cyclists.

There seems to be an almost overt hostility to cyclists not only from many motorists, but more importantly from the planners and highway engineers who create the street environment.

It may be only a small thing, but even the drains in gutters can easily catch a cyclist's wheels because the grooves run parallel to the road rather than at right angles, as is the case in most other cities. When I was cycling on Parramatta Road, I desperately needed the safety of those gutters to have a reasonable chance of surviving the rush-hour traffic but found that I had to swerve out into the car lane to avoid being felled by the storm drain.

Sydney has the occasional bit of good infrastructure, such as the dedicated paths over bridges, the lanes laid out by more supportive local councils such as Leichhardt and the cycle parking hoops that have started appearing in the central business district, but clearly there is no overall policy supportive of cycling. (.cont)

Maybe watching this footage will help us appreciate how good our Police are in Sydney, I know i know they aren't perfect but compare them to the Police in a lot of other countries and Sydney cops seriously seem to have there priorities a lot straighter than most other places....

Ive been hearing some crazy stories about how hard cyclists/ messengers in New York have had it and how they've had to fight for every little thing they've got! Stories from years ago about messengers constantly bailing each other out of jail and stuff like that, It appears they don't really get arrested that often anymore but they still get constantly cut off and nearly run over by assholes,One step at a time eh...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUkiyBVytRQ

Hi from the west folks!

So we finally got our arses into gear and have some kick ass hoodies and water bottles available over at neinlives. We've got a few brown, a few navy blue and a whole heap of that courier staple... black!

all funds going to helping neinlives stay solvent and towards helping us putting on a darn tootin ACMC in '09

head to http://www.neinlives.com.au/apparel.html to order... you'll get to look cool, stay warm and feel all fuzzy inside knowing your money is going to a good home...

Cheers, Ezy

G'day all,

Was great to catch up with so many lads at Farrer Pl and meet some fresh faces. No matter what is said of bike messengers, as a community, they are as accepting and enthusiastically interested in others as even the most humanitarian group of people.

My little bike shop has had to close under the weight of fiscal burden. Business as usual through my home for servicing etc, spares & accessories if you're looking for stuff. Got some Continental 26" slicks (Achtung! - german made), brand new that I'm trying to move. I paid $50 the pair. Make me an offer! I've got used frames, wheels and heaps of bits and pieces. I just don't have the room to store all of it.

To everyone following Le Tour de France, have a great Saturday night watching, hopefully, Cadel Evans Time Trial his way to an historic win. Hard to believe it's now a very real possibility an Australian will be GC winner.

Stay safe, stay warm, stay dry!
Adrian
0416 494 442

On July 23, 1998, Toronto messenger Wayne Scott made tax law history. For the first time a court decision made it possible for bike and foot messengers to deduct their extra food expenses as a business expense equivalent to "fuel". The Federal court agreed with Wayne's argument that the extra food required by messengers to perform their jobs was similar to the gas required by car couriers to perform their jobs.

The original court decision allowed couriers to deduct $11 per day as a fuel expense for food. As of 2008 the current deduction permitted is $17 per day.

This amounts to a deduction of about $4,250 every year for all bike and foot messenger in Canada since 1998. It's one of the few times someone has put money in messengers' pockets.

Thanks Wayne!