Bicycle Messenger Riding Fast and Fluid Through NYC Traffic
#76
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This topic reminds me, title included, of one of those gotcha internet ads like "this one new trick will have moms everywhere jumping for joy at reverse aging!" or "this new driver's law in your state has motorists furious about their insurance!". Maybe the OP writes the gotchas for those adverts.
#77
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If you think the guy in the original video inspires fear of those of us on bikes, imagine the chaos and confusion in the wake of an alleycat in the city. You can see the switch flick in the eyes of pedestrians. It goes straight from minor annoyance to outright hatred.
And even if you have the alleycat somewhere out of the way, people still get hurt. Personally watched someone hit a little boy walking with his grandfather across 4th ave in Brooklyn. The offending party looked back at the kid, shrugged and rode off with not a care in the world, trying to make up the time he lost looking back.
And even if you have the alleycat somewhere out of the way, people still get hurt. Personally watched someone hit a little boy walking with his grandfather across 4th ave in Brooklyn. The offending party looked back at the kid, shrugged and rode off with not a care in the world, trying to make up the time he lost looking back.
#78
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If you think the guy in the original video inspires fear of those of us on bikes, imagine the chaos and confusion in the wake of an alleycat in the city. You can see the switch flick in the eyes of pedestrians. It goes straight from minor annoyance to outright hatred.
And even if you have the alleycat somewhere out of the way, people still get hurt. Personally watched someone hit a little boy walking with his grandfather across 4th ave in Brooklyn. The offending party looked back at the kid, shrugged and rode off with not a care in the world, trying to make up the time he lost looking back.
And even if you have the alleycat somewhere out of the way, people still get hurt. Personally watched someone hit a little boy walking with his grandfather across 4th ave in Brooklyn. The offending party looked back at the kid, shrugged and rode off with not a care in the world, trying to make up the time he lost looking back.
The phrase "Bike Nazi" comes to mind with the hitting the kid story. Anybody got a problem with that?
#79
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He's hitting those cars so they stop and not run into him. He's having to do that because he's not fast enough to complete the passes he's starting. That ain't skill, that's relying on the kindness of strangers to bail him out.
#80
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A buddy and I tried to catch up to mr. bikes into little kids to at least get him to apologize or something but he took off like a bat out of hell. We went back to check on the boy and he was still on the ground going, “owwwwww.” He was good to go after a couple more minutes, though.
Last alleycat I ever participated in.
Last alleycat I ever participated in.
#81
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Not all alleycat crash stories are bad, though.
In the middle of another, probably the year before that last one, a friend of mine goes down hard. She can’t get up for several minutes. She’s covered in scrapes with a softball sized bloody looking bump swelling up her right forearm and can barely walk.
Luckily, this lady dressed in scrubs is driving by and sees the whole thing. She stops and, after my friend refuses an ambulance, says we should wait at her place for my friend’s dad to come pick her up. Turns out she’s a nurse and lives a few blocks away.
We go over and she cleans up my friend, gives her some Motrin and lets three complete strangers, one of whom is seriously banged up and bloody, hang out like an hour waiting for my friend’s dad to come get her and her bike.
A week later, the other guy that was there and I go over to drop off a big thing of flowers as a thank you.
She and her husband and their hot daughter pull up in their car just as we’re leaving, see why we were there and insist we stay for an iced tea.
Not only was the daughter hot, she was smart, funny and industrious.
We ended up dating a couple short months before she figured out she was too good for me.
In the middle of another, probably the year before that last one, a friend of mine goes down hard. She can’t get up for several minutes. She’s covered in scrapes with a softball sized bloody looking bump swelling up her right forearm and can barely walk.
Luckily, this lady dressed in scrubs is driving by and sees the whole thing. She stops and, after my friend refuses an ambulance, says we should wait at her place for my friend’s dad to come pick her up. Turns out she’s a nurse and lives a few blocks away.
We go over and she cleans up my friend, gives her some Motrin and lets three complete strangers, one of whom is seriously banged up and bloody, hang out like an hour waiting for my friend’s dad to come get her and her bike.
A week later, the other guy that was there and I go over to drop off a big thing of flowers as a thank you.
She and her husband and their hot daughter pull up in their car just as we’re leaving, see why we were there and insist we stay for an iced tea.
Not only was the daughter hot, she was smart, funny and industrious.
We ended up dating a couple short months before she figured out she was too good for me.
#82
Senior Member
The most insane Terry B video I've seen is him following the (now well known) Safa Brian in the rain in Mexico City:
This starts getting terrifying at about 3:00 and doesn't really let up.
I have mixed feelings about YouTube riders like Terry, Lucas Brunnelle and Safa. They all often ride in a manner that endangers or at least inconveniences others, but that's certainly not all they do. They all test the limits of what bikes can do and are unwilling to be constrained by fear. They'll post annoying rides of themselves cutting off pedestrians and then they'll post fascinating stuff like riding road bikes in the Everglades or ersatz Manhattan singletrack or bombing a deserted canyon at 60 mph. Yes they can ride like entitled children, but they can also ride with outlaw freedom. I think that bring something both regrettable and compelling to road cycling.
This starts getting terrifying at about 3:00 and doesn't really let up.
I have mixed feelings about YouTube riders like Terry, Lucas Brunnelle and Safa. They all often ride in a manner that endangers or at least inconveniences others, but that's certainly not all they do. They all test the limits of what bikes can do and are unwilling to be constrained by fear. They'll post annoying rides of themselves cutting off pedestrians and then they'll post fascinating stuff like riding road bikes in the Everglades or ersatz Manhattan singletrack or bombing a deserted canyon at 60 mph. Yes they can ride like entitled children, but they can also ride with outlaw freedom. I think that bring something both regrettable and compelling to road cycling.
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#83
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The most insane Terry B video I've seen is him following the (now well known) Safa Brian in the rain in Mexico City:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxVQFUTywIQ&t=1036s
This starts getting terrifying at about 3:00 and doesn't really let up.
I have mixed feelings about YouTube riders like Terry, Lucas Brunnelle and Safa. They all often ride in a manner that endangers or at least inconveniences others, but that's certainly not all they do. They all test the limits of what bikes can do and are unwilling to be constrained by fear. They'll post annoying rides of themselves cutting off pedestrians and then they'll post fascinating stuff like riding road bikes in the Everglades or ersatz Manhattan singletrack or bombing a deserted canyon at 60 mph. Yes they can ride like entitled children, but they can also ride with outlaw freedom. I think that bring something both regrettable and compelling to road cycling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxVQFUTywIQ&t=1036s
This starts getting terrifying at about 3:00 and doesn't really let up.
I have mixed feelings about YouTube riders like Terry, Lucas Brunnelle and Safa. They all often ride in a manner that endangers or at least inconveniences others, but that's certainly not all they do. They all test the limits of what bikes can do and are unwilling to be constrained by fear. They'll post annoying rides of themselves cutting off pedestrians and then they'll post fascinating stuff like riding road bikes in the Everglades or ersatz Manhattan singletrack or bombing a deserted canyon at 60 mph. Yes they can ride like entitled children, but they can also ride with outlaw freedom. I think that bring something both regrettable and compelling to road cycling.
He also is getting more into filming other people and really makes an effort to showcase other riders in his area. I feel that what he does is not really the same as the video Larry put up in his initial post, but I understand opinions on that might vary.
#84
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I'm personally a big fan of Safa Brian. As someone that grew up mountain biking and the punk scene and now road cycling seriously I dig what he's doing and he's got a really positive attitude.
He also is getting more into filming other people and really makes an effort to showcase other riders in his area. I feel that what he does is not really the same as the video Larry put up in his initial post, but I understand opinions on that might vary.
He also is getting more into filming other people and really makes an effort to showcase other riders in his area. I feel that what he does is not really the same as the video Larry put up in his initial post, but I understand opinions on that might vary.
#85
Banned.
If he did to me what he does to those pedestrians, I'd do what I could to make him eat his bike.
He's hitting those cars so they stop and not run into him. He's having to do that because he's not fast enough to complete the passes he's starting. That ain't skill, that's relying on the kindness of strangers to bail him out.
He's hitting those cars so they stop and not run into him. He's having to do that because he's not fast enough to complete the passes he's starting. That ain't skill, that's relying on the kindness of strangers to bail him out.
No it isn't act of kindness. It actually spooks drivers. You know how drivers are extremely worried at the sound of anything hitting their car on a busy road. They'd be thinking dent or scratch or worse. I know because I'm a driver too. The sound of anything hitting your car is a major distraction on the road. So if you do it on purpose for no reason at all except the vendetta to annoy drivers, it makes you a huge hazard on the road. If you ran out of luck, you can cause a major accident.
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#86
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No matter what you think of a person and their actions, it's really not nice to wish death on someone...with the exception of child molesters and child sex abusers which as far as we know this cyclist is not one of those.
#87
Banned.
There are many ways to satisfy your adrenaline urges without hurting others who doesn't wish to be part of the action. They do it in mountain tracks, race tracks, cordoned areas, officially sanctioned races / events, etc. Act like a professional instead of a deluded maniac and it will be good for everyone.
Because when luck runs out, it can be in the most ironic sense. Often at times when you're weak, vulnerable, old, and hardly anybody knows you anymore.
Last edited by qwaalodge; 04-02-22 at 07:44 PM.
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#88
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But if he is going to put everyone at risk, I hope he pays the price rather than someone else.
Last edited by Kapusta; 04-03-22 at 05:20 AM.
#89
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#91
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If he did to me what he does to those pedestrians, I'd do what I could to make him eat his bike.
He's hitting those cars so they stop and not run into him. He's having to do that because he's not fast enough to complete the passes he's starting. That ain't skill, that's relying on the kindness of strangers to bail him out.
He's hitting those cars so they stop and not run into him. He's having to do that because he's not fast enough to complete the passes he's starting. That ain't skill, that's relying on the kindness of strangers to bail him out.
#92
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If he did to me what he does to those pedestrians, I'd do what I could to make him eat his bike.
He's hitting those cars so they stop and not run into him. He's having to do that because he's not fast enough to complete the passes he's starting. That ain't skill, that's relying on the kindness of strangers to bail him out.
He's hitting those cars so they stop and not run into him. He's having to do that because he's not fast enough to complete the passes he's starting. That ain't skill, that's relying on the kindness of strangers to bail him out.
its also a brief spurt of free speed, like a sticky bottle for pro racers. Being able to smoothly skitch is a learned skill that is very handy in winning races, most most of those touches weren't skitches
#93
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And besides, there are plenty of distasteful and even repugnant cultural practices...Like racism and sexism. Do you support those, since they are "part of the culture"?
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#94
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#95
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#96
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#97
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He's touching the cars because he wants to and its part of the culture. Some may say that by placing your hands on the car, you can feel it start to turn into you sooner than your eye, so its for safety. Im kind of skeptical of this. As for "hitting" he isn't smacking the cars, heck I bet the cagers don't even notice half the time.
its also a brief spurt of free speed, like a sticky bottle for pro racers. Being able to smoothly skitch is a learned skill that is very handy in winning races, most most of those touches weren't skitches
its also a brief spurt of free speed, like a sticky bottle for pro racers. Being able to smoothly skitch is a learned skill that is very handy in winning races, most most of those touches weren't skitches
As far as I can see, all you're doing here is making the case against street racing. If these techniques are necessary, street racers should expect getting hurt, killed and arrested, probably not in that order.
#98
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