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 Much
is made nowadays of the “bicycle messenger culture”. So much so that the
larger bicycle companies have started to take note and are introducing
messenger bikes to the main stream. But messenger culture seems to
attract derision and admiration in equal measure. The image of the
classic messenger is the hipster on a bike. Tight jeans, narrow
handlebars, fixie bike and no helmet. Items like messenger bags have
been customized and consumerized from their humble PVC origins and are
as popular as ever as students strive to achieve the full messenger
look. Messenger bags used to be the preserve of the bike messenger and
the kid with a paper route. Now companies like Specialized and Crumpler
are in on the act and are producing high quality, high visibility bags
to suit all tastes from touring cyclist to commuter.
But messenger culture is a lot more than that. To many, being a bike
messenger means rejecting certain values while living and working among
them. Messengers don’t drive cars, but they are a valuable commodity
because they can operate in traffic, and get their parcels from A to B
faster than a car in city centers that are clogged with congestion.
While they reject motorized vehicles, they rely on them for their
living, as the traffic that slows everyone else down, makes the bike
messenger the delivery method of choice for so many companies.
Simplicity is the key for the messenger, which is why single speed bikes
and fixies are so popular among them. Their bikes are simple to
maintain, and they look simple so they are less likely to be stolen,
when they are left outside offices and stores when a delivery is being
made. Most messengers will take pride in how plain their bike looks – it
is fit for the purpose for which it is intended, nothing more, nothing
less.
But where does it all come from? Bike messenger have been around almost
as long as the bicycle itself. Records show that bike couriers were used
by the Paris Stock Exchange as early as the 1870s. In the 1890’s,
Western Union employed bike couriers in New York and other big cities.
Shortly after the Second World War, bicycle courier companies started to
emerge in their own right. One of the first was founded by Carl Sparks,
in San Francisco 1945. Sparkies went on to become Aero, and was bought
out in 1998, later becoming absorbed into CitySprint. By the late 1970s,
the huge growth in motorized transport and the exponential rise in the
ownership of cars, meant that there were bike courier companies in most
major US cities and most cities across Europe, where they continue to
operate to this day.
 But
bike messenger culture is so much more than faux hipster messengers and
running red lights. Go and hang out with some bike messengers and you
will find that they have a passion for cycling. Many take part in
cycling events and are actively involved in advocacy that benefits all
cyclists. And they are a great source of information about where to take
your bike downtown – the best routes, the safest roads, the best cafes
with the best brownies – all crucial information every city dweller who
turns a pedal should know. And the best way to get involved in messenger
culture? Leave your car in the garage, and start to treat your bike as
your primary method of transport. Many people would think that this
would be a limiting, but you would be surprised at the feeling of
freedom such a life change can bring. Go wherever your bike will carry
you. Don’t be limited by traffic and congestion. Celebrate the joy of
being on your bike as a tool for making a living, or just for the sheer
fun of it.
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