The New York Bicycle Swap Meet
Proceeds benefit New York Bicycle Messenger Association
Saturday, February 19th
9:00-2:00pm
Pier 63, The Frying Pan
23rd St. and West Side Highway
Finally, a bike flea market in New York! Sell some of your old bike gear for a good cause. If you're a company, get rid of some overstock to some of your most faithful customers. In need of a new bike? Need a hard to find part? Score some great deals! Get your bike ready for the spring-time!
Our first swap meet will be on Pier 63 on the scenic Frying Pan. Booths will be set up along the pier and inside the boat. Register early to get a prime location. Booths are only $20/ 2'x4' table; 2 people per table. However, if you just want to shop or swap, it's free.
The swap meet will prelude the notorious messenger alleycat, Monster Track-- a fast paced fun ride only on track bikes. Get ringside seats before these messengers and other urban cyclists set off for this difficult and rewarding course. Registration for Monster Track is $10 and starts at 3:00pm and the fun begins at 4:00pm.
The New York Bike Messenger Association (NYBMA) is a trade association run by and for messengers to improve the conditions in our industry. We are gearing up to host the Cycle Messenger World Championships (CMWC) on July 4th weekend, 2005. This will be a race where messengers all over the world will come to New York to compete. All of the profits from the day's events will go to the NYBMA and the CMWC.
For more information and for a registration form, please visit: http://mysite.verizon.net/vze3vsmk/monstertrack/
For more information on the NYBMA please visit: www.nybma.com
For more information, please contact Sarinya at (917) 559-1351 or [email protected].
If you are interested in sponsoring Monster Track, please contact Carlos at [email protected].
Thank you and ride safe!
swap meet
Brakes are not allowed in the Monster Track race.
People are less likely to take a suggestion when presented in the form of a personal attack. The best thing would be if the poster rode a bit more safely. I'm not here to win any wars.
Bumppity bump bump. For Hank mostly, since I mentioned this yesterday.
It looks bloody cold tomorrow, so I'll see you at the swapmeet at 9:01am, Mordecai?
- Christian
Did anyone check the swap meet or do the Monster Track race on Saturday? Perhaps you saw crazy fixies careening though the city between 4:30 and 6 pm. (Yes we ride with no brakes so we might as well ride at dusk too; I am shocked they allow helmets.)
It was a good 24 or so mile race that started and ended at Pier 63 (23rd and Hudson River) with checkpoints at 1) the Block House in Central Park; 2) 40th and Park; 3) the middle of the Williamsburg Bridge; 4) Brooklyn Navy Yard; 5) Eagle Statue in Battery Park, and 6) Charles Lane.
With some buddies, and against my pre-race plan as well as against the grain, we went south first and hence counter-clockwise. We are still waiting for final results but I did not finish close to first, nor last, and I did not get hurt. The competition is ridiculously fast, furious and fearless. Over a hundred people raced. I met people from Ohio, Boston, and Vancouver.
My insane highlight - coming through the Gates into Columbus Circle, forcing the traffic coming from CP South into Columbus to stop (or run me over - they stopped), entering 8th Ave. the wrong way and then, between 58th and 57th, crossing the 5 or 6 lanes of oncoming traffic to get to the west side for a right turn on 57th. Yes that was crazy but I felt like Moses must have when the Red Sea parted (or the way he would have felt if that had really happened).
Chris-
By flouting the city traffic laws with such reckless abandon, you're ensuring that the general public hates us and encouraging the NYPD crackdown.
Sure, I like to run the occasional red light on Riverside (after looking both ways) as much as the next guy- but you're taking things to a whole new level.
This is not a personal attack; just a gentle reminder that a little reckless riding has consequences for all of us.
Ben
"I agree that this kind of aggressive cycling is not good for the overall environment. I reject this kind of aggressive lawless cycling in general but this is a special occassion so I made an exception.
I think you overstate the case when you say we are ""ensuring that the general public hates us"". If the general public was menaced by bikes on Saturday, they don't know it. Perhaps if you change ""the general public"" to ""a few dozen aggressive drivers in NYC on a Saturday afternoon with a pre-disposition against bikes who's drive was not even materially affected"", then perhaps I would agree.
Some in the cycling community seem especially unforgiving to lawless cycling behavior. Pedestrians do blatantly lawless things at every intersection. Vehicles are endlessly dangerous and disruptive, with illegal u-turns, speeding, double-parking, excessive honking, etc. This seems to occur at every moment, and everywhere. But then the messengers have a crazy race on a Saturday afternoon and the general public hates cyclists?
As for my own race, I always yield to pedestrians with the right of way and I only made 3 (maybe 4) moves that were blatantly aggressive (basically cutting in front of cars and then bolting out of the way). For all you know, some of these drivers enjoyed the show! And then I can say I am an ambassador of cycling. But I won't say that because I disapprove of this type of riding.
After taking so much abuse for so long it felt pretty good to have the upper hand (or at least to feel the illusion of the upper hand).
"
Perhaps you saw crazy fixies careening though the city between 4:30 and 6 pm. (Yes we ride with no brakes so we might as well ride at dusk too; I am shocked they allow helmets.)
Now, that's a real Urban Adventure Ride!
Look pedals, 3 old videos of 20th century races. Exactly the kind of stuff I was hoping to find. Saw some wheelsets and frames, overpriced clothes. I hope they do it again, maybe on a more seasonable day.
"Hard-to-find 35mm bike fenders (road) and a copy of ""Know Your Rights Manual for NYC Messengers."" Saw Bilkensky frames for sale, one with S&C couplers, as well as single track-related components. Hope this bike flea market happens next year.
Saw waves of single track cyclists hammering the middle lane of Tenth Ave. amidst traffic. Must be the race.
Condolences to the family of a bike messenger who died after the Monster track race, as reported in the NY Post & Daily News."
