Seeing Double

I just read an article on bike messengers turned track racers in the NY Times and noticed one of the members of the Team Puma cycling team. And sure enough, it's the same guy. His name is Kevin Bolger, a.k.a. Squid, and he's been a full-time courier in NYC since 1992. I snapped the above shot after the bike messenger's race down here in Philly last weekend.

The article focuses on Team Puma.

...a cycling team consisting of city bike messengers that, since forming last July, has been dominating many of the messenger races held across New York and the country.

"We're taking urban street biking to the track to represent New York and show we have the fastest messengers," said Mr. Bobe, who finished first among all track bikers participating in last month's North American Cycle Courier Championships in Portland, Ore.

Squid was in Philly last weekend for the USPRO Championships where he raced in the bike messenger race. I'm not sure if he was there with the full Team Puma or not, but I think whatever team he was finished in third place.

Interesting how a well-known company like Puma is reaching out into the ranks of bike messengers to form an elite track squad. I'm not surprised though. Those bike messengers are a sight to watch. Even here in Philly where the streets aren't as crowded and the cabbies aren't as crazy, they're still zooming in and out of traffic on the street and on the sidewalk, all to get that parcel from Point A to Point B.

My sister used to date a bike mesenger years ago. I forget his name. He used to be a model. Then, he faceplanted on the Brooklyn Bridge. He was still a good looking guy, just not as good looking, but he was still fast as hell on his bike.

Bike messengers rock. And they don't get the credit they deserve; they're the ones delivering all those important parcels for million-dollar companies. I always hated it when the wanna be yuppies in my old office made faces at the messengers. They made comments on how they were so weird with their tats and piercings. Ugh. To me, a full sleeve is pretty hot. Well, I'm not there anymore and I won't have to hear their witty banter anymore. Good riddance.