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Bike couriers converge in Austin this weekend
UPDATE: Photos from the 2011 event.Steely-nerved bike messengers from around the continent will converge in Austin this weekend to determine the best urban package purveyor on two wheels.
While they’re here, they’ll also hobnob at local bars, cruise the city by bike and listen to music written and performed by a band made up of Austin’s professional bicycle couriers during the North American Cycle Courier Championships.
A welcome party and group ride will take place Friday at Cheer Up Charlie’s, 1104 E. Sixth Street. (Rumor has it an unsanctioned, late-night alleycat race — a sort of fast-paced urban scavenger hunt — will unfold that night, too, but we didn’t just say that.)
Official messenger races, with cyclists making their way to checkpoints set up along a closed course, are scheduled for noon-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at The Driveway in East Austin.
The winner will win $3,000 in cycling products, including a custom bike frame, bag, helmet and shoes. (A separate race for non-messengers is planned, too.)
“It’s a real working condition race. It’s not just the fastest messenger who wins, it’s the one who can keep their head on their shoulders and can work out the most efficient grabbing system for what they’re delivering,” says one of the event’s organizers, John Trujillo, owner of Beat the Clock messenger service. “Lots of subtle strategy is involved.”
Spectators are welcome; food and gear vendors will be on hand.
Saturday night’s party is slated for Red 7, 611 East 7th Street. Besides live music, side events such as track stand and track skid contests are on the schedule. A closing party and awards ceremony is set for Sunday at The Liberty, 1618 1/2 E 6th St.
Between 150 and 200 working messengers are expected to attend the weekend festivities, sponsored by Mellow Johnny’s and Chrome.
Just what does it take to be a good bike messenger? “You’ve got to be super aggressive in really scary traffic and then polite and professional inside the office in a span of 2 minutes,” Trujillo says. “For one weekend in Austin, bike messengers will really come out and show that we’re the founders of the urban cycling scene.”
For more information or to register for the races go here.
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By Darryl Kotyk
October 3, 2011 11:06 AM | Link to this
Awesome…..love to see all kinds of cycling events getting coverage. Nice work, Pam.
Darryl