Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Goldsprints results

Results in no particular order:

Qualifiers:
Lorcan: 28.22
Flickerx: 32.48
Delo: 28.55
Aly: 29.98
Raj: 32.70
Johnny: 32.50
Barry: 31.50
Natalie: 34.63
Chris: 36.16... I think this is incorrect (I know you're not that slow Chris :))
Kerr: 32.41
Matt: 29.31
Kropa: 29.66
Ben: 31.62
Adam: 29.77
Tom: 27.47
Al: 30.66
Alec: 31.86
Andrea: 33.28
Mark: 26.48
Bernard: 27.91
Ray:28.16
Perrin: 32.83
John Walsh: 26.95
Caroline: 36.22 (not helped by the fact her feet couldn't reach the pedals!!!, Sorry!)
Eoghan: 29.11
Diarmuid: 26.16
25Sean: 27.78
Sean: 26.47

Quarter-Finals:
Ray: 30.81
25Sean: 30.92

Sean 27.28
Mark: 26.52

Tom: 27.89
Bernard: 28.44

John Walsh: 26.30
Diarmuid: 25.75

Semi-Finals:
Ray: 27.27
Tom: 27.81

Diarmuid: 25.70
Mark: 25.92

Fixie Fanatics Goldsprints. Semifinals from Lorcan O Mahony on Vimeo.


Womens's Final:
Andrea: 31.33
Perrine: 32.42


Men's Final:
Diarmuid: 25.64
Ray: 25.92

Fixie Fanatics Goldsprints. Finals from Lorcan O Mahony on Vimeo.

Loads more videos from Flickerx here.
Thanks to all at Dublin Fixed Gear Agus Singlespeed for the support and photos/videos

A great night by all accounts. Diarmuid consistently posted the fastest times all night, and really wanted to break 25 seconds... next time. We'll keep working on the system and things will get smoother as we progress. Next time we'll have a dj outside with us so we can properly announce it and make a better show for everyone.
If anyone has any (constructive) comments to make about how we can improve please make them below, we really want to make this as big and inclusive as possible.

The Shaw have been on to us to host it again, so we're looking at the first week of December for the next event.
There will be a chance to race again this Friday come in any time after 6pm (in Bernard Shaw again) and post a time and give it a go.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Knackers steal meningitis survivors bike...

Some drunken scumbags stole a meningitis survivors trike outside a nightclub in Galway last weekend... low.

On the other side of the world some couriers on the west coast have made a great advertisement for their service. Wonderfully cheesy.

TCB Courier: Pizza + Candy from Joe Lumbroso on Vimeo.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Change of title

Dublin Messenger: I figured since for 2 years it's been me, it may as well stay me, so from now in it's Dublin Messenger, not Messengers... as that would imply some sort of co-operation, and it being overtly just me frees me up to talk about shit I want to talk about with no inference that I am speaking for a group of people.

I was in Barcelona at the end of August for another edition of Paradise Weekend, hosted by the ever smiling Dave of Imensajeros. It's a great city to ride your bike in, and combine that with sun, sea and cheap food and booze, and it's a recipe for a fantastic time. Turnout was pretty low this year, for out-of-towners at least, but it was good to see more locals taking part.

The Saturday night alleycat is always my favourite part of the weekend, a proper pick-up drop-off, multiple manifest alleycat. I generally don't take it too seriously and I guess that's my way of enjoying it; stopping at checkpoints for a chat and a beer.

There were a few people writing an article about the race and I managed to do Dublin proud in it if I do say so myself... I guess it's a different attitude over there, as people were genuinely bemused to see me roll up to a checkpoint with a can of beer in my hand!
(click image to get larger resolution)

There's a new forum in town... dedicated to the fixed-gear fanatics in Dublin: Dublin Fixed Gear Agus Singlespeed, although I think the singlespeed is there just for forms sake, they're a really decent bunch of people, no snobbery, and so far no Boards-like behaviour.

A nice gallery of Britain's crap cycle lanes in the Guardian this week.

Aly has come out with another short video, this time featuring Kropa and his backwards cycling shenanigans.
It's only available on Arsebook at the minute but as soon as he puts it on YouTube I'll pop it up here.

Nice article on BBC about small courier firms in the UK benefiting from the threat of Royal Mail strikes. (Via Joe Hendry)

Also from Joe, news that a new movie C.O.D, is in the works, about a New York Messenger forced to deliver bombs... hmmm. One reviewer states nicely:
"Everybody hates bike messengers. First of all, the profession attracts douchebags. Second of all, they're a hazard on the road to drivers and pedestrians alike. Third of all, they always smell."
Nice...

It's still raining.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

On the off-chance that anyone still reads this...

I haven't posted here since... well since the last post, and I'm not hitting the 'back' button to see what date that was, needless to say it's been a while.
Nobody has stepped forward to try and keep this thing alive, so I guess I may as well try and help it limp along until it finally gives up the ghost or someone pulls the finger out.

What to report since last time...

Well, CMWC Tokyo happened. Daz won backward circles, 2nd in skids while wasted, got tied up and drawn on as he annoyed so many people, and finally got arrested(still in Tokyo awaiting sentencing I believe), Perrine won Fixie Queen(even though she's not actually a courier ...shhhhhh).

KYOTO LOCO 2009: The Road to CMWC, Tokyo from Eli Tokyo Jitensha-Jin on Vimeo.


Um... I almost forgot, it has been so long that there wasn't even a report on ECMC Berlin! As far as I can remember Team Dublin won the Mechanical Bull riding... 25Sean came top 10, then promptly had a baby. Hungary successfully 'bid' for ECMC2010, many people got drunk and danced to electro music. Props to ex Dublin Messenger Gar for being one of the main organisers of a spectacular event. My photos here.

There is a raffle taking place to help Daz's legal costs. Tickets are 3 for €5 or sumfink... Matt(eternal rookie) from Dublin's newest (and only fixed-centric) bike shop Cultured has kindly donated a sweet bike as first prize.
Tickets can be bought in the shop or at the Bernard Shaw this weekend and draw will take place after Halloween Alleycat.
The Bernard Shaw are having another 'fixie day' this Saturday the 24th, from 4pm. There will be a parts market, videos, messenger dj's best in show comp, and finally Goldsprints will make a return to Dublin. 8 fastest times posted will go into knockout stages. Be patient with us as it's our first time running this and we are bound to fuck something up royally.

The week after will see the Halloween alleycat, this year organised by Colin and Kropa. They are getting some sweet jerseys(yes jerseys) made for this, based on one of Colin's designs.We are hoping to run some more goldsprints in Bernard Shaw afterwards.

Niamh, who has been filming Dublin Messengers since CMWC 2007, gave us a glimpse of her work with a short entitled 'Alleycat', which screened at the Galway Film Festival and recently during the Darklight festival in Dublin. We hope there's a lot more to come. For now you can see the magnificence of my arrospok (which I have since become too ashamed of to ride in public) in the first few seconds.


Elsewhere in the world of bicycle fashion, the bicycle chain bracelet recently jumped the shark when Louis Vuitton released this:

A steal at $700, but not guaranteed to hold your chain together as a quick bodge when you snap yours doing a keo spin while wearing this to add momentum (and bling) to your revolutions.

In short...
Registration now open for CMWC 2011 Guatemala
Ex-Dublin Messengers Goofy and Tomek now helping with production of Polish mish-mash of all my favourite track bikes Torro.
ECMC 2010 to be held in Budapest, CMWC 2011 in Warsaw.
Tokyo organisers $34,000 (yes all those zeros are correct, and yes that is twice what we spent on our entire CMWC) in debt. Messengers trying to help here.
I got a new Pac (yum)

That is all for now...
Work sucks
Winter is here