messenger bags and 27" wheels

Much to my torment, my younger brother is far more hip than I. See how he speaks on the phone with much sass:

He's a voracious reader, human Rock Catalogue and accomplished orator. To top it all off, he has the oldest messenger bag I've ever seen:

That patchy brown and green diamond is an old REI logo, circa 1985. Features include Velcro loops for attaching it to your handlebars, a zippered outer pocket, and single compression strap:


He rescued the bag from my mother's house. It was left behind by my cousin when he moved to Seattle many years ago (along with a 27" French 10-speed, which I now have). The strap was broken and the corner ripped. Like all good Punk Rockers, my brother is a seamster, and made the necessary repairs himself:

Speaking of 27" wheels:

I met this fella on campus yesterday. As you can see, the wheels are mismatched. Why? Because fixed wheels come only in the modern 700c variety, and 27" fronts are a dime a dozen. He doesn't care how it looks; he just wants to ride. And that's very hip.

The frame, by the way, is an old Rudge. He sprayed it purple, but left the head badge:

Max is another chap who could care less about the diameter of his front wheel:

His frame is also peculiar. He told me he found it in his mom's garage, and it has the strangest lugs I've ever seen.

I rode with him from campus to the Wandering Goat for a show. I was completely unable to keep pace with him on the Silver Bullett, which has a low, 4.1 gain ratio. Max's was more like 5.6, and he utterly smoked me.

The 'Goat, by the way, is the place to find beautiful bikes and people on a Saturday night: