Sunday, November 30, 2008

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:

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