I can't say it enough.

by Jeff

First and foremost, thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much for the great wave of support. It's been a rough October and the financial situation of everyone has left us in a bind in terms of getting the bus up and running again in a timely fashion. What ended up happening is we have been subjected to the faith and goodwill of our community and, as a result, we were definitely NOT disappointed. A good amount of people, a national media outlet and one whole team threw themselves, their talents and a few bucks to our aid and I knew we couldn't disappoint.

A few choice emails and calls to contacts were tapped earlier this week to set Ben and me in the right direction for repair work. We stayed on the proper avenues and put in a long one on Wednesday to drive a crooked bus down to the far southwest side early in the morning rain to get it in line for a place that specifically cares for huge vehicle shocks. We were definitely in the right place behind a disassembled tractor and a trailer that was getting new bushings installed. We dropped the keys off and left our info with the mechanic, the moment of truth was approaching but it went out of our hands...

After the handoff, we biked it back up to do a full day's work in the loop. Well. I did. Ben had the day off. He had a day off that is hard to come by in his two job schedule. And he spent it focused around the bus...

Well, Ben has since gotten those keys back and the bus was connected at the other end! This job is done! Big shoutout to Southwest Springs down there at 85th and Pulaski. Dudes are legit. There's a great story that came out of it (Ben's always been one for the good stories)  but the bottom line is they knew money was an issue so they kept it honest with us and got us rolling straight. Plus their follow-up to Ben's answer of the ever common 'what do you guys do with this thing?' was even amazing: "Oh... like that 7-Eleven team?" Love it.

Those tidbits aside, the real story amidst all of this stuff is how quickly and seriously people came to our side. I really can't say thanks enough for that. Those with names and addresses are getting lurked as you read this and should expect to have a little extra heckling and support for you come this Sunday and every damn Sunday from here on out. Stop by and have a dog or some Canadian bacon. Hop in the bus and thaw out a little bit, we'll have the portable heater going again with this damn chill sticking around.

For the record, that offer made just now is and always will be extended to anyone and everyone. The more the merrier.

As for the funds, the paypal donations should clear just in time to give us the boost we'll need to make up our due bus rent. Hopefully you won't mind, but we're also going to be getting on a little fundraiser work to build a little trust fund for the cruiser. I actually like to think of it as a "Bus-t fund" (you may commence with rolling your eyes.) It's a fund intended for a rainy day like this past Sunday or stuff to offset the rent and everyday upkeep. We'll be hoping to get things going in the very near future with some reasonably priced and delicious baked goods, possibly oat sodas and some nice new t-shirts.

Please keep posted for further details and, for the first of a million, let me say it: THANK YOU!

bus down

We finally made it on to the official ChiCrossCup map. Were they giving us a premium heckling spot, or keeping us far away from the locals? Alas, the Cuttin' Cruiser couldn't make it out. We knew this day would come eventually, but still, it stings. Early assessments tell us that we probably have a sheared bolt in one the leaf spring assemblies. It's sent the rear axle, well, sideways a few inches. On the plus side, we're hoping it's a simple fix...it's just a bolt, right?

On the other hand,  it's not like you can just grab a jack from the trunk and hoist a twelve thousand pound machine up in the air. We've got some feelers out for ways to get it done on the cheap, but we're not holding our breath.

So, be on the lookout for fundraiser in the near future...bake sale? kegger? We'll have to get creative. But observant eyes may have noticed a recent addition to the site, for just this sort of emergency. We haven't made much of it, but there's a "Donate" button over there on the left.

If you know Jeff, you know he's not the type to hassle his passengers for gas money. If you've ever grabbed a dog and a beer at one of the couches, and never saw the tip jar sitting out conspicuously, well, maybe you can throw a little somethin' in there now, to help get this thing back on the road. Hopefully we'll be rolling soon.

Thanks.

Happy Bike Messenger Appreciation Day (10/9)

Happy official Bicycle Messenger Appreciation Day! AKA 10-9 Day! Yesterday (10/8/09) we got some love from some very kind folks over at Active Transportation Alliance in association with Goose Island and Mother Hubbard's Bar. A big thank you for that.

This post is really about to be dedicated to our most senior messenger on the race team and that is Dr. Mike Morell. Mike is going into his 10th year in the service, a little known milestone amongst many, especially the vets. He has assumed many responsibilities as  head of the Windy City BMA (when it was around), original Messenger Prom organizer, co-founder of 4 Star Courier Collective, main organizer and goto for countless (seriously countless) fundraisers and races/parties, roommate to half the city, friend to industry leaders all around the world,  always the best dude for advice, and, of course, the self-proclaimed world's greatest dispatcher. Dude's got stories.

 He's got a laundry list of accomplishments within and without the industry. For us that doesn't involve banquets and plaques, nor crappy little twists on words to polish up a desperate resume. It involves respect. Pure, genuine and highly credible dues that are only bestowed upon the select few that deserve them.

Here's to ya, Mike. And here's to the many others out there still giving it a go and making it through the tougher times of this silly game. Happy 10-9 Day!

Much love and Respect.

Old News but Good News

Well. It's been tricky to find the official source for the results from Tokyo but it's time we all accept it as fact. We proudly present (with some delay) your 3rd place finisher in the women's classification for the Cycle Messenger World Championships...

 TEENERS!

Photo courtesy of htosaki

The best update around is actually courtesy of the fine folks over at the Chicago Couriers Union.

Al, Ben and Molly did it up right for their town as well. Thanks for the zillionth time to Tokyo.

Photo courtesy of Yogi

Don't miss many of the other great updates on the CCU blog. Including this gem:

Big thanks to Active Transportation Alliance

Wow. All there is to say is Wow.

So enough of this serene, pretty sun setting over the velodrome bullshit. Rumor has it Al and Jeff missed out on the best Messenger Prom to date. The chicagomessengerprom.com photo gallery is providing irrefutable evidence. Aside from growing ever so envious wasting away hours looking through awesome photos, you can gather 4 facts of life from this gallery. 1) Chicago is no bullshit when it comes to an amazing party. This man can rest assured knowing his labors were very fruitful.

2) If you put 3 really cool monkeys in a room for a few months, something brilliant will come of it. Emphasis on them being really cool monkeys.

3) The people have chosen. Ben and Liz have passed the torch. Queen Molly and King Josh it is...

4) Sometimes things happen that just make you feel like the world is getting right back to the way it belongs...

What a weekend ahead!

Match Sprints. Cuttin' Crew Classic. New York State Track Championships. Peace Coffee 2 day grind. There's tons of stuff left to rehash once it's all said and done. Make sure this is atop your list:

Help raise some dough for the CMWC 2011 effort and have a smashing good time with the likes of this bloke while you're at it.

!!MESSENGER PROM!!

 

Heal up, duder

A coupla nights ago, Chris Dilts was jumped and robbed by a 2x4 wielding group of assholes while riding through Humboldt Park. He's in pretty fair condition and very high spirits at the ICU but keep him in your thoughts and buy him a beer next time you see him. Aside from being a good guy and great friend to us all, it's fair to say he's been the quiet glue that has held this community together well with his brilliant ideas and photography. Here's to a quick recovery, buddy.

UPDATE: Chris has been discharged and is doing the rest of his recovery in the comfort of his own home.

2 years ago today

We lost a friend.

Can you dig it?

This Sunday, June 7th at 6 PM at Goose Island restaurant and brewery, Yojimbo's Track Cats is having a fundraising event that sounds fan-tastic. The raffle prize list is very deep with several great items. The money goes toward funding the continued success of this local juniors program.

Don't be alarmed if you notice a spike in fashion sense... Costumes are not entirely necessary but come highly recommended. Without a doubt, I can tell you it has been far too long since the last time you watched 'The Warriors'? Tell you what, prime if you can name 7 gangs without using the internet.

For those of you who absolutely can't make it, there are plenty more chances to get involved. Be warned the experience is very rewarding and addictive. Donations can also be arranged by coordinating via email with: donate-at-yojimbostrackcats.org

...and now a word from our sponsors

Racing isn't cheap. It's no secret that we can use all the help we can get. We're lucky, though. We've got partners in this, sponsors that are down with what we're trying to do, and they're helping us get there one way or another.

So we've made some changes to the site in 2009, to get more eyeballs on them. So do yourself a favor, check them out, over on the left side of the page...yeah, keep going, all the way down. Because they're not just supporting the crew, they are supporting Chicagoland racing. Those prizes and primes don't grow on trees.

With that said, we're gonna take a short commercial break: Get yourself over to the Lake Cycling warehouse sale on Saturday May 30th. You shouldn't just go because they're local, and they support local teams like us. You should go because they'll have good stuff cheap. 1315 Sherman Place, 10-5. Grab the flyer for more info.

Back to your regularly scheduled programming. We'll have a full writeup of the Iowa adventure shortly.