Two weeks ago,  about 20 London couriers set off on an epic journey to Warsaw, Poland to attend the 19th Cycle Messenger World Championships. These championships, held every year in a different city since 1993, are “an annual urban cycling event gathering both professional bike messengers and cycling enthusiasts from around the globe. The participants compete in a variety of events which test riders’ skills, stamina and determination. The culminating point of the event is the Main Race, which mimics the everyday tasks faced by cycle messengers. It is a weekend of racing, partying and a celebration of global messenger culture.”

I have been attending European and World championships for the past 10 years, nearly as long as I’ve been a messenger. These events have taken me to places I would have probably never visited and it’s always a true pleasure to meet up with old friends, make new ones and be part of the worldwide messenger community.

This event was even more special as I got to meet up with Daria and Karol from the Warsaw Courier Fund and hand over the £250 we collected for them after the Polecat Alleycat. T-shirts and caps were exchanged and I saw for myself the good work they’re doing for their community.

The LCEF was also hard at work.  In spite of very stormy weather, we set up stall selling caps as well as the new edition of our t-shirts and hoodies. Thanks to Urban, Kuba and Vojtech, we sold most of our stock and raised more monies for the fund. Messengers from all around the world know too well how hard it can be to be injured and unable to work and they were showing a lot of support.. thanx to all of you….

This years CMWC definitely didn’t disappoint.  It had all the ingredients for a great weekend… good racecourse, great people, crazy main race, super sound and general bicycle chaos.
I cannot wait for next year’s events around the ECMC (European Cycle Messenger Championships) in Edinburgh (with the pre-event being held here in London) and the CMWC held in Chicago, US.
In the meantime, London will be holding their now yearly 3-day event at the end of September – London’s Calling – with more info coming soon…

by Steph

Thanks to everyone for coming out to help show off our new bold design shirts and hoodies, soon to be found for sale online, in all their shining glory, at the web-shop of our friendly cafe partners, LMNH. We also as always have a few of these to buy in Fullcity if you’re in the vicinity of Leather Lane. Or, you can just flag us down on the road if you’re interested in something, we’re happy to take orders and that way you can take advantage of your courier discount!

All images © Selim Korycki

London’s Calling is go, go, go.. Register over here. All welcome!

All images © Selim Korycki

…and everyone had a good time! The list of thank-you’s is a pretty long one so we’ll have a go now. First to Niki Dukes-Kovac’s for putting together a beautiful website, one for the portfolio – to Alex Story for creating the artwork for the Max poster and the t-shirt, some pretty unique work and very well received. To all our amazing sponsors without whom we wouldn’t have been able to heep some pretty amazing prizes on our racers. To Rollapaluza for letting us use their roller equipment, always willing, always appreciated. To House of Pistard for printing up the wicked LC T-shirts, to Hobs Printers for offering to do all our flyer and spokecard printing (for free!). To all the staff at the venues, in particular Victor at The Macbeth, Alfie at The Victoria and Hannah at Imbibe. To Black Rainbow and Gwem for up-front tunes on Friday, to DJ Scarper, Ragworm, Defcon Zero and Noise Complaint for filling the stage with pure awesomeness on Saturday, to Liz Hughes for rushing off on Sunday at the last minute to get music equipment for the roller race. To George for collecting logs, to Bardi for the Goulash! To JP and Barry for BBQ duties. To everyone who came out to marshall at the checkpoints, to the amazing photographers who produced some stunning imagery, Redrum, Rod, Roman, Selimski, Jorge, Stoy, and Aga for last years selection. Fantastic. To Gertie, Little John and Liz for running the rollers, to Creative Ian for van work, to those out-of-towners that made their way to London, you knows who you is. To Peter and Dave for tall bikes and jousts, to Look Mum for our registration venue. Finally to everyone that came out to play and to the LCEF for all their hard work behind the scenes, it was real!

On Saturday the 15th of October we had the opportunity to celebrate Digger’s 50th birthday in Look Mum No Hands. Digger asked me to organise an alleycat for that occasion, with the intention to raise some money for LCEF (that man really has his heart on the left side). So I printed forty manifests for “The Revolutionary Diggcat”. Digger himself took care of the spokecards. All was planed, apart of one thing…. well, the racers. They were just too busy to have a great time on the dance floor and forgot about the race. So, another alleycat that never happened
However, everyone had an awesome time and Digger managed to sell a loads of spokecards… in total £180 worth of spokecards for the benefit of the LCEF. Well done young man! We salute you! Also big thanks to Brixton Cycles, Bikeworks and LMNH for supplying the prizes. They will be used for the next race!

And so the bands battled for the LCEF!

On Friday 21st of October, our friends, and always supportive courier band Ragworm and also for the messenger community unknown band Rikky Fredo & the Fabulous Fucktones organised a battle of bands at the amazing Grosvenor. Ryan the Cannuck organised the “Race of Cocks alleycat” to make the transfer to SE London quicker and more fun. Starting at Fullcity and finishing at the Grosvenor with four checkpoints in between. New to the London messenger scene, Lane from Melbourne Australia, won the race and took home a track frame donated by Fullcity.
Before the battle we were to witness one surprise announcement by Buffalo Bill and that was award winning ceremony for Steph aka “Papillon” with the “Markus Cook Award” for services to the international courier community. Well done Papillon, you truly deserve it! And then the battle started with Ragworm. They showed us more than their solid performance of pumping punk’n'roll. These guys are getting better and better! Nobody quite knew what to expect from Rikky Fredo & Fabulous Fucktones. But I have to say…these “fakengers” rocks! I didn’t have such a fun for a long time! And the same counts for the half naked audience! Good times and rock’n'roll! I don’t really know which band won the battle, however these guys managed to raise around £200! So the LCEF is the winner! Well done all of you, who are about to rock!

by Vojtech

Anyone who was around last Christmas for the launch of the much-lauded LCEF Naked Calendar 2011 and managed to pick one up, will no doubt have found themselves at numerous times over this last year slyly casting sneaky peaks up at the wall for a healthy, life-affirming dose of PURE, UNADULERATED, COURIER BUFFNESS. As we trundle into December and you wring your hands in woe as the last of London’s birthday-suited couriers looms into view, then fear not; there is hope for the future. We have yet more to offer you for 2012. Much, much more.

‘Herding cats’ is a much-used and spot-on phrase to describe the experience of trying to organise a flock of couriers to a single end and if you think 2011′s London Calendar was a coup to pull off then spare a thought for the LCEF’s very own, Marcus Cooke award winning, Papillon, who has spent much of this year drawing on her thick book of European contacts to come up a with a fundraising idea bigger, badder and more ambitious than anything else seen this Millenium. With a truly international cast and profits being split between the Warszawski Fundusz Kurierski, the LCEF and the ECMC 2012 Edinburgh, this year’s calendar (again beautifully designed by talented London exenger Niki D-K) will be on sale to the international courier massive in all its naked glory Europe-wide in time for Chrimbo.

This year’s London launch party, to be held in the exclusive basement space of the Betsey Trotwood pub on Farringdon Road, EC1, will be defiantly bucking the trend this time around by being held on Tuesday 20th December. Yup, that’s right, it’s a school night! But it’s Christmas week and central so with ales on tap, live music from Italian breakbeatist and sax blowing maestro DJ Sax, LCEF DJs, mince pies, mistletoe and carol singing, there’ll be something for everyone. So come on down for a xmas booze, pick yourself up a calendar or two and help us toast our way out of 2011 with style.. For those unable to attend or from outside of London, keep your eye out for coming news of where you can get hold of a copy online and we’ll post one out to you… inyt.

The LCEF 4th anniversary is fast approaching and this has been yet another eventful and rewarding year. The fund has been growing from strength to strength, getting more and more support from the courier community and the wider cycling community.

The European Courier Calendar, our last fundraiser, has been a huge success and has been sold out all across Europe and further afield – so thanx to all of you out there who helped out and got your kit off – some of the proceeds went to the Warsaw Kurier Fund and some of it to the guys in Edinburgh to help them out with the organisation of the European Cycle Messenger Championships 2012. We’re hoping to give them another £500 soon so the sale of the calendar can benefit all the European couriers out there who given their time and energy. More calendars are on their way to London soon so if you didn’t get one, get in touch!!

The last month or so has seen several cycle couriers being involved in very serious accidents, all involving HGVS. The LCEF has paid out over £1000 to these riders who will be out of action for the next few months. One of them, Andrew Robinson, is still in hospital after a second operation on his leg and is not expected to ride again for another 6 months at least. Here’s Andy recuperating at home, squeezing out a smile for the camera.

One rider we haven’t been able to help though is Henry Warwick. Henry, a veteran courier, was killed 2 weeks ago after a collision with a coach on Bishopsgate in the CIty of London, which makes him the 9th London bicycle courier killed whilst at work. A memorial ride was held last Friday from the Foundry to the spot where Henry lost his life. About 200 people came, mostly messengers, to pay their respect and say their last goodbye. Accidents like these remind you how dangerous this job can be, even for the most experienced among us. So ride safe out there and don’t even think of undertaking that lorry when it’s turning left, you might not make it.

Following this tragedy and a post on the LFGSS forum highlighting the LCEF and our aim, we have received many donations from the general public, cyclists and non-cyclist alike from all over the UK. So thank you again for your generosity, it’s greatly appreciated and will go straight into the pocket of injured riders.

We will also meet this Thursday (23rd of February) around 7 o’clock at The Foundry to take a slow ride to the corner of Lower Thames st and Queen St Place EC4 to remember our friend, Sebastian Lukomski, who died whilst working on that day 8 years ago … not forgotten.

We’ll keep you posted with our coming fundraisers; a possible 4th anniversary party, the annual Donkey Derby and the much anticipated 5th edition of London’s Calling, which will be held in June as pre-event to the ECMC 2012 in Edinburgh… website up and running soon.

In the meantime, we have just received our biggest order of LCEF cycling caps, so if you need some stylish headgear, drop us a line. (These are also available at Look Mum No Hands on Old St, Velorution on Gt Portland St and Fullcity on Leather Lane).
And to keep you warm, hoodies are on coming soon all the way from Scotland and the House of Pistard: http://www.houseofpistard.com/).

Last but not least, Darren “Dazzler” Coxson has left the LCEF committee to apply himself to his studies, so we wish you all the best and thanx for your time and efforts over the past 4 years. You will be missed!

Hey folks, it’s that time of the year again…Rollapaluza is pairing up with the LCEF to bring you another edition of the Donkey Derby…as usual, this one is for working messengers only..but spectators are more than welcomed.

Entry is £5 for all participants and donations for the others.
All proceeds to go to the BMEF (Bicycle Messenger Emergency Fund,
http://www.bicyclemessenger.org/)

Also, we will be celebrating the 4th birthday of the LCEF,so come and help us blow our candles (no spitting on the  cake!!!yeah there will be cake)..

Prizes from Bikefix and Two Wheels Good.
Music by Sleepy Joe aka Boycey and Lano del Futuro.

The new LCEF tee-shirt will also be on sale at the Donker Derby, a great design from our friend Jay Moon.  Just got them from the printers a few days ago and they looking ace…£10 only, come and grab one.

If you want us to keep one on the side for you, drop us a line@ londoncourieremergency@gmail.com

We got all sizes, men and ladies (S,M and L).

Last but not least, London’s Calling 5, the official pre-event to the European Cycle Messenger Championships 2012 in Edinburgh ( http://www.ecmc2012.co.uk/ ), will be taking place the second weekend of June from the 8th to the 10th.

Get all info and register here:  http://londonscalling2012.com/

London’s Calling 5 is over, we are tired but very happy. A combination of grand courier spirit, great  races  and awesome parties made it our best event so far.

All made possible by the hard work of the LCEF crew so thank you Vojtech,Apryl anDarren. Many thanx to Delphina for helping out at the bar, Gertie and Rosine,our Rollapaluza power couple, 100% beefcock and the titbursters, Rikki Fredo and the Fucktones, Ragworm, Franky and the Jacks and Noise complaint for the sound, all DJ’s,Lawrence for a great set, Sleepy for more great beats, Lano for taking to the decks one more time and Dazzler for making us boogie ’till the end of the night.

Thanx to Dave and Sam at the Limehouse Town hall, the boys at the Electric Matchbox, Hinde for the Courieoke, all the staff at the Victoria pub. Big up to all the Alleycat marshalls and everyone who helped us out during the weekend.

It was a pleasure to see so many out-of-towners and friendly faces who came out and partied with us.

And big thank you to all our sponsors.

It was also one of our main fundraiser for the LCEF.

See you all in Edinburgh for another weekend of messenger madness..can’t wait..

Check the ECMC Edinburgh here: http://www.ecmc2012.co.uk/

Check the London’s calling 5 website for results and pictures of the event: http://londonscalling2012.com/

Right folks, it’s that time of the year, courier got naked, we took tasteful pictures and put them together to bring you the 2013 edition of the Courier Calendar. In it’s 3rd year now, what started with London couriers going au naturel to support of the LCEF,  involved the whole European messenger community last year.

For this new edition, 14 cities from all around the globe have taken part. I am stoked that so many of you have come forward to help us on this project and make it happen. So thanks to all models who took part, all photographers and also all our sponsors.

And special thanks to Roman Skyva and Jay Moon, respectively designer and illustrator who have done a great job.

Cities in the calendars this year are Montreal, Aarhus, London, Basel, Zurich, Berlin, Madrid, Mexico, Bern, Warsaw, New York, Copenhagen, Nagoya and Utrecht so if you want a copy and you’re local to these cities, hit me up and i’ll put in touch with your local courier calendar dealer. On sale for £10 only!

The calendars are also on sale here: http://bagaboo.hu/ on their webshop or here: http://www.houseofpistard.com/ (thanx Xander).

But of course, London people will also be able to purchase them and more LCEF goodies at the End of the World Courier Calendar Launch Party this Friday at the Yard, in Hackney Wick.  There will be live music with 100% Beefc**k and the T*tburster and Heck Tate + DJ’s…there will be snax, a well-stocked bar and Kieran will be there.

All proceeds from the sale of these calendars will go straight to the LCEF, the Warsaw Kurier Fund, the BMEF (Bicyle Messenger Emergency Fund) and the Mexico Fund.

Donations will  also be made to the organisors of the ECMC in Bern and the CMWC in Lausanne … everyone’s a winner so grab a calendar and support the worldwide messenger community.

Another way to support us while keeping warm and stylish is to get your hands of one of our new hoodies.

All sizes available from Extra Small to Extra Large / Zip £25 or no zip  £20/ LCEF Classic logo or new LCEF skull design..t-shirts also available..if you’re interested, get in touch at: londoncourieremergencyfund@gmail.com and we’ll arrange delivery for you.

Our popular caps are also back, with a twist…slightly new design…top quality headgear by Apis…you know you want one.

 Available in black, red, grey, white, green,white, fuschia, retro pink, light blue, dark blue, medium blue..with or without the world champion stripe. One size only £6

HELPING EACH OTHER:

It has been another full-on year for the LCEF. We have been able to help over 15 injured riders in the past 12 months, offer them financial support (an average payout from the LCEF is £300) and legal aid when needed.  Physical injury, not being able to work and earn can be very stressful so, for us to be in the position to help out those couriers, has been greatly rewarding.

Obviously, we would not be able to do all this without the help and support of all of you out there who come to our events, race our alleycats, buy our merchandise and make donations so big thank you to the whole courier/cycling community and beyond.

Unfortunately, a couple of our friends didn’t make it to see the end of this year so i would like  to remember Henry Warwick, who was killed in February in a collision with a coach and young Ken Third, who left us  in July. Those guys were happiest riding their bikes and are greatly missed.

I would also like to mention Steffan Davies, who has passed away recently. A friend of the couriers, he was always up for a race, a friendly face at the pub, always supporting the LCEF any way he could and he carries on as several donations have been made in his name to the LCEF in the last few days.

So let’s ride safe out there and look out for each other.

2013 is looking to be another busy year for us…we are hoping to set up an online shop so you can easily purchase LCEF merchandise, produce 2 cycling jerseys, celebrate our 5th anniversary in style, do more collaborations with talented artists, more fundraising and keep up with a busy schedule of messenger events all over the world but we will, of course, keep you updated.

’till then, enjoy the holiday season and best wishes for the new year to all of you who have supported us through another successful year.

The new edition of the Donkey Derby , roller-racing for working couriers only , is upon us. The 1st LCEF fundraiser of the year will take place at the Horseshoe pub, its original home, where it all started many,many years ago. Back then, Kaspar and friends brought roller-racing to London after being inspired by the Goldsprints in Zurich. High-speed rolling, crazy cheering , copious amounts of boozing and top-notch beats all contributed to make roller-racing nights must-go events in the courier calendar . Roller-racing has happened in many venues but we will always have a soft spot for the Horseshoe.

Kaspar and Winston have gone onto bigger and better things in the past 6 years or so by setting up Rollapaluza but once a year, they return to the warm and sweaty bosom of the courier community.

So come and cheer on your favorite messengers.

Only working messengers are allowed to race but everyone is welcome for a night of rolling mayhem.

Winners will go onto the Rollapaluza National Series Finale so come and set your lungs on fire.

Qualifiers from 7 – Finals from 9

£5 entry to all racers 

Beats’n'roll by Dazzler and Adamski. 

More on Rollapaluza here: http://www.rollapaluza.com/

Poster by House of Pistard: http://www.houseofpistard.com/

Another great night at the Horseshoe…another great Donkey Derby.

Thank you to everyone who raced and those who came to support them. 

Congratulations to our winners Max, who also did fastest time overall at 22.79 and Momo.

Along with Tommy and Sam, they will be competing next weekend at the Grand Finale: Rollapaluza National Series (more info::http://www.rollapaluza.com/calendar/) so come and support.

All results from last night roller race here: http://www.rollapaluza.com/rollapaluza-donkey-derby/

Thanx to everyone who came, brilliant turnout..was great to see the new courier generation on those rollers.
Thanx to Gertie for setting it all up and running the show,  Jo,Simone and Max..also Ram, Alex and Timi for the sound…to the Horseshoe for having us and Caspar@ Rollapaluza.

And we raised about £250 for the LCEF.

See you all on the road..ride safe…

When we started the fund 5 years ago, we had a few hundred pound collected from a couple of races after 2 of our courier mates suffered a bad crash on the same day. 

We got thinking of ways to raise more money so we would be able to sustain the fund and help out any riders who needed it in the future.  

Bought and worn by cycling enthusiasts all over the globe, the famous London LCEF cycling cap was our first bit of merchandise. A full range of LCEF goodies is now available and the LCEF cycling jerseys are coming soon.

Donations have also been a great help to the fund especially in those early days. More recently, after the passing of  Steffan Davies, a keen cyclist and familiar face in the courier scene, many of his friends have donated to the LCEF in his memory.

I would also like to mention Lees Solicitors/Bike Claims Solicitors in Birkenhead, who have made a generous £250 donation a couple of weeks ago.

 And of course,the London  and the world courier community have contributed heaps to keep the fund going and make it bigger and better year after year so thanx to all of you.

But once in a while, someone from the wider cycling community gets in touch and it goes like this “hey, i got  a great idea and i’m gonna raise money for your fund”;  which is exactly what Apollo Gerolymbos has done…he’s gone and built a couple of bikes with parts donated for this project.

 Now those two bikes are top prizes in a raffle in aid of the LCEF , raffle tickets are £5 and are on sale until the 31st of May.

Apollo has raised £250 so far so help him to raise more and get in with a chance to win one of these two beauties, check out the full story and get your raffle ticket here:

http://www.cyclelove.net/2013/04/london-courier-emergency-fund-bike-build-raffle/

You can also check Apollo’s blog:

http://ablogbyapollo.wordpress.com/2013/04/07/lcef-freecycle-builds-the-raffle/

Where do couriers like to go on holiday? courier events of course…with other couriers, riding their bikes and doing courier things.

These coming months are packed with messenger races and championships that will take us in all corner of Europe,well Switzerland mainly.

The summer kicks off with the Bern ECMC 2013 pre-event in Milano. I’ll be heading off to sunny Italy next week to help out my good friend  Matteo and catch up with fellow messengers.

  More info here: http://ecmcpreevent2013.tumblr.com

Check the teaser: http://vimeo.com/66745450

The pre-event will be followed by a ride to Bern, Switzerland, where the  18th European Cycle Messenger Championships will be taking place.

Everything you need to know is here: http://www.ecmc2013.ch/index-en.html

http://vimeo.com/66585455

Few weeks to recover and it will be time to ride off again. The whole messenger community is eagerly waiting for the 21st edition of the Cycle Messenger World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland. It promises to be an impeccably organised and extravagant event.

The Lausanne crew have been working hard for the past couple of years, after securing the bid at the CMWC in Warsaw to host the largest messenger event of the year. They have been racing, winning and partying harder than anyone else and brought their jacuzzi everywhere they went.

So very much looking forward to hit the mountain roads and spend that first weekend of August by  Lake Leman with the messenger family.

All info here: http://cmwc13.com/en

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5dU6okY6CM

Now all i need to do is find that beer voucher Josephine gave me a couple of year ago.

But before we breathe in the clean air of the Swiss mountains, our first port of call will be Paris for the CMWC 2013 pre-event: Paname Experience 2. 

The Paname crew are renowned for putting on grueling alleycats and riotous parties. So it’s back to the homeland for me. I will definitely have to curb swearing in French at drivers; that might get me into trouble.

All details are here: http://www.panamexperience2.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZS6JrbvQ-c&feature=plcp

More events, races, alleycats etc will be happening all over so check your courier calendar for any local events.

And London? well, the 6th edition of London’s Calling will be on the 6/7/8 September.

We have a cracking team of young, enthusiastic couriers, who are working hard to bring you a devilish event.

More info very soon… 

A few months ago, Apollo Gerolymbos got in touch with a fund raising idea..build a couple of bikes with donated frames and bike parts, raffle some tickets and give all the proceeds to the LCEF. With the help and generosity of cyclists from the Fixed Gear and Single Speed Forum, he built these two beauties ready to be taken for a ride.

The Peugeot Equipe

The Specialized Langster

Few weeks later and with £1010 worth of raffle tickets sold, i met up with Apollo and his friends  at the Jolly Butcher in Stokey to draw the winning tickets.

And our lucky winners are Sabine Rosenkranz and James Robinson so congratulations. Story goes that James pledged an extra £50 donation if he won one of the bike and he kept his word. So thank you Apollo, thank you James and to all the peeps who donated towards this project and all of  you who bought tickets…we’re touched.

The brand new LCEF cycling jerseys printed in collaboration with Hackney GT have finally arrived a couple of weeks ago and they have sold out pretty much instantly.

We still have a few Large/Xlarge items left in short sleeves and long sleeves version and also in the jacket version.

But if you didn’t get your mitts on one of these great tops, fear not; we’ve just put through a new order, which should be available in 2/3 weeks.

Likewise, if you’re abroad and are coming to the CMWC in Lausanne, there will be a LCEF stall with all our merchandise, including some cycling jerseys.

So if you wish to pre-order, get in touch here: londoncourieremergencyfund@gmail.com

Below are the chart size:

Men’s cut//

Women’s cut//

When you asked cycle couriers what they like the most about their job, some answers come up again and again, like the sense of freedom, riding your bike all day long for a living, the flexibility of the job, keeping fit etc…but one reason that stands out is the sense of community, hardly found in any other profession.

And that sense of global community was demonstrated once again a few weeks ago when 6 courier cities came together and put on races on the 31st of May to raise some fund for a friend in need.

The friend in question is Andy Duncan. Originally from Scotland but settled in Utrecht for many years, Andy is a veteran messenger, philosopher, bicycle mechanic, and former president of the IFBMA ( International Federation of Bike Messenger Association) and he  has been diagnosed with terminal cancer a few months ago.

He expressed wishes to go and visit a couple of his friends who now live by the beach in Mexico. So Hannah and Dee put the word out there to see if we could all get together and make this happen. And we did, plotting secretly so he didn’t have a clue what was going on.

So we raced, each local community getting together to raise global funds for a brother. And we did alright, Andy got a cheque for over 3000 euros, which should help him on his way to Mexico or wherever he fancies.

On the 1st of July, his friends unveiled the whole thing..Andy was touched.

And this was his response:

“Here is a post for those of you who do not know about the messenger community. I am still rather overwhelmed, so the words are a bit clumsy, but something beautiful happened yesterday. Unbeknownst to me, on 31st May, simultaneous alleycats (an alleycat is a sort of “treasure hunt” for messengers) were held in cities across Europe to raise funds for my continuing struggle with cancer. All the planning and execution for these events was scrupulously kept secret until yesterday evening when a large bunch of my colleagues turned up at the shop – inexplicably accompanying the Boze Poeet (aka Willem-Jan Rijper) who had some time ago arranged to come by and look at bags. Even as I stood there with my sales pitch, extolling the virtues of Chrome Bags, surrounded by colleagues still enjoying their secret, I had no idea what was going to happen. And then Jorrit made a little speech explaining it all and presented me with a cheque for an amount that will pay for a nice trip to the sunshine to visit Hannah and Dee and/or help out when it is time for me to stop working altogether …. and I was overwhelmed suddenly with the love. 

If the rest of humanity conducted itself with the same grace, humility and compassion and with the same spirit of collectivity as the messenger community, there would be no war and no exploitation, and we would be able live together, in peace with ourselves. HG Wells once said that he knew there was hope for the future of humanity whenever he saw an adult on a bike. The messenger community is what history has made of this.”

So there you go, that’s the kind of stuff that bring us together and makes it special to be part of the courier community. Andy decided,after all, to go to the Cycle Messenger World Championships in Lausanne in a few weeks and we’re sure glad he will be among us.

On the subject of solidarity, today i got a message from Lukas, one the organisers of the European Cycle Messenger Championships, which took place in Bern a few weeks ago.

I got in touch with Lukas when we starting selling the World Courier calendar to let him know some of the proceeds would be going towards the organisation of the ECMC (likewise some of the cash went to the CMWC and various courier funds). So money was sent to them a while back and he told me that, as a thank you, they would be raising cash for the LCEF. And they did, over £1000 so thank you Lukas and thank you to the Bern crew.

That time has arrived. Time to pack the panniers and ride in the sunset…well not quite, but in a couple of days, along with a crew of London couriers, i’ll be heading off to Paris for Panamexperience 2, the pre-event to the Cycle Messengers World Championships in Lausanne.

I’m very much looking forward to hit the homeland and ride my new road bike, first on the streets of the French capital  then,  get on the country roads all the way to Lausanne.

Once there, we are expecting amazing scenery and a top notch courier weekend with a main race over the 1000 hills of Lausanne, partying with the world courier family and an opportunity to raise funds for the LCEF.

We’ll be representing and holding shop to sell the LCEF merchandise and link up with other messengers working on similar initiatives.

So if you’re heading that way, see you on the road or catch you on the race course.

Another long distance ride was taking place last weekend: the Dunwich Dynamo. 

Full history of the ride here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunwich_Dynamo

Clarence, a fellow courier, has done the DD for the past few years and hope to inspire other riders to join in the fun. Here are his thoughts on long distance rides:

“Long distance fix…

How it all started, i’m not really sure.But once i caught the bug, all i could think of was the next one. I just about managed to make it to London Fields for my first DD and i had never done anything like that before.

I had spent the whole day fretting about the idea of riding 120 miles after a week of couriering and to most people in and out of the courier scene, it seems plain stupid. Weekends, for the average courier, are more rewarding off the saddle with an endless supply of booze, food and weed (feel free to insert a drug of your choice).

However,  since going through my first DD in 2009 (it was the one that rained all the way), I have realised that there is still a small group of couriers who have caught the bug too. The same faces seem to pop up on most rides and it’s even more exciting when they manage to bring another rider along. Besides, it’s the least we can do to honour the couriers who started the whole thing 21 years ago.

Since that day, i have done the DD  three times, London to Brighton during the day and at night time riding both ways once. I have also ridden to Cambridge and have taken it as far as Millport in Scotland for a 12 miles time trial. Dates and rides fade me like the stop and start of our daily grind.

The ride for me starts as soon as I receive the text, see the flyer or just hear talk of the ride. Some call it nerves or butterflies but I genuinely get excited at the thought of it and the planning starts then. This rush of blood through me is what makes me ride through the harshest conditions as the crushing feeling of not doing it after all this preparation is such a downer. Besides, it’s either raining or it’s not raining.

Most of my preparation is spent on the bike. As long as the bike is okay, the rest can wait. I’ve gone from carrying enough food to feed a small family for  a week to having peanuts and coconut water. Most of these charity rides have rest stops and there is always the odd volunteers giving out free refreshments, bless them.

If you are not registered, some organisers might escort you out of their “private land” so stealth is the word (shout out to the “security” guy on the 2013 Cambridge night ride rest point). All the madness aside, you quickly realise that you are surrounded by an overwhelmingly positive group of people and that’s enough to keep you pedaling.

I work on my track bike so it made sense to progress it into the wilds. And those hills are all mainly easier than they look as you approach them. It feels much faster as you have less traffic and in some rides, there are no cars at all. You are then free to put your bike to the test, no cycle lane, just you and all the tarmac you can see for hours. The more people I’m on the ride with on fixed gear, preferably with no front brake, the more confident I am. You can stream and you quickly find out that your speed is not compromised. All you are now doing is regulating your speed and enjoying the breeze. It feels like you are coasting, heaven.

The most uttered response when i asked another courier if they want to ride to Brighton, Dunwich etc is “why the fuck would I ride to Brighton?”. I can relate very much to this sentiment as that was the same reason behind my late entry into this invigorating and adrenaline long distance fix.

It quickly transpired to me that it was all about the ride and nothing to do with the destination. Most of the talk around you will be riders telling tales about the different aspects of their ride; the joyous bits, the hairpins and the downhill drops into complete darkness.  The search for the nearest food spot is the most some will get to see of the destination. A vast majority of riders jump straight into their awaiting cars or coaches to return home. It’s what happens during the ride that will stay with you forever. As much as they tend to be group rides, it’s  very personal in the sense that you get to break your own barriers as you are taken out of your comfort level. It has not necessarily gotten easier with the more rides I’ve done but i have become more efficient in every aspect, from not wearing too many clothes, not changing the bike too much before the ride and making sure your tyres have the right pressure.

I reckon riding for cash is also one of the reason behind the lack of couriers on most rides. There is no docket, party or a promise of free food at the end of it. One would be hard pressed to name five couriers who are on the road for the health benefits. However, among the few i have ridden with, we have all  marveled at the high energy levels, confidence and a renewed sense of perspective you have when you jump back on the same bike the Monday morning after a weekend ride. I have not got into the science behind it but the feeling I get makes me feel untouchable.

The consumption of alcohol and smoking is an issue with some participants but i go with the mood of the group. Some rides have been much improved by pub stops and smoke breaks. In true courier style, I would consider it cheating doing the ride sober and drug free. And you have to pour a lil’ liquor for the fallen soldiers. Groups I have ridden with tend to go as fast as the slowest rider.

Considering how the DD has come of age, this might be a good time for a new generation of couriers to explore these rides or come up with some new ones that best reflect the moment. It will be good to see more couriers, or anyone, taking that beast that is the fixed wheel out into the world of long distance cycling, as I’m sure at one point in history, that was the only kind of bike you could buy. In a way, this is nothing but taking it back to the bare basics and letting man and machine work it out.

Clarence Takunda Chodofuka.”

The 6th edition of London’s calling will be held on the 6/7/8th of September.

3 days of races, parties and bike mayhem courier style….

Check our website and register here: http://www.londonscalling2013.org.uk/

The last few weeks have been busy, busy..riding, travelling, partying and raising some serious funds for the LCEF.

While in Lausanne for the Cyling Messenger World Championships, we held a LCEF stand that was very popular with messengers and locals alike and raise nearly £3000 in a couple of days selling the LCEF merchandise. Looking trough the pictures from the event, it seems every second rider is wearing one of our cap so thanx again to the global courier community for supporting us and an amazing time.

While there, i bumped into Lukas, one of the organisers of the European Cycle Messengers Championships in Bern. Back in April, as part of the world courier calendar sponsorship, we sent £800 from the sale of the calendars to them to help with the organisation of the ECMC. He told me the event had been a success and made a healthy profit so they decided that they wanted to return the favour and made a generous donation of £1200 to the LCEF.

Back in London, we got on with the organisation of the 6th edition of London’s Calling, a 3 days event of races, cycling events and parties that bring the London courier community together and is one of our main fundraising weekend. Over 100 riders registered and we made a profit of over £2000..thanx to all of you who came and took part and contributed to making the event a success…all results, pictures etc here: http://www.londonscalling2013.org.uk/

Another sweet touch to this weekend was the £900 cheque that was handed to me by Brenda from the Hackney branch of the London Cycling Campaign. The money was raised during the night ride from London to Dunwich back in July. More info about the ride and its origin here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunwich_Dynamo. They also have a Facebook group if you would like to join or are interested in other local rides.

Last but not least, i have received an email from Bo’s mum, Kathie last week. She’s impressed with the work we do so she’s making a monthly donation. As much as we appreciate larger donations, we are also touched by individuals who dig deep in their pockets and support us on a regular basis.

The continuous support from the cycling community is keeping us going and giving us the enthusiasm to organize more events. Our goal now is to spread the word within the London courier community. We would like every new cycle couriers in this city to know that we exist and that we can bring support and financial help when they need it the most so tell everyone you know who rides a bike for a living about the LCEF.