Tag Archives: gabe gonzalez

Movie Night at the Bicycle Authority

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On Monday night, we attended Movie Night at the Bicycle Authority. Dan showed the film Double Yellow 2, a documentary about bicycle messengers in Philadelphia. Carson City’s Gabe Gonzalez worked as a messenger in Philadelphia, and the movie had considerable footage of him. Gabe was on hand last night to share some stories and answer questions.

Movie Night at Bicycle Authority
Bring your own chairs. Not a problem on the Ute!

Even after watching the movie and getting a glimpse of the messenger life, I doubt any of us here in Carson City could actually get our minds around what it must be like in real life. Up close and personal with cars all day long, several days per week.

Movie Night at Bicycle Authority
The chow line

From the interviews in the movie, it seemed to be a bittersweet life. Tremendous freedom of riding your bike all day long, mixed with a lot of road rage and harsh weather during the winter. A common theme in the movie was a strong bond between messengers, even with messengers in cities far away. Gabe concurred.

Movie Night at Bicycle Authority
Gabe

The movie got me thinking about how many bicycle subcultures have evolved. Some of the messengers in the movie were a little ticked at how their culture was being mimicked by non-messengers, riders that have not paid their dues. It seemed a little harsh at first, but then I thought you could probably say the same thing is true for any other cycling subculture.

Movie Night at Bicycle Authority
Gabe’s pictures and words from the messenger days

Mountain biking has splintered off into many different factions, and often times one group won’t see eye to eye with another group. Downhillers, Free riders, XC racers, trail riders, cyclocrossers…each group with their own set of unwritten codes of behaviors and styles. Many of us even belong to a few subcultures here in Carson City. Our small city close to off-road trails and low traffic paved roads present a lot of cycling opportunities for us here.

Movie Night at Bicycle Authority
Tasha and Jason ready to roll

The movie night had a great turnout with over 20 people attending. This was also true of the movie at the Bike Habitat last Saturday. I think this is something we should continue to do throughout the year periodically.

Movie Night at Bicycle Authority
Dan and Gabe

Another thank you to Gabe for adding so much to the movie! For more on Gabe Gonzalez, check out Urban Velo Issue #9 HERE.

Urban Cycling News

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Since the beginning of summer, I have seen a growing number of cyclists commuting to work. It’s not as apparent in the morning, but after work, they’re everywhere! 5:00 PM seems to be the universal quitting time. One thing we’ve done to make the commute more enjoyable and safer, is to start a commuter convoy.

Commuter Convoy
Bicycle Commuter Convoy on Roop Street

Our convoy is still pretty small at this time, with only 3 or 4 strong, but it makes a big difference. Not only do we get to talk along the way, but there is safety in numbers. Multiple cyclists riding together get more respect on the road. Not only is the pack more visible, but I think people are less apt to mess with a group of the people when the odds are not in their favor.

Not only is high visibility safer, but the message that cycling is fun is better advertised to the masses. If people see a group doing it, then maybe they get the idea in their head that they should give it a try. One of my fun activities on the way home is to count how many cars we pass on Roop Street. Roop Street is one of the main streets for getting around town, and is always backed up during rush hour. In just a short half mile stretch, I once counted over 30 cars passed!

We leave the capital grounds around 5 PM and head north if you’d like to join us. If you’re in another part of the city, and would like help connecting with other bicycle commuters, let me know (email address is on the contact page above)!

Elsewhere on the web…

Do you read Urban Velo? The current issue has some fantastic information for bicycle commuters that I’d like to point out. Page 30 has an article entitled STREET SMARTS – SURVIVAL SKILLS FROM A BICYCLE MESSENGER. Issue #9 is now available for download over on the Urban Velo Blog HERE.

When I was skimming the online magazine to get to the Street Smarts article, I came across a familiar face. Check out Page 22 of Urban Velo, and you’ll see Carson City’s Gabe Gonzalez! Gabe is frequently seen on his fixie at the local bicycle events, and it’s not uncommon to see him hanging out at the Bicycle Authority shooting the breeze with the rest of the guys. Go check out the interview with Gabe and see why he likes riding in the city.