NYC crazy bicycle drag race

http://www.larsonsworld.com/video/nyc-bicycle-dragrace.mpg

"save target as"
it's just over 50MB, but a thrill to watch these psychos race
through midtown traffic! Don't try this at home!

~Rob

You've got to be 19 or 20 years old to do this !

John Wilke
Milwaukee
(havent been 19 or 20 for a long time! )

~R said:

http://www.larsonsworld.com/video/nyc-bicycle-dragrace.mpg

"save target as"
it's just over 50MB, but a thrill to watch these psychos race
through midtown traffic! Don't try this at home!

They give bicyclists a bad name.

Rich

Rich said:

~R said:

http://www.larsonsworld.com/video/nyc-bicycle-dragrace.mpg

"save target as"
it's just over 50MB, but a thrill to watch these psychos race
through midtown traffic! Don't try this at home!

They give bicyclists a bad name.

Rich

haha...someone told me and 11 of my friends that thursday night as we
were flyering for a Katrina Relief Keg Party. Maybe we were being
stupid in traffic (which was certainly slow) but we raised $1400! So
yeah...it was worth it.

--
Paul M. Hobson
Georgia Institute of Technology
..:change the words to numbers
if you want to reply to me:.

Rich said:

They give bicyclists a bad name.

How so? There are certainly motorists behaving just as badly in the
area; do they give motorists a bad name?

RFM

Fritz M said:

Rich said:

They give bicyclists a bad name.

How so? There are certainly motorists behaving just as badly in the
area; do they give motorists a bad name?

RFM

First: here, motorist do have a bad name! 🙂

And, while I don't really ride like that often, it does bother me to a
certain extent in the sense that a motorists whose opinions on cyclists
sit on the fence well be swayed negatively. In NYC, clearly motorists
are somewhat used to it. In Atlanta: not so much.

Also: it's one thing to run lights and weave through/dodge cars, doing
that to pedestrians could fall under the "friendly fire" category.

Lastly: all that said, I like watching the video. New York accents are
hilarious to me.

\\paul
--
Paul M. Hobson
Georgia Institute of Technology
..:change the words to numbers
if you want to reply to me:.

Bill Henry said:

bjorn said:

You've got to be 19 or 20 years old to do this !

Oh, it's insane, and they're probably going even crazier since there's a
camera around.

But I do find that I see things a lot better on a bike than I would off
it, and actually feel safer at times, plus I take up less space and can
avoid a lot of accidents. Still, you won't see me going the wrong way
down 5th Avenue any time soon.

Yeah but that wide-angle lens makes it look even worse! It reminds me
every time when the lady in the SUV closed me off and I didn't fit
between her and parked car!!!

Bill Henry <[email hidden]> wrote:
:> bjorn wrote:
:>> You've got to be 19 or 20 years old to do this !
:>
:> Oh, it's insane, and they're probably going even crazier since
:> there's a camera around.
:>
:> But I do find that I see things a lot better on a bike than I would
:> off it, and actually feel safer at times, plus I take up less space
:> and can avoid a lot of accidents. Still, you won't see me going the
:> wrong way down 5th Avenue any time soon.

I just have a hard time with the guy riding while carrying the camera on his
helmet...I mean, he was taking some pretty tight spaces without ever looking
to the side....I just can't see how that's possible. I know in several
places he intentionally turns his head, but in those tight and quick spots,
it just seems impossible....

~R said:

http://www.larsonsworld.com/video/nyc-bicycle-dragrace.mpg

"save target as"
it's just over 50MB, but a thrill to watch these psychos race
through midtown traffic! Don't try this at home!

~Rob

Three points:

* First these guys ride the way most taxi drivers, drive.

* Second, this does show that the common, upright dual wheeled human
powered vehicular device (AKA bicycle) has much more flexability, and
manuverability then the common quad wheeled engine powered vehicular
device (AKA car),

* Third that pedestrians, in Manhatten are just as stupid and clueless
as anywhere else :-)

W

~R said:

http://www.larsonsworld.com/video/nyc-bicycle-dragrace.mpg

"save target as"
it's just over 50MB, but a thrill to watch these psychos race
through midtown traffic! Don't try this at home!

~Rob

Three points:

* First these guys ride the way most taxi drivers, drive.

* Second, this does show that the common, upright dual wheeled human
powered vehicular device (AKA bicycle) has much more flexability, and
manuverability then the common quad wheeled engine powered vehicular
device (AKA car),

* Third that pedestrians, in Manhatten are just as stupid and clueless
as anywhere else :-)

W

~R said:

http://www.larsonsworld.com/video/nyc-bicycle-dragrace.mpg

"save target as"
it's just over 50MB, but a thrill to watch these psychos race
through midtown traffic! Don't try this at home!

~Rob

I think I've seen a similar movie before. It wass called "Death Wish."

"~R" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:Cb4Ve.11000$FW1.2002
@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net:

Quoted message said:

http://www.larsonsworld.com/video/nyc-bicycle-dragrace.mpg

"save target as"
it's just over 50MB, but a thrill to watch these psychos race
through midtown traffic! Don't try this at home!

~Rob

Welcome to my every day world.

--ag

"~R" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:Cb4Ve.11000$FW1.2002
@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net:

Quoted message said:

http://www.larsonsworld.com/video/nyc-bicycle-dragrace.mpg

"save target as"
it's just over 50MB, but a thrill to watch these psychos race
through midtown traffic! Don't try this at home!

~Rob

Welcome to my every day world.

--ag

The first time I saw this video was a year ago. The author has a web
site and on it he has some other videos of similar genre.

http://www.digave.com/videos/

Kenny said:

The first time I saw this video was a year ago. The author has a web
site and on it he has some other videos of similar genre.

http://www.digave.com/videos/

yeah...I DLed a bunch a while ago. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it
appears that the San Fransisco messengers have a higher cadence. I
guess they had to learn better technique to deal with those monster hills.

\\paul
--
Paul M. Hobson
Georgia Institute of Technology
..:change the words to numbers
if you want to reply to me:.

catzz66 said:

~R said:

http://www.larsonsworld.com/video/nyc-bicycle-dragrace.mpg

"save target as"
it's just over 50MB, but a thrill to watch these psychos race
through midtown traffic! Don't try this at home!

~Rob

I think I've seen a similar movie before. It wass called "Death Wish."

I know a guy who is a bike messenger in NYC. He has alot of deadlines
to meet everyday with his deliveries. I can't wait to show him this
video. He takes delight in recounting his NEAR DEATH experiences while
biking about the city delivering. He is also quite proud of his
creative ways to get from place to place on time. Some stories I find
hard to believe. I think I will ask him to video it.
Maggie

Roger Zoul said:

Bill Henry <[email hidden]> wrote:
:> bjorn wrote:
:>> You've got to be 19 or 20 years old to do this !
:>
:> Oh, it's insane, and they're probably going even crazier since
:> there's a camera around.
:>
:> But I do find that I see things a lot better on a bike than I would
:> off it, and actually feel safer at times, plus I take up less space
:> and can avoid a lot of accidents. Still, you won't see me going the
:> wrong way down 5th Avenue any time soon.

I just have a hard time with the guy riding while carrying the camera on his
helmet...I mean, he was taking some pretty tight spaces without ever looking
to the side....I just can't see how that's possible. I know in several
places he intentionally turns his head, but in those tight and quick spots,
it just seems impossible....

Two things:
1) You can see a lot just be moving your eyes, which is good because...
2) You almost always go where you (turn your head to)look. When you're
squeezing between cars, looking at the car means you'll hit the car.
It's just like skiing/snowboarding. The only people who hit trees on
the slope are the ones who are looking at them (trust me, I learned the
hardway!!).

\\paul
--
Paul M. Hobson
Georgia Institute of Technology
..:change the words to numbers
if you want to reply to me:.

Paul Hobson <[email hidden]> wrote:
:> Roger Zoul wrote:
:>> Bill Henry <[email hidden]> wrote:
:>> :> bjorn wrote:
:>> :>> You've got to be 19 or 20 years old to do this !
:>> :>
:>> :> Oh, it's insane, and they're probably going even crazier since
:>> :> there's a camera around.
:>> :>
:>> :> But I do find that I see things a lot better on a bike than I
:>> :> would
:>> :> off it, and actually feel safer at times, plus I take up less
:>> :> space
:>> :> and can avoid a lot of accidents. Still, you won't see me going
:>> :> the wrong way down 5th Avenue any time soon.
:>>
:>> I just have a hard time with the guy riding while carrying the
:>> camera on his helmet...I mean, he was taking some pretty tight
:>> spaces without ever looking to the side....I just can't see how
:>> that's possible. I know in several places he intentionally turns
:>> his head, but in those tight and quick spots, it just seems
:>> impossible....
:>>
:>
:> Two things:
:> 1) You can see a lot just be moving your eyes, which is good
:> because...

Interesting. Did you notice how steady the cam is in that video. I find it
amazing...

2) You almost always go where you (turn your head
:> to)look. When you're squeezing between cars, looking at the car
:> means you'll hit the car.

I guess that makes sense when you're moving that fast....but what if you
can't fit through some space?

:> It's just like skiing/snowboarding. The only people who hit trees on
:> the slope are the ones who are looking at them (trust me, I learned
:> the hardway!!).

So, does this mean one is better off with eyes closed if a tree is ahead?

🙂

Roger Zoul said:

I just have a hard time with the guy riding while carrying the camera on his
helmet...I mean, he was taking some pretty tight spaces without ever looking
to the side....I just can't see how that's possible. I know in several
places he intentionally turns his head, but in those tight and quick spots,
it just seems impossible....

Superior peripheral vision combined with experience in traffic.

R