track bikes --- seeking contributions

[mlproject]

for anyone that rides fixed gears or has friends that are messengers, etc...

i'm working on a spoke card book project and am seeking cards old and new as well as alley cat race manifestos. completed/used manifestos and used cards are preferred. i'm looking for stuff all across the history of modern, urban use of track bikes from the early days in SF and quicksilver (the messengers, not the movie) and alley cat racing.

if you are interested in contributing or know someone who would be, please PM me.

[mizanation]

whoa, mlproject, what kind of stuff is this? please school me.

[mlproject]

spoke cards are cards you stick in your spokes. they kind of came out of races where most of them will make a card with your race #, but now people will make them all the time for whatever. in just my collection from races and friends, i've noticed an interesting visual history, so i'm trying to expand on that.

as for manifestos, alley cats will have a list of pick ups and drop offs you have to make during the race. they'll usually stamp them to sign off that you hit that stop.

[canice]

whoa, this is a cool idea ml.

did you make a post on bikeforums?

[zelah]

i think people have done this stuff on bikeforums before. or atleast spoke card exchanges

[Ryan]

definitely check out bikeforum

also maybe http://fixed.gr/nyc/

[canice]

i think ml wants to compile spokecards as a historical thing, not an exchange.

[mizanation]

supposedly, track bikes are super popular in tokyo. i will have to look out for them next time i go.

[mlproject]

weird.. my reply to some of your posts never posted.

anyways, i started this about a year ago and kind of fell off due to moving and things, but am picking it back up again.

bikeforums have done two exchanges in the past and i've done a few on my own to send out (including the absurd VUITTONJS one). like canice said, i'm looking to compile these cards to present a visual history - from these excahnges, races and other stuff. i have a grip from NYC messengers that were actually building access cards that they would have to use to get into WTC 1 and 2 and things like that. bringing all this together kind of paints a picture of working everyday as a messenger to just being a fanatic.

i have posts on SFfixed, NYC's board, the chicago board and bikeforums. bikeforums tends to be a lot of noobs without connections to people that have been doing it for years, so i'm trying to get the word out on all avenues.

[canice]

hey, if you want to make 8.5x11 call for submission flyers, i could post a bunch of them around the messenger spots here.

[mlproject]

that would be awesome. PM me your email and i'll make something tomorrow.