Portlanders make strong showing at Cycle Messenger World Championships

Some serious loads for the Cargo Race.
(Photos: Mike Cobb)

Five Portlanders just returned from Chicago where they competed in the 20th annual Cycle Messenger World Championships. The event featured the 250 best professional cargo couriers and messengers from around the world who put their skills to the test with a race around Soldier Field, a cargo bike race, sprints, a track stand competition (where riders balance on their bikes in place, without moving), and more.

Former Portland State University track racing star Anita Dilles, now racing for Portland Pedal Power, competed in the track events. She took 1st place in the match sprint, 2nd in the scratch race, and 3rd in the tempo race — an effort that earned her 2nd overall. Dilles also won the women’s track stand (and finished 10th overall among the men). Fellow competitor Mike Cobb sent us updates from Chicago, including the photos below of Dilles in action.

Dilles in black

Winning style!

For Dilles, who also works part time for local cargo bike specialty shop Joe Bike, this was her first ever messenger race. “It was an awesome introduction to the scene,” she shared with me via email this morning. Here’s more from Dilles:

“For me, the race was challenging and fun: I’m accustomed to racing just to be the fastest (in road, track, and mountain biking), but in a messenger race there’s a lot of route finding and strategic package pickup/drop off to contend with, as well as plenty of heckling from the checkpoint operators.”

Cobb, a part-time fabricator who also works part-time as a courier for GoBox, represented Portland (and his sponsor B-Line Sustainable Urban Delivery) quite well himself. He finished 4th in the Cargo Race, 2nd in the skids competition, and 1st in Men’s track stand.

The Cargo Race was Cobb’s main focus. He actually finished 3rd; but there was some confusion at the end that ultimately put him in 4th. Cobb says the top three spots were all Bullitt front-loader cargo bikes. He rode a Surly Steamroller with a fixed gear and a Blue Sky Cycle Cart trailer.

Portland’s prowess on the track was also evident on the men’s side with Al Urbanski and Joe Prettyman of the Sizzle Pie/Blaq team earning 1st and 3rd overall. Also representing Portland was local professional messenger Damian Riehl.

Nice work to all the competitors. It sure is great to know that such a (relatively) small city like Portland can compete with the the world’s best human-powered delivery professionals.

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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Jenn
11 years ago

Way to go Anita and Mike!!

Anita Dilles
Anita Dilles
11 years ago
Reply to  Jenn

Thanks Jenn! What a great experience!

spare_wheel
spare_wheel
11 years ago

“where riders balance on their bikes in place, without moving”

the typical “wheel at an angle” track stand requires a small amount of back and forth movement (sometimes imperceptible to the observer).
its much easier to track stand on a track bike or fixie than on a freewheel — hence the forward travel of many track standing cat-6 commuters.

Dabby
11 years ago

So funny that someone goes to World’s to do first ever messenger race.
Funny as in ridiculous.
Used to be you had to actually be a “working messenger”
to compete in the NACCS or Worlds.
Should still be that way.

joel
11 years ago
Reply to  Dabby

never, ever, has participation at cmwc been limited to “working messengers”, dabby. “civilians” have been welcomed in various ways at various times, and people with connections to the messenger scene have always been welcome, regardless of whether or not they are, or have ever have been, a messenger. and currently working has only ever been a criteria in the minds of those who got beat by ex-messengers or civilians.

spare_wheel
spare_wheel
11 years ago
Reply to  joel

are fakengers welcome?

joel
11 years ago
Reply to  spare_wheel

sure, if they pay entry fee and have no issue with the fact their results will only count if theyre a current or former bike messenger.

Dabby
11 years ago
Reply to  Dabby

I agree, and was wrongly (badly) communicating, that you needed to “have” been a working messenger to qualify, and as you say, to claim it…..As in 2nd place above.
I quit a job, to get a riding job again, for much less money, to be a working courier racing in the NACCS PDX.
Just sayin….

Scott
Scott
11 years ago
Reply to  Dabby

Hahahaha, I remember that. Your Fat Chance squeaked so bad from the poorly toed brakes that everyone would cringe when you came down the hill.

I also remember how you always talked about not wanting to make “lateral” career moves. A step down is certainly not lateral.

Bjorn
Bjorn
11 years ago
Reply to  Scott

Con Jambell calling other people out for not “working” man the irony on this thread…

Beefa
Beefa
11 years ago
Reply to  Dabby

Seriously Dabby? Did you make the trip BTW?

Mike Cobb
11 years ago
Reply to  Dabby

Anita rides part-time for Portland Pedal Power, one of our local cargo courier firms.

basketloverd
basketloverd
11 years ago

What is a “professional” messenger?

Adams Carroll (News Intern)
Reply to  basketloverd

Someone who is employed by a company specifically to carry goods upon a bicycle from place to place. Please note: In Portland we have a lot of companies — not just strictly courier companies — that deliver/carry stuff by bike.

Joseph E
11 years ago
Reply to  basketloverd

Someone paid to deliver things by bike, usually small packages that are time-sensitive.

Scott
Scott
11 years ago
Reply to  basketloverd

Someone that people in elevators ask what the weather is like outside.

Dabby
11 years ago

It refers to a person who has put in the time on the job/streets/bike and knows what they are doing, having mastered the job.
One could say that to simply be paid to ride your bike makes you a professional.
However, within the industry this really is not the case.
You are a rookie until you shine through.

resopmok
resopmok
11 years ago
Reply to  Dabby

Elists often see their own profession or “thing” as being more difficult, demanding or dangerous than most other professions, despite how easy or meaningless of a task it actually is. A lot of people get paid to do things they suck at and have no interest in learning to do them well, and will never be professionals at anything. You are a rookie until you work hard and strive to do well simply for the satisfaction of a job well done.

CaptainKarma
CaptainKarma
11 years ago

The Mario Bro in the tight jersey is an active messenger?

julie
julie
11 years ago

Anita kills it! So proud of her.

Anita Dilles
Anita Dilles
11 years ago
Reply to  julie

Thanks Julie!

Zaphod
Zaphod
11 years ago

Way to represent PDX!

mixtieme
mixtieme
11 years ago

Anita needs to race here in portland BEFORE going to the worlds. Want an introduction to the scene come be apart of your local scene.

Case
Case
11 years ago
Reply to  mixtieme

Wow, Portland Messenger mentality at its finest. Some things never change.

Scott
Scott
11 years ago
Reply to  mixtieme

Totally. From your comment alone I can see how inviting and inclusive your “scene” is.

Also the conversation was about her joining messenger races.

I haven’t heard of any of the working messengers in Portland throwing any races since Snack’s race Blooms Day.

Case
Case
11 years ago
Reply to  Scott

Remember when we were a community Scotty? Those were the days.

Beefa
Beefa
11 years ago
Reply to  Case

Do you guys miss me yet?? PDX needs another Critastrophy it seems..

Case
Case
11 years ago
Reply to  Beefa

I miss you! More death-crits in Produce Row!

joel
11 years ago
Reply to  mixtieme

sweet, so i suppose youve thrown plenty of qualifying messenger races, oh anonymous mixtieme? that being said, there is NO messenger racing scene here in portland. oh, theres any number of alleycats, thats for sure, but no *messenger* racing scene.

as someone whos been involved in the organization of MULTIPLE cmwcs, i think im safe in saying that anita doesnt need to race *anywhere* before heading to worlds.

Case
Case
11 years ago
Reply to  joel

Zing.

Scott
Scott
11 years ago
Reply to  joel

Joel stamp of approval.

Super I-fficial.

You can’t get more legit unless Dean loans you tools.

Anita Dilles
Anita Dilles
11 years ago

Just want to clarify – Portland Pedal Power (PPP) is the company that I deliver (read: work, currently) for, and I represented them during my races this weekend. I don’t race ‘for’ PPP per say – I ride an awesome Yuba Mundo and make deliveries.

SO, Dabby, for your clarification, I am a current messenger.

I had a great time at CMWC-Chicago -thank you PPP!

sw resident
sw resident
11 years ago
Reply to  Anita Dilles

Oh boy, I think you don’t know who Dabby is.
However, since apparently you are also a messenger I guess you could both get together at the stoop and rap about these things: Speed boat, eight ball, loading dock, killer hash, triple one, yabba, plaza, portland’s longest working messenger, the ship, toilet douche, safety break, tag. Special reminiscence: elwood.
Peace out.

joel
11 years ago
Reply to  sw resident

what, to be a current working messenger, you now have to be familiar with lingo from both the present and bygone eras, as well as being familiar with dabby? is this a test, or some kind of cruel joke? 🙂

personally, i think that as a current working messenger in portland you should be more familiar with crossword puzzles, coffee and reading books…

Bjorn
Bjorn
11 years ago
Reply to  sw resident

Man I think you are behind the times on the lingo, they call him Con Jampbell these days.

Mike Cobb
11 years ago
Reply to  sw resident

Cargo couriers are often on the geeky periphery of the whole bike delivery scene. A separate subspecies, if you will. Different jargon, or lack thereof, less intense routing experiences and thus less ability and affinity for alley cats. Alley cats provide a really cool way for couriers to know eachother, to develop community, to decide who’s authentic.
I owned a cargo courier company for 4 years, maintained cargo bike and trailer fleets for 4 separate cargo courier companies, have ridden my bike in lieu of a car since ’95 (always convincing part-time non-courier company employers to let me ride for errands and deliveries), and have worked off and on professionally delivering by bike since 2000. I know I haven’t made Dabby’s scene, but maybe someday.

Despite the fact that I’m a jargon-ignorant, freight-handling, somewhat lawful bike delivery boy, I attend messenger competitions because I love ’em. CMWCs are THE WAY to partake in high-level PRACTICAL CYCLING COMPETITIONS. Pretty much the only way to get deeply challenged within the skills that I deeply value.

Like Joel said, CMWCs have maintained a consistent thread of civilian inclusivity, through various styles. Check the Chicago CMWC website to learn how they did it: when registering, you checked the “messenger” or “non-messenger” box. This distinction applied to the Main Race only and rendered separate Main Race results categories, making it possible to compare oneself exclusively to one category or the other or to everybody. CMWC Chicago worked the database technology really well. All the side events, including the Cargo Race, only determined the best and paid no mind to working messenger status. Pretty typical CMWC style.

One last observation: EVERY Main Race champion that I’ve ever seen has been soft-spoken, self-effacing, intelligent, INCLUSIVE, approachable, Kind. Josephine and Craig are wonderful trend-affirming examples. One might say that these incredibly talented messengers completely defy the jargon-slinging, hard-drinking, exclusivity-promoting style that is often the attention-grabbing style that we see. Not a single one of them has been concerned with authenticity-policing. In other words, They’ve all struck me as Beeing on a wavelength wholly separate from Dabby’s. Just sayin.

In the end, if you deliver by bike, whether rookie or seasoned a**hole or some other category, I have love and respect for what you do, would prefer to be on the same mutually-supportive team, and am ready to raise a glass..

nobody
nobody
11 years ago

The reality is that it’s impossible to prove or disprove someone is or was a working messenger, so I think the organizers have stopped trying to police it. These races incorporate a lot more than just riding fast, and experienced messengers will generally rise to the top. For example, locking and unlocking your bike 20x, grabbing the right package out of your bag without having to look at all of them, not damaging fragile drops, routing round trips, add stops, one ways, etc. without having to stare at a map.

It’s generally geared towards folks that deliver to offices in cities, but you could deliver sandwiches, cargo, people, flowers, whatever, nobody’s going to ask for your frickin’ work papers. Everybody can figure out who’s working, retired, or posing anyway.

Bjorn
Bjorn
11 years ago

Cool to see that Craig Etheridge who hails from Seattle is the first US Man to be a 2 time World Champ in the Overall: http://bit.ly/Teypqn

Franklin Jones
11 years ago

Congrats Mike and Anita! Thanks for representing PDX!

Phil
Phil
11 years ago

Way to go Anita! IT was a great event. Whats more amusing is all this crap from messengers in PDX whining about who should and shouldn’t be allowed in CMWC’s. All you saw was a group of people who love cycling and their craft having a great time. There was even a dude in a hotdog suit! Maybe if you came out instead of being a hipster…

joel
11 years ago
Reply to  Phil

“all this crap from messengers in PDX whining about…”? well, theres dabby, but he hasnt worked downtown in years now. other than that, theres no one whining that i can conclusively identify as a portland messenger, whether traditional urgent delivery type, cargo messenger, or food delivery person… id be surprised if more than 2 or 3 pdx messengers even knew about this thread.

personally, i wouldve loved to have been able to go – nyc 2005 ended my decade-long string of cmwc attendance, and with one coworker already on vacation at a 5 person company, me leaving just wasnt possible. (and thats not even getting into how the hell id afford the trip)

Mike Cobb
11 years ago

Nicely put, Phil. It was really good to meet you. Thanks for all your work to make the event smooth and supportive. I look forward to chasing you around Chicago again some day.

Mike Cobb
11 years ago

Joel’s right. We’re talking about a small but loud faction.