Greg Doctorelo out on delivery for GO Box.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Today is Messenger Appreciation Day, also known by its messenger code name as “10-9 Day.” To mark the occasion the Chrome Hub store in downtown Portland hosted a free breakfast to these unsung heroes of Portland’s economy.
[Read more…]

After a long and illustrious career, Eric “Sharky” Young hung up his messenger bag this year. He was a credit to his profession (and, given the speed and skill with which he operated his bicycle, he was not easy to photograph.)
(Photos by J. Maus/BikePortland)

If you see a bike messenger in your office or in your lane today, give ’em a nod or say “thanks.”

You should probably always do this, given the importance and symbolism of their chosen profession; but today is special because it’s 10-9 Day, a.k.a. Messenger Appreciation Day.[Read more…]

Professional bike messengers around the country will recognize today as 10-9 Day, a.k.a. Messenger Appreciation Day.

October 9th has been a day of thanks for bike messengers since 1997, when Toronto joined San Francisco with a joint proclamation. Since then, 10/9 has been officially recognized in Calgary, Chicago, Edmonton, Montreal, Houston, Vancouver and Washington DC.

Now you can add Portland to that list. [Read more…]

[Note from Publisher: Welcome to the final installment of our three-part series on bike messengers in Portland. This series is written by BikePortland contributing writer Erin Greeson (bio).

In Part One, Greeson laid out the tough working conditions faced by Portland’s messengers. Part Two focused on health care and the negative stereotypes often associated with bicycle delivery professionals. Today, Greeson concludes her story by taking a look at attempts to organize and improve the industry.

Thanks to everyone for the vigorous discussion on this series thus far, and a special thanks to Erin Greeson for her work on this story.]

[Read more…]

Erin Greeson

[Publisher’s note: This is the first in a three-part story on Portland’s bike messengers by new contributor Erin Greeson.

When her friend Zak Kovalcik crashed and broke his collarbone last fall, Greeson came face-to-face with the tough reality faced by Portland’s bike delivery professionals. In this in-depth, three-part series, Greeson shares how the deck is stacked against messengers and how they are trying to survive in a challenging profession.]

As Portland’s reputation as a green business boomtown gains momentum, bike-centric ventures emerge as quickly and viably as organic brewpubs and cafes. While a new era of entrepreneurs seeks to capitalize on this evolving economy, one of the oldest bike-based businesses, bicycle messenger services, faces challenges that impact workers and business owners alike.[Read more…]

[An Ira Ryan frame at Chunkathalon]

[via GravelTech]

Ira Ryan has added his name to the growing list of Portland frame builders. Ira is one of the founders of Magpie Messenger Collective, is the reigning champion of the Trans-Iowa endurance mountain bike race, and apprenticed with Sacha White of Vanilla Bicycles.
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Local bike messenger Ira Ryan (center in photo) won the first-ever Trans-Iowa endurance mountain bike race on Sunday. Ira beat a field of top-notch riders in the 2-day, 300+ mile, self-supported event. A downtown ticker-tape parade is scheduled for next weekend (just kidding)!

Visit the Trans-Iowa event blog for more information.

If you’ve ever wondered what traffic looks like from the view of a bike messenger but you’ve been afraid to ask…check out this amazing video (50MB QuickTime). It was shot from the helmet of a messenger racing between cars in gridlocked Manhattan.

Want to hire a messenger for your office document deliveries? Try our very own Magpie Messenger Collective.

Portland also has a vibrant messenger community and will host the 2005 North American Cycle Courier Championships this May – PUMA (Portland United Messenger Assocation).