Urban Legend
This fell into the inbox.
Hey TC,
I just uploaded an old film I made about a roller race in 2002. You appear with a lot of red hair. I left London and courierieriering just before Xmas and that's it for me. I'm going to give Oz a try again. I'm sure i'll be over in Melbourne at some point and when i am i'll look you up...
mike
Mike as I remember him.
When you talk to artists they often speak of their many influences.
For me cycling is no different.
Cast your minds back to 2001.
Pre-fixed wheel renaissance.
Before bike shops even stocked track cogs, let alone coloured chains.
The REAL Mike
Mike would have to be one of those influences for the many fellow OzCouriers working in London at the time.
Mike worked for the 'cool' company - Metro.
Metro had the coolest kit, a rider room, got paid the most (if you believed the whispers) and their riders all looked fast.
It became a personal mission to rub Metro riders (excpet for the pretty fermale ones) into the rails if I saw one riding in the same direction - all except for Mike.
Aunty Nasty, another Metro rider of the time, might have forgotten me dropping him on London Bridge on my mountain bike, bit I haven't.
The earliest and arguably scariest mid-work match sprint I had was with Greg of Metro. A sinister looking, bald headed brute, wearing a mask of M-frames and upon a bike called ' Quick'.
(here's a purple ROAD quick)
It was track bike, at the time I just knew it had one gear which seemed pointless when you could have 27 on a mountain bike with slicks.
I brushed past Greg on , and he followed suit shortly after. We continued to gain speed as we half wheeled each other, and by the time we had passed The Duke of York on Clerkenwell we were genuinely on the gas.
It was red at the intersection of Clerkenwell and Farringdon and we were travelling at nothing short of 60 clicks.
Greg didn't even flinch, and I followed his bluging calves between cars and up along the continuing narrow stretch of Clerkenwell.
My heart in my mouth, and lungs on the ground, Greg snuck away to the left and vanished (into the Metro bike cave I later discovered).
FARCK!It was a revelation. Not only had he beaten me on one gear, but his legs were going like finely tuned pistons.
What does this have to do with Mike?
Mike rode a track bike thing.
Rumour had it (and courier rumours were ALWAYS true) that to get a job at Metro, Mike had to do a trial day riding with Greg and had to be able to keep up.
Mike did, on his mountain bike and got the job. At least according to the rumour/legend. Mike was obviously fast, whether his actions confirmed or denied it.
Mike was always fluid on the bike and chipper.
This is the thing I most embrace about my religion and devote most energy to.
It may sound redundant to mention that he was from Perth, Australia - but when you are away from home and see fellow countrypersons making it in a foreign land, it is reassuring.
Especially since I was a wide-eyed courier muppet back in 2001.
Mike also had a harre krishna style hairdo which was favouried by the Poles and Kiwi Sammo at the time. A hairdo that Tom Boonen and I continued with for some time.
Mike hosted an alleycat and made a movie about it long before it was the vogue.
Mike is a legend to me because he is a nice guy (of which there are few)
Mike is also a keen traveller, adventurer, documenter.
Check out some vintage Roller Racing with a truly brilliant soundtrack that he put together.
Unfortunately I have few photos of Mike that I took, but I can always steal from his
Like all good couriers, he has an alter ego, Zach Speedfast.
The REAL MIKE flickr
This fixed wheel broke some record in mexico for going really fast. I cant remember which one but at the time it was a world record. Zack Speedfast broke that record coming down theobalds the other night.
A courier till the end.
Mike is into weird circus stuff also. He calls it yoga.
Playing chess with an ape... I mean another ex-courier legend, Angus.
Angus has just opened a bike shop in Perth. Cycles Bespoke.
We bought a chess board today and paid half each. The winner gets to keep the board. Mike wins 3-1.
Mike is also religious
I ask to be blessed and to be allowed to retire from the courier world.
Vive L'Mike!
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