How Fast Eddie got his bike back

Last November I had the pleasure of meeting “Fast Eddie” Williams when I made a brief visit to New York. (Picture above.) Eddie is something of a legend as a bike messenger in New York City.

Eddie has been a bike messenger since 1983. It was a handful of New York bike messengers, the likes of Fast Eddie that started the whole fixed wheel craze that has spread worldwide.

Eddie’s bike was a ‘dave moulton’ custom track frame that I had built in 1983. He bought it in 1998 from the original owner who had raced the bike on the velodrome at Trexlertown, Pennsylvania.

That evening in November when I met Eddie and some of his friends, in Brooklyn where he lives. He proudly showed me his bike, and I realized this was a different kind of relationship between a bike and its owner.

All bike enthusiasts are passionate about their machines, but for Eddie this bright red bike was an extension of the man himself.

This was his working bike, his means to make a living.

Still with the original paint that I personally applied in 1983, now chipped and battered from its hard working life.

But that was fine with me, the bike had character, like the man who rode it.

Then right after Christmas last year, I got the news Eddie’s bike had been stolen. Eddie was devastated. He had left it un-attended for a brief moment and it was gone.

This was almost akin to someone stealing Willie Nelson’s guitar. He had lost his means to make a living.

On my bike registry next to the listing of Eddie’s bike #2833,  I put the words “Stolen, contact Dave.” In red type. I thought the bike might be found quite quickly as it was such a unique bicycle and a very large frame that few could ride.

But it wasn’t found, and the weeks, then months rolled by.

Then out of the blue last Saturday, May 9th. I got an email from a Joe Jameson.

He had seen this red ‘dave moulton’ frame with a $200 price tag in his local bike shop in Queens, NY.

He noted the serial number and went online to my bike registry to check on it.

He saw the “Stolen” tag, and immediately contacted me.

I contacted Eddie and on Sunday he went to the bike shop armed with a copy of the police report that had the serial number on it. I spoke with Eddie Sunday evening, and he was one happy man, he had got the frame back. It had been stripped and the parts gone. However, Eddie had parts and had already built the bike back up again.

I asked him if he found out who stole it, and all he would say is “Some young kids took it.” I didn’t push the issue, all I cared about is that the bike, or at least the frame was back where it belonged. I am glad it was found before some other innocent person shelled out money for it.

I’m glad the “Stolen” tag on my bike registry had worked, thanks to Joe Jameson. Most of all I’m just pleased that Eddie got his bike back.

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Working Bike: Fast Eddie

At the end of September I wrote a piece here about a track bike I built, now being used by a New York City bike messenger. I have since learned more, the bikes owner is Eddie Williams, AKA Fast Eddie.

Fast Eddie has been in the bike messenger business since 1983. Coincidentally the year this frame was built. He and other Bike Messenger cohorts were riding fixed wheel track bikes on the street long before it was fashionable, in fact they were mostly responsible for starting the whole trend.

Eddie has confirmed that he bought the frame from the original owner Jim Zimmerman. Jim had raced it on the track and the colored ribbon hanging from the bike’s saddle is a prize ribbon he had won, and Fast Eddie asked if he could keep it when he bought the frame. It has adorned the bike’s saddle ever since.

These pictures snapped outside Teddy’s in Brooklyn where Eddie now delivers food, presumably fast. Not fast food, but good food delivered fast. The rear fender is a nice practical touch on a rainy evening.

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Working Bike

It gives me great satisfaction to see a bike I built in pristine condition, but there is also a measure of fulfilment when I see one that has obviously been ridden hard and has seen a lot of use. Like this one pictured here.

In the heyday of my custom framebuilding, the years 1982, 1983, and 1984 I built only three of these pure track frames. (One in each year.) They were all actually raced on the relatively few banked velodromes that exist in the US.

No one rode a brakeless, fixed wheel bike on the streets back then, with the exception of a few New York City bike messengers, who started the whole trend.

I built so few that looking through my original frame numbers record book, I can safely say (Even though I don’t have its frame number.) this one was built in February 1983. It is a 61cm. frame, the other two track frames built were a 49cm. and a 57cm. which is definitely not this one. It was built for a Jim Zimmerman, who I seem to recall was a pretty good rider.

It is fitting that this bike is now being used by a Brooklyn, NY bike messenger. My thanks to Patrick Gilmoure who saw it by chance, and managed to snap a few pictures before the bike’s current owner had to rush off to make another delivery. How cool is that? Enjoy the pictures as I did.

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Stan Higginson 1931 – 2014

Former British National 25 Mile TT Champion and Competition Record Holder, Stan Higginson, died on August 31^st. He would have been 83 on the 20^th of September.

On May 1^st, 2009 I wrote an article here titled “The Higginson Twins: A Pedaling Phenomenon.” Back in 1952 the year I started racing at the age of 16, the two fastest time-trialists for the 25 mile distance were Stan Higginson and his twin brother Bernard Higginson. The picture above is a recent one of the twins, Stan is on the right.

Picture left: From 1952. Stan on the left, Bernard right.

In the 1950s and before that time, British Time - Trial events were almost exclusively ridden on a single fixed wheel.

It was common back then to ride thought the winter months on a single fixed sprocket with a gear ratio around 20 x 48 or 21 x 48, a gear in the lower 60 inch range.

A popular early season event back then was a 72 inch gear restricted 25 mile TT.

Everyone was restricted to a gear ratio no bigger than 48 x 18, which leveled the playing field and those who had learned to pedal fastest during the winter prevailed.

The 25 mile competition record (Unrestricted.) in 1952 was 57 minutes something. It was still a huge achievement for anyone to beat the hour for a 25, a feat that only a few top riders could manage. Stan and Bernard Higginson made history that year when they both beat the hour in a 72 inch restricted event.

Stan’s time was 59 mins. 20 secs, which meant he was pedaling at over 118 revs per minute for 25 miles. Bernard Higginson clocked 59. 48 for 2nd place and third that morning was the previous year, 1951 25 record holder, Dave Keeler with a time of 59.58.

As a result of posting the above article, Stan contacted me and shared with me some interesting pieces of information. He and Bernard normally raced on a single fixed gear of 84.4 inches. (50 x 16) He said it suited their slight build of 5’ 9 1/2” (176.5cm.) weighing 129 lb. (58.5kg.) and their very low profile positions.

Throughout the winter they trained on 62 inch gear. (46 x 20) This no doubt gave the twins their fast pedaling abilities.

Between 1952 and 1955 they won seven British National 25 Mile Championship Medals. 3 firsts, 2 seconds, and a third. Stan Higginson broke competition record 3 times. Their team. Halesowen C&AC won 3 National Championships, and broke competition record 4 times.

Stan’s fastest 25 was 56min. 21sec. and Bernard’s fastest time was 57min. 05sec.

As a 16 year old, just starting out Stan Higginson was one of my heroes, someone I aspired to be. Even though looking back he was only a few years older than me. As we go through life others inspire us, and hopefully we inspire others.

Stan had apparently had heart problems for the last eleven years. He is survived by his brother Bernard, his wife Helen, and his two children Michael and Carol.

There will celebration of his life is taking place on Monday 15th September at 2pm at St Laurence Church in Alvechurch , Worcs B48 7SB. UK.

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Trackstand

The “Trackstand” is the art of balancing on a bicycle that is stationary. The skill originated in the sport of match sprinting on a Velodrome, which is a banked oval track. Hence trackstand.

A 1,000 meter event is usually 3 laps of a track, as most Velodromes are designed to measure 333 1/3 meters to a lap. Some indoor tracks are shorter.

Match sprinting at a world class level is usually two riders on the track at a time, riding in three matches; best of three to determine the winner. Obviously, if a rider took off at a high rate of speed from the start, his opponent would simply draft behind him, and at the end of three laps, with fresh legs would come by to win.

One rider has to lead for the first lap; usually by a draw or coin-toss initially; in the second match the other rider leads. It is a definite advantage to be in the rear position. If the leading rider makes an effort the rider behind can immediately match that effort, and get into the lead rider’s slipstream.

The lead rider is at a distinct disadvantage. Not only is his opponent already in a position to draft him; in order for the lead rider to watch his following opponent he must turn his head.

At any time when the lead rider looks to the front, or looks over the wrong shoulder, his opponent can attack hard and open up a considerable gap that might be hard to close before the finish line. After leading for the first lap the lead rider will slow, even come to a complete stop to try to force the other rider to take the lead.

The trackstand is executed by turning the front wheel to the right facing up the banking of the track; the front wheel will tend to roll backwards down the slope of the track. By applying forward pressure on the pedal; the rider can force the bike and the front wheel forward to oppose gravity, and maintain balance.

This takes a great deal of skill, and if the rider loses balance he has no option but to move forward or risk falling over. The above video from the 1990 World Championships shows the art of trackstanding at its best.

Italian rider Claudio Golinelli has to lead for the first lap; then he manages to stop completely and force Micheal Huebner his East German opponent to take the lead. Huebner then picks up the pace a little; soon after the bell goes for the final lap, the East German gets out of the saddle looking like he might attack.

But instead it appears Huebner is holding back against his fixed wheel to slow the bike because Golinelli suddenly goes past, hesitates, and then attacks, losing any chance of surprise.

I believe the Italian rider was surprised when he suddenly found himself in front position with no alternative but to attack. Had he not done so the East German would have surely attacked from behind, and being so close to the finish Golinelli would have no chance of closing the gap in time.

Both riders rode a great tactical race, but in the end it was Huebner who was not only the stronger but also managed to outwit a worthy opponent. Had the Italian realized Huebner was back-pedaling and attacked from behind he may have held off this stronger rider as he crossed the line, but the moment’s hesitation cost him the race.