Working Bike: Fast Eddie
Wed, November 5, 2014 
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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Reader Comments (10)
It's cool to see that, contrary to public opinion, people can ride fast on steel bikes, with 36-spoke wheels
Thanks for the update ! What a nice piece of history , and it's still pounding the pavement.
Love that stem! No front brake?
Eddie must have some seriously long legs.
Yes, Eddie does. He's one tall dude, per picture in Dave's latest post.
hi Dave!
in the latest post you say about Fast Eddie's bike: "Its slightly steeper angles and tighter fork rake made it handle quicker."
-what does it mean "tighter fork rake"? a smaller rake/offset (that makes the trail bigger)? OR a bigger rake/offset (that makes the trail smaller)?
thank you!
regards from Bucharest! :)
Mircea,
Yes you are right, less rake (offset.) more trail, but steeper head angle means less trail, which off sets this. Steeper head angle means less effort to physically turn the front wheel or steer it. If you think of extreme angles, a 45 degree head angle would be difficult to turn corners. A 90 degree head and would be extremely sensitive and turn easily, but it would be difficult to hold a straight line.
Dave
thank you, Dave!
yes, i understand, more trail but that steeper head angle off sets this.
so Eddie's bike in the end has a similar trail with a road bike (lets say) BUT will turn corners faster because of a steeper head angle, right?
best regards,
Mircea
Hi Dave,
Just a heads up if you happen to see this bike for sale. It was recently stolen from Fast Eddie within the past few days while working. Please contact if anyone sees any info regarding it.
Thanks,
Angelo
With a heavy heart for a guy I knew on the messenger scene since 1987 , Dave.
Eddie past away two days ago. I was there when he bought the frame you built. Told him about you and Paris Sport since I been to the shop a lot.
He photograph our scene for years and shows us in the early 80s to mid 90s for us who rode track as a way of life.
Glad he finally met you.
S/F,
Ceya!