873 views

7:15

Watch
- Search Videos
  
  Advanced search »
- Submit a New Video
Discuss
About
- Try clicking on the various channels to see videos posted to that channel - if you're into music you can click the Music channel to get more music sifts - go on and explore! Use the "hotness" when you have opened the channel link to get videos that have gotten a lot of votes, or use "newness" to have a look at the new sifts.
  When browsing sifts you like, have a look at the Related Posts list to see other related videos, click the tags under the video title to see more sifts tagged with the same tags or have a look at other sifts from the same user in the More Posts By list. If the sifted video is in a play list, have a look at the play list to see other interesting videos the Sift users have linked together.
  Enter the Sift Lounge to chat with online sifters about anything and everything, or read interesting posts in the Sift Talk forum.
  The Top New Videos list is always full of interesting, current videos. It is always recommended that you have a look through the Top New Videos, but also have a look at these:
  - Upcoming Unsifted Videos - active video submissions that neither are published to the front page nor archived to the submitter's personal queue
- Have you seen a really funny, surprising, scary, interesting, cute or in any other way extra good quality video?
  Post and share it here - VideoSift is the best video aggregator on the Web, where we share, discuss, promote, and interact with the best videos out there on the web. Post it here, and share it with the large community of video-interested users. And - you are guaranteed to find more very good videos here already!
  Mind you, we only share videos you discover that someone else has made; if you "self link," by posting a video you have made, have posted or have interests in, you risk the ban hammer - read the posting guidelines before posting. The sift is NOT for promoting your own videos - it is for sharing videos others have made.
  Submit a Video Now »
Login

Bike Messenger Riding Fast and Fluid Through NYC Traffic

submitted by ant

3 years 11 months 2 weeks ago

"Meet Cooper Ray the cyclist in this video and Terry Barentsen the camera man riding behind him.

Now you might think this was filmed as a once off, for some kind of stunt, movie or commercial, but in actual fact Terry is a freelance cinematographer based in New York, and often films Cooper, himself or various other people, riding around new York City for his Youtube channel.

What makes Cooper’s riding style even more amazing, is he does not have any gears or brakes on his bike.

When it comes to braking, I’ve seen Cooper jump off the bike and slow down on foot, also I have seen him use his foot on the back wheel like a brake, but otherwise he just keeps riding.

Also the bike Cooper is riding is a track bike made for racing at a velodrome, it is a fixed gear bike with no brakes and no freewheel. Which means the rear wheel drives the pedals, so as long as the bike is moving the pedals are turning.

To all those who think this form of riding is reckless and dangerous, I agree, but that does not change the fact people all over the world ride like this every day, Terry just wanted to say “everyone crashes from time to time, even with brakes, we believe staying focused and aware of your surroundings is the best way to stay safe and having no brakes forces you to be in the present. These videos aren't made to encourage bad cycling, so please ride at your own risk and skill level.

Thanks for watching..."

From http://www.cannotunsee.net/post/637124661331755008/bike-messenger-riding-fast-fluid-in-nyc-traffic.