Okay, so it had been a while since there has been any posting going on at IBWT! However, today those four words rang true once again, deep and resounding. At 8:45am, through a complex set of maneuvers that I'll spare you the details on, I was cut off, boxed in, and forced into the back of this Suzuki at 40 km/hr. 
Needless to say, the Suzuki's driver and his wife were shocked to see me appear through their rear windshield, perhaps even more than I was to be there. Amazingly, I escaped without a scratch on me, or my bike for that matter.
Stage one - Shock/Disbelief.
Two - Humour/Denial.
And three (about the time the adrenalin wears off) - Sobering appreciation.
Thankfully my family laid the guilt on thick over the past Thanksgiving weekend about wearing my helmet, and it's been glued to my head since coming back to Montreal. This could have been a messy one without it.
Ride safe.
Life is good being a messenger in Montreal.
Many office towers offer reserved parking for bike messengers. And a couple of them actually enforce it. Most are covered in a heap of commuter hybrids and fixed mountain bikes with tri bars.
The Beach goes VIP! Okay, so it totally looks more like they've quarantined us. They were washing the windows above, but were we going to change our daily routine in fear of soapy water? Hardly. FTW, right?
Also, please don't make fun of the Cinelli; that bright purple rear tire was all the shop had in stock, and she's sensitive about it. She sort of looks like a bad emo haircut. I hope it is just a phase.
After spending the afternoon in the hospital (Not for me, no worries, keeping the rubber side down so far) with other two messengers roughed up on the roads today (a door prize, and the classic 'park-n-tackle" move), as well as a recent rash of crashes for various bikers over the past couple weeks, I thought it best to share some photos from MTL to prove my livingness to all of you.
Sergio (in two parts)
My favourite elevator. The buttons depress when pushed, then pop out when you get to your floor. I'm like a child how that amuses me.
Hanging at "the Beach." A piece of sidewalk down town with a couple benches, bike racks, and coffee shops in immediate proximity. A bicycle tour of the city actually stopped there the other day as the "this-is-where-all-of-the-(notorious)-bike-messengers-hang-out stop.
Self-expression at the Beach.
Manitoba (Jesse) (Because he calls me Nova Scotia, and neither of us are from either of those places) He managed to patch a tube with tinfoil and saliva, then puncture reinstalling the tire with levers.
Emergency Ward.
On that note, ride safe everyone. Two great people, through no fault of their own, got hurt today doing what they love. Thankfully they are both okay. But shit happens. You are in my thoughts.
In Bike We Trust!
Your friends will be so jealous. $300. QR not included.
And for that fixie fever in all of you, I offer up this gem of a frame, complete with custom red paint (and decal), 1/8 threaded headset and fork (rare), and the coveted horizontal dropout. Feast your eyes upon this:
There we go. Buy it for your lover. $100. 52cm.This stuff is actually for sale.
InBikeWeTrust! goes inter-provincial and somewhat bilingual (Nous Avons Confiance En Vélo!?). Maybe this is what we need to reinvigorate the blog. After a four month "retirement" I'm back on the bike working the streets of Montreal.
However, a day before leaving the great city, InBikeWeTrust! showed up ready to ride at the annual Halifax Criterium in the first ever Java Blend Single Speed Crit. By "ready to ride" we mean sufficiently numb due to the previous night's alcohol consumption, which was just one element of master trainer/coach/guru Zac Barkhouse's plan to take the race.
Adding to Barkhouse's expertise, honourary IBWT! member of the day (mostly due to jersey choice), Andy Canning brought his calm and collected experience to the front of the pack. Such a winning combination that the IBWT!/Dynamex team took the podium, 1,2,3, and walked away with jersey pockets stuffed with Java Blend coffee beans, the lifeblood of any messenger.
Beyond the final standings, the race was a great success. Almost 30 single-speed-based bikes lined up at the start, and ignoring a couple mid-race withdrawals, everyone seemed to have a great time, keeping their pedals off the pavement in the turns, and putting on a good show for all those roadies!
Photo cred to DownTownBrown. Or check out some more I found on flickr.
Updates from Montreal to come in the coming days, but let me tell you that the material seems endless. From francophone motorists, to literally hundreds of other bike messengers, and such a strong cycling culture in general, there will be plenty to talk about.
Byrd out.
When I said that posting was going to be spread thin, I'm sure you weren't expected the gap to be over two months. My most sincere apologies.