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    Bike Messenger Riding Fast and Fluid Through NYC Traffic



    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.

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    CREDIT LINKS – Footage Permission granted by

    ► Terry Barentsen Youtube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/@UCHRUAMAzVUS_Szvxn55GXaQ

    ► Cooper Ray Original Riding Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyV894c8oqI

    ► Terry Barentsen Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/terrybarentsen

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    View 44 Comments

    44 Comments

    1. Terry B on

      Thanks for making intro’n me to you viewers. I’d also like to point out that we love and ride all bikes over on my channel 💕

    6. Martin Ask on

      This is so dangerous and reckless. I wish noone would ride like this. Stay safe and be predictable in traffic or you'll get killed or kill someone

    10. Andy B on

      Thanks for providong the names of these utter a**holes. Dude almost knocked over a kid. At that speed, head on concrete, yeah that's a one way ticket to destroying a family and a child's life.

      Think about the consequences, as this is really selfish behaviour

    14. xAssailantx on

      "anticipate cars and pedestrians like they weren't even there"

      He was inches away from slamming a kid like right as you uttered that sentence 35 seconds in.

    17. Justin Thornton on

      The narrator describes how fluid he as just as he almost hits a pedestrian.

      This kind of cyclist is the example cyclists that is used to oppose cycling infrastructure everywhere. Don’t cycle like this.

    24. Musiclibrarian22 on

      This is not ok. He didn't stop or even try to slow down at a light where there were pedestrians. Stop encouraging dangerous behavior for the people around him.

    25. aquilonian ace on

      If you pay attention, the cars are on a standstill, or moving at 5mph most of the time. I can run in traffic just like these riders. This isn't dangerous. That's NYC traffic. Now if this was your backwater town with dirt roads where everyone is doing 60mph you are toast. Even in bigger cities, traffic is still moving 30mph+ you can't do this there. But ride daily in NYC and you'll be doing this "disrespectful" riding within the week. Otherwise you won't get anywhere. The average distance traveled in an hour is 4 miles or less. I can walk that fast. This isn't your city don't compare

    26. Rem X on

      not fluid but definitely dangerous riding…putting at risk yourself, pedestrians, and drivers. People like this should be ban from riding in NYC.

    27. M Mark_coffman on

      I dont give a fuck if he is a bike messenger people like him are whst make people like me wa t to see him go thru a windshield or get pancaked.😂😂😂😂

    28. Clark Maruri on

      Is it really that worth it to work like this …. for as an ex messenger of New York City back in the early 90s l was going to use a scooter to wok with but l decided to gey a better job…

    29. David Sellar on

      Jumping lights, zig zaging between people on pedestrian crossing, this type of anti-social riding behaver only has a negative outcome. Messanger bike riders have adopted fixed wheel for simplicity which is dangerous and irrisponsible without a front brake. There was a case some years back in London with Messager hitting a young lady pedestian who sadly died with head injury and court rightly deemed the messager at fault. Ride safely and respect others .

    30. Jordan Epstein on

      I see there was an ambulance standing by at 2:36 just in case. It is just a matter or time before he or a passenger gets hurt. Being 3 years old I wonder if Terry had any visits to the hospital since this filming.

    31. D. Ferrell on

      This is extremely dangerous I ride fast on my bikes too but not like these people. It only takes one accident to ruin your life. I mean this person almost hit kids that was crossing the road or better yet she came way to close for comfort to other vehicles. What if a person opened their doors while you was riding or perhaps something went wrong with your bike there's so many things could of happened here I don't care how many yrs experience you had anything can still happen

    34. Craig Rogers on

      Does not matter how skilled you are. This style is relying on other people not doing something sudden or stupid or both! Near the beginning one guy had to pull his kid out the way of them. Mental.

    37. Ajay Manohar Karuna on

      Please do not promote this. This is in no way safe or even "cool". This is just selfishness and pure and utter disregard for fellow citizens on the road who actually follow the road rules.

    40. Mr Hallman on

      I wonder how many accidents they have also recorded. I worked in DC for years, although no where near as big as NY there are rides like this, and I have seen some minor and serious wipe outs. One tiny mistimed movement and pow. Hit by cars, hitting cars, hitting pedestrians.

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