Joe and Thomas

NY Joe
Bike Messenger / Bag Designer
Los Angeles, CA USA

Tomas Wolfe
Bike Mechanic
Palms, Los Angeles, CA USA

Where are you from Joe?
Originally I'm from NY. I grew up in the Bronx, bounced around when I was in my teens. Great city to have experienced growing up, regret nothing.

How come you came to LA?
Change of scenery. I wasn't really doing anything productive with myself in NY. I was kind of at a standstill, didn't know what I was doing or even gonna do.

Tell us about working as a bike messenger in LA!
When I came out to L.A. I had to come to terms with the shitty Metro system. It really sucks compared to NY. So what I did was I took my cousins bike for transportation for like a couple weeks until I got my first pay check. The bike really sucked, needed tons of work but it was just more motivation to get a bike going FAST! Anyways, took that check to the Bike Kitchen and compiled a conversion track bike and started looking for courier work like the next day I think. I knew about dispatch halls and bike messenger work of course coming from NY. I even did it for one summer when I was 16 years old for a photo shop in Midtown Manhattan. It was a brutal summer and I almost got killed a bunch of times. I remember I threw in the flag when I got two flats in one morning and I never went back. In fact I just threw the returns I had in an alleyway. It was fucked up to do but I didn't care then, I was a stupid kid... So long story short, I got some messenger work in downtown L.A. like a few weeks after moving here. No one knew me, somewhere cool, others acted as if they're too cool. It's actually a real easy city to learn. The companies don't ever make you go that far. It's like a mile square radius. Envision a movie set for NY, that's Downtown Los Angeles. The greatest thing about it though is the weather. No other city can really come close to the perfect weather we get. Messengers nationwide should retire here....

Bikewise - which city do you prefer?
I love NY, it will always be my first home, but L.A.'s weather makes the cycling amazing. Lots of different types of riding out here, from BMX, fixed freestyle, velo racing, alleycats, bike polo, mountain, dirt, downhill, roadie riding. It just really has a lot of good riding conditions. NY definitely has its advantages as far as things being so close, L.A.'s a little more spread out, but there are almost no taxi cabs out here in L.A. trying to kill you every 5 minutes. So that's a plus....

Any nasty racing accidents?
None racing thank god. Kind of been lucky when in an actual alley cat. The last race I won was City On LockDown Prt. 2. It was an official pre-event to the 2007 NACCC (North American Cycle Courier Championship) in San Francisco, CA. It was held by a couple of old timers here in L.A. the weekend before the NACCC. Off the start I made a real good sprint for the first checkpoint. I came so close at one intersection to getting nailed by a car that it made me slow my pace from that point on. I think it actually helped me save some energy in the long run. However, outside of racing I've taken one nasty spill when I was piss drunk one night, went over my bars like a rookie and dislocated my shoulder. Sucked big time, I had to walk for like the next week at work. I couldn't grab my bars with both hands..

Tell me about the race - is it something you do often?
I try to have an event at least every month, if not every other month. It's a way for a lot of the local commuters and other daily riders to get involved with the messengers and it gives us, the messengers some practice for the NACCC each year since we try to do the events in the same format. We normally race, then do freestyle competition, foot down, track stands, backwards circles, sprints, maybe even some gold sprints and of course BIKE POLO!

Protein shakes vs Jack Daniels and Gore Tex vs Vans?
Yeah, protein shakes w/ Jack Daniels and gore tex Vans shoes would be even better! Vans, especially dirty Vans, fit great in pedals w/ cages, real small fit. Any fixed rider will understand.

Tell us about 13 skids!
13Skids was a label I came up with about a year ago. I started silk screening shirts and making products like phone pouches, wallets, hip pouches, pant savers, and other random crap people request. It's been really picking up lately and I can barely keep up with the orders. Lately I only make the orders and have no time for extras. Shirts are the same story, I can never make enough. I guess it's a good problem to have...

How did you came up with the idea of making bags?
I saw other companies putting products out there that can really be improved. I know, because I use them, at work, at play; so, I want them to have features that I can actually use, like a beer holder, or secret stash pocket. It all began when I screwed around with a buddies' machine. I think I made a tool pouch and then I was hooked. I got my own commercial grade machine on my birthday one year. A bunch of my fellow couriers got the money together and got it for me. I've been taking in pants for free like crazy still to this day. I guess you could say that I am very grateful for my fellow messengers. My own family would never even do something like that for me. It was like $300. I was really taken by it.

What's your plan for the future?
More riding, more races, some polo in-between. I really want to premiere the website sometime in the future. Start selling 13Skids products nationwide. Finish, or should I say "Start" the 13Skids DVD... and of course the 2008 NACCC in CHICAGO BABY, HERE WE COME!!!!

Any shout outs?
Davey, Animal, Cesar, Robert, Milo, Guy, Matt, Tooth, Slo, Boo, Jonas (Stupid Drunk), Broke, Plugg, Rez, Nasty Nate, Lil Joey, Disco, Atick, Ray, Cream, Care, Skittles,Derek, Jimmy, Bob, Jiro, Nobi, Spinz, Ron, Sammy, of course DTLA and like 50 other people I can't think of. Shout outs also to Drif L.A. and Orange 20 Bike shops, I hate you both, give me free tires....

Thomas is wearing black 874 work pants and a black work shirt
Joe is wearing black 874 work shorts and a blue hoodie