interview...

fresh off his trip to the cmwc 2008 i give you maxwell riordan...great guy(from what i hear). he has moved on from the world of messengering but is a great example of kids who use this industry to their advantage. sure it's tough to go to school after a long day of riding around town but max is a great example of things that can happen...he's also a member of chicago's favorite team...

1.when did you start this biz? Have the years been on and off or straight?

I started in October of 2002, which was the same year I started going to UIC. I worked as many hours as possible the whole time I was there.

2.what bike did you start on? What bike are you rocking nowadays?

My first work bike was a 70's Sears brand cruiser with a coaster
brake. The week before I started, I paid Uptown Bikes $60 to add two hand brakes just to make it look extra dope. I think I started working about 9 months before everybody and their brother got a track bike.

I have too many nice bikes these days. I'm thinking about getting the
Rat Patrol to turn them into a fixed gear quintuple tall bike for me. Less is more.

3.you've seen many come and go...any specific messengers stick out in your mind?

I'm gonna butcher some names here and I'm not sure who's still out there, but Ehsan, Speedy jose, Morgan, Aaron Wellingham, Hans, Kevin, Passion of the Chris, Ben and I guess my girlfriend, Erin. Sort of.

4.what are you up to presently?

Architecting. I found a job through Deuce who used to work at
Velocity. His father owns Architrave, the company I work for now.

5.why did you decide to messenger?

I needed money. I hadn't ridden a bike since I was a kid but I had a friend who was unemployable by most standards was that was messengering, so I thought I stood a decent chance at getting the job. Also, you can only donate so much plasma, sperm, eggs, hair follicles and stem cells before you start to get a tummy ache.

6.what do you miss most about the job?

Getting paid to ride a bike and taking naps outside in the summertime.

7.what do you not miss?

The lack of respect I got from virtually everyone I encountered on the job except my dispatcher and other messengers. Going to work on zero hours of sleep straight from studio in the dead of winter was kind of a bummer as well.

8.anything about messengering that helps you in your current job?

No.

Just kidding. Messengering helped me get to know this city in way that no other job could. I'd recommend it to all architecture students.

9.any advice for new comers?

A bad attitude helps you ride faster. Also, get paid when you get hit.

10.perkins centerfold, hot or not?

Lukewarm



...all pics provided by christopher dilts...more pics here.