Back to the future ... starring Kevin Bacon?

Speaking of bike messengers, here's a nifty story about a newly launched bike courier collective in Detroit.

You thought bikes were at a disadvantage to car-based couriers on longer runs -- say, up to 30 miles? Wrong. These dudes make use of mass transit for cross-county service.

But here's the real kicker when it comes to who is really kicking who's butt on the cost front: Rock Dove has also started doing runs to both Oakland and Macomb County Circuit Courts. (Um, wait just a second. That's like 30 miles each way, right? No one could possibly bike that far!) Buetow says that through a combo of their bikes, DDOT or SMART buses ($1.50 per ride, thank you very much), and the existing arteries of Woodward and Gratiot, they’re able to travel long distances in a shorter amount of time... And that directly translates into a cost savings for Rock Dove clients of up to 75% less than car-based delivery services.

It may be a while before we see Pony Express style bike delivery from New York to LA. Still, the fact that bike couriers are surviving and thriving in Motor City-- just at the moment that the American motorcar industry rasps through its death throes-- well, that's more than a little symbolic, innit.

Photo (cc) by raindrift