Messenger Profile #10 Cassidy Morris

MESSENGER PROFILE #10 - Cassidy Morris 'My name is Cassidy and I like bikes. It sounds like the introduction you give at recovery meetings and it might as well be. Bikes are an addiction of sorts. I guess it all started with my first road bike a few years back. It was a salvaged Univega mixte with stem shifters. A real clunker. I sanded it down and painted it brown and green and, with some gracious help from the Cabrillo Bike Co-op, got it rideable. It was my pride and joy. I've always been into DIY culture - it goes hand in hand with the punk ethics that have shaped who I am. I've been learning how to build and maintain my bikes ever since with the help of my pal Jack, my fellow bike enthusiasts and the interwebs. It can be frustrating at times, but it's important to know how to deal with problems you might encounter while on the road-from loose crank bolts to broken chains. I've found that to be especially true while working as a courier. I've progressed from the bike punk, to the bike nerd. I didn't even know bike messengers were a thing until I met some of the Clutch crew playing bike polo. (Which, by the way, is a lot of fun. I wholeheartedly encourage anyone who enjoys riding a bicycle to come out and join us for some pickup and laughs. Tuesday and Thursday nights and Saturday afternoons, check us out on Faceblarg.) I was envious from the start. Riding your bike and getting paid to do it?! I learned that these guys were serious riders, though. They're the ones swerving to avoid getting hooked or doored in the rain on their way to Watsonville with the wind at their faces. This didn't curb my envy though, it gave me something to admire and aspire to. I started riding more after meeting them. I'd ride back from working in Watsonville, or out to work in La Selva. It gave me a great feeling of accomplishment. It wasn't until March 2013 that I was given the opportunity to go on a ride along with Mike D. of the Clutch crew. It was different and new. Luckily Mike D. is a great teacher. There's more to this job than riding a bike, but I caught on pretty quick and Rick let me join the team. Since then I've met a lot of nice people and learned a few tricks of the trade. Cleat bolts threaded into the seat tube just in case is pretty clever. Most importantly - I've been having fun. I love riding back from Capitola via Portola and hitting the beach. I still look at the ocean and the lighthouse baffled and humbled. This is where I live and this is what I do. The view from my office is better than most.' -CM Owner's Note- "It has been a true pleasure and honor to see Cassidy take to the job and really come up in the whole spectrum of skills and services we offer our customers. I'm proud of her efforts and dedication, and I really appreciate her love of the job and the ease at which she takes to it. Get it Cassidy! Best Rookie Ever!" -RG