I talked with Matt Bort the 1st and Chris Williams from Burro Bags, a messenger bag store in Springfield. Burro Bags is having their grand opening this Friday, May 16th from 6:00 to 10:00 at 1520 Main Street in Springfield.
Podcast Episode #15: Burro Bags Grand Opening May 16th (42:56)
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All Photos courtesy of JaxScene. Also this is the first post by contributor Jon Bosworth.
While many hood rats were sleeping off their hangovers from First Friday in Five Points, the dead were rising in Springfield. You may have spotted some of them, walking… or rather riding among the living at First Friday because Friday was day one of the free Bury Your Bike Festival.
A subculture is rising in Springfield. Even after the sad departure of Inertia Records (don’t worry, Royal Treatment Records is selling Days of War Nights of Love on their behalf), the ironic fashions and deeply held ideals thrive on. Replacing Inertia Records is Zombie Bikes, a bicycle collective and a bike shop that welcomes you to come to customize your ride among fellow enthusiasts.
We are just adamant bikers that wanted a bike shop that we’d like going to said Zombie Bikes’ founder Devin Wolf.
This most recent tenant puts the building at 1520 N Main Street at capacity, since only a few weeks ago Burro Bags also opened their shop inside of the space. What was once being tentatively referred to as Buyers Market Lodge is truly living up to that name. But rather than being a traditional commerce center, it is more like a community center where recycled materials are being made into useful luggage, old records are being re-sold to new fans, and old bike parts are being brought back from the dead and returned to the street.
I spoke with Devin Wolf while he was busy welding two children’s bikes into one medium-tall bike. I presume he was doing this so that this bike could enter the tall bike race that would happen tomorrow. According to Wolf he was one of the people responsible for the tall bike movement in St. Augustine and now we can expect them to be invading the streets of Jacksonville.
The tall bike trend has arrived, Wolf proclaims. We’re definitely gonna make an impact on the community.
I didn’t catch the tall bike race, but I did get to watch some of the bike polo tournament on Saturday. It was brutal. From seeing shirtless dudes fly over the front of their bike as their wheel jackknifed to seeing an ambitious player fly wildly into the a busy mid-day Main Street, it was nerve racking, but the players seemed to be capable of striking the small rubber ball with their oddly long mallets without striking one another. Bystanders had lawn chairs and beers. It was like tailgating but with more tattoos and an uncommon sense of community.
Following the bike polo was a Zombie hunt, wherein painted tires were hidden all over the city and participants raced around trying to collect the most. Other activities included a bike build-off at Wild Bill’s (a rather surly bar near the stadium) a bike toss and a dirt jump.
Zombie Bikes has a workshop with pipe cutters, welding equipment, tools and plenty of spare parts. Zombie has the sort of vibe that makes a welcoming place to hang. There are couches and a television and plenty of workspace. Resurrect your bike at Zombie Bikes. Go to zombiebikes.com to learn more.
As for Burro Bags, they’ve only been open for a few weeks but they are already managing to crank out a substantial collection of custom luggage. Spend as little as $40 for a small bag or get a $200 large custom bag. In addition to courier satchels and smaller bags, they also make bags from recycled vinyl fast food promotional banners and other reclaimed materials. They hope to soon introduce wallets. Check out burrobags.blogspot.com.
Burro owners Chris Williams and Matt Bort live in the same house as some of the Zombie Bike guys, so being neighboring businesses has just become an extension of their home and the partnership is flowering into something much more significant. It is just another evolution as Springfield grows its own distinct personality and brings Jacksonville another step closer to being the kind of community that can sustain a variety of interests, the way a big city should.
More Photos
Bike Jax’s Bury Your Bike pics
JaxScene’s Bury Your Bike pics
I think it’s pretty awesome there is someone making messenger bags in Jacksonville. It’s even more awesome they are doing it 6 blocks from my house. Burro Bags is:
bur-ro - n. A small donkey, especially one used as a pack animal. Our materials, fabrics, fasteners, buckles, are American and we assemble every bag: cutting, sewing, outfitting…
I was checking out Antarctic at TSI Wednesday night when I ran into Burt told me all about the bags. He showed me his bag and let me know they also make hip-bags, six pack bags, frame pads and u-lock holders.
If you don’t know how a messenger bag differs from any other bag here’s the difference: messenger bags stay put on your back when you’re riding a bike. The first time I rode my bike to work 4 years ago with a normal bag, I spent the whole ride, moving the bag from my stomach to my back. I hate the way backpacks look so I’ve been all about messenger bags ever since.
I’m in the market for a new bag so this is the perfect opportunity to support some local business and get what appears to be a bad-ass bag. To place an order email burrobags@gmail.com. I’ll have more on Burro Bags after I get my bag. Until then you can check out Burro Bags on Flickr.
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