Scum City was created in Cleveland, OH in 2009 by a handful of bicycle couriers. In August of 2009 we traveled to Boston for the North American Cycle Courier Championships, where our minds were opened to the vastness of the national and international courier communities. Many of the individuals we met there were acting as full-time couriers during the week and full-time racers on weekends in various cycling disciplines--mostly alleycats, cyclocross, and track racing. The weary few were avid road cyclists. But to think one could be a full time 8am-6pm courier and also put in a full race weekend seemed impossible. In reality, this is exactly what we and hundreds of other intrepid souls do on a regular basis during race season. With this perspective, we formed a tight knit crew who were excited to race cyclocross and spread the energy of the messenger community to our local race scene.
Our name Scum City is folklore to us in the Cleveland courier scene. It came about by happenstance at the end of the 90's during a popular local alley cat. A courier from another city came through and dubbed us Scum City in reference to the rugged beauty of Cleveland's urban landscape and the lack of gentrification which is now taking over downtown and the nearest locales.
Why we need funds to move forward:
Scum City is a local Ohio City team. We support our community by living and breathing a city lifestyle, a commitment to local goods and products, and keeping cars out of the equation as frequently as possible.
We race 20+ cyclocross races in the local and regional cyclocross race scene, and we are very outspoken with our positive attitude and personality. We are expanding to the velodrome as well as mtb racing. Our primary goal is to form top racers for each category and discipline, and to become a nationally-recognized team for our commitment and sense of fun.
Joy Machines Bike Shop, our shop sponsor, is a shop firmly committed to the Cleveland cycling community and to promoting a bike-centric view of the world. Their robust participation in community bike events expresses their passion for the world outside of daily shop life. Additionally, they have been a huge part of our team's success thus far by providing unlimited discounts on bikes and parts, free service and repairs to race bikes, and generally providing a supportive atmosphere for team members. However, their sponsorship can only extend so far; and hopefully that's where you come in!
