Photo by Christian Thormann

Ralf moved out to Queens from Puerto Rico when he was 8 and has been there ever since. He was headed for a career as a mechanical draftier, but got tired of sitting down in front of  a  computer all day doing work without soul. As a last resort, he took a job loading UPS trucks at night. He decided he should give messengering a try after riding home from a particularly bad day at work when he was doored and flipped over his handlebars to  land on his feet. He figured if he could deal with that then riding a bike in the city all day shouldn’t be so scary.
He says its not always easy to do, but Ralf manages expresses himself through riding. When that happens, riding becomes more than just a way to get around or make money. Its a way to channel a lot of negative energy and learning to love yourself in the process.
He considers his riding style as aggressive yet courteous. If he cuts off a car, he’ll raise his hand to apologize, and anyone who’s raced with him will know that when he blows past a pedestrian at an intersection he’ll usually say he’s sorry as he passes by.
Besides riding Ralf dances to release stress from work  and to balance out the  body after pedaling for six hours a day. He plans to keep working as a messenger for a long time, getting faster, stronger and smarter all the time.  For now he’s just  riding the city day in day out , trying to be one of the best out there doing it out there and supporting his addiction to sweets on the side.