USBHOF welcomes Nelson Vails
Sports Travel Examiner - Nov 6, 2009
Nelson Vails, famous as a bike messenger in New York City and winner of a Silver Medal in the 1984 Olympics, will be inducted into the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame.
Vails learned to ride a bike as most kids do, but quickly progressed to racing on the weekends for several NYC cycling clubs. As the youngest of 10 kids in Harlem, Nelson loved his bikes no matter what size or condition they were in. Unlike his well to do competitors, Nelson had a pink bike frame that was too small for his 190 pounds and often wore a rag tag ensemble of clothing.
As a teenager, he worked full-time in the summer as a bike courier while racing as an amateur on weekends. Vails made messengering a full-time gig in the early 1980s when 5,000 bike messengers ruled the concrete canyons of Manhattan. Known for his quick speed, Nelson earned the nickname 'The Cheetah.'
His work weeks on the bike were long and stressful. But, Nelson truly loved cycling and often rode 40 miles in the morning in Westchester County as a warm up before heading back to Manhattan. Nelson continued to compete in cycling with a track and sprint focus while working as a bike messenger.
Nelson's hard work paid off when the US Cycling team invited him to train in Colorado. In 1983 and 1984, the sprinters from the US Cycling team trained and competed in the U.S.S.R. and Eastern Germany. This was a great honor for the American team as few westerners were allowed to travel behind the Iron Curtain at the height of the Cold War. American teammate Mark Gorski who was a top sprinter and Vails were both anticipating a great showdown between the US squad and Soviet cyclists in the upcoming 1984 Olympics.
