Chuey’s cycling caps have arrived at Circles in a huge batch, following a journey so strange I don’t even know where to start. Yes, these are the Chuey caps that those of you who have been with Circles/SimWorks for a long time will recognize.
Since it was a long time ago, some of this is based on speculation, but back in the early 2000s, when Circles first began to encounter the new bicycle culture of handmade bikes and messengers on the US West Coast, Chuey was someone cherished within that community for his wonderful personality.
He made handmade cycling caps, which he would sell or offer as prizes for grassroots races like alleycats.
In a time when everyone was exploring a new culture by trial and error, contributing to the community with one's skills and sense was an essential element in energizing the scene.
Chuey: The inspiration behind Welldone
Inocchi (@welldone_nagoya) of Welldone was influenced by his craftsmanship and communication. It is a well-known story that he started making cycling caps with Chuey as his role model.
Inocchi still provides prize caps for events like Bikelore, and he was also an early pioneer in the MYOG (Make Your Own Gear) culture of the UL hiking world—the idea of making what you need yourself—so his influence has been significant.
In an era when European-style cycling caps printed with race or brand logos were the mainstream, his caps, made from wool and African textiles sourced at flea markets and thrift stores, felt incredibly fresh. We carried them at Circles, too, and they sold very well.
As for Chuey, the last we heard was that he had been caught up in an unfortunate incident and had left the area and the community, and communication ceased.
Word from Aomori
Years passed, but just last month, we were suddenly contacted by Waka-sama (@teddwakagi), the owner of "slow poke," a renowned select shop in Hirosaki, Aomori.
"I've been entrusted with Chuey's caps by the Keyser Söze of the messenger bag world. There’s a lot of them, so would you be interested in taking some off my hands at Circles?"
He is called by the name of a legendary gangster whose existence is uncertain, and because he is extremely averse to being in the media, I will keep him nameless, but he is the father of the messenger bag, having invented many of the features we now recognize as standard in handmade messenger bags, and is a legendary SF messenger.
Hirosaki, a city where the legacy of SF street culture finds its way. It truly is a city that flourished as the cultural center of the Tsugaru region.
Waka-sama, who we also worked with for BIKE to Nebuta, actually met us through something totally unrelated to bikes, which is another interesting story for another time…
Old connections are important, so let’s buy them all.
With that sense of loyalty and obligation from the boss at Circles, a huge number of those original Chuey cycling caps, which had likely been sleeping in a warehouse, arrived.
These are old deadstock, so some may be dusty or have slight stains, but they will certainly serve their purpose as caps to wear under a helmet. There are two types: cotton and wool. They are all handmade, and no two are exactly alike.
CHUEY BRAND “Cotton” Cycling Cap
Material: Cotton, etc.
Handmade in USA.
Price: 3,850 yen (tax included)
CHUEY BRAND “Wool” Cycling Cap
Material: Wool, etc.
Handmade in USA.
Price: 4,840 yen (tax included)
Jackie from JMW once told me that in the early days when he started making UL hiking gear, he was influenced by the messengers who were making their own messenger bags. It’s deeply moving to think that Chuey, Söze, and others were the source of that great river of garage-maker movements that continues to this day, from the 90s through the early 00s.
Since these are quite old, there is variation in the feel of the fabric, color, and sewing quality. We recommend checking them out in person, but I did my best with the photos, so we are selling them online as well. Please do check them out.
