Red Hook Race Report

Incoherent. posting. Tough race. I was in the main pack until about the 7th lap or so. My line got blocked going through the chicane and I stumbled. I couldn't catch up. After that it was a long lonely race. The mist got heavier, so by about the 10th lap the course was slick. I lost the back end on the paint lines a couple times. I got a bit tired and unintentionally aired the cobbles a couple times too. My curb cut shortcut only actually worked to gain me a place once. The other times it was just fun. My rear wheel was about +- 4mm out this morning. Surprisingly I still had air in my tires. I basically got 7th out of 30ish people. Which doesn't mean anything, as I was the LAST one still in the race. God damn I'm a fat ass. Over 2/3 of the race was on the sidelines by the second half. The NYPD are strange. I think we were the main attraction for them last night. We had 5 cop cars I think? Oh well. I met my goals. Stay up, don't get killed, and drink a few beer after its all over.

Here's a vid from Fusco Industries:


After the post race house party (THANKS DAVID), Rhiannon and Andras and I had a great ride over a deserted brooklyn bridge on the slick wood... then a chill roll north on the west side path. Awesome night all around.

Edit: Looks like we made the New York Times

Edit2: Here's a follow up Interview on BikeblogNYC with David Trimble

Saturday Morning Viewing

Not quite cartoons, but some lols to be found within..

First up, the Erectus Bike concept:



This gets bonus points for incredibly awful love song, as well as a really complicated drive train. I'm also not sure why that 'seat' protrusion exists over the rear wheel.

Next up, the TARC bike rack rap:

For some reason the hook on this jam is über sex. Louisville KY is lookin better by the day!


Check this out... the Greenbird land sailing trike lays down a record breaking 202.9km/h! Check out the drift angle!




Lastly, heres a little product placement from S2E1 of the ill fated show "Pacific Blue":

RED. HOOK. NIGHT. CRIT.

I feel like I should have mentioned this earlier. Its another thing to be stoked about. To be downright scared about. I'm going to Red Hook on Saturday night, to race in the 2nd annual Red Hook Night Crit. This event is basically David Trimble's birthday party. ..and its fixed gear street racing at its finest. I heard that it was intense last year, and this year the ante has been upped. Roadies, trackies, couriers and hoons will be battling together on a semi-closed industrial road coarse.

Last year's flyer:



Interview with David August Trimble up HERE on BikeblogNYC.

INFOS YOU SHOULD KNOWS

The Red Hook Criterium returns in 2009. Saturday March 28th

This race can best be described as a hybrid street criterium and caters to the strange half-breed racer type that is a combination of glory chasing scenester and ultra competitive road racing athlete.

The .75 mile 10 turn course in Red Hook is tight, twisty and dangerous. The course is haphazardly closed (with volunteer street marshals) and lighting is dim at best. A fast cobblestone hairpin requires teeth chattering grit to transverse smoothly and a wide open and brightly lit finishing straight offers a perfect runway for a chaotic sprint finish. In order to do well in this race you’ll need street tuned handling mechanics and an engine to match. Brakeless fixed gear bikes are required (as are helmets). Gearing is recommended to be somewhere between 85 and 90 gear inches. Lapped riders will be allowed to stay in the race but will be shown a blue flag when the leaders are approaching and must get out of the way. The finish will be video tapped for accuracy and scoring provided for at least 25 places. I will also be posting a chart with a run down of each lap time. The entry fee is $10.

Last year the race had 25 entries and 5 made it to the end to contest the sprint. Kacey Manderfield made good on her trash talking and dusted the field in the final sprint. A former national collegiate champion and a current National track champion she played her cards perfectly. She is rumored to be returning to defend her title. I (the race organizer) finished 2nd last year barely squeezing out Shusaku in the final sprint. Young prodigy Cooper Ray was 4th and ever imposing Prentiss 5th.

This year the competition is expected to upgrade. Many top local road and track racers will see if they can control their brakeless track bikes and compete with the best street racers. I will be compiling and updating a list of confirmed race entrees in the run up the event. The prize for first place is $300 cash ($150 for 2nd and $50 for 3rd).

The race will be 30 minutes plus 3 laps. The final race course design will posted in the next week. I am expecting a tighter and more technical layout which will include the same cobblestone stretch on Columbia St but avoiding the highly residential street of Dikeman. There will be (3) primes. One at the end of the first lap, one at the end of the halfway mark and one with 3 laps to go. The prizes for the primes will include homemade granola and booze. There will be a bell indicating primes as well as a board counting down the laps with 5 to go (based of a time calculation to determine how many laps the race will be).

Race registration starts at 9 pm. The race itself starts at 11:00 pm. Awards will immediately follow the race at 65 Dikeman in conjunction with my annual birthday party.
This race will be excellent for spectators and photographers as most of the course is visible from the start/finish line and fast lap times will be around 2 and a half minutes.

Date: March 28th, 2009
Registration: 9:00 pm at 65 Dikeman
Race Start: 11:00 pm (pre race meeting at 65 Dikeman at 10:45pm)
Entry Fee: $10
Prizes: $300 1st
$150 2nd
$50 3rd

Primes: (3) Prizes to be announced.

Rules:
Brakeless Fixed Gear Bikes only
Helmets required
No free lap allowed

Here's this year's course map:



Latest Press Release:

On Saturday, March 28 the 2009 Red Hook Criterium will take place and will be be filmed as a competitive sporting event. The film will be produced by Kalim Armstrong (Orange Bikes Take Manhattan, Messenger) and John Hoppin, with assistance from Daniel Leeb (Cinecycle). The race organizer is David August Trimble, and the race director is Al Barouh.

Multiple HD cameras will be set up to film the race. At least one helmet cam will follow race action firsthand. Additionally, a surprise helmet cam shooter may be in town to cover the race. We will have a camera at the podium presentation immediately following the race.

Live race commentary and analysis will be provided by John Hoppin and Michael Green (bikeblog NYC).

The 2009 Red Hook Criterium is an unsanctioned race through a desolate post-industrial part of Brooklyn. Brake-less track bikes are mandatory for riders. The field will be a mix of semi-professional cyclists, bike messengers, and urban cyclists. The race consists of 16 three quarter-mile laps of a course which features several hairpin turns, a fast sprint through the parking lot of a chain retailer, a cobblestone stretch, and a sprint finish. Start time for the race is 11pm on Saturday night. Bus and automobile traffic on the course, even if kept to a minimum, is a near-certainty.

The first person to cross the finish line at the completion of 16 laps will take home $300. The second place finisher will receive a $150 prize, and the third place finisher will pocket $50. Additionally, the first rider to complete the first and eighth laps will receive a prime, or prize, to be announced on race day.

Immediately following the race will be a house party where the podium presentation and distribution of prizes will take place.

This project is made possible by the Bicycle Film Festival family, a festival showcaseing films featuring the bicycle in 39 cities annually. The Proud Sponsors of the Red Hook Criterium are the Coffee Den, Katherine's Homemade Granola, Zafeiropoulou, Trimble Racing, Sam Trimble Design, Taki's Express, and Roo Design.

... uhh.. High Def footage anyone? Could THIS be our special guest cam?

Here's the vid of last year:



..and the winnar! (OMG A GIRL):


..and some more photos to get ya stoked.

Okay. This is seriously. RLY SRSLY. Glad I went and climbed hills yesterday. Anyone want to lend me a light weight front wheel and some race tires?

Projekt: Race Recon

I hadn't ever been to Randall's Island. Or Ward's Island. Or Great Barn Island. In fact, I don't really know what to call it. them. they? I've ridden by the Harlem River pedestrian bridge all winter, and marvelled at its fully raised glory. This bridge is seasonal, and only opened this past weekend. Today I rode over to investigate.



Why am I drawn here?
The thought of mud.

Team Wreckstuff put together a riduculous Projekt-B worthy race series last year entitled Mud Sweat and Tears, which consisted of Tracklocross, Sludgement Day, and Harlemegeddon Alleycatastrophe. Even the snob poked some fun at it, which I recall reading from across the continent. Clearly it wasn't just fad, but a TREND. This past year in NYC I met some of the Wreckstuff crew at their RAT PACK Hustle sprint series. A solid bunch of cycle hoons if I do say so!

The events went off so well last year, that they're bringing it back.


The rules are simple. There are TWO rules:

1. FIXED OR SLICKS: Your bike must either have either a fixed gear, or slick tires no fatter than 25mm. Want to ride your cyclocross bike? Fine, as long as you throw proper road tires on it. Wanna ride your fixed gear? Great. You're allowed to use cross tires. What? You only ride singlespeeds? All right, just make sure it has slicks.

2. SPECIAL TRACK BIKE CATEGORY: There will be a special prize for the highest-placing rider riding a track bike. By track bike, we mean a bike with: a fixed gear, geared at greater than or equal to 49x16 (700x23c). Plugged drop bars. No brakes. Slick tires.



I'll be doing it fixed on cross tires and risers I think. Its too bad I can't run this thing:


I'm stoked!

Subrosa Vancouver/Seattle

Some good local footage in this video. When you're done watching, check out the SD Locals edit with Mr. Smooth Hoang Tran from Justin Kosman.


Subrosa Shit the Fuck Up Tour from Subrosa Brand on Vimeo.

Reposting for Posterity

Ya, its been up a day. Its on all the blogs. You already seen it. Duncan. Now it's searchable for when i try to find it next year. Duncan. Skitch. Tom. Tdot. Video. Duncan. Witch hunt.


Skitch presents Saturday In The City from Skitch Clothing on Vimeo.

Dub BMX

I'm putting this one up so Nick can nominate it for video of the year because of the soundtrack. Bitch yaw bitch! Thank you, Mr. Watson.


3Chip Ender... from Dub BMX on Vimeo.

Mandtour

Yesterday I met up with Proj-B known associate MANDER (aka Andrex Megacorp) and handed him the keys to my Spicer. The idea was simple. Show him the ENTIRE island of Manhattan in one day.

A few days previous I sat down in front of google maps and thought of all the rad stuff in Manhattan I've found so far.. Then I got to work making an actual route of it. Then I even went as far as making a cue sheet, because I knew I would forget things or get us spun around without it.

I didn't tell Mander where we were headed at any time. Just things like:
-East on 44th, LEFT on 6th
-Right on 46th
-Right on Park
STOP

I'm pretty sure he got a huge kick out of it. Not just the surprise of each new location, but the riding in between them.

I heard him let out screams of glee as he dove my bike in between trucks and cabs in mid town lane splits. YEAHHHHHHHHH! Occasionally when the road opened up he would stand and sprint, dusting me on the Mt Shasta Backwoods WMDTB (equipped with slicks for the day).

Honestly, I don't think I've seen anyone more stoked to ride a bike in a long time. It was like he was 5 and just learned to ride.. but in traffic, FAST. I guess walking around this city for 4 days will make you a bit crazy.

I don't have any pix, but hopefully Mander will post them up soon. I'll bet there are a shit tonne of poorly framed arm's length riding shots on his camera. Here's the final MAP though.

Edit: This is one excited Mander:

The Collective - 2004

Further to Nick's last post, it is a requirement that you watch these videos with the bass turned up! The Collective, self-titled, 2004, so it's pretty old, but the production value and riding is still worth watching. All 16mm, tons of spots, and good smooth riding.

On with it... Matt Hornland, here's some more pogo for ya. I've said it enough times... Ryan Leech doesn't dab! A few good lines in here that us BMXers can look up to.



And to the North Shore, cable cam shots, this section I love - just gliding through the forest.



They have done two more videos since this one: Roam and Seasons. If anyone has a copy, I'd love to check them out.

Projekt-Mailbag

Happy Friday! The Butcher threatens to kick our poncey souls all the way back down that tunnel until we choke on our own fucked-up ribs:

From: Brad Butchard
To: j***b@novex.ca; p**********t@novex.ca; m*****r@novex.ca>; n*****l@novex.ca
Sent: Fri Mar 13 10:03:46 2009
Subject: Are you the type....

… that enjoys watching a bug fly into a spider's web?

Do you enjoy watching you friends suffer while

they do the work you should be helping them with?

Is it too hard to pick up your blackberry and email

a reason you are not at work, while your co-workers

are pushing themselves to the limit of their abilities?

IT"S 10AM, GET TO WORK OR LET SOMEONE ELSE
HAVE YOUR JOBS!!!

Mighty's Cyclocross Hooligans

The Lyle hub is going off road today. I've hooked it up to the Sekine for an adventure from Mighty Burrard.



Get stoked! Get ready to break the ice!



Matt Hornland says "there aren't enough nose pogos in this video" and I agree. If you want pogo, watch the Council of Doom trailer! Thanks Tom from Skitch for the kind words, and the tip on this video. Whether you like the riding style or not, it's good to see these videos being produced.


council of doom - another 48 hours from wolfgang on Vimeo.

But if you just want to come and kick it old school, listen to songs from Rad, and make fun of each other, it's 6pm at Mighty 2, 4th and Burrard. There might even be bushwacking.



The Lyle hub awaits you.

First Vallie Hub in Canada

Yes, I finally got my hub built up. The rest of the photos from an afternoon with Matt at Mighty's new 4th and Burrard location can be found on flickr.

Street Trials, with Engine

Having recently resurfaced on MilanoFixed, I know we've either posted this video before, or watched it a bunch of times in Lyle's old apartment. Regardless, I'm making you watch it, cause that's the way I am.

Kissena Track Attack - push it real good

Yesterday a few of us from the fixed.gr/nyc crew went out to the track for a day of informal warm up exercises. On the menu was pace line practice, flying 200s, match sprints, a miss and out, then team pursuit.

Kissena Velodrome is an asphalt 400m track in a public park, so that means anyone can go there at any time to ride. In fact, the wifey once called me late at night, wind blowing into her phone and said "Guess where I'm riding!"

When we arrived there was a local who was 75 miles into an 80 mile ride on his road bike. Yes, 80 miles on the track. He knew it was a time waster, but said he just felt like getting on the bike and zoning out without going too far from home.

The temperature was a nice 14°C, and even though the forecast called for a 30% chance of rain, the sky was blue at times. Everyone got their bikes tuned as they arrived, swapping risers for drops, and shredded rando tires for high pressure slicks. Jody, the fellow who was organizing the event, made sure everyone was running in tip top shape. Feeling the responsibility of holding an unsanctioned training day, he didn't want any liabilities. His rules were simple:

TRACK WHIPS ONLY w drops/no hand brakes/HELMET and i ask that it be in EXCELLENT mechanical condition. no threads showing from skip stopping and your bars r plugged! if not, u denied.

* This IS a public park and i have no permits so keep that in mind.

Here's Jody setting up his crazy Icarus:


(this and other photos by Tito on flickr)

I love this bike for many reasons. One being that the builder shares a workspace and tubing with Marty of Geekhouse in Boston, MA. Another being that it has a wheelbase and handling characteristics similar to my Cunningham. Thirdly because I have ridden it, since Jody runs SPD pedals. Also, Jody is a monster and rides the hell out of it.

After our warm up pace line exercises, I was feeling pretty good. My Flying 200 times would lead you to believe otherwise though.. I think the fastest time I laid down was 14.69s. Its not great, but this was my first time trying 200s on a 400m track, and starting the sprint was a headwind until halfway through the corner. I'm also still getting used to sprinting in the drops on my Spicer. Still, not the slowest time of the day. The wind made me glad I was running a 53/17 gear.. as any higher and I would have suffered along the back stretch more.

In the match sprints I was paired up with a guy named Rodrigo on a Pista Concept. This guy is quick and small. I had to follow him, and had a really hard time drafting him after the bell rang. My attack felt futile at the end, because it didn't seem to make a difference when I pulled out beside him.


I did alright in our Miss and Out race though. I stayed in it till the end with Jody and Rodrigo, but got taken out by Rodrigo at the line.


The team pursuit exercise was pretty fun too, though we were all showing our fatigue. No one really wanted to pull on the back stretch into the headwind, and you could feel the pack slowing when we were back there.

Over all, it was a great day out in the sun with lols all around. After milling about admiring each others bikes and swapping back to street gearing, most of the crew were riding back to Williamsburg to get tacos before heading to the Time's Up shop warming BBQ. I opted to ride my track gear back through Queens to the 7 Train, which took me back to the heart of my little island.

Sidenote: Track drops and gearing in Times Square is fucking crazy. I headed for Central park thinking it would be better, but since it was the first sunny sunday of the spring, it was just as bad as the street.

Later that eve, wifey and I rode back down south to hit the BBQ (this time on my street gear, my legs were cooked). Here's a little vid to show you how they party down there:



Push it real good!

From the FBM Fixed blog

Does this Sword have BMX bars with the bottom cut off?



Also from FBM Fixed, a local Sword, built by none other than Chunks. Even the bar ends are red. Even though I wanna barf, it doesn't actually look too bad.



I have to leave this short post with a question: is there some "rule" in fixed freestyle that says you have to use toe clips? I'm seeing a lot of BMX-styled 700c bikes with flat pedals these days.

Back from NAHBS

Sorry for the tease, I'm just gonna link to my Vallie Components blog.
Flickr Set from the weekend up HERE.