RED HOOK CRIT - Race Report by Sophia Lee
"Why wouldn't I race my road bike in a criterium?"
"It's fixed gear track bikes on a criterium course. No brakes allowed. We can loan you a bike."
Manic laughter erupted as the component parts sank in. "OK, sign me up."
BOOT CAMP - PHILLY NAVAL YARD - 3 x Track Bike
When I agreed to race Red Hook Crit, I'd ridden a fixed gear exactly twice: once at Northbrook Velodrome, and once on a "grotesque example of conspicuous minimalist consumption." (via BikeSnobNYC) Lucky for me, we have Camille Durocher on QCW, who sat me down in Philly Naval Yard and explained the trig behind pedaling through corners ("So unless you're leaning THIS FAR, you can't pedal strike"). And then she coached me through 25 different cornering drills before pronouncing me semi-unfit to race.
HOBOCYCLIST - Tativille Gypsies
Tativille began in a tiny basement shop in Hyde Park, Chicago, but these days it has an international diaspora spanning Europe and Australia. More than half of its current members converged from IL, CO, PA, MA, and NJ in Brooklyn. It was so great to see so many familiar faces! We can't thank Roderick's relations enough for providing amazingly generous host housing. And hot Philippino-style breakfast. OMG.
QUALIFIERS - 4 x Track Bike
Seeing as how we wouldn't have a chance to pre-ride the course, that it was my fourth time ever on a track bike, and well, Red Hook Crit, I was a total ball of nerves as we staged. Why'd I listen to Tati Cycles? Why am I here? Rain, wtf? As always happens though, I hit the race course, and race mode kicks in. My thoughts simplify and condense: corner, chicane, corner, crowd - cool!, corner, corner, windy - fuck, corner, omg hairpin turn slowdownslowdown, SPRINT. Repeat. I realized that track bikes rules are actually pretty simple: don't stop pedalling, and slow your legs down ... to slow down. I thought: I can do this.
RED HOOK CRIT - 5 x Track Bike
For Red Hook Crit, I donned my Tati skinsuit. Not only did Roderick loan me his bike ("DON'T CRASH IT!"), but he also secured host housing for both me and Melissa Tabas of QCW. Through the rain on every lap I heard Kristina's voice ("CATCH THAT WHEEL SOPHIA - BRIDGE BRIDGE!"), Sheena's and Paul's voices ("GO SOPHIA") above the entire crowd. And of course, I wouldn't have done this race had Tati Cycles not told me about it ("Not race? Bitch, please.")
My crit / track bike abilities being a total question mark meant entering the race assuming I'd get dropped and DNF. The lead pack did drop me, but I was in the first chase group with certified badass Kelli Samuelson the entire race, avoided the crash in the hair pin, was not around for the bad one with the Rockstar racer (hope she's doing ok! well wishes), and in the end, managed to pass Kelli in the final sprint for 7th place! AND THEN LIZ SO PODIUMED WUUUUUUTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.
Red Hook Crit envelopes racers and bystanders alike within its spectacle of flashing lights (such fancy cameras! Melissa even made it to Manual for Speed!), dreams of being internet famous, tricked out track bikes, cobbled-together garage bikes, adrenaline, and a sense of united optimism and excitement about riding bikes fast. Although it may be portrayed as a glorified alley cat (which it most certainly is), all the favorites to win were cat 1 pros in mtb, road, and track (winner of the men's race being a pro French MTB racer, in fact). There was a serious athleticism demonstrated by the sheer number of rollers in use for warm-ups, but there was also a sense of style and grace in representing the elegance and power of bike culture.
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