Since I’m snowed in and struggling to find motivation to finish a 15hr week on the bike while constantly getting crapped on by the sky… Time to reflect on the last racing series I rode in.
All the photos are from my iPhone.
“Street Cred”… A four race series consisting of two scavenger hunts, hill race and cyclocross race at different spots all over Kansas City.
Each week, the weather was different. The first week, I wore shorts and the last two weeks involved snow and ice. There were no real rules, no traffic coordination, definitely no sympathy. Week one, we had to find and re-create scenes on the street. With an eight pack of crayons and a single copy of the double sided manifest.
It was hell. I decided to try and take pictures with my phone and ride as fast as I could, to finish the drawings at the downtown Volker Bikes store. Partly through I switched tactics, leaving me with yellow scribbles that lead to me not only losing the winner’s jersey, but losing points in the series.
The week following was dubbed the “Filthy Several,” named somewhat affectionately after several brutal hill climbs in the metro. Six hills in total, from the cobblestone hell of Roanoke to the great wall of Summit St downtown. We had no idea what we were in for, Levon and his crew escorted the ragged peloton from hill to hill.
Week three though, was the best cyclocross race I’ve ever participated in. It took place in the West Bottoms, the cold day after a night of snowfall. The terrain changed at least six times. Loading docks and mounds of tires provided a never ending circle of pain and misery. It was a true cross race.
It was roughly 20 degrees. I wore thermal full bibs, tights over them, Levi’s Commuters over those. Shoe covers, thermal socks… To spend 30 minutes killing my legs getting stupidly lost in Kansas on the way to the start line. I caught the breakaway group miraculously by seeing them pass through an alley. By lap three, I wanted to die. Everything was going bad.
Then, a Peep hand-up. I immediately found my happy place. An epic drink of water and near t-bone with a truck later and the race was over.
Post race, I ate like a monster. While my bike made a mess on the floor.
More pictures can be found on the StreetCred blog.
So before the final race, they released a copy of the official leader board.
Last Saturday marked the end of the series, with another scavenger hunt. This time it took place in Brookside if you were fast, but in my case also included Waldo. Fresh after a seven inch snowfall, a running start lead to a cell phone (or iPad) photo essay. We had to find a snowman, a snow plow, a huge snow pile and then prove we were south. Moto-drafting snow-plows and getting yelled at by senile Waldo residents may have taken place.
Thanks to everyone helped make this series awesome!
The Street Cred blog: http://www.streetcredkc.blogspot.com
Volker Bikes: http://www.volkerbicycles.com
Urban Velo: http://www.urbanvelo.org
Chrome: http://www.chromebagstore.com
Tallgrass Brewing Company: http://www.tallgrassbeer.com
Taddihogg: http://www.taddihogg.com
Kona: http://www.konaworld.com
Road racing season is about to start. Stay posted.
