The red hook crit is an insanely unhinged bicycle race in New York City. The only race requirement is that you ride on a fixed gear bike. For those of you who do not know much about bikes, a fixed gear bike has only one gear, and you cannot “coast” by backpedaling. You must be pedaling at all times, and often these bikes have no breaks. I’ll set the scene – 30 pro races barreling around a one mile concrete track at 25 mph with on bicycles with no breaks. It’s insane.
But thats the beauty of the red hook crit. It’s counter to everything biking usually is. The races are on fixed gear bikes - bikes beautifully stripped down to the essentials in a world where today, bikes are completely overengineered with all of the latest “aero” gadgets. There’s a thrill to the RHC that gives it a certain charm – everyone racing is racing for the pure enjoyment of it. It’s competition in it’s purest form.
Same energy:
22 Jan 2021