Lets Go Ride a Bike

With warm weather approaching people will be turning to thoughts of love. The love of bicycling. For those of you who are looking for way to socialize and ride your bikes there many options available in Philadelphia.

Take Your Time Bike Ride - http://tinyurl.com/pnlu3tj

Departing from Rittenhouse Square on the second Tuesday of every month around 6pm. These rides always include a different destination each ride. Starting in April and ending in October these rides alternate between coed and women only.

Philly Full Moon Bike Ride http://tinyurl.com/n9vfype

Come howl at the moon with the Philly Full Moon Bike Ride. Held on the full moon of every month this ride departs from the Philadelphia Art Museum in the evening. Well attended, with a no drop policy this ride ends up at a local bar for drinks. Rides are held year round so dress for the weather and bring lights.

Philly Bike Party http://tinyurl.com/ot2l67t

Come dance the night away with the Philly Bike Party. The Philly Bike Party rides are usually on the third Saturday of the month and is 6 to 8 miles long. Along the way the ride makes several stops to socialize and dance.

Philly Kidical Mass http://tinyurl.com/oan2vp3

Kidical Mass Philadelphia is part of nationwide movement seeking to promote family friendly bike rides and bring awareness in our cities that kids are traffic too. Riding as a group Philly Kidical Mass provides safety in numbers by using routes that incorporate bike lanes and low traffic streets that are 1 to 4 miles long. These rides often end at local playgrounds giving you the opportunity to socialize while your children play with new friends.

Cranksgiving Philadelphia http://tinyurl.com/pf2hgvc

Held in November close to Thanksgiving. Each rider has to purchase food from a shopping list at predesignated supermarkets and then arrive at a final destination. All of the food is donated to Philabundance. For those of you who want to race there are prizes for top finishers in several categories and a special award for the individual who brings the most food. In 2014 Cranksgiving Philadelphia had 100 participants who brought 1200 pounds of food and $700 in cash.

Philadelphia Tweed Ride http://tinyurl.com/mxkt492

Held in the fall around November, the Philadelphia Tweed Ride is the dressiest social ride in town. Attracting 100 riders on average the Philadelphia Tweed Ride dress code asks its participants to dress in clothing from 1900 to 1920 England. The attire ranges from vintage clothing to vintage inspired, with bikes to match. Winding its way through Philadelphia this ride becomes a parade of its own. Complete with a stop for a picnic,  post ride drinks and awards the Philadelphia Tweed Ride is the ride of the social season.

Bilenky Junkyard Cross http://tinyurl.com/nxb8cma

The Bilenky Junkyard Cross closes out the social riding cycling season. Held in December in the junkyard abutting Bilenky Cycle Works, the Bilenky Junkyard Cross has one of the most unique courses around. Utilizing  items found in the junkyard you can expect to climb over cars, weave through auto parts and tires, and splash through puddles of unknown fluids. Each year the merry elves at Bilenky Cycle Works add their own course modifications. Pits made from sofa cushions or leaves and seesaws.

Ferdinand needs dental heros

A few years ago a litter of kittens turned up on the doorstep of Bilenky Cycle Works all of them were adopted except for one who was named Ferdinand and became the resident Shop Cat. From a little kitten Ferdinand has grown up to the size of small dog. He has taken on many roles at Bilenky Cycle Works since his first days as Shop Cat. 

Office Manager

 

Stress Management Consultant

And just how big is Ferdinand?

Ferdinand needs your help. He needs immediate dental surgery as his long term survival may be at risk. Whether you are a cat lover or have enjoyed the Bilenky Junkyard Cross. Donate what you can afford, because every little bit helps

To donate use this link - http://www.gofundme.com/dqnen0

Redbull SSXCWC Junkyard Cross - 2013 wrap up

With the Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships (SSCXWC) happening in Philadelphia the same weekend attendance was down and many of the local riders were at Belmont Plateau. It became readily apparent that this was not the Bilenky Junkyard Cross, instead it was the Redbull SSXCWC Junkyard Cross.

Colin Firth and his unique brand of heckling was MIA, replaced by a Redbull announcer who did a very bad imitation of the old monster truck commercials. There was a higher douche bag to spectator ratio than normal. The worst occurred at the shot tent at the van tunnel, which created a great deal of confusion about which way racers should go and backed up the tunnel entrance. One racer not realizing what was going on followed the to riders ahead of him. When he failed to take a shot he was restrained and forced to start at the end of the pack.

The addition of the ramp by Redbull at the car hurdle was questionable since it was mean't for bikes with heavy frames, 26” wheels, and inexperienced trick riders. The ramp was designed to launch cyclists up instead of guide them across.While it created some spectacular jumps There was one serious accident that required an ambulance and a second before the ramp was removed.

There were some shining moments though in spite of the corporate makeover. Ones that I hope will inspire and carry over into next years race.

The beards were beardier and iconic. Maybe next year there will be a best beard award, real and faux.

                                               

                                                    

Stephen Bilenky  - The man, the beard, the legend

The mighty Unicorn from last year was back.

One competitor raced on a 80's era Dahon folding bike and rode over the ramp.

There was a preview of a Trek Fat Bike that will be available in 2014.

The car hurdle was a single car instead of two which gave everyone time to get the running start needed to clear a higher than normal barricade. The ramp added some advantage in several heats when two or three racers at the same time would vault the car and run or ride over it to gain better position.

The single walkway at the tractor was changed to two, which avoided back ups.

Redbull sponsors high speed motor sports and when it comes to bicycles its BMX, mountain bike and downhill mountain bike racing. The type of riding that involves high speed maneuvering, big air, and the potential for spectacular crashes. Everything that cyclocross is not. This years Redbull SSCXWC Bilenky Junkyard Cross were best summed up in response to the Redbull audio truck, “you know how it goes, when the corporate world gets a whiff of a grass roots happening.” I look forward to next year when it returns to its local roots.

Bilenky Junkyard Cross - 2013

On Saturday, December 7 the Bilenky Junkyard Cross will ride again. Finishing a heat is a prize unto itself. Set in a junkyard abutting the Bilenky shop this race requires you to navigate a wide range of surfaces with barriers and hazards you would never normally encounter.

The course surface varies from dirt, packed earth, gravel, to pavement along with some oil, radiator and transmission fluid mixed in. Then of course there are the barricades; the junk yard provides a wide range of obstacles. So what are some of the things you can do to prepare for the race if your trying to place in your heat?

1. Don't ride clipped in. Last year I saw several riders switch from clipless pedals to BMX pedals. They were off and on their bikes so often they were losing time and position when they struggled to clip in. BMX pedals are wider so they are easier to get your foot on and they are still grippy enough to keep sneakers from slipping.
2. Wear sneakers instead of cycling shoes. Riding shoes with cleats will leave you at a disadvantage on many of the sections of the course which may require you to run on a wooden walkway or climb over the hood of a car. Shoes with cleats will leave you off balance with no traction.
3. While you are going to see many people riding standard cyclocross bikes, the course does not always give you the time to shift gears. Some of the fastest and most aggressive riders are the riders on single speed mountain bikes and BMX. These are the competitors who think nothing of bunny hopping a car used as a hurdle. Or pulling wheelies through the start/finish line like one competitor did last year.
   4. Do not underestimate the influence of the spectators. Last year in the middle of a heat the car hurdles were quickly mofided with ramps and the second car had ramps on both sides. When one racer squeezed through a gap between the car hurdle and edge of the course, spectators filled in the gap with car tires and when that racer came around again they had quite the surprise. 

There are some suggestions I would also like to make to the course designers.

The frequent comment I heard from the competitors was there was no place to pass. It may be time to reconsider the course design. The car hurdles create a larger than normal hurdle, but they only allow for one racer at a time to get over it. The same can be said for the mini van used as a tunnel. 

With all of the options of things that can be found in the junk yard perhaps its time to revitalize the course to allow for passing and faster speeds in certain sections. By making the hurdles and barricades able to accommodate more than one person at a time. Create a slalom with tires stacked three high and tied together in groups of three to form a triangle for stability.

Another challenge faced last year was in one of the last races ended a few laps short when some of the spectators started yelling “you won” as the pack came through the start/finish line, when the heat had not ended. Purchase a standard, checkered finish line flag so there is a clear indicator as to when the heat is over.

Some other concerns include increasing the number of port-a-potties as last years were full to capacity at the end of the day. As well as the possibility of moving the food truck to a location that is not right on top of the course.

As always it goes without saying that the Bilenky Junkyard Cross has become one of the most popular and challenging local Cyclocross races. It has developed such a following that last year a saw numerous out of state license plates including; New York, Maryland, New Jersey, and Indiana. This is a must see race that should be on everyone's list of things to do.

2010 Documentary
Bilenky Junkyard Cross (A Short Film) from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.

2012 Race Highlights