This may just be our favourite track cycling video ever, and it’s certainly one of the more bizarre events we’ve seen – it’s called the Marymoor Crawl, and is a perennial crowd-pleaser at the July Marymoor Grand Prix track meet in Redmond, Washington State in the Pacific North West of the US.
The idea is simple. Riders have to stay upright – no feet on ground, no interfering with other riders, no holding the rail on the side of the track, no crossing the finish line – for up to four minutes before the bell rings, then the ones left in go hell for leather for a single lap of the velodrome.
Cue plenty of trackstanding … then a desperate dash for the line by the handful of riders left in from the couple of dozen or so who lined up at the start.
We’d LOVE to see this in the Olympics – Brian Cookson, please push for it – but is it just us, or do the riders with the more aero, pro-looking helmets get eliminated earlier than most of the others?
The Marymoor Crawl!!! … Grand Prix 2014 from RideITLikeUstoleIT!!! on Vimeo.
27 thoughts on “Video: Is this the best track race format ever? Sit back and watch, and suppress your giggles …”
I’m already pitching this for
I’m already pitching this for Track League next season. It would be hilarious!
I can see it working at Herne
I can see it working at Herne Hill. At Lee Valley or Calshot, not so much.
all kinds of awesome
all kinds of awesome
Brilliant, really loved
Brilliant, really loved this.
I’d love to see more rides like this at track meetings, I like how quite a lot of people went to the line to early and ended up costing them, such a simple idea but great entertainment.
RobD wrote:Brilliant, really
I like the guy who hangs at the back for ages, then sprints forward to the line to get a good position. Then he can’t hold it and beats the ground in frustration!
We are going to run this down at our youth cycling club sessions in the future. Some of the younger ones (e.g. 9) can track stand on a fixed wheel, no handed, for ages 🙂
love it!
love it!
Fantastic!
Fantastic!
Genius, get it in the
Genius, get it in the olympics
Oh now that’s superb. near
Oh now that’s superb. near the end of the “stand” period one chap, who comes off down towards the centre, is in baggy shorts and sandals!
brilliant!
brilliant! =D>
At out school sports day back
At out school sports day back in the 80s we used to have a Slow Bike Race.
I was the only one with a fixed wheel bike (and the requisite skillz obviously) so always won it.
Now im just slow. Period.
What are the things they’re
What are the things they’re handing to (some) of the riders?
cash!
cash!
Some of the kids in our local
Some of the kids in our local bike polo team would own this.
I’m loving this, what a good
I’m loving this, what a good idea and adds a bit of fun to a track meet.
Bloomin’ brilliant! Having
Bloomin’ brilliant! Having just tried the track for the first time, much respect to the guys that hung on to the end! I was expecting to see a few topple sideways! Very entertaining. We need this!
*Likes*
*Likes*
I remember fondly the slow
I remember fondly the slow bike race for police officers that was a feature of the Shrewsbury carnival in the 1950’s. The police patrolled on bikes in those days, so there was a big turnout of uniformed officers and everyone loved seeing a copper fall off his bike.
Cash? Why? I couldn’t see
Cash? Why? 🙂 I couldn’t see any obvious reason why some cyclists were being handed these things and others not?
Is the cash to lure riders
Is the cash to lure riders down from the top of the bank and nearer to the start line?
Randomly, this is my local
Randomly, this is my local track. And this is a really fun event to watch and participate in (if you can, I can’t); I’d highly recommend it for any track meet. It’s easier at Marymoor because the banking isn’t so steep but the concept could be adapted for indoor tracks.
The cash is designed to tease riders to the start line, as well as try to get them to do a one-arm track stand. It’s hard to do, but if you have the skills you also get the cash. If you’re struggling just to stay upright then you won’t be asking for that extra dollar.
Awesome.
Was that a lady that
Awesome.
Was that a lady that crushed everyone? Really couldn’t tell.
Also loving the girl handing
Also loving the girl handing out cash to anyone brave enough to take it from her!
Does anyone know the
Does anyone know the blue/white kit of the chap who came second?
Watch again and you will see
Watch again and you will see the eventual winner (not a lady, a dude with a pony tail (Thor?)) hanging at the back. He was the only one left on the bank for over two minutes. He had a break for his legs and trundles forward to the line then stands for another minutes before the sprint. #Tactics #Winner!
As my 9yr old has perfected
As my 9yr old has perfected no-handed track stands on his track bike, I plan to send him along to any track meet that hands out cash to clean up 🙂
He can pay back his Dad some of the money spent on bikes :”(
The slow race has been part
The slow race (who can cross the finish line last with no foot down) has been part of BC’s Go Ride for years now. Really good fun and usually won by the BMX kids. Similar to making them ride inside a circle of cones and making the circle smaller and smaller until one rider is left.