The current print issue (July 2014) of VeloNews features an article on the rise of the unsanctioned bicycle race (Velonotes p. 21). Many of these events utilize nontraditional formats such as the gravel grinder. The race that they highlight is the Crusher in the Tushar which is now just over 2 weeks away. I feel a little bit of queasy anxiety even as I type that sentence. The history of the Crusher only goes back to 2011, so 2014 will be their 4th year. It is remarkable to see the growth of the event.
- 2011: 180 riders with no registration cap
- 2012: 350 entries (capped) filled in about 3 weeks
- 2014: 600 entries (capped) filled in 10 days
So are nontraditional events like gravel grinders the future of cycling? The popularity of various cycling races and events has always been faddish and cyclical. If you do not believe that ask someone who was in Mackay Idaho in the mid-nineties when 800 people would line up for the White Knob Challenge Mountain Bike Race. Nobody can see the future, but my gut feeling is that events like the Crusher have substantial staying power.
Organizer Burke Swindlehurst believes the success of the Crusher can be attributed to its two basic rules: "Don't be a dick. And have fun." Last year, when I posted some reflections on the etiquette and dynamics of group riding I quoted Chris Huskinson who gave the same advice essentially verbatim. I guess in the world of cycling, these are words to live by.
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