The trip to NYC from Canada for the Red Hook Crit in Brooklyn has always been an adventure for the Canadian fixed gear community. Groups of riders have been making the trip every spring since 2012. It is still cold weather in Canada at the time of the race in NYC and ends up being the first race of the year for many Canadian riders. However, it is not the first race of the year for Mr. Tyrrell as he now has the opportunity to travel the world racing his Undefeated frame set from State Bicycle Co.. Josh has become the standard for high level fixed gear racing in Montreal and Canada. He is chill, collected, and knows what it takes to be an elite level rider. We hope you take the time to enjoy our short documentary film about the annual trip to the RHC and what it takes to be competitive in the growing world of Fixed Gear Crits!
Videos, road trips, cycling races, community sports and athletic careers all have something in common. They all need a team and the help of more than one to be truly successful. The spirit behind the video is that together we are more. The study of organizational theory shows us that we need to use individual strengths within a group to achieve more than can be accomplished by the aggregate efforts of group members working individually. It is an optimisation problem that can have results beyond expectations. This video resulted from the application of this theory. When you put a team of passionate people together you can create incredible results from minimal inputs.
The spirit of community and togetherness is alive and well within the fixed gear world. The fixed gear Crit stems from messenger culture and if you know anything about messengers, then you know they stick together and support each other through all of life’s struggles. The early adopters of the new fixed gear sport are people that identify with this messenger spirit and the spirit of support and comradery. A race that started as a birthday party is now the base for the biggest cycling movement in recent history. The Red Hook Crit and fixed gear criteriums in general are becoming a mainstream cycling discipline within the ‘roadie’ world of spandex and golf shirts. The golf shirts are being replaced by individuality and the spandex is being designed with more than just sponsors in mind. A revolution has started and the show is evolving.
Fixed gear bikes are at the roots and origins of cycling. The first bikes ever created were simple and ran on direct drive trains. As with many tendencies in the world of consumption and conscience, people are beginning to make choices that are not only good for them but good for everyone. Fixed gear bikes align with this idealism. Less is more. Fixed bikes break down less often, there are fewer parts that can break and their simplicity represents a minimalist way of being. The fixed gear bike, this video and the fixed gear crits are about more than ‘I am an athlete’ and ‘fixed gear is cool’. It is about coming together for real change in the world. It is about believing in each other and what we can create together. It is about sticking together through good times and bad.
