By Deb Killmon

Why do I ride?  Well, it’s faster than walking, cheaper than cabs, better for the environment and a great way to enjoy nature and stay fit in the process!

And, why do I race?  The speed, the strategy, the sensation of the draft pulling you around in a pack…yeah, bike racing is the greatest thrill and fitness challenge!  Oh, and did I mention the fabulous racing community, not only in CRCA in Manhattan, but also out of town!

It all started March 24, 2007…my first bike race ever.  Yes, I was full of anxiety, didn’t know what to expect and just wanted to cross the finish line unscathed.  Well, I was grinning ear to ear the first 3 ½ laps and then disaster struck.  

Yes, Mother Nature had her way with the roads over the winter and left a landmine of potholes by the W. 72^nd St. entrance to the Park.  As if it were yesterday, I saw the back wheel of the rider two in front of me, become engulfed by a cavernous hole and suddenly she went down.  Almost instantly, like dominoes, five of us fell down behind her, with no where to go…uggggh!

To make a long one short, three of us needed some medical care and I ended up breaking my right wrist and left clavicle and had surgery the following week.  Fortunately the other two girls were just a bit scraped up and back two-wheelin in no time at all.  Talk about beginner’s luck!  

All things considered, I was very fortunate, as my injuries could have been much worse and I was as good as new, and even stronger with some hardware, after just two short months.  Please note, I am never very lucky and most riders just suffer a little road rash when they may occasionally get familiar with the pavement…and a little road rash never hurt anyone and is good for the soul!

Now, some have called me crazy to get back in the saddle.  But, what do they know, as they have never experienced the huge high of racing!  Yeah, I had to try again and knew the women’s race clinic was the best place to start.

Finally June 23 arrived, and I was eager to listen, learn and do my best to the finish!  Like a bundle of nerves, about 25 newbies showed up, apprehensive and wondering why they had left their warm beds at 5am to try this racing insanity!

Fortunately I was significantly calmed by the pre-race chat and quickly realized that I had made the right choice to leave the covers behind.  Very experienced riders from the Comedy Central and Radical Media teams were very comforting and told us what to expect in the 3-lap simulated race.  And, they told us to go out and have some fun…and three laps of fun is what we had!

The pack stayed together most of the way and Comedy and Radical riders rode around us, offering encouragement and feedback along the way.  Yes, helpful tips were given, “keep you knees in and your elbows soft;” and “try to stay on a steady wheel and out of the wind!”  I even got great advice to ride in the drops around the pool to feel more stable…boy, did that make a difference!

To make it even more exciting, we had premes (a prize given to a rider winning an intermediate sprint during a race) on the first and second laps and soon prepared for finish at the Met.  Yes, the tension was rising and I couldn’t help but ask for advice on where to begin the sprint, as I was clueless as the line approached.  

Having a mentality to start at the front and stay at the front, I went into horse shit alley at the front of the pack and stayed there ‘til The Boathouse.  Slightly overwhelmed with anxiety, I jumped out of my saddle very early up Cat’s Paw hill, and one of the Comedy riders yelled, “NOT YET!”  But, it was clearly too late as there was no stopping me, as I was now slightly possessed!  

Fortunately, soon the Comedy rider yelled “Go, you have some separation!”  Even more excited by her support, at the top of the hill I got back in my saddle, put my head down and motored it to the finish to take first place!  Now that’s the kind of beginner’s “luck” that I like!  Yes, I was very fortunate and had a strong day and a blast in the process.

The morning just got better and better as we finished with prizes and a post-race discussion, highlighting key points regarding proper techniques, tactics and potential moving forward.  Yeah, the Women’s Beginning Race Clinic was such time well spent and I am forever grateful to the women of Comedy Central and Radical Media for exposing me to this fabulous sport!

To quote Derek Bouchard-Hall, a former US PRO National Criterium Champion, “What was supposed to be a summer of fun on the bike turned into a year, then two years. It certainly wasn’t a calculated plan to have a career as a cyclist.”  Unfortunately I started racing a bit late to make it a career, but fortunately the Women’s Race Clinic on June 23, 2007 marked my first summer of fun and I plan to have many more down the amateur road!

So please, come on out and join us on Saturday, May 31 for three laps of fun…believe me, you’ll have no regrets about leaving your warm bed behind! 

The 2008 Women’s Bike Racing Clinic sponsored by CRCA’s Radical Media and Comedy Central-Sids Bike Shop racing teams will be held on Saturday May 31st at 5:45AM in Central Park.  Pre-registration is available at bikereg.com  There is also day of registration at 5AM-5:25AM in the Rambles parking lot which is just north of the Boathouse on the East Drive just north of 72nd Street. (Please see flier for all of the details)

ALSO…There is a free informational session with Q&A on Wednesday May 28th at 7pm at A Bicycle Shop located at 163 W. 22nd Street (between 6th and 7th aves) Clinic instructors will be there to help you prepare and easy any jitters for Saturday’s clinic.

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