The weather isn’t so great around here in March so somebody came up with the idea of having indoor bike races in an underground parking garage in the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington Virginia. I finally got around to checking this out tonight. There were three races. The first race is for novices. They ride whatever the want and go as fast or as slow as they want. One of the participants in this race wore what I wish I had wore at every Halloween party for the last 27 years.
You can’t see it very well but the man in white is wearing a t-shirt that says “Cutters” across the front. The shirt and helmet exactly match the Cutters team at the Little Indy 500 in Breaking Away. I didn’t check out his bike but I doubt it was a Roadmaster. Regardless, we are still a little disturbed by the developments in the middle east.
Note how the bicyclists race against the arrow indicating they are renegades who have no respect for authority.
I don’t know have any idea what the orange figure and X on the floor mean. You all should submit creative explanations in the comments section.
One of the other racers wore a donut costume, including sprinkles. He’s in pink, second from right in the front row at the start of the race below.
The next race was the women’s race. The intensity level went up a few notches. The final race was the men’s race. The intensity went up again, in large part because the speed went up. I saw two crashes in the men’s race. Both men got up and jumped back on their bikes. I left before it was over. I couldn’t get on an elevator because EMTs were transporting a woman who apparently crashed. (She was awake and alert. Probably a case of garage rash.)
While the racers did their thing, the onlookers enjoyed grilled cheese sandwiches, pie, and beverages. (I saw wine, beer, and cider. I would imaging that some non-alcoholic liquids were available as well.) It was noisy. There was an announcer, ventilation fans, music, and cheering. It was cold, thanks to the ventilation fans. But mostly it was a bit of zany fun on a chilly evening in early March.
The races in the garage beneath 201 12th Street. It’s at the northern most end of Crystal City. Check it out next Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m.
A Few Spokes Shy of a Wheel 
well obviously there is pirate treasure buried under that X, Beer, grilled cheese and pie are some of my favorite food groups, looks like a fun event to watch and not so much to participate in.