bike, October, 1996
by Allen St. John
Hey, says Trek/VW rider Darryl Price to one of his Lycra-jerseyed teammates,just outside New York’s swanky Tavern on the Green. You see the guy withhis cycling shorts over his jeans? I'm gonna kick his ass.
Even though they were the visiting team, the pros copped a certain NewYork attitude as they prepared for the Trek-sponsored Mountain Bikers vs.The Messengers in New York’s Central Park.
However, it was clear that Price didn't know just who he was messingwith. The object of his torments was Juan Castro of Breakaway Couriers,a six-year veteran of the New York City streets. Only four months earlier,Castro and his fixed-gear Rossin were T-boned by a yellow cab running ayellow light on 14th Street and Fifth, Avenue. He was out cold for twodays and off the bike for a month with blurred vision. When you've survivedan up close and personal with a Chevy Impala, you don't scare so easy."Real life obstacles hit back," he retorted, loud enough forPrice to hear.
However, corporate propriety dictated that there would be no real-lifeobstacles in Central Park this day. The format was simple: five riderswould try to pick up and deliver a package while negotiating a pseudo-cityslalom course. Cardboard cutouts of Marilyn Monroe and Captain Picard (asopposed to Bernard Goetz and Travis Bickle) stood in for real pedestrians,while a few stationary new Jettas represented a poor substitute for rushhour in midtown.
The Trekkers caught a break when the curse-the-cabbie-in-Farsi requirementwas lifted at the last minute.
Although the going was pretty even during the first two legs, the Trekkerstook a big lead during the third leg when Glen Brown of Quick Tracks, a230-pound track rider, lost his rear wheel he claimed later his tires weresoft and had to carry his north-of-the-border taco special cyclocross-style to the next check-point. But that gap closed right up again whenTravis Brown handed over the wrong delivery slip and wasted valuable secondsarguing with the desk clerk.
The pros again lengthened the lead in the anchor legs, but a miraculousfinishing sprint by messenger Ray Diaz ended the race in a dead heat. However,the home team was deprived of its rightful victory when the judges saidsomething about Diaz missing the last 10 gates. The fix was obviously in.
And despite the dicey officiating, Price continued his trash talkingafter the race. We should have had people in the cars opening the doorsevery so often, he cackled.
But Don Myrah, for one, was more than happy to concede the asphalt tothe guys who do it every day: "My money would have been on the messengersif the traffic was moving," he said. "They're skilled professionals.
If you have comments or suggestions, email me at messvilleto@yahoo.com