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Rapha Racing: New York City

By Richard Bravo • 31st July 2009 10:12pm • Posted in Misc

Words: Richard Bravo (aka. "Filthy")

Between the realities of living in a hardened city like New York and the insatiable desire to ride bikes lies a chasm—a divide that leaves many aspiring bike racers sitting in front of computer screens all day while their bikes gather dust. This is the ultimate obstacle (some say indignity) of trying to race competitively while living in a city that requires an atypical work ethic during good times. And these aren’t good times.

And yet, for some of us, not riding bicycles is as far from an acceptable option as is sleeping past 6:00 in the morning, leaving the office at 4:30 in the afternoon or skipping the Friday night happy hour at Franklin Park. One of the members of the New York City-based Rapha Racing team described it thusly: “Once my wife told me she wanted me to ride my bike less. But if I rode my bike less she really wouldn’t like hanging around with the guy I would become.”

For some of us there is no option. We are compelled to ride. And because of the competitive predisposition (probably the same one that drove us to work in a concrete jungle like New York) lurking in our psyches, we are compelled to race. Sometimes at 5:45 in the morning in Central Park; sometimes at 7:00 in the evening on an abandoned air strip in Brooklyn; and sometimes in a crit on Wednesday nights out in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Rapha Racing New York City is a group of like-minded cyclists, all drawn by the same desire to ride the legs off our friends, then laugh about it over coffee and bagels or a couple beers before going back to our families. Rapha Racing is for those of us who force a cycling lifestyle upon a city that would rather say otherwise. Rapha Racing is the triumph of our cycling addiction over our urban realities.

The Roster:
Bryan Borgia
Richard Bravo
James Conopask
Ben Court
Greg Fowlkes
Thomas Hinnershitz
Peter Hurst
Jed Kornbluh
Piers North
Phil Riggio
Luke Stiles

Key Results:
Bryan Borgia: Presently 1st overall in the Pro-1/2 Cycle Fitness 2009 Summer Series; 3rd overall 2009 Bethel Spring Series

Peter Hurst: 1st Pro-1/2 Housatonic Hills Road race; 5th overall Cat 2 2009 Fitchburg Longsjo Classic

Photos taken by Gina Green: TeamorganicNYC.org

Comments

Charles Pearch

31st July 2009 10:24pm

Fantastic, absolutely fantastic, I have just been out for an Indian with my son got home to prepare my race bag for tomorrow nights nocturne, one day i'd love to race NY style. Keep it up , well done Charlie, a brother in arms….

Lowell Baricanosa

2nd August 2009 11:45pm

Rock on RRNYC! The 'compelling' feeling is a mutually felt by your brothers and sisters here in London and no doubt in every urban metropolis. Keep the faith!

Jonathan Harrison

3rd August 2009 02:51pm

Come on Ben Court, you've always been my hero!! Bring us some glory and I'll let you off breaking the window in my flat in 1992! Bon courage to you all…

Thomas Bosch

5th August 2009 06:20pm

"Rapha Racing is for those of us who force a cycling lifestyle upon a city that would rather say otherwise. Rapha Racing is the triumph of our cycling addiction over our urban realities."
Good post, but I have to say, NYC is probably the most biker-friendly major city in America. In Los Angeles, try finding time to ride w/ a commute bogged down in traffic. In Chicago, the population isn't as comfortable sharing their space w/ two-wheelers. However, New York is a cyclist's dream. Nowhere is too far to ride, tons of bike lanes, parks, races, and over 100,000 people riding every day. In a town this populated, I think of it a privilege to ride when most are in bed.

William OShaughnessy

26th August 2009 04:50am

NYC had been the last place in my minds eye to ride and actually breath well.. Having been born in BedSty, lived in Harlem while my Dad risked his life on the Manahattan streets as NY's Finest..I give you guys credit for living in what the immortal Bob Marley called " Concrete Jungle". Remember to Exhale..

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