On Saturday Night August 24, 2002 there was an overnight bike race (fun ride) in New York. The ride was based on the cult film “The Warriors” where NYC gangs travel 30 miles from the Bronx to Coney Island. Riders were invited to make up their own gangs and participate in the ride from the Bronx to Coney Island. Our gang ‘Strangers’ traveled from Boston to NYC to participate…
The ride was an Alleycat race, teams navigated to multiple checkpoints to get their manifest signed. Some of the checkpoints required playing hand ball, getting a tattoo, a Sumo style wrestling event, or just downing a beer. In the spirit of the film there was also a section of the race that required riders to get on the subway with their bikes; a special sight to see hundreds of cyclists on the train with their bikes!
Amazingly more than 700 people from all over the world came and rode through the boroughs, the night and the rain to get to Coney Island for the sunrise. When I originally heard about it, I had no idea that it was going to be as big as it was. I had raced some Alleycats and rides before with 50-75 people, but riding through the New York with 700 people was an experience unlike anything else I have experienced on a bicycle.
Not sure I have a great way to sum it up, other than a big party with lots of people who wanted to ride their bikes, see the city and have fun in a unique way. I’d like to do it again.
All images were shot on a Nikon F90x with a Nikkor 24mm f2.8 on Fuji Superia 800.
If you’d like to see more of the race and what it was about there is the ‘Lost documentary‘
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