To promote cycling for the betterment of humankind and to maintain the fitness of our species through meaningful, but not strenuous, physical exertion we are donating a souped up Flying Pigeon PB-13 3-speed step-through bicycle to the Wolfpack Hustle Marathon Crash Race. The rider deemed “Dead F*&king Last” (or DFL in polite society) is to be awarded the bike in honor of their achievements in the field of civilized personal locomotion.
RACING THE END ——(Marathon Crash Race 2011) from Warren Kommers on Vimeo.
This coming Saturday, March 18, 2012 the Wolfpack Hustle is producing The Marathon Crash Race. Hundreds of insane people are going to ride their bikes at 3 a.m. (or whenever), on the closed LA Marathon course, sweating and grunting their way across the Los Angeles Basin, in the hope that they will snatch a pair of dog tags and the street cred due the winner of the road bike or fixed gear divisions.
We take a different view towards cycling here at Flying Pigeon LA, more in line with the guiding philosophy behind Mikael Colleville-Andersen’s “Slow Bicycle Movement“:
“As a means of pleasure, cycling stands in the foremost rank, but in common with all the great pleasures, it may easily stand in the foremost in abuse. The desire to ride at an unreasonably high speed may become morbid…The ever lasting scorcher, bent like a hoop, and with sunken cheeks, ought to be quite sufficient warning against this abuse.”
Slow Bicycle Philosophy from 1892.
In the book “How to Bicycle” by L.F. Korns.
The bike is one of our black Flying Pigeon PB-13 frames (a step-through or “ladies” model), and is approximately a 20″ (or 51 cm) size – suitable for men or women with an inseam (inside leg) measurement of 30″ to 34″. We found the frame under a stack of things in our warehouse and spent the past two weeks getting it ready. The rod brake system has been done away with in favor of a Shimano Nexus 3-speed coaster brake hub. Ball bearing assemblies, cranks, tires, handlebars, and stem have all been replaced with higher quality components. The cream tires are Schwalbe Delta Cruisers – one of our most popular and attractive tires in the extra big 28 x 1 1/2″ wheel size.
As of this writing, the rules for awarding the DFL Flying Pigeon PB-13 3-speed are not established – so strategizing and scheming to be DFL, while encouraged, is not a guarantee of winning the prize. What I mean to say is: we will probably have a cut-off time to decide “DFL”, not a war of attrition.
Hope to see you at the pre-party and he Marathon Crash Race! To the fastest got the Walfpack dog tags, but to the slowest the glory of a life well lived!