On Saturday, March 23, 2013, Redbull sponsored the first ever MiniDrome fixed-gear bike race in New York at the Bushwick Church. The schedule for the night consisted of a series of competitions. First, 100 qualifiers each raced to make 10 laps around the track in the quickest time possible from 5-9 PM. Then the top 32 fastest bikers competed against one another. Then the top 16 of that group, then 8, then 4, then 2. Each spectator was given four drink tickets upon entering the event (free Redbull vodkas/cognacs until they ran out!) and over 1,000 people had already RSVP’d before the day of the event. Free T-shirts and Animal grips were being thrown out to the crowd sporadically. Ninjasonik performed. The MC was hilarious. Clearly, the night was an enormous success, if the constant roaring of the crowd was any indication And the occasional biker flying off the track added even more excitement…
The competing cyclists represented a pretty diverse range of styles and sponsors. Sponsors included Chrome, Redbull, Grime Bikes, Animal, Dave’s Warehouse, Brooklyn Machine Works, and All-City, amongst others. There were a handful of female riders, BMX riders, and some very dedicated-looking cyclists covered in padding and tight bicycle shorts. Some sported flashy, pastel-colored fixies and others put together hybrid bikes with huge wheels and wide handlebars for the race. The winners of the event, which ended around 4 AM, were Stefan Vis (third), Toms Albergs (second), and Addison Zawada (first).
