Tons of people, a downtown setting, a sweet course closed to traffic, beer, music, an absurd amount of bike riders, and all generally at night make for American bike racing at it’s finest. All across the country in large cities and small towns alike, downtowns are transformed into a stage for some of the fastest bike riders in the country to put on a show of speed, agility, and guts. Criteriums make for one of the best ways to watch a bike race as riders race on a short circuit that only takes generally one to two minutes to get around. There is a culture around them from the side of the riders to the fans that watch, both of which change slightly to the location of the race. A race in southern California is a bit different than that of Oklahoma, to that of Pennsylvania. They all however are off the hook. Fun and exciting to watch as well as to race. Peloton Magazine published this awesome video made by Jordan Clark Haggard that captures the feel of these races with Tulsa Tough in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Depending on where you live, you can probably check out one of these races in person easier than you think. Let us know what you think of the video and any questions you might have on criterium racing.
