Success! The Wear Your Rubbers race was hot

The weather gods were feeling good on Saturday, to the point where the late afternoon was practically begging Hartford's cyclists, "Come out and ride in me! There is an intoxicating mix of sun and cool breezes!" Luckily, there was a race going on, our own Wear Your Rubbers alleycat, and it was, by all accounts, a good time. You can expect a number of posts and pictures here (including a list of winners and such), and you can see all the pictures I took on my flickr site. Also, I will soon upload the video of all the freestyle rapping that I required of the racers before I would sign their manifests at my checkpoint. (I have to tell you that nobody really brought their freestyle A game, so I might try to re-mix it and lay it over a hot beat to make it more tolerable. Stay tuned for that.)

In the mean time, here are a few shots of pre-race hanging around and the post-race festivities. Also, mad love to our sponsors, Manhattan Portage, for the 1st prize messenger bag, Play in Traffic Productions, for the Monster Track DVDs, 5-Boro Generals, for the t-shirts, and CCBA for the stainless steel, non-carcinogenic water bottles. And mad love to the bands who played at the afterparty (and mad apologies to the neighbors for the noise).


T.J. (on the bike, with the dreads) arrives pre-race while Ken gives out manifests and collects cash money. T.J. would go on to win.

More pictures after the jump!



Being a good almost-lawyer, Ken required all racers to sign a waiver of liability. Luckily, there were no injuries reported at the close of the race. (No word yet on post-afterparty cases of the clap.)


I manned the checkpoint at Keney Park Pond, which was idyllic. There was also a lively family reunion going on at the Pond House with a live band, so I could chill out with some hot tunes.


The afterparty featured a healthy dose of that raucous rock-and-roll music that all the young kids are listening to these days. Also beer and delicious fruit smoothies prepared by Ken.


Many of those in attendance at the afterparty cared deeply about reducing their carbon footprints and thus elected to travel to the event on bicycles.