Philly Bike Expo 2018: Pratt Frameworks Red Hook Crit Track Bike – Jarrod Bunk

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Philly Bike Expo 2018: Pratt Frameworks Red Hook Crit Track Bike – Jarrod Bunk

2018 Philly Bike Expo: Pratt Track Bike
Photos and words by Jarrod Bunk

Sometime after Red Hook Crit this year, Jocelyn Tipton had her race bike stolen, luckily for 2019, they found a new ride, this Pratt.  Joining Dani Moreshead and Sam Fox this year for a new all-women team Pratt/Phil Wood will be competing at Red Hook Crit Brooklyn and Milan, Mission Crit, Redbull Last Stand, and a few others in preparation for 2020 fixed gear nationals.

The build features some nice touches from Phil Wood, including their hubs, headset, and seat collar as well as tires from Challenge and rims from Princeton Carbonworks.  The paint was a mix of spray-bike and the graphics were designed by Still Life.  One thing for sure this bike will turn your head at breakneck speed during the races, so take a moment and check the gallery above and good luck to the new team!

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Follow Jarrod on Instagram, and Pratt on Instagram

Humbled by the Hook: a Collection of Tales from Team Stanridge at the Red Hook Crit Brooklyn

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Humbled by the Hook: a Collection of Tales from Team Stanridge at the Red Hook Crit Brooklyn

Humbled by the Hook: a Collection of Tales from Team Stanridge at the Red Hook Crit Brooklyn
Photos by Luke Atkinson, words by Evan Hartig with quotes credited.

On Saturday, April 28th, tens of thousands of fans descended on a large asphalt parking lot on the western edge of Brooklyn. The occasion: Red Hook Criterium #11. Some were there for the crashes, some for the skinsuit clad superheroes (and supervillains), but all were there for the party surrounding the raucous spectacle of fixed gear criterium racing. By the end of the night, many an athlete had left pieces of themselves on the brutal tarmac, especially once the skies opened and rain pelted the already-technical course with 10 laps to go in the men’s final. A select few left with the glory of a successful race.

Gone is the stoicism and pseudo-ego of a road race. Why isn’t the field tenser? The course is dark, soon to be saturated with rain from the storm cell currently hovering over Manhattan. No brakes, no freewheel. Maybe the whole concept is so absurd one simply has to be relaxed. Delusion? Maybe.

10 Years of the Red Hook Crit Brooklyn – Brian Vernor

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10 Years of the Red Hook Crit Brooklyn – Brian Vernor

10 Years of the Red Hook Crit Brooklyn
Photos by Brian Vernor, words by Dan Chabanov.

The Red Hook Crit turned 10 this year. I first did the race in 2010, Brian Vernor was also there for the first time, making a movie and shooting photos. Seven years later we were both in the media tent at the 10th edition of the race trying to take it all in while simultaneously being completely blown away by the race. A few days later I got to see his photos from that day (the one’s you see in this gallery) and the images he made just struck a cord with me. The choices he was making about what to photograph and what not to photograph made me feel like he was understanding the race in a way that was similar to mine. So I called him up to just talk about the Crit, his photos, and why he keeps coming back.

Team Specialized Rocket Espresso Red Hook Crit Allez Allez Allez

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Team Specialized Rocket Espresso Red Hook Crit Allez Allez Allez


Photos by Chris Riekert

The Red Hook Crit Brooklyn is coming this weekend, April 29th. Each year, the designers at Specialized look to outfit their racers with limited edition Allez track bikes. This year, the design was inspired by the process and design of the BMW art car series with a composition made by puzzle-pieced decals on top of the frame’s paint as a collaboration with Rocket Espresso, the team’s co-sponsor.

This process makes these uniquely-designed bikes production-ready, unlike previous versions of the RHC Allez race frames. If you’re looking to acquire one of these, the bad news is the track frames are for the athletes only, but there will be 300 road frames available in July. See the Allez track frames in action this weekend at the Red Hook Crit and check out more photos below. Thanks to Dylan Buffington for sending these over!

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Red Hook Crit Brooklyn No9 Recap

Here’s the official recap for the Red Hook Crit Brooklyn No9 and it’s a long one! RHC has uploaded the men’s and women’s races in their entirety by splicing together multiple cameras used by athletes throughout the race.

Brooklyn Red Hook Crit No. 9  – Chris Lee

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Brooklyn Red Hook Crit No. 9 – Chris Lee

Brooklyn Red Hook Crit No. 9
Photos and words by Chris Lee

The clouds hung very grey and ominous that morning. No surprise since it rained for most of the day prior. Nevertheless, as soon as the announcement was made that qualifying rounds would begin, the sun broke through the clouds and the ninth iteration of the Red Hook Crit was on.

With every year, there seems to be an inevitable metamorphosis. Admittedly, RHC is not the birthday celebration race that it once was. Nowadays, banners of corporate sponsors don the barricades, along with newly acquired bicycle sponsor, Specialized. But the allure and the romance of RHC still remains and the level of competition becoming elevated with every stop. This year brought pro, elite and working class athletes from 48 countries, hungry to represent their team and country on the podium. This was especially true in the women’s field who, in many ways, were the most eager to bring the spotlight to their efforts, which indeed shined brightly.

While this year’s Crit was not without it’s fair share of controversy and bloodshed, a fiercely competitive male and female peloton chose their champions. In the end, Ainara Elbusto, an Italian representing Conor WRC, fought through crashes and sprinted for the win in the women’s race while Colin Strickland, an American representing Allez Allez-Specialized, broke away for a solo win after a devastating crash in the men’s field involving a stalled moto.

Although it’s not certain what the next metamorphosis will look like for the Red Hook Crit. What is certain is that anyone can still earn the top spot on the podium, pro or amateur, which makes this race’s allure even stronger every year.

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Follow Chris on Instagram and at his website.