Bummer Summer

Selfishly I’ll talk about how this affects me first.

This event introduced me to real life bike racing.

I have some vague memories of seeing Lemond and Fignon in the tour on like “good morning america” with my parents but this race was like it for me. I first saw it in person in the George Hincapie era of USA cycling and came back to Philly to see it when I lived in New York.

As a messenger I’d bug out seeing all the teams riding around the city the days before. For messengers now Lemon Hill is their spot and Big Brad has done a party there for years all night the night before.

For me now- I like(d) to go with my daughter. I’ve been taking her since she was a baby. Go to the café in Manayunk early. Espresso and Hot Cocoa. Chocolate Croissant. I brought an ipad last year and watched the stream so we knew when to walk up the Wall. Everyone crowded by our table checking out the race.

Watch the first lap halfway up the Wall where the grade is at its steepest. Head over to Ridge to watch everyone bomb the hill on the other side on the next lap. We got cowbells from VW and heckled people on the climb. “Shift!” haha ding ding ding ding. (You have to look them right in the eye when you say “shift” or it doesn’t count. Eye contact is very important!)

Head downtown and check out Lemon Hill.

Stop in East Falls at the bottom of Midvale first.

It was cool to be able to show her bike racing like that and be able to say “This is your race in your hood.”

I know a lot of other people have similar stories and traditions.

It was cool.

LOL Department: All these $600K gentrification condos they’ve been sticking on the Wall are called like “Bicycle Hill Homes” and they use the race as a selling point.

d’oh.

N0 LOL department – In the past they blamed lack of sponsors on Lance and doping and frat dudes getting wasted and pissing and barfing all over Manayunk.

This year I can’t see where the scandal is.

It’s just general apathy.

No TD Bank or Corestates to step in.

Everyone tightening their belts with an uncertain economic and political future?