Wheels of Glory II: Compu-Trainer Races
By Dan Elavsky

On Wednesday February 11th, Will Cycle for Charity and The Atomic Cowboy put on a second night of indoor compu-trainer races.  There was no specific club or race team affiliation so anyone who wanted to ride could participate.  The entry fee was $5.

The racers rode identical bikes mounted to stationary compu-trainers in the bar. The trainers that they used had the front forks mounted to a solid anchoring system, so there was never a chance of tipping over or the possibility of falling off the trainer like one might do on a roller trainer.  Before each race, the riders were allowed to adjust the seat height to fit them a little better.

For the first Wheels of Glory, it was an open format with only one category which allowed anyone to compete.  Many thought it was unfair; pitting racers against non-racers so for Wheels of Glory II, they set-up brackets and each racer was given a number so that they rode blindly in their category.  What this meant was that the person who you were riding next to may not necessarily be in your bracket.

As they pedaled, the racers’ progress was continuously fed to a computer. The spectators could view the racers computer characters as well as all of the statistics (how far and how fast) on the wall in front of the trainers.  The cheers would grow louder as one racer would catch up to the other and attempt to pass.  Some of the riders looked as if they were having a lot of fun, while others sported the serious look.  Trash cans were strategically placed near just in case of a reversal of fortune.  The racers sure looked like they were putting forth some serious effort, but through the first round of races I didn’t see anyone use the cans.

The money generated from the races will be used to purchase cycling safety vests for the Compton Drew Dolphin Bicycle Club an after school cycling program in need of equipment.