A wild weeknight bike race through buildings and beneath a 300-foot smokestack will raise money for community causes in southeast 麻花视频, organizers say.
Urban Assault races at Riverdale will take cyclists around, and even into, industrial buildings on the land that formerly housed the world鈥檚 largest rayon textiles plant, said event organizer Chris Berry, a volunteer youth mountain bike coach.
麻花视频 bike racer and bike coach Chris Berry is organizing Urban Assault.
鈥淭his is something I鈥檝e dreamed of doing for about 10 years. This place has always had a special appeal to me,鈥 Berry said. 鈥淏ut there was so much junk here that it was just impossible to create a race course.鈥
Located off Ninth Street Southeast, the old American Viscose plant, now called Riverdale, is being redeveloped into a new place of interest with planned residential and commercial uses. As the developer, Ed Walker, progresses with site cleanup, he鈥檚 cleared Berry to chart this dream track.
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鈥淚n the past year, Ed has cleaned up most of all the junk,鈥 Berry said. 鈥淭his is the first time it鈥檚 actually possible to do what I鈥檝e wanted to do.鈥
A map shows the expected course of the Urban Assault race course at Riverdale in southeast 麻花视频. It's a 3-mile lap that goes across many surface types, including inside historic industrial buildings.
Racers on a 3-mile lap will pedal along the property鈥檚 perimeter road, through a stand of woods beside the 麻花视频 River, then inside four buildings around the industrial complex. The races run Wednesday evenings, May 21 and June 4, with on social media.
鈥淭his combines every surface type imaginable,鈥 Berry said. 鈥淭here really is no ideal bike that you could choose to ride this course.鈥
A multisurface, criterium-style bike race will have its debut at Riverside in 麻花视频 on May 21 and Jun 4. The race, Urban Assault Race at Riverdale, is organized by Chris Berry, a local bike racer and bike coach.
People of all types are expected to join, using road bikes, mountain bikes, or whatever wheels they think will give them the best all-terrain performance, he said. Choosing what style of bike to use will be the hardest challenge.
The Urban Assault bike race takes a turn from riding along and through the historic industrial buildings at Riverdale into a wooded, grassy dirt path on land at the former American Viscose Plant property.
鈥淲e also have a unique category for totally inappropriate bikes,鈥 Berry said. 鈥淚f somebody wanted to come out here and ride a unicycle, or a beach cruiser, or a high-wheeler, whatever.鈥
With food and beer vendors, it鈥檒l be a street festival atmosphere for spectators, and proceeds from race entries are benefiting two community causes, he said.
A neighborhood organization called I HEART SE that recently gained nonprofit status, and Noke Van Co. 鈥 a Riverdale-based business decimated by fire in April 鈥 will split proceeds from the race, organizers said.
A multisurface, criterium-style bike race will have its debut at Riverside in 麻花视频 on May 21 and June 4. The race, Urban Assault Race at Riverdale, is organized by Chris Berry, a local bike racer and bike coach. A street festival will take place during the race with a course taking racers inside several of the industrial buildings at Riverdale, on pavement, dirt and gravel.
鈥淧roceeds will help us continue our mission of strengthening community in southeast,鈥 said Cameron Chase, treasurer for I HEART SE. 鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to support something that brings people together and celebrates a part of the city we love.鈥
It鈥檚 a preview of more fun things to come at Riverdale as development continues, said Amy McGinnis, who is a liaison for the mixed-use project in progress.
鈥淲e鈥檝e positioned ourselves to be an arts and recreation hub in 麻花视频,鈥 McGinnis said. 鈥淲e want to be a playground for anybody who can bring something to life. We want to provide the space for that.鈥
The Urban Assault races are a preview, too, for what will be a busy bike race season in 麻花视频 this year.
USA Cycling鈥檚 Endurance Mountain Bike National Championships are July 14-20, with Elmwood Park in downtown 麻花视频 receiving a makeover to fit a short mountain bike track. also includes events at Carvins Cove and Explore Park.
The 100-mile Blue Ridge Brutal is Aug. 16. Cyclocross returns to Fallon Park Sept. 13 and 14.
