Cheering on the Dirty Dozen Race

As you know, I love to bike! But I also love to cheer on fellow cyclists. I took time out to cheer on cyclists who wanted to get dirty.

The Dirty Dozen bike race is designed for a cyclist to ride the most challenging hills across the city of Pittsburgh. Every year since 1983, cyclists gather once a year for the ultimate cycling challenge in the black and gold city of champions. The founders of the race searched out hills on Unites States Geological Survey (USGS) maps by counting the 20 foot contour lines.

I waited and waited with my dad to watch these cyclists bike up one of the 12 hills in the race. Canton Avenue is hill #9 along the race course. The hill is famous for the steepest grade - 37%.

While waiting, more and more people arrived at hill #9. The crowd kept busy. Folks challenged each other to run up the hill. Other cyclists not in the race pedaled up the hill just for fun.

Just when I thought the crowd was large on hill #9, a band showed up to perform! They played, 'Gonna Fly Now,' multiple times. The great theme song of Rocky Balboa, to me that was the best song for the athletic event of the day. (If anyone knows of the band that performed let me know!)

This year, the race was somber to everyone in the cycling community. Danny Chew, a founder of the race, is currently hospitalized from a serious biking accident. Though he couldn't race, he provided live commentary on Cycling Fusion. The race had to go on despite his injuries, Danny Chew has been quoted saying. (Get better fast Danny!)

To find out who won the 2016 Dirty Race, read the results here. (The race has grown over the years so monitoring the rules has switched to the honor system.)