Story by Will Metcalf:
On May 15th, 2010, 45 local Richmond riders assembled together at Holly Street Park in the historic Oregon Hill neighborhood. After the customary milling period of about 30 minutes, everyone registered for the race, and, surprisingly, sat down on a sunny summer day with a temperature in the mid-80s...to complete their multiplication tables.
The Mathlete's Revenge, a bike race hosted and organized by the Saddle Sores Bicycle Club, would not be considered a typical event by any stretch of imagination. Before each rider, or team, as the case may be, could leave Holly Street Park and begin the first heat of the 18-and-a-half-mile race, they were required to finish a set of times tables beginning with one times one, all the way through the twelves. Each stop presented on the manifest was encoded into a math problem for the riders to solve, so they could determine the address of the stop. One brave soul even showed up in traditional nerd garb, including pocket protector and thick-rimmed glasses taped at the bridge.
The stops included activities riders could choose to participate in for extra points to shave time off their total for the race. Noteworthy stops involved being sprayed in the face with a Super-Soaker full of Faygo - or, leaping from a U-haul truck to a crash pad eleven feet below - and a grueling climb up the infamous Main Street hill carrying a case of Red Bull either in a backpack, underarm, or balanced on handle bars. Of the 30 entrants who finished the race: Stu L. received first place, Daga won second, Andrew A. in third, and Aaron L. won Dead Last...for which the prize consisted of a bedazzled TI-83 Calculator and a self-help book.
Sponsored by Red Bull, Chrome bags, and local businesses: Bunny-Hop Bike Shop, Carytown Bikes, Pibby's Bike Repair, Crossroads Coffee and Ice Cream, Lamplighter Coffee, Balliceaux Restaurant and Bar, Chop-Suey Books, and Legend Brewing Company. The race was a charity event organized by the Saddle Sores to benefit Safe Harbor - a shelter for women and children - and it raised $267 for the shelter. Allen G, a founding member of Saddle Sores said, "I thought it went surprisingly well. I really didn't expect 46 people to show up. It was awesome, because the whole purpose of the race was to have fun, do math, promote bike events, and raise money Safe Harbor."
The Saddle Sores' next race, titled 'The Fall of Richmond,' a civil war themed race, take place October 16th. All proceeds of the Fall of Richmond race will also go to benefit Safe Harbor.
