At the young age of 10, I found myself intrigued in the extreme sports. Bicycle Motocross caught my eye as a must thrill in my life. Biking had become a way of life at this point and I rode some serious trick bikes for about 6 years. I discovered the mountain bike near the end of that rein and began jumping the two (not simultaneously). I began riding a single speed mountain bike and racing once annually. I liked the challenge and excitement a single gear provides and maintenance had become mere hearsay. Upon my arrival in Chicago, for school and residency, my need for speed was never quite fulfilled riding a mountain bike in the city. I came to a realization that I needed a rig that could push the limits of fitness, sound and light. Racing the streets of Chicago became such a rush with my newly pimped track bicycle that I couldn’t ride enough to get my fix. My involvement with the bike had a certain emptiness to it. I felt so disconnected from the biking community that I knew the city possessed. Searching for the answer was easy enough with a little dialogue between bicyclists I ran into on the streets (verbally not physically).
My calling became these races that I was told were called “alleycats”? Me as a biker being one of the “cats” and the “alley” as a metaphor for the city in which we scurry through. After an unfortunate first race, which I had won with repercussions, my second shot was the Tour da Chicago. After racing the prologue, I felt this powerful vibe from the whole experience and I knew that I was in the right place.
The Cuttin’ Crew to me is this strong group of bike riders who all come from different backgrounds, but have a certain camaraderie that separates them as a sanctioned racing team from one of the like; the adrenaline rush of knowing I am not the only one out racing and the energy and power behind a team of people filled with the same passion I possess.