“If you want to race seriously, find a different event,” says Wes Dixon, half of the winning duo for Double Dare’s 2010 edition. To win the Double Dare, Dixon and teammate Geoff Bergmark rode 153 miles, climbing 23,000 feet in elevation in 22 hours. It was a monster athletic accomplishment, but Dixon didn’t sign up for the Double Dare to test his biking prowess. “The whole reason we ride bikes is to have fun. The Double Dare, with the slingshot challenge and light show, keeps it lighthearted.”
Light show?
“When everyone’s out riding on Saturday, I spend my time setting up this elaborate light show at base camp,” race director Eric Wever says. “It sets the tone for the weekend.”
Yes, there’s typically a winner at these events, but there aren’t really any losers. Think of these events more as G-rated episodes of Jackass, but for people who like to get a little cardio in with their shenanigans.
“People want to be active, but not everybody can train for a marathon or a triathlon. This sort of event is much more attainable and much less intimidating,” Kravetz says. “And people love the obstacles. These little challenges give them the chance to do crazy things that they wouldn’t do otherwise.”
Check out these races that will take you way out of your comfort zone.
URBAN ASSAULT Charlotte, N.C. ride bikes, do goofy stuff Teams of two ride to checkpoints throughout downtown Charlotte. At each checkpoint, bikers have to complete a challenge, which can be anything from racing mini-bikes to piggyback polo.
“Probably the toughest challenge is the human wheel barrel,” race founder Josh Kravetz says. “You grab a BMX wheel with pegs, while your teammate grabs your feet and pushes you like a wheelbarrow through a course.”
Bikers will typically ride 15 to 20 miles during the Urban Assault, but there is no set course, so route-finding is part of the challenge. In 2010, Charlotte’s inaugural Assault saw 500 racers. September 18. urbanassaultride.com
DOUBLE DARE BREVARD, N.C. ride bikes, do goofy stuff, then rave Teams of two bike for up to 12 hours on two consecutive days trying to reach 10 checkpoints each day. If you’re in it to win it, you’re looking at up to 80 miles of pedaling per day. But most folks enter the Double Dare simply wanting to ride bikes and have fun. Along the way, they’ll tackle challenges like BB gun target practice, and last year there was a “slow bike race,” where the last one to finish (without stopping or dabbing a foot) won an hour off his team’s time. Costumes can also be strategic. One team moved into second place because of the time bonus they won for staying in costume the entire weekend. They were dressed as Jugglers: fans of the Insane Clown Posse. At night, Pisgah Productions turns the campsite into a mini rave, with a light show, bonfire, and movie screenings. Halloween weekend. pisgahproductions.com ST. FRANCIS MUD RUN GREENVILLE, S.C. be a marine for a day This four-mile run has 30 different obstacles along the course, all of which were inspired by Marine Corps boot camp training. You race in teams of four, and your team has to finish at the same time. Along the extremely muddy course, runners face low crawls beneath barbed wire, truck tire throws, and 15-foot scaling walls slick with mud. At one obstacle, you have to carry a teammate 50 yards on a stretcher.
