Rad Race, answers and memories
Meeting Ingo Engelhardt at the Velothon and speaking about his child: Rad Race
These are the days of the Velothon Berlin, the most important cycling event of this city, blessed by a very strong bicycle community but damned by a very unattractive geography. It’s not only about the 10.000 cyclists taking part of the amateur ride, nor about the extremely competitive under 23 race, it’s the whole event that is really one of the most special moments of the city where all the different communities of cyclist in Germany are meeting enjoying the first warm weather of the year.
Walking in this perfect environment I crashed against Ingo Engelhardt, one of the founders of Rad Race. You know Rad Race, don’t you? Crazy races, funny people, a lot of freaking enthusiasm: Rad Race.
Yo Stefano, maybe you are simplifying a bit, what do you think?
Maybe. Yes. Let’s start from the beginning then.
Let’s do it. That’s what we are: Rad Race consists in 12 friends trying to change cycling for good. We started in 2013 and wanted to start our own cycling brand organizing wild races and selling some good looking cycling apparel. I called up my 11 best friends asking them to be part of such a project. Something real. Something to sweat for. Something to spend all your hard earned money. Luckily, and crazily, they said yes. It was 2013, the name popped up on our way to Berlin for an hardcore punk rock while our logo was born on our way back, as an engaging ring.
And Now?
Now, almost 3 years later, I am still sitting on a train. Once again on my way to Berlin where we organized the biggest fixed gear race of all times, with more than 500 riders from all over the globe. That’s the Rad Race Fixed42 World Championships.
We are still the original team working on the Rad Race, everybody with his regular job (only Jan works full time on Rad Race) but dedicating all our passion on this great, crispy, project.
An inspiration based on one single motto: Stop Racism, Start Raceism.
Everything started on that Hardcore Festival in Berlin: we listened to Agnostic Front and Gorilla Biscuits who were producing such a show for anybody of us, Punks, Straight Edge Kids. No matter what race, religion or t-shirt you had on, they were singing to anybody hoping to give you some good time. That’s what we wanted to be: an event open for all bikes that unifies all crews and scenes. Because we are an open society and everybody needs to respects anyone and treating them equally.
But why bicycles, why not any other sport?
That’s a good question Stefano, particularly because we all have different backgrounds than cycling: Jan was a professional basketball player, Urban is a surfer. Some of us are skateboarders and others mad for football. But all of us have Munster in our background: Munster and its cycling attitude. There you can find that attitude into an almost car-free and unpolluted environment. But we carried with us this spirit and our background, organizing cycling events more similar to dirty skateboard contest than posh cool-jerseyed race.
Talking about cities, where in Germany you think you can find the most radicated bicycle culture?
Well, I can only talk about Münster, Cologne and Hamburg the three cities I lived in and I think you can only rate a city you spent some years in. So, well, my choice is Hamburg, by far. Here there is the best scene in Germany. So many different crews, cyclists and events. It’s full of people that just love cycling. They are only missing some mountains there.
What makes Rad Race that different from other races?
Riders. Atmosphere. People. Music. Rules. Hosts. Sponsors. After Show Parties. Scene. Community. Everything’s different. But if I should name just one thing it would be the riders.
You have different format of races: Last man standing, Battle, Crit, Fixed42, Bergfest, which one do you prefer?
That’s my top 3:
3. Rad Race Fixed42 World Championships.
Why? Because some idiots are organizing a freaking world championship.
2. Rad Race Battle
Why? The feeling of 10.000 people in Hamburg cheering for our sprinters the dawn before one of the biggest cycling event in Europe (Cyclassics) is just an unreal feeling.
1. Rad Race Last Man Standing, Heidbergring, 13.08.2016
The best experience in the best location you would image. You can see the whole race for the whole time as a spectator. The main race is in a wild and fun and easy to understand format. There is a camping site, so you can just party for 48hours and finally, there is a team time trial on Sunday morning. It’s all there. If I would be allowed to invite you to only one race, it would be that. But you can come to all of them, of course.
And what about the future.
For next year we are baking something tasty: the “Rad Race Tour de Friends“. A mix between a long distance alleycat and a stage race from Munich to Venice: a team race of 600k over the Alps open for Fixed Gear, Road Bikes or whatever bike you wanna take over the mountains. A big Block Party on the piazzas of every city and, Grand Finale? In Venice, obviously. Check it out, you will find a registration spot from December the 10th 2016.
Wow! But in your projects there are also travels. What’s that about?
I like to start this answer with a story. Kind of a sad story: quickly after we started Rad Race, Sebastian and myself had the idea to plan a ride from Hamburg to Oslo with a bunch of friends. That was in 2014. And we really did it having seriously the best time in our life. A few months after our trip, Sebastian died in a cycling accident and we swore to ourselves to continue cycling and travelling dedicating our travels to him. If I would die I would like to have the same thing. Everyone keep smiling and having a good time.
And that’s what we did, a trip every year, open to everybody and with shootings and movies about.
Tour the Skandinavia, Tour the Iceland,Tour d’España, these were our adventures. And for this year we are planning a spin in your country Stefano: from Rome to Milan passing through Alps, Dolomites and Tuscany. What do you think? Can you see some fun in there?
Shit loads of fun! Talking about you, which are your favourite cyclists?
I want to talk only about fixed gears riders from previous Rad Races in 2016, I have to support my local scene, you know?
Eike Haumann // Team Standert, Berlin
Simon Mateju // Defekt Crew, Czech Republic
Max Höflich // Fixedpott
Albrecht Kühn // Fitfuckers, Germany
Augusto Reati // Supernova Bikes, Italy
These guys seriously rock and beside being super nice people.
And how many km do you usually ride for year?
8.000 bro. But I’m planning more for 2016.
On which ride?
I have three different bike: a road bike (Canyon Aeroad CF SLX, my favourite one!) and two fixed gears bikes (Cinelli Vigorelli and Aurora).
But you also ride in a team, right?
Oh yeah. Our team, the Rad Pack, is just about friendship: no competitive attitude. We are not riding to win, cycling is more about winning against yourself than somebody else.
Your first bicycle memory.
I was at my grandma’s house and my twin brother and myself were trying to cycle for the first time. I just went full speed and crashed after 8 meters. I have no idea how old I was.
Typical! And the best one?
Rad Race Tour d’España.
