Elite Bicycles BikeOff at SBR
September 23, 2005

SBR Multisports in New York held a contest over the weekend. The rules were simple- stay seated on an unmoving bike longer than anyone else and you win it.

Andrea Galas, Michael Smyth, Stephanie Willet, Joe Diamond and Kim Nicholais were selected at random at 7:00 am Friday morning from a field of 100 + applicants to participate in an endurance contest. At 8:00 am, they each mounted one of five identical Elite Magnus Bicycles that had been immobilized on stands at SBR Multisports in Manhattan. The contest continued for 44 hours and 12 minutes, almost two full days. Joe Diamond, a pedicab mechanic from Brooklyn, won the ride.

All but two of the riders left the contest the first day. Stephanie Willet walked out after 1 hour because of a work conflict. Andrea Galas left after 12 hours at 8 pm for the same reason. Kim Nicholais left at 3:30 am, after 19 and one half hours, citing pain in an old knee injury. That left Joe Diamond and Michael Smyth to wait through the night. In the morning they were still there, looking strong.

All Saturday passersby looked in the glass window of SBR Multisports and saw the two young men. Diamond, 22, was clad in the workaday pants and teeshirt that he makes his living in as a mechanic and pedicab driver. His curly hair was mussed from resting on the handlebars and his hands were smudged with the charcoal he used to draw while in the saddle. Smyth, 28, was dressed in bike shorts and his clean cut frame is ready for the Mightyman Triathlon he will run October 1 st . It looks like a battle of opposites. There was no visible animosity between the two, however. Both athletes were laughing, joking and sharing supplies, and both said it was more a competition with one's own body than against anyone else.

The competition was sponsored by Elite Bicycles, based out of Philadelphia . The company produces top-level triathlon, time trial and road bikes, and is a leader in their industry. Owner David Greenfield uses the best quality materials to produce custom fitted frames that are affordable. All bikes are crafted in the USA.

By Saturday afternoon the athletes looked worn but not beaten. Both had friends come by in droves, offering support and bringing food, iPods and bedding material. Both athletes placed blankets and padding on the top tube and handlebars of their bikes and rested a little. Diamond played chess and Smyth worked on his laptop. The reaction of shoppers within the store ranged from disinterest to incredulity.

At 10 pm Saturday night the doors were closed to most visitors. Emails began to pour in for Mike encouraging him to stay strong. A rivalry seemed to be developing in peoples minds between the triathlete and the mechanic, although Joe and Mike didn't seem to feel competitive with each other.

A little after midnight , both put their heads down to rest. Mike woke up an hour later. His knee hurt him and he was stiff everywhere from sleeping in a strange position. Joe was still asleep and the only person other than Mike that was awake in the store was busy. He noticed his ankle and lower leg were swollen and achy on only one side. As he waited it got bigger and the pain became more intense. The thought of the race that he was to do next weekend began to occupy his thoughts. Just shy of 4 am he decided to get off. He told the people in the store and they called Christophe to come down. At 4:16 am he dismounted the bike. At 4:18 Joe followed suit.