Guy was a little over the top for my taste.
9 Likes
While this series is a fantastic representation of what Crits CAN be, it highlights a minority of what they actually are here in the US. I’d say, for most of us, Crits are a loop in an industrial area, or parking lot. And we race for a pair of socks or a six pack of beer 
7 Likes
Keeping it real 
Yeah, industrial zones and crits…the combo reminds me of the crocodile allowing that little bird to sit in its mouth to clean his teeth for food.
Maybe that’s another reason I’ve never super enjoyed crits, such lousy scenery!
1 Like
We watched it the other night.
Totally agree with everyone who has commented about the main guy being a bit OTT. There was the language warning at the beginning but there were a lot of f-bombs for a 34 minute programme.
I googled him and found this article: Fasturdays: The Ultimate Cycling Road Trip | Bicycling and then that got me searching and I found that the ButcherBox team has a women’s squad and is co-founded by a woman but none of that was mentioned. I think a more balanced portrayal would have been more interesting and perhaps less abrasive.
7 Likes
That guy said the f-word more in that documentary than @Nate_Pearson has said 6’6" across all previous podcasts 
14 Likes
Frankly, I didn’t think the language was OTT enough 
1 Like
Hahaha. Like
The main “intense” guy Steve has a podcast… With Pete “Thor” Morris in them.
Check out “fasturdays” podcast, he’s more chill, less F word, but still killing it!
1 Like
I tried looking for the podcast but drew a total blank…
Hate to say it but that guy obviously had far too much time to think about what he was going to say to the camera.
He ‘spraffed some amount of shite’, as we say in Scotland.
Mike
13 Likes
Weird it pops up on mine.
They haven’t done any new episodes, but there’s gems in there.
Here’s their website, can listen to it straight from there.
http://www.fasturdays.com/podcast/
1 Like
It’s funny to read the Is Road Racing Dead thread, and all of the reasons people believe it is dying in America, and then watch this.
The guy is like a personification of all of the things people hate about the road racing scene in America.
14 Likes
So I’m listening to the 1st episode - The Big Ones. Quite interesting to get a sense of the American Crits and their historical relevance to the American racers.
What did surprise me is the hosts unbridled disdain for the European racing scene.
Just watched this today.
While I appreciate the gladiator-like intensity of Crit racing, which this film captures, albeit a touch dramatically - Steve Cullen comes off as a total over-the-top bro’y D-bag. I get that he is passionate and from the comments I see the director/producer made a choice to showcase that… but man his alpha male BS is way off putting. I obviously don’t know him and maybe he is a very genuine guy in person but in this film he seems to be playing a role for drama’s sake.
That being said I do love that they choose to focus on the Gateway cup. I would have love them to go into why American Crit racing is such a big deal, especially in the center of the country (the bike racing tradition going all the way back to Major Taylor in that area).
I do think Crit racing is the future of road cycling, be it fixed or geared, as a spectator sport. Nothing has that gladiator vibe, with classic NASCAR drama and amazing athleticism. Red Hook has shown how the model can work well and as more sponsors and coverage come into it it can only grow. Fixed and geared cries both have their own unique appeal.
Sadly a movie like this could be off-putting to potential sponsors and people who want to participate. I get that this was by no means a promo reel for the sport but it will come up in many a search on the subject.
While Red Hook doesn’t do everything perfect I do think their media package is the right balance of drama, vibe and athleticism that is still a bit rough around the edges separating it from “classic” stage racing.
Reading through this thread I personally didn’t pick up on any disdain for the classic European stage racing scene. It was the punk rock vs symphony thing more. I did see them pushing back on the legacy of how Euros see Crit racing in general.
8 Likes
Yeah, Steve says some things that make us look terrible. Something about missing your kids birthday for a crit comes to mind… I think he crossed the line to unhealthy obsession long ago…
2 Likes
I’m not a big fan of racing crits (even though it’s the type of racing I’ve done more than any other! Ha!) but just to link this into the ‘is road racing dead?’ thread…if you wanted to increase interest in US Road Racing you could produce a half dozen films like this & not hurt your cause, for sure!
Even though he comes across as over the top everything he says with respect to how racing feels is spot on, at least when you get to higher categories. There’s even a big difference between racing a local P/1/2 race with 40-50 racers, and a big regional P/1 race with 150 guys.
YO!! Pete, you were a part of this?! That’s awesome!!
Steve Cullen and Pete Morris, collab???!!! I had no idea!! I hyped this movie to all my friends and it did not dissapoint!! First off I Steve Cullen, is hilarious and secondly the perspective of this movie is unreal. A real awesome underdog story of the impact/effect passion can have on success.
Best coment I’ve read on this feed “It was a little too American for me…” I once heard a vegan say their dish was “a little too vegan…” not your cup of tea? This is the best deep dive into the vibe around criterium racing in North America.
First there was Peloton’s film with Clif then Pearl Azumi w/ Roadhouse and now this!! I can’t wait to see more work from Attack Pictures!
One thing that really pissed me off was las week when Velo News was bagging on North American Pro Conti teams and lack of them with so many teams folding. i no way did they even try to mention or hype the North American Crit scene and the Continental/Elite teams that travel all over North America to race, it was a major fail on their part…
North American cyclists need to get away from the Euro style racing seen abroad and embrace the local, fast, high flying criterium racing thats been around for 20+ years.
Steve Cullen, nailed it in his mention of “got over the embarrassment of crits in North America…” because Crits are the gateway for so many riders to step up and move up in the scene.
5 STARS!! Best crit movie I’ve seen…Can’t wait for more.
Jeff
5 Likes
Agree with you completely that VN should have mentioned USA Crits, but why does it have to be either/or, crit bros vs. roadie euros???
I race crits because it’s what’s available to me, but being a skinny dude with decent threshold power I’m all about a stage race like cascade or Gila because it’s more suited to my strengths.
I’m with VN on the Pro Conti situation because that’s how we get more US kids on the WT. Seems like along with a thriving crit scene, more US riders at the highest level could only really raise the profile of pro cycling in our country which is what I think everyone is after.
3 Likes