Last weekend, on Easter Sunday, San Franciscans took to the streets for the annual big wheel race. The BYOBW (Bring Your Own Big Wheel) race takes place annually on Easter at Potrero Hill in San Francisco. It is a hilariously splendid event. Full grown humans dress up as luchadors, superheros, chickens, and even Michael Jackson and take to the hill on a variety of wheeled contraptions, including the eponymous big wheel. This video is a collection of some of the epic fails and crashes from the 2011 race. For a gallery of the many strange entrants on their racing wheels, click here.
Video of the Day: Big Wheel vs. Bus
We’re all for using public transportation whether you’re at home or exploring a new city. It keeps excess cars off the roads, allows you to see a real cross-section of the population and is cheaper than taking taxis everywhere. That said, buses can be slow. Especially in major cities like New York. How slow? Well, comedian Mark Malkoff decided to find out. He raced a New York City bus across town on 42nd Street (right in the heart of Manhattan) while riding a child’s Big Wheel bike. Having ridden a bike in New York for years, I can tell you that it’s faster than taking a bus. But can the same be said for a tiny tricycle? You might just be amazed by the results (at the very least, you will be amused).
[Via our friends at Urlesque]
7th Annual BYOBW
Every Easter Sunday at 4 in the afternoon, the Annual BYOBW (Bring Your Own Big Wheel) Race breaks out. During the race, otherwise normal adults dress in costume and ride children’s plastic tricycles down Lombard Street — the world’s SECOND crookedest street. This year marks the 7th Anniversary of the event, and since 7 is a lucky number, I’m predicting no one breaks their neck.
According to veteran competitor Luke Powell, “This race may seem ridiculous, but it transcends ridiculousness. This is about something else.” What is that “something else”? Well, considering the vehicles are prone to failure when carrying more than 80 pounds, it seems winning isn’t the goal — survival is.
I’d love to start an east coast chapter of BYOBW, but since I live in an area where the average elevation is about 13 feet, I’m not sure the race would be too exciting.