Last month, five Flower Mound residents who occasionally meet up to ride mountain bikes on Northshore Trail took first place in a 24-hour mountain bike relay race at Palo Duro Canyon State Park.
Despite being recreational riders and only having five team members in a division designed for six or more riders, the 75022 Bike Crew managed to complete more 8 mile laps in a 24-hour period than the competition.
The group of Flower Mound dads and one of their sons, Lochlan Messett, an incoming freshman at Flower Mound High School, took turns riding the 8 mile loop and handing off the baton to the next rider.
The team consisted of Messett, Greg Hetelekidis, Wojciech Felendzer, Tim Foster, and Rob Messett. John Bledsoe and Richard Jones helped provide support for the team during the race with help from Cadence Cyclery Lakeside.
The 16th annual 24 Hours in the Canyon event took place Saturday, June 4, through Sunday, June 5 from noon Saturday to noon Sunday. Hetelekidis had one of the last shifts before sunset and came upon a very large rattlesnake crossing the trail. He didn’t have time to swerve on the narrow trail while pedaling at high speed so he did a bunny hop an managed to clear the snake.
24 Hours in the Canyon is the only simultaneous 24-hour road and mountain bike event in the country, and all of the money raised is donated to the 24 Hours in the Canyon Cancer Survivorship Center.
The 75022 Bike Crew, which meets for social rides and the occasional “post-ride carb reloading” at The Tavern at Lakeside, was founded by Michael Whitman in 2016.
Submitted by Rob Messett
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