Hot Dogs, Costumes, and Confidence: Racing the TCE Way

The Hotdogger is not your typical bike race. TCE riders lean into FUN over finish times. Coach Julia shares her thoughts on this awesome tradition and is “still relishing it all…”

When it came time to design an organization-wide end of season race event, we decided to embrace The Cycle Effect value of FUN. Racing can be intimidating, and while we strive to challenge girls and women to step beyond their comfort zone, we also recognized that this was many people’s first race experience on bikes.

The Haymaker parking lot and trail system is perfectly suited for riding many different laps, so we used this area to design a race based not on times, but rather on hot dog points. Basically, there were teams consisting of girls and women from across all four counties, and they worked together to earn points. Riding level didn’t matter because everyone could contribute to their team by riding either a mild, medium, or spicy route. Participants chose their own challenge and could also ride together.

Esther, and M&P athletes, shared, “It made me feel strong, incredible! I never thought I could make the spicy course switchbacks. I remembered everything they taught us and put it into practice. I met mothers from other teams and very strong girls with great potential. Many thanks to TCE; it is a great organization that helps us a lot, and thanks to all the coaches for your help and patience.”

This social approach allowed participants to chat, laugh, and try harder routes together. Tania expressed, “I wanted to explore other trails and connect with the community of TCE. It was inspiring, fun, and very rewarding. The spicy trail and having a friend to ride with made it special. I had some good conversations on our way there; we were able to connect and share experiences.”

Don’t be fooled, the competition was still fierce! JJ remarked, “It was very empowering, and my team won!” and Luz added, “I was nervous that I couldn't do it, but doing things as a team is easier. When you reach the goal after doing the most difficult trail, it feels amazing. I really like riding a bike because it helps me de-stress and relaxes me a lot, especially if it is a difficult trail.”

Rocio reflected on the camaraderie of the event, saying, “It was a feeling of friendship more than a competition. It was nice to see the new generation of women with more freedom and see how well prepared they are in this sport. The work The Cycle Effect has done with the girls and us is amazing. Slowly but surely, I made it through the spicy lap, and I enjoyed the top to see Eagle Ranch in the distance. I enjoy it so much! Seeing new people enjoying the sport that I fell in love with is an incredible experience. The coaches always ensure our safety. I met the Summit ‘Mujeres y Pedales,’ and it was very rewarding to see more Hispanic women practice this sport. It is very important for our culture as women that we can do much more.”

Maebry felt a sense of empowerment and connection, sharing, “The costumes!! How I connected with some of the other coaches was because I was wearing a hot dog costume, and so was the other coach!” Aspen added, “It made me feel supported and like I am a part of a community. I think the best part of the race that made me smile was riding with Coach Molly on the spicy trail.”

Sofia’s experience of overcoming nerves was similarly uplifting: “My feelings at first were that I was nervous, then it was so much. It made me feel awesome knowing that I was riding with girls because they were so nice and cheering me on. Having older women there was amazing.” She added that, “Eating—probably eating the hot dogs and getting to choose what trail you want to do—was a highlight. Ali and I even decided to practice for next year by working on the hard, challenging rock section.”

Lindy concluded, “It made me happy to be put with teammates on the trail,” and Sofia sums it up perfectly: “WE NEED TO DO THIS AGAIN! IT'S LIKE A CRAVING TO DO THIS ❤️❤️🎟️”

Stats on the day: 

Participants: 65
Hotdogs Consumed: 88
Winning Team: Pink (137 hotdog points) 
Hotdog Costumes: 5
Pickle Costumes: 1
Mild Laps: approx 200
Medium Laps: approx 100
Spicy Laps: approx 50

Blog by Coach and Eagle County Manager, Julia Walsh