I competed in the first leg of the Tour Da Chicago. This one was a 15-mile race from the Bahai Temple to some dude's apartment on west Chicago Ave. Making it to the starting line, in the suburbs, by 8:30 AM was not easy but I did it. Unfortunately, no other Rats did. But there was one tallbiker, a Scallywag, and so I had some competition.

I was on Count Chopula. This crowd has been surprisingly supportive of the wacky bikes ever since ten or so tallbikers (and one pixie) showed up for the prologue race, a 50-miler. Still, the official told me I could pay my registration fee "when I finished". Funny, he took everyone else's up front.

The categories were Overall, Men, Women, Fixie, and Out-of-town. Some friends of mine who don't take themselves so seriously had decided to make an informal Cargo category, arriving with trailers of coffee and cookies and such. I was trying to get the local mutant bike crowd to participate in a Stupid category, defined as any bike whose construction is contrary to the presumed goal of going faster.

As sure as I was that I'd finish last, I did not! The tallbiker, who is much faster than I, took a wrong turn and it allowed me to beat him. I also beat one biker on a road bike, who I assume flatted out or something. The Count is the ultimate in comfort and style but it is not fast, even though it's a five-speed. I mean, it's a ten-foot chopper! I was so surprised that I didn't finish last that I wished I'd actually pushed myself. I was only eight minutes behind the previous finisher, who had a time of 1:08.

Finishing first on a stupid bike won me the coveted Blue Jersey, which I will proudly wear until next month, when I must defend it or hand it over. There are six stages overall, and I will only be in country for two of them. Still, if nobody competes after that in the Stupid category, I will wear the Blue Jersey until next year. I just hope it doesn't fall into Scallywag hands!