Track bike criteriums are really gaining momentum. Today was the 2012 Fixed Fest Criterium and it was unlike any race I’ve ever been to. The traffic in Jakarta is unpredictable, so could you imagine racing a crit through live traffic. Even at 7am on a Saturday, the streets were mobbed with scooters, taxis and busses.

But that didn’t stop people from all over the world to show up with their track bikes and race. I was amazed at the amount of pristine bikes ridden by teenagers in the U18 race. Once the main event started, the crowd was thick, so I hopped on the back of a scooter and shot photos. The main event was 8 laps around the downtown area, outside Rocket Company.

After the neutral lap, Walton, Marc and Chas broke out in front of the chase group, sending them to the podium. Walton finished 1st (even after wrecking), then Chas and Marc. It was a fast-paced race, filled with close calls with scooters and cars but everyone had a blast!

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