In the Crosshairs: a history of garage racing in Crystal City

In recognition of National Bike Month, we’re kicking off things off with a fun event to celebrate bike culture in National Landing.

The BID collaborates with CXHairs, led by Bill Schiecken, to produce the popular event series, so we sat down with him to talk about the history – and future – of garage racing in National Landing.

Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Tell us more about the National Garage Racing Championships.

The event began in March 2012 as the Diamond Derby, an idea pitched by a BID staff member who was inspired by a blog post about a garage race in Berlin. The event debuted in Crystal City with a cyclocross-inspired race format. It was so well-received that the event returned in September 2012 and again in March 2013.

In 2014, the BID switched producers and partnered with local nonprofit Phoenix Bikes, rebranding the event to the Phoenix Derby. Phoenix Bikes produced the event twice, in May 2014 and May 2015.

In 2015, CXHairs took over the production of the event which is where I came into the mix. We collaborated with the BID to launch Wednesday Night Spins, a weekly race series modeled after the BID's successful 5k Fridays series. The Wednesday Night Spins series ran in March 2015, 2016, and 2017. In 2018, the event was rebranded as the Garage Racing National Championships, a name that continued through 2019.

After a pause due to the pandemic, there were no races in 2020, 2021, or 2022. However, the event returned in May 2023 as a weekend celebration tied to Bike Month.

What are you most excited about this year?

Garage Races is a party surrounded by a bike race. This event has brought people from all neighborhoods together for over a decade, and we’re excited to bring it back after the pandemic with new life, energy, and excitement.

Can people just come to watch, or do they have to hop on a bike?

The National Garage Racing Championships is open to all! Whether you come to watch and enjoy the pop-up bar, or if you choose to compete for the championship jersey, you’re bound to have a great time. The fact is, you won’t see this style of bike racing anywhere else. The event will be jam-packed with activity, from fixed-gear bike races, the relay, and the super fun 'Anything Goes' race. The day is full of championship races and even the opportunity for novice racers to try out the course.

What’s the craziest thing you have ever seen at these races?

The Anything Goes race is by far the craziest and the best spectator event. Expect costumes, insane looking bikes, plenty of shenanigans, and tons of fun.

That does the future hold for the National Garage Racing Championships?

With the new format and a championship debuting this year, we look forward to welcoming people from across the country to National Landing to participate in the future. For many cyclists, near and far, the Garage Races were already a bucket list item. Being able to compete in a national championship will give the series a fun boost.

Why National Landing?

There is so much going on in National Landing. We love being able to bring new people to discover the shops, dining, parks, and events the neighborhood has to offer. After the success of Garage Races for over a decade, we remain the only event of this kind anywhere. Now with thousands of new people coming to National Landing to work and live and play, we look forward to growing this celebration of bike culture, reaching new people along the way.