Who wants to see the gymnastic German cyclists in Vancouver?

Fun news from the VACC

-- PLEASE DISTRIBUTE WIDELY --

You've seen the amazing 2 German women doing an athletic routine on fixed-gear bicycles (their YouTube went viral in cycling circles)? They are looking for a host and place to perform here in Vancouver March 2011, since they'll be in the area for the Seattle Bike Expo.

They are willing to visit and perform in schools and I've been told they get school kids super-excited. See below for a description. Please pass the word to ANYONE who will give them an opportunity to come up to Vancouver!

Your contact if you're interested is:

Cascade Bicycle Club - diane.english@cascadebicycleclub.org

PO Box 15165, Seattle, WA, 98115

206-517-4826 Office 206-522-2407 Fax

update!
Please email Artistic cyclist Corinna Hein directly if you are interested in bringing them to Vancouver:
Corinna.Hein@gmx.de

[This from the Cascade Bicycle club's description] --------------------

World Champion Artistic Cyclists from Germany!

Corrina Hein, Stefan Musu and Lukas Matla

You may have watched the sensational indoor cycling video featuring young German athletes performing amazing stunts and tricks as it made it's viral rounds on Facebook and the like. These videos made quite the splash not only on national television, but also landed in the inbox of several staff members at the Cascade Bicycle Club office.

Rather than just enjoy the video, we decided to invite the new UCI World Champion in single artistic women, Corinna Hein, plus one of the world's best pairs in men's double, Stefan Musu and Lukas Matla, to perform at the 2010 Seattle Bike Expo!

Artistic cycling is a form of competitive indoor cycling in which athletes perform tricks (called exercises) for points on specialized, fixed-gear bikes in a format similar to ballet or gymnastics. The exercises are performed before judges in six minute rounds by singles, pairs, four or six-man teams. "Kunstradfahren" is the German term for a particular discipline, recognized by the UCI of artistic trick cycling. It's done on fixed bikes with 1:1 transmission, upturned (shallow) drop bars, horizontal top tube, tires pumped up hard for high precision and a couple of other bits and bobs added to the bike

The sport, although new to most of us on the USA, has been popular in Europe for quite some time. The first official artistic cycling World Championships were held in 1956. This sport is most popular in Germany, where there are no fewer than 10,000 lisence holders! As a sport, artistic cycling is a bit like ice-skating or gymnastics. It is a discipline requiring skill, balance, concentration and courage. The competitors (entering either as individuals or in pairs) offer a 6-minute program with a musical accompaniment. During competitions, a jury judges the quality of the figures.