Campus predicts 2023 Beer Bike results
With Beer Bike just around the corner, The Thresher gathered thoughts, predictions and updates from students across campus. Here’s what they had to say:
“We may not have the fastest overall rider at Rice, but we have a lot of depth with almost all of our riders having nearly the same pretty good time… Everyone has really come together in support of each other over the past few months.” – Davis Jackson, McMurtry Men’s Bike Captain
“We’ve had some unfortunate injuries [that] really hurt our team this year, but we have a good mix of old and new bikers that should tee us up well for next year. Jones is definitely the big dog this year; I’m sure most bikers on campus are aware of their speedy time trials all around … Our team is pretty apprehensive about how the heat system will go. I’m personally worried it will both ruin the race mentality and cause the races to be so long that no one will want to come sit in the sun and watch for that long … We’ll see what happens.” – Jonathan Lloyd, Will Rice Men’s Bike Captain
“My prediction is that Jones is very likely placing first in both men’s and women’s races. We’ve been putting in the work and have our eyes set on race day.” – Mahmoud Al-Madi, Jones Men’s Bike Captain
“Considering that our poor performance [last year] in the men’s race was almost entirely due to our best biker accidentally taking an extra lap, I think we are sitting pretty this year. A lot of bikers are returning, and they now know how to correctly count to three … I don’t expect Wiess to win by any means, but I think we may be able to snag a podium finish in either the men’s or women’s races.” – Drew Castleberry, Wiess Pit Crew Captain
“I think that the pandemic put a huge damper on interest in Beer Bike within the GSA; it really interrupted the self-perpetuating drive that maintained investment across multiple years … As older students who still remember the old ways move on or get busy defending dissertations, GSA needs to bake a bustling Beer Bike culture back into our student body. Even though it’s been basically the only thing I talk about for months, we’ll be scraping by to put together a full showing.” — Nick Lindell, GSA Men’s Bike Captain
“All I can say is that Sid will be a force to be reckoned with. I expect healthy and spirited competition from the other colleges. Predictions? A clean sweep and good sportsmanship.” – Michael Wong, Sid Richardson Pit Crew Captain
“Brown’s women are looking as strong as I’ve seen them in my three years of biking, with no weak links and admirable times all around, not to mention their unbeatable commitment to victory. So I’d say look for Brown at the top of the finishers this year – we’re gonna blow y’all away.” – Anna Frey, Brown Women’s Bike Captain
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