Spinning: Principles Black Ice Ballet Alleycat
Hosted by
@mattytyler96
Directed, Filmed, and Produced by
@esci_productions
Filmed by
@disfunctional.cyclist and
@skazafraz
Art by
@hailey_porth and
@darbyclash
Available on YouTube. Link in bio.
Photos by Ralph
The day of the Principles Black Ice Ballet Alleycat, it was well below freezing. I never raced before, I was facing Monster Track winners, and I was racing on a road bike stuck on the lowest gear.
This winter felt like being stuck on the lowest gear, constantly spinning, and not getting to where I want to be as quickly as I wanted. After a corporate layoff at the start of the year, I made it to multiple final round interviews, only to miss out on each opportunity. I’ve frequently put in my all just to end up going nowhere.
How does this relate to the alleycat, Matt? Thanks for asking. This winter I fought myself hard to actually do things. I’ve felt a lot of ambient anxiety — a chronic, low-grade state of tension. Combine the constant fear that I’m not doing enough to fix my career with the state of the world and it doesn’t result in great mental health.
Despite feeling mentally and emotionally horrible this season, I raced in an alleycat and started a podcast. I did these things despite the overwhelming urge to self-isolate, feel bad for myself, and stay out of the cold.
On January 24, several people decided to go out into the cold. These folks came out despite the fact that the “feels like temperature” was 3. “Spinning” explores what drives these members of the NYC cycling community to go out and bike during the winter, despite how bad it is out there.
This message has really resonated with me. Even when the conditions aren’t ideal, when it’s easier not to try, you might be stuck on the lowest gear, and it doesn’t feel like you’re going anywhere, it’s important to keep spinning.
