Events: The Lehigh Wheelman Donut Derby 2022
(2022) The Donut Derby hosted by the Lehigh Wheelman in Trexlertown, PA, every Labor Day is the great equalizer. Sure the course is flat and fast, but for an event that awards three minute time bonuses for each Krispy Kreme donut consumed at the two rest stops, some of the slower riders can leapfrog past the locomotives. A bit of a goof on the cycling calendar that hosted nearly three hundred riders, it’s a departure from the tunnel vision of competitive cycling. Here is how the thirty-six mile course went for us.
There was uncertainty regarding the forecast. A week out predicted a beautiful cool late summer day. Days prior the forecast changed to rain with possible storms. There is no rain date for the Donut Derby, nor are there refunds. Under a humid atmosphere, three hundred riders plus four tandem teams and at least one hand cyclist lined up ready to consume an absurd amount of Krispy Kreme donuts. Once the flag dropped, I decided to red-line with the front group along with Eric of Bikesport/ Sly Fox. Heading into a slight headwind, and knowing the opening miles from the Trexlertown Derby, sticking with the front riders would bring us both to the first rest stop, twelve miles into the course, in a hurried pace.
Nearly three hundred riders packed the starting area for the 2022 Lehigh Wheelmen Donut Derby on Labor Day.
The first twelve miles were covered in nearly thirty minutes. In that span, there were fractures and reformations. These are immensely enjoyable roads at race pace but all that could be focused upon was the wheel in front of mine. Much of the time the lead group hammered along in a column. There were odd times where momentum had to be maintained and, wouldn’t you know? I found myself on the front of yet another Trexlertown ride. And once again, a small riser was my undoing as the riders behind curled around my off paced cadence. I readied the surrender flag until Eric came past saying, “Let’s go!” I jumped back on the pedals and rejoined the lead group. It felt great to fly down the road again at full speed.
With a momentous wave, the lead group barreled into Bowers Park, just after another set of train tracks and the second part of the event came to the forefront. Riders were asked how many Krispy Kremes they wanted, complete with popsicle sticks. Each donut was a three minute bonus, or if we rode at twenty miles per hour for the whole event, each donut represented one mile. I only managed to force down three; Eric could only manage one. We left many of the riders at the Park and headed out for the middle portion of the route. Eric and I confided that the opening miles were too hot to maintain, and we intended to back off. That is, until we slowly reeled in another rider and formed a pace line with a hot speed. Eventually we surrendered. The rider rode off into the corn-lined miles.
Bowers Park hosted the two donut rest stops on the thirty-six mile route. Volunteers would call out asking how many donuts riders wanted. Given the speed of the day, there were no photos during the ride.
The middle portion bypassing Fleetwood is my favorite. No two trips through Mennonite farms are the same; the corn is in various stages of harvest, the wind in different directions, the group sizes variable, but the roads are supremely fun. No matter the direction, the middle portion of the Donut Derby features ninety-degree banked turns and quiet rolling roads. Eric and I were gathered up by a small group, only to be shucked off the back by yet another roller. We turned to cracking jokes instead of hyperventilating onto the back of a group. We rolled into Bowers Park a second time, ready for another serving of glazed donuts. Eric downed one; I called it after having only two. Here is where the back of the Donut Derby mingled with the front. Some riders were arriving for their first visit while others were already mounting up to close out the final third of the ride. The closing twelve miles graced us with a tailwind.
We emerged from the farming area and gradually reintroduced houses, busy roads, and developments. Eric and I caught other riders. Only a few passed us. Swigs of water felt great to neutralize the sugary donuts and the humidity. The final twelve miles were the second fastest part of our day, no doubt aided by a slight tailwind and flatter terrain. Eric’s Garmin would die and I tried to give turn and mileage updates, but we both knew how to get back for the most part. More riders were seen going in the opposite direction. We wondered if they were Derby riders or community cyclists. Eventually we rejoined suburbia and crossed two major roads, signifying our proximity to the Valley Preferred Cycling Center finish line.
We rolled into the parking lot and were directed to cross the timing system before having our chips removed as well as the donut counters recorded on the race number. Eventually we made our way over to the velodrome concourse where we obtained post-ride food and drinks. Recounting the miles, we both remarked how nice it was to be mixing it up at full speed again. We concluded there was no chance either of us could have podiumed in our ten-year age groups so we headed out. Riders trickled in as we drove away from the area.
Age group medals plus the overall men’s and women’s categories were ready to be handed out at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center community space.
Later that night official results came in. The winner, Yasir Salem, consumed 36 donuts. That took his time from over two hours down to a scant twenty-three minutes. There is no word on how he feels tonight. The first female, Raine Fussner, finished in two hours, but since having consumed a dozen donuts, her adjusted time was just under ninety minutes.
The Donut Derby has always been a great way to end a road cycling season. This year is a bit different as organizers cram events onto the calendar well beyond September. No matter the seriousness of cycling, it’s always fun to let race face down and try to pack in as many donuts as possible. And if you didn’t want to have donuts? The rules considered that. All one had to do is get an X marked on the racing number. The Donut Derby is a great equalizer, and sometimes just having a fun ride equalizes everything.
