After the ”Red Hook Crit Milano”, a criterium for fixed gear bikes in October, Team Fixedpott thought the season was already finished - until the invitation for the ”Bangkok- Criterium” landed in their e-mail inbox.

This way, and after a hasty preparation, the team – represented by Jan Hoffmann, team manager Paul Baluch and Stefan Reimer – became the first European team to not only participate in Asia’s biggest fixie race in December but also to be victorious: Stefan Reimer won, sprinting on his Stevens Pista and Jan Hofmann came in a very good 4th.

The boys came to Bangkok for cycling, so besides shopping, sightseeing and exploring culinary specialties they hopped on their STEVENS Pistas as often as possible. But not in city traffic, because 5,500 miles from the Ruhr Area where the team is at home, cyclists face a totally different world and having to use the left lane is just the tiniest problem.

Bangkok has 8 million inhabitants, countless mopeds and cars, but doesn’t seem to know any cycle paths or traffic rules: ”You have to forget about or disobey any European rules. You must be willing to take a risk but ride concentrated and carefully”, says Paul Baluch, team manager. With a little help from Jack from Velofabric, Thailand’s first STEVENS dealer, the team managed to get through the crowded streets of Thailand’s capital.

Bangkok offers a much less dangerous alternative: The Huamark Velodrome next to the National Stadium. ”You can ride laps 24 hours a day there, totally free of charge”, says Baluch. ”In the morning we were mostly alone, but in the evening you meet cyclists of all trades. There were riders on folding bikes and full carbon TT machines as well as people on fully loaded travel bikes wearing motorbike helmets.”

In the race team Fixedpott made a good impression: After a strong qualifying in which Stefan Reimer, Paul Baluch and Jan Hofmann qualified for the main race, Stefan and Jan were part of a five-strong breakaway, that dominated the race and even had lapped about two thirds of the field until the end. On the home stretch 50 meters before the finish line, Jan Hofmann broke away from the slipstream of the man in front of him. Only inches before the finish he looked around to see he had won!

See all details about an exciting journey and a great race in the latest issue of Spoke featuring ten pages written by Tom E. Laengner and sensational pictures taken by Nils Laengner.