CINCINNATI — Neither bird, nor plane, or even the famed DC superhero himself can stand up to those brave enough to hurtle down 12th Street in Pendleton on an adult Big Wheel.
Danger Wheel returns to the intersection of 12th Street and Broadway on Saturday, marking the low-stakes, high-speed race's eighth year.
“It is an absolute spectacle the street will be lined with folks from little kids to the elderly come out, everybody loves it, it’s a blast, there’s a lot of wrecks and a lot of energy," said Danger Wheel Co-Creator Judd Watkins.
Watkins and Andrew Salzbrun came up with the idea because they wanted to bring a fun activity to the Pendleton neighborhood.
“We think it’s popular because everybody plays a role whether you're racing, or cheering people on, or throwing water balloons at the riders. It’s not a passive event. It gets better with participation, and it’s just built on the whole idea of having fun with your friends," said Salzbrun.
The event is free, open to the public and water balloons to chuck at racers are heavily encouraged.
Race teams will check in beginning at 11 a.m., and the first race begins at 2 p.m.
The races continue throughout the day, with the courses evolving and changing to feature new obstacles that grow in size and ridiculousness — in previous years, racers have tangled with everything from hay bales to inflatable T-Rex dinosaurs on their way to the finish line.
Races run continuously until one brave Big Wheeler stands alone to be crowned the Danger Champion — but the races will likely continue until sundown.
This year, 64 three-person teams will face off on the varied courses of the day, taking turns to race one-on-one down the steep street.
Fans and spectators are encouraged to bring portable chairs "to witness the danger, up-close," reads a press release about the event.
This year, there will also be a few more attractions than usual; Dayton-based Huffy Bicycles has sponsored the event and will show off its products in a new demo area. Fans can take a free test ride on a Huffy bike and swag giveaways will be available to all who attend Danger Wheel, the press release said.
“Well Danger Wheel fits right into our equity at Huffy of helping people live the ride, enjoy. We’re a brand that makes fun. We call on people to live the ride and that’s exactly what they do here at Danger Wheel," said Kris Parlett with the Huffy Corporation.
Parlett added they will be showing off the company's new Green Machine. He said it's a thrill ride drift bike with some innovative twists.
He noted they plan to sponsor Danger Wheel for the next two years.
Danger Wheel is locally organized each year by residents in Pendleton, and proceeds that are gathered by the free-to-attend event benefit the beautification of the neighborhood and programming for future locally organized events.
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