U City Resident Resurrects Team Sparkle Motion

If you found yourself driving around the Greater St. Louis area on Sunday, August 21st, you may have seen hoards of bikers on the street. This is not necessarily an unusual site for this area—St. Louis has become more bike-friendly in recent years - however, it isn’t typical to see bicyclists in crazy costumes, such as a panda bear, or sopping wet from a dip in the Brentwood pool! But that’s what happens when bicycling meets a scavenger hunt, as it did in St. Louis’s 3rd annual Urban Assault Race.

The event is simple—2 people to a team, 2 bikes for traveling, 7 checkpoints around the St. Louis area, where a crazy and unique task must be accomplished to earn your bead. The winners? The fastest team to return to the starting line in Forest Park with a colored bead from each checkpoint. Five checkpoints are known prior to the start of the race, the clue for one of the mystery checkpoints is given a few days before the event, and the final mystery checkpoint must be discovered along the route. Additionally, a quiz—featuring questions about the event’s sponsors primarily—is available prior to the race to determine which wave of riders your team is allowed to start in.

I participated as part of Team Sparkle Motion last year with my friend Katie. It was her 25th birthday and spirits were high as we earned beads at a few of the checkpoints—completing a croquet course via piggyback at Big Shark Bicycle, sliding down a slide on the roof of the City Museum, and riding big wheel bikes near Tower Grove Park. It wasn’t until a freak accident with a bike wheel and Katie’s foot that ended in two broken arms that our journey was brought to an end.

Needless to say, I’ve been waiting a whole year to gain victory over the Urban Assault course…which ironically enough fell on my 25th birthday this year. For this year’s race, my partner in crime for Team Sparkle Motion was my sister Julia. We mapped our course, took the pre-race quiz (at 75% correct, we found ourselves in the first heat!), and solved the clue for the first mystery checkpoint. We were ready.

Forest Park was abuzz with excitement; bikes covered the fields and cyclists of all shapes and sizes anticipated the start. Julia and I took off, heading first to the Science Center (Mystery Checkpoint #1) to get the clue—a photograph—for our second mystery checkpoint.

Over the next two hours, we found ourselves all over the city of St. Louis. I once again tested my big wheel skills, while also mastering new feats, such as an obstacle course/three-legged race and popping for (weighted) beer cans with my bike helmet on at the Brentwood Swim Club. The journey was not without its complications; at one checkpoint, my bike tipped, dislocating the brake, which made for an interesting few miles of biking. Thanks to a few good Samaritans, my bike was up and running at the next checkpoint.

We battled hills and the heat, making our way to each of the seven checkpoints along with over 450 other teams. Though official results are still pending, I did what I set out to do—finish the course that defeated Team Sparkle Motion last year!

Whether you’re a recreational biker or a competitive cyclist, the Urban Assault is a unique way to explore St. Louis on two wheels. Keep your eyes peeled for next year’s race sign-up…this is one event you don’t want to miss!