Every subculture has their heroes and every year people gather to celebrate. BMX has NORA and the dirt guys have the MTB Hall of Fame, but until recently, urban riders just had prollyisnotprobably.com.
For 2013, things have changed. At this years Interbike Sin City celebration, a dirty little dive bar (that’s actually a compliment) was home to the inaugural Urban Cycling Hall of Fame inductee class. 
The party started after a wild night of heckling at Cross Vegas. These little red tokens were being handed out fast and furiously to any one seeking their favorite blend of poison. 
As the room began to fill, Billy “Soup Horse” Sinkford took to the stage to introduce his Co-MC, the legendary Nelson Vails. If you don’t know who Nelson is, you’re probably not alone. Like walking past someone playing a Stradivarius on a street corner, few customers probably realized the guy carrying their packages across town was also an Olympic medalist. 
The awards where created by Portland based Sean Light
For this first class of inductees, a website was setup up where people could nominate their heroes. Then, a prestigious panel of riders chosen by sponsors Chrome Industries and Echos Communication evaluated the veracity of each nominee. A unanimous vote was required to become an inductee.
Next year, the selection panel will consist of the 2013 inductee class.
Each of the riders receiving rewards had an intriguing history. For example, Hiroyuki Sino Shinozuka was the first Japanese winner of the Cycle World Messenger Championship, and recently recovered from a being hit by a car.
Perhaps the biggest cheers went up when Sheldon Brown was posthumously inducted. While he may have been a bit of a kook, I mean – who else rides a 63 speed road bike, his website contains an invaluable wealth of information.
Another unique inductee was Critical Mass. While almost every major city in the world has some sort of Critical Mass ride, the grass roots movement has no official organizer. The original ride started in San Francisco and will be holding it’s 21st anniversary this week!
We would love to introduce you to each of these nominees and their contribution to cycling but you’ll have to settle for this summary for now. Just click to enlarge.
If you’d like to learn more, the Hall of Fame tour will be stopping at local events and touring major cities throughout the year with a collection of memorabilia. Check the schedule here.
Congratulations to this years inductees! And a special thanks to organizers and sponsors Chrome Industries and Echos Communications.
