![Racers and organizers of the Monster Track annual Alleycat Race in New York City](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Racers_and_organizers_of_the_Monster_Track_annual_Alleycat_Race_in_New_York_City.jpg)
An alley cat race is an unsanctioned
bicycle race
"Bicycle Race" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was released on their 1978 album ''Jazz'' and written by Queen's lead singer Freddie Mercury. It was released as a double A-side single together with the song " Fat Bottomed Girls", rea ...
. Alley cats almost always take place in cities, and are often organized by
bicycle messengers. The informality of the organization is matched by the emphasis on taking part, rather than simple competition. For instance, many alleycats present prizes for the last competitor to finish (sometimes known as Dead Fucking Last or DFL).
The first race to be called an 'alley cat' was held in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
on 30 October 1989 and continued, in its original form, around
Halloween and
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, thr ...
for the following five years. In 1993, when Toronto messengers shared Alleycat stories at the first international messenger race (C.M.W.C Berlin), the name and the concept spread far and wide. Regularly organized Alleycats can be found in cities across North America, Europe and Asia. Many smaller cities with no cycle messenger population are also home to alleycats run by the burgeoning urban cyclist subculture.
Race styles
Alley cats reflect the personality, contemporary environment and competitive interest of their organizers. Races may be extremely gruelling and designed to eliminate all but the fastest and best overall messengers, or less competitive and meant to be enjoyed by the local messenger community around set holidays, such as NYC's July 4 Alleycat.
Rules vary, but include:
* Checkpoints - The first checkpoint is given at the start of the race, and on arrival the next checkpoint is revealed to the racer. These work in much the same way a messenger would be assigned deliveries over the course of a day. The route to a checkpoint is left up to the rider and showcases a messenger's knowledge of the area.
* Task checkpoints - In some races upon arriving at a checkpoint the rider may have to perform a task or trick before being given the next location. This allows organizers to be as creative as they desire. Task checkpoints can involve physical tasks, such as climbing stairs, taking a shot of alcohol or hot sauce, performing a skillful trick, or can test the racer's mind, such as reciting trivia or messenger-related knowledge. Often there is not a task at all of the checkpoints in a race and tasks/checkpoints can sometimes be skipped (potentially at a loss of points) if a rider feels that time to complete a task is not worth the points they would earn.
* Checkpoints up front - A common format is for organizers to give the checkpoints/manifest 5–30 minutes before the start of the race. This allows the rider to choose the best route between stops.
* Point collection - Some races use a
scavenger hunt
''Scavenger Hunt'' is a 1979 American comedy film with a large ensemble cast which includes Richard Benjamin, James Coco, Scatman Crothers, Ruth Gordon, Cloris Leachman, Cleavon Little, Roddy McDowall, Robert Morley, Richard Mulligan, Tony R ...
style race where each stop is worth a certain number of points. These are often races of the Checkpoints Up Front variety and a rider may decide to not stop at some checkpoints valuing an earlier completion time over the points a particular stop may earn them.
Riders do not wear conventional race numbers; instead, "
spoke cards", originally
Tarot cards
The tarot (, first known as '' trionfi'' and later as ''tarocchi'' or ''tarocks'') is a pack of playing cards, used from at least the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play card games such as Tarocchini. From their Italian roots ...
but now often specially printed for the event, have the rider's race number added with a marker pen and are then wedged between the spokes of the rear wheel. Spoke cards are often kept on the wheel by riders as a souvenir, leading to an accumulation of them over time.
![Spokecardtdc](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Spokecardtdc.jpg)
Growth
Substantiating the growth of alleycat racing is difficult, given the lack of publicity and record-keeping in the community. Some themes commonly associated with alleycats, such as the use of
fixed-gear bicycles, became more popular in the later half of the 2000s. The number of alleycats being organized also appears to be on the rise, as non-couriers begin to organize their own races. Events featuring alleycat racing culture have seen significant expansion since 2000. Individual races have come to embrace issues important to messengers or messenger communities, such as
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
's 4/20:Hip to be Square, the Global Warming Alleycat held on the same day in Toronto,
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
,
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...
,
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
, and New York City, and
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
's GhettoBlaster. Meanwhile, events like the
Bicycle Film Festival
The Bicycle Film Festival (BFF) is an independent film festival that screens films related to urban cycling culture, in cities around the world. It was founded in 2001 and is based in New York.
History
In 2001 Brendt Barbur was hit by a bus wh ...
have expanded across dozens of cities and embraced many different expressions of alleycat-style bicycle culture. Alleycat veteran and videographer
Lucas Brunelle
Lucas Brunelle is an American videographer of bicycle stunts and races. He was born in Martha's Vineyard.
Early life and bicycling
Lucas Brunelle was raised on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts where he attended Martha's Vineyard Regional Hi ...
is widely credited as having pioneered the art of filming alleycat races from the first-person perspective and sharing the footage online.
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
currently hosts more than 1,000 videos of alleycat races, most of which have been uploaded since 2006.
May 19, 2018 New York City hosted the firs
City Bike Race an alleycat style race where all participants will utilize bikes from the city's bike sharing program, citi bike.
Legality
In the United Kingdom, organised cycle racing on public roads requires the authority of the police and the relevant sporting organisation. However treasure hunts and time trials are legal.
Otherwise, organizers attempt to put issues of legality in the hands of racers. The decision to break any laws is left to the individual.
Chicago death
On February 24, 2008, Matt Manger-Lynch was killed by a collision with a car while participating in the 'Tour Da Chicago', a winter alleycat series. Eyewitnesses reported that he had failed to stop for a red light. Manger-Lynch's death prompted local news outlets to look closely at Alleycat races.
See also
*
Outline of cycling
:''This article is an outline about the activity of cycling. For an outline about bicycles themselves, see outline of bicycles.''
:The following ''outline'' is provided as an overview of, as well as a topical guide to cycling:
Cycling, a ...
*
Mountain bike orienteering
Mountain bike orienteering (MTB-O or MTBO) is an orienteering endurance racing sport on a mountain bike where navigation is done along trails and tracks. Compared with foot orienteering, competitors usually are not permitted to leave the trail ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
Vienna alleycat homepageWarsaw alleycat homepage
{{Orienteering
Cycle racing
Outdoor locating games
Road bicycle racing terminology