Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - First Alleycat?

Hey Folks,

I'm considering doing my first alleycat this weekend in New Haven. I've never really raced on the fixed before. I've also never even ridden or driven in that town before. Should I go for it anyways? If I do it, any advice for how to not make an ass out of myself (manners, skills to work on, special handshakes, etc.)? Thanks.

New Haven... hey that was a fun alleycat on R1! these days i have a bit of trouble distinguishing memories of one from the other, but i think i remember that one pretty well. a bit long and lots of fun... one really big hill and a cool mexican restaurant. shred.

i was in my first one a few months ago in NYC. I got a flat right before the race started somehow, and delayed the start by a few minutes. yup that was me :( I basically did everything you shouldn't do right off the bat, but still everybody was pretty cool and race was fun as hell. it ended up that my rim tape slipped a bit and i had a leak in my tube and was loosing air and had to pump up at every checkpoint, even on the 2nd tube.

soo uhhh ... check your bike before you ride over there. I also managed to put the nail in the coffin of my bottom bracket and lost 2 chainring bolts. i'm crossin my fingers and knockin on wood that all goes well this coming weekend.

why don't you just come down and do la calavera with us in NYC? definately fun. Why not make your first alleycat a big one in a big city?

what exactly is an alleycat?

i can't remember an alleycat where i didn't make an ass out of myself. i mostly just do it to meet some fun people, beat the crap out of myself for a few hours, and then drink a couple gallons of beer afterwards.

i went to my first alleycat on saturday.i got there to late to register but i road through a few stages.it was probably the most fun i've ever had.racing through city traffic is the best feeling in the world.i'll definitely be in the next one.

we all punch eachother in the face before we shake hands. Try it in New Haven.

aeroplane--when is it this weekend? more info? if it fits my schedule i might come... i'm not far (b'port).

all you really need to do is have fun.

we all punch eachother in the face before we shake hands. Try it in New Haven.

Stop trying to get people in trouble! We all punch each other in the face after we shake hands.

aeroplane--when is it this weekend? more info? if it fits my schedule i might come... i'm not far (b'port).
It's on Saturday at 6pm at The Devil's Gear (http://www.thedevilsgear.com) bike shop in New Haven. Registration at 5:30. I found out from a post in the upcoming alleycats sticky. Hope to see you there. I'll be riding the red conversion with bullhorns and black wheels with machined rims.

It's on Saturday at 6pm at The Devil's Gear (http://www.thedevilsgear.com) bike shop in New Haven. Registration at 5:30. I found out from a post in the upcoming alleycats sticky. Hope to see you there. I'll be riding the red conversion with bullhorns and black wheels with machined rims.

huh, looked thru and didn't see it.

aw, damn damn arse crap damn. i really want to go, race, meet other riders, but i'll be en route to nj that day.

well, there's a 5% chance that i'll be there on an IRO w/ an all black rear wheel and a nonmatching front.

Okay, I did the alleycat in New Haven. Here's what I learned, for those of you who ever do a search for "First Alleycat" and stumble upon this thread...
1. People might seem surly and cliquey before the race, but once you're rolling, you're all on the same team.
2. Communication is key for running red lights.
3. Be calm when planning your route; you will waste more time looking around than you will planning.
4. Be prepared for stupid surprises.
... and of course...
5. Carry more than one spare tube (flatted front and back simultaneously, had to carry the bike 3+ miles to the finish where I DNFed for not having 3 checkpoints. Fun anyways.)

I found it was always easier for me to just pick a wheel and follow it for the alleycat. Then again my knowledge of streets in Copenhagen was pretty weak and I would have had to look at a map so many times.

what is it with people and getting flats at alleycats? We had one guy get one yesterday.

Raced and WON my first Alleycat last saturday! Finished as #5, but I had all the checkpoints quiz correct, so that made me the winner!

won this cool belt and a combat cap.
http://boe.fixed.se/uploaded_images/prize1-796452.jpg

Pics here: http://fixed.se/

Raced and WON my first Alleycat last saturday! Finished as #5, but I had all the checkpoints quiz correct, so that made me the winner!

won this cool belt and a combat cap.
http://boe.fixed.se/uploaded_images/prize1-796452.jpg

Pics here: http://fixed.se/

Woah, that belt is hot.

I oughta make one of those with this Hutchison Carbon tire that I put a big old gash in.

My first true alleycat was La Calavera on Saturday. Friggin great time, but now my legs hurt. NYC don't f**k around when they organize a race. It gives me ideas for something in Boston...

two flats at once, that sucks. what do you carry for an emergency pump?

how long are alleycats typically in terms of miles?....I'm sure they vary but what is average?

how long are alleycats typically in terms of miles?....I'm sure they vary but what is average?

Most alleycats I've raced in were between 20-25 miles. La Calavera was 46 miles, and this one alleycat I did in Providence was about 4 miles (it was a mass start marked course with no checkpoints so not a traditional alleycat).

two flats at once, that sucks. what do you carry for an emergency pump?
I've got a medium-sized MTB pump, not a CO2 jobby. I can't even get a regular pump to work right the first time, let alone a "1-shot" deal. But I only had one tube. Stupid stupid stupid.

I estimate what I rode was around 20+ miles, especially with the "surprise" mandatory first checkpoint.

Raced and WON my first Alleycat last saturday! Finished as #5, but I had all the checkpoints quiz correct, so that made me the winner!

won this cool belt and a combat cap.
http://boe.fixed.se/uploaded_images/prize1-796452.jpg

Pics here: http://fixed.se/

SVERIGE!

Are most of the streets in Stockholm paved or do you get the annoying cobblestones down the smaller ones?

Okay, I did the alleycat in New Haven. Here's what I learned, for those of you who ever do a search for "First Alleycat" and stumble upon this thread...
1. People might seem surly and cliquey before the race, but once you're rolling, you're all on the same team.
2. Communication is key for running red lights.
3. Be calm when planning your route; you will waste more time looking around than you will planning.
4. Be prepared for stupid surprises.
... and of course...
5. Carry more than one spare tube (flatted front and back simultaneously, had to carry the bike 3+ miles to the finish where I DNFed for not having 3 checkpoints. Fun anyways.)


stupid surprises??!!??!!
I thought that sh*t was hilarious.....
Of course, that one was my idea....


glad you had a good time.
I did feel bad about DQing you...

SVERIGE!
Are most of the streets in Stockholm paved or do you get the annoying cobblestones down the smaller ones?

Its pretty much all paved, but we do have some nice parts of really sweet pavé if you are in to that kind of Paris Roubiax charm.

Polar Bears is the main problem though.

stupid surprises??!!??!!
I thought that sh*t was hilarious.....
Of course, that one was my idea....


glad you had a good time.
I did feel bad about DQing you...
Well, thinking about it now, there were a lot of "stupid surprises", not just the first stop. Like the letter to Union Station, and flat tires are kind of a stupid surprise too. You guys did a great job of organizing and running the event. I can't imagine how much time and energy must have gone into it.

3. Be calm when planning your route; you will waste more time looking around than you will planning.


definitely, did my first one in boise here this last weekend and got ridiculously lost for that reason.

or was confused for several miles....

flat tires during an alleycat definitely suck. they suck anytime really, but when you're racing and probably lost at the same time it kind of sucks more. I don't even want to know what neighborhood you had to walk back from. Having 3 spare tubes (you always end up giving one away) and a pump is a great idea. Usually I just hide behind a dumpster and jack the next kid with anything close to my frame size....

On the walk back I passed about 5 or 6 bikes locked up. Seeing all those front wheels unlocked with QR's, I could have easily taken one in less that 2 minutes and been on my merry way. I even considered taking one and leaving my (tireless and tubeless) wheel in its place, so I could come back and return it after the race.

Damnedable conscience kept me from taking them.

On the walk back I passed about 5 or 6 bikes locked up. Seeing all those front wheels unlocked with QR's, I could have easily taken one in less that 2 minutes and been on my merry way. I even considered taking one and leaving my (tireless and tubeless) wheel in its place, so I could come back and return it after the race.

Damnedable conscience kept me from taking them.


that would've learned 'em. we've got alot of naive college students in New Haven, and it leads to a larger than average bike theft problem. too bad mom raised you so well....