Originally Posted by
tjfix
Alleycats should be what they have always been - whatever individual race organizers come up.
Bike forums will never convince messengers to make their races less like messenger work so that college kids can imitate them easier.
If you want a safer race, organize a safer race or just race more carefully. In an alleycat you should race at your own comfort and skill level. But please don't try to tell everyone else that they also have to race at your comfort and your skill level.
I agree completely. More discretion to the organizers to organize the race how they see fit, and more discretion to riders to ride in the bounds of their limits. Let's not forget that alleycats are first and foremost messenger races, and in some rare cases only messengers are allowed to race (West Side Invite in Portland is one example, though a regular Joe who knows the right people can still get away with racing - they just don't get recognized as winning the main event if he does). People need to know when and when not to make risky decisions. The guy that got killed in TdC took a gamble and came out wrong. RIP to him and condolences to family and friends, but it should also be recognized that he did take a huge risk. Intersetions that have more than 2 paths crossing are no joke.