Discussion: Alleycat Racing

Recently, I have ridden in a few local alleycat races, a navigation sport arising out of bicycle messenger sub-culture. Those tight-jean-wearing bike messenger hipsters seem to have independently invented orienteering... again.

The races are generally like score-o, but with "stops" instead of controls, and "manifests" instead of control description lists. Maps may be used, but the course is usually defined by a set of street address. The good riders seem to know the city well enough to go sans map. It is all good fun, and provides another opportunity for me to to train and compete with a map.

I am curious to to know what extent other orienteers are participating in these kinds of informal races held around the country.

Are any orienteering clubs staging alleycat style bike-o events?

The Chicago Area Orienteering Club is having it's second Urban Rogaine on September 18. Competitors will have 4 hours to visit as many controls as possible. Foot and bike divisions are offered.

My wife Sari and I took second place in the bike event last year. Our failure was that we wasted time taking transit to the far end of the map, while winning team Carl and Robin Larsson began picking up controls immediately. And too, about hour 3 Sari went on strike, and demanded we stop for lunch at one of the attractive outdoor cafés we had been passing. Such distractions are not so tempting during rogaines in the forest.

But it was a lot of fun, and I recommend the event to any bikers who enjoy going toe-to-toe with cars, trucks and city traffic.

I became aware of these through a friend who does them, and I plan to try one of the events in Seattle when I get the chance.

I'm familiar with Alleycat racing, and if I recall, there was a participant in a race in Chicago who died after running a red light and getting hit by a car. I wonder if that incident has affected how Alleycats organize their events.

There are several other types of urban scavenger-o type events, where maps are encouraged, but not provided. City Solve, Urban Dare, Oyster, The Great Urban Race, Scavenger Dash, Urban Assault, and the granddaddy of them all, City Chase.

If you have the chance, there are also events put on by SCVNGR, a location-based phone app startup. They have events all over the country, with jewelry stores as partners, usually called a "Diamond Dash" where it's free entry for teams of two, and the winning team wins a diamond ring worth a retail value of $10,000 or more.

Be warned, it's more of a marketing gimmick than an actual fair competition, but it's free and fun. I organized a team of avid urban orienteers, and we finished 2nd (on foot, against a lot of teams on bike) in the event in Seattle, snagging $500.

If anyone on AP is going to do one, hit me up. I have several tips and tricks for you. They've had these all over the country, but they aren't really easy to find. They usually cater to the about-to-have-a-wedding crowd (hey! that's me!).

...and if I recall, there was a participant in a race in Chicago who died...I wonder if that incident has affected how Alleycats organize their events.

Unfortunately cyclists are killed frequently in Chicago. Very little is done to investigate the accidents or prosecute the drivers. And such deaths have done little to change the widespread popularity of urban biking, or the renegade appeal of various events such as critical mass and alleycat races.

Here's a first-person account of the accident you mention in the "Tour Da Chicago" alleycat race.

There are a few alley cat races in Dublin alright - meant to be good fun

East Bay Express did a feature on the local "Rad Massaker" alleycat race with said manifests. 4 checkpoints which required about 50 miles of riding ranging from Oakland to Richmond.

In Pittsburgh, just several weeks ago, in occasion of BikeFest, the local orienteering club offered a bicycle-based scavenger hunt. It used the map created by the non-profit Bike Pgh, and the event was free. Participants were given a sheet of clues of what to find and a question, such as "what is the name of the dog of Lewis & Clark", with the answer embedded in the text of a history tablet at the foot of a bridge pylon. The entire scavenger hunt was held using the 29-miles of riverfront trails, and minimizing usage of the city streets with the intent of having participants on bicycles avoiding motorized vehicular traffic. Also, the event was not a race, with no clock, or time, or results, since the city may require permits and off-duty public safety officials to be hired when there is an event billed as a "race" and with an "audience".

The urban rogaine chi-town refered to is meant to be a fun/non-competitive and safe event with no awards or rankings to be given out.