Fixed Gear
Alley cat madness - New York style
Part of fixie subculture, alley cat races like Alley Kitten showcase the extremes of urban riding
Alley cat races rightly or wrongly attract a fair bit of controversy for their no rules form of racing.
While at times highly dangerous, the races are a pure test of riding skill for an urban cyclist.
In an alley cat race, riders race to designated checkpoints in a town or a city based on addresses given to them on a manifest document.
Once they get there riders must get their manifest signed off by an official before they can move onto the next checkpoint. The first rider to get to the finishing point with a full manifest document signed off is the winner.
This is a race without a route, how a rider gets to the finishing line is entirely up to them.
Alley cat races have grown rapidly around the globe from the first races in New York and Toronto and are now part of a burgeoning fixed gear scene.
Races don’t take place every weekend but are organised to tie-in with special days, events or occasions. One such race is the New Year Alley Kitten race that takes place in and around downtown New York.
Check out the exhilarating clip above from the 2012 edition of the race which took place on December 30.
Filmed entirely from one rider’s point of view, you just have to marvel at the riding and handling skills of those who take part.