Canalleycat

Yes I can make this one! See y'all there!

Edit:- Flyer needs a time/place for meet up!

There are still a few details to be confirmed, but it will be a 6.30pm meet for a 7pm start.
Probably announce location, prizes, etc in a week or so.

Ok, here's the deal... last flyer to follow but here's some details before that.

Meet is at Central Library at 6.30pm, Friday 9th July.
But, if it's pissing down it will be 6.30pm the next night, if it's pissing down then it will be the next night... THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN NO MATTER WHAT THE RAIN THINKS.
Obviously I want to stick to Friday night, and if it's only light rain we'll go ahead but like it says above, if it's bad rain we have the following two nights to make it happen.
I am dementedly busy this summer and am determined to do this alleycat this particular weekend, hence the flexibility.
I'm being sensible about the rain, I'm sure some of you would still show up to race no matter what the weather was doing but you'll be pushing yourself and I don't want anyone getting hurt.
I will confirm on the Friday if this is happening or if it's bumped to the next day, I won't leave you all guessing...

Ok, prizes...
So far we have a Surly Jethro Tule, Knog Gekko and a £25 workshop/wheel-build voucher from On Your Bike, only bike shop in B'ham willing to sponsor.
House of Pistard have come through with a t.shirt and the DFL patch.
There's stuff from VeloSolo and Charlie the Bikemonger.
Two DVDs - Still We Ride & B.I.K.E.

There will also be more stuff added, in total there is over £100 of prizes, all the entry money goes back to prizes as usual but I'm doing fuzzy math and multiplying the hell out of it...

Lastly, the route is set, I did it this afternoon.
Eight stages, only two on the canal. I've made this as fast and as safe as I can, no crazy blind corners or tunnels, no steps, you shouldn't need to dismount...

I haven't proof-read this and I've got to go eat, any questions or if I just made no sense at all let me know. I'll post the last flyer soon.

I know I write 500 words where 3 or 4 might do but here's a few more.

Scoring...

This is an alleycat, it's all about speed and finding shit and being sneaky as fuck with your shortcuts.

I'm giving points for how fast you complete the course and for completing the tasks based on this system -

First one back gets five points, second gets four, third gets three, fourth gets two and fifth gets one. Rest of pack get zero.
For each correct question answered you get one point, there are seven questions.

Maximum score is thus 12 points.

But if you get back super fast with only three correct answers because you either skipped stages or didn't take 0.0003 seconds to write it down then you could be beaten by the guy in third place who took that extra nanosecond...

There won't be any ties.

If two (or more) riders get the same score we will have a sudden death sprint and task, I'll send you both to do one last (very short) stage and task, if you're still drawn then we'll have a trackstand-off or armwrestle. or pillowfight, or wedgie contest... or I'll just concede that you're both awesome...

There will be spot prizes, apart from 1st, 2nd and 3rd... not going to give away which positions but it will be something like fifth from last place, third from last etc... my thinking is I want to encourage you to keep going even if you know you're not going to win overall, these spot prizes won't be huge but think along the lines of a beer or two and a free pass to my next alleycat...

My gf Kris is doing a dry run of the race today, all leisurely, make sure my clues make sense and the route is ok.

Roll on the 9th.

pastry lover

...i was talking about the bike in the picture.

was trying to be 'post modern/ironic', - like there's a picture of a bike and although that bike is underwater and in a canal maybe it's for sale, because a lot of the pictures of bikes on LFGSS are for sale...
sorry.

anyway, good to everyone entering and all and remember 'ride hard and live free'.

Pete, can I have a spot prize for slowest rider ever? I'd love to do this but I think I'd just embarrass myself!

I really would love to have a go at one of these one day, but it just never works out, I have to be up at 3am the next day to ride 450km.

MotherGirl don't worry about being embarrassed. I am sure I will be doing plenty of that for myslef. Just may pip you for being the slowest / getting lost on the day.

er. I beg to differ. Anything that requires negotiation, observation and and route finding means that i'll be the winner of DFL.....

Is there going to be a map posted before the race. Promise I will study it this time. Don't want a re-pete of bikezilla.

Is there going to be a map posted before the race. Promise I will study it this time. Don't want a re-pete of bikezilla.

Alleycat maps are given out at the start of the race, it's against the nature of things to plan your route ahead of the race...

[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alleycat_races[/ame]

Pete, can I have a spot prize for slowest rider ever? I'd love to do this but I think I'd just embarrass myself!

There are spot prizes in Canalleycat. not just 1st, 2nd and 3rd...

edit - didn't see the word 'spot' in your post, sorry, I was supposed to be at work when I answered and skim-read...

You can definitely have a prize for being last, that's the DFL patch. As for the spot prizes though, they're random.

But enter anyway, there's no magic formula to winning, it's anyone's race.

Off to london this weekend, might see if there's anything at Tokyo Fixed or Brick Lane Bikes I can add to the prize pool...

Maps are printed...

Ready for this time next week?

No lol I'm scared of the shame of coming last

I'm buzzin for this

Risers, Oury grips, DVDs, OYB voucher, House of Pistard t.shirt voucher, Urban Velo CMWC issue, VeloSolo headset cap, Surly Jethro Tule, Bank Giro cap, Knog, tubes, bottles, stickers...

Friday night, you ready?

Gonna hit this up, then go to the Island Bar for the Wizzleteat / Doom Patrol show

Brum seems to be turning into the Al**ycat capital of the UK this year.

http://www.houseofpistard.com/2010/07/this-friday-in-birmingham-yeah.html

Summer's not over yet...

Already planning my next race, straight point-to-point with no tasks and no maps, just ride your tail off to the checkpoint, get your hand stamped, get yourself back.

And I heard a rumour that Fin, Lee and myself might be plotting a fancy dress Halloween alleycat debacle with real-life courier/messenger type tasks, i.e. bring a messenger bag because you'll be carrying stuff.

So with BHX hosting 1st class bike polo too you really don't need to move down to Brick Lane and get that £400 pw flat...

this friday? Its my birthday thursday and dont know what state im gonna be on friday. Also have a cheese and wine party friday night.. Lol. Wanted to come to

use the cheese and wine as a recovery thing