Starting city race/alley cat race...

I'm thinking of starting an city race / alley cat race in Milton Keynes city center throughout the winter months. I reckon I could rally a good number of riders, 20-30!!

My basic idea was a dismounted start, 6 check points over about 10-12 miles, with fixed gear bikes only having to check in at 5 of the 6 points....(there will be some pretty serious roadies!!)

Looking at a 20:oo start on a sunday evening so hopefully the roads/paths will be pretty quiet!

This is going to be pretty unofficial to avoid the 'usual' problems faced with organising an event like this.

Just after some tips/questions/advise.....

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Gee Boys and girls, Usually your full of opinions!!

Make it open of SS too.

Check train times and try to work out a time of finish to give people time to get the last train.
I did this with mine - meet at 7pm race at 8pm last train was at 9.35pm. This way you should get more people along.

Wasn't too worried about people travelling in as I would presume most wouldn't bother, I can't see it being an amazing race but more of a suck it and see (especially for the first one).
How did you do your check points? were they manned? I was thinking of having laminated card with a code on or something similar??

surly having an alley cat at 8:00pm kinda defeats the object. my understanding was that they where originally invented by messengers in order to show how good they where at negotiating busy traffic quickly? not hating btw, just saying.

oh n a good way of having unmanned check points is to get people to buy stuff from various corner shops ie chewing gum n other cheap bits then keep the receipts to show they where there. thats how we where going to do them at the sheffield alleycat that never happened.

In the alleycats I did in Oxford you had to grab a sticky dot from a sheet of them zip-tied to a lamp post or something, different coloured dots for each checkpoint. I think there was a code word written on the back of the sheet to record too, so you couldn't just nick a sheet of dots from work and ride stright to the last checkpoint.

I had mine manned/womanned. I made some stickers for people to put on their bikes.

If you make it easier for those who might travel then they're more likely to bother.

I've experienced three types of unmanned checkpoints:

• Make pictures of each checkpoint
  
• Answer questions (e.g. what text is under the Church clock?)
  
• Laminated papers with the next checkpoint, they were intentionally hidden
  

I can already say that if you'd plan it so that I could take the train back, I'd be willing to go. Wouldn't be surprised if more people think likewise.

Would making it late Saturday afternoon increase the take up from the City crew? I might be tempted to jump on a train at say 5pm, with a 6pm start, race, a couple of pints, train back to central London, then ride home, but with work the next day, Sunday would be a bit of a stretch.

Comments not meant to be negative, but I can see three or four of the Saaf's massive group saving it up and back, especially if you had an interesting pub for the finish.

Good luck with it, whatever you decide.

blimey, a 15 month bump
people posting like it's the next day

• has there been a time warp?
  

blimey, a 15 month bump
people posting like it's the next day

• has there been a time warp?
  
  
  
  

"It's life, Jim, but not as we know it..."