Thatcher Alleycat Rehash v. 3.0

Hey guys, I posted this as a comment in tom's report on the race, he convinced me to re-post it on the main page. So here's my longwinded narrative. Jump ahead to the last couple paragraphs if you're not particularly amped on the details:

This bad boy was HARD! The first point was a perfect hustle distance away, near the delta center trax stop. The grid riding at the beginning was really intense, lots of crazy close gaps and a good amount of foot traffic. At this point I thought: 'oh, ok, all is well, we'll just cruise around downtown in a mad dash and be back in 30 minutes or so...'

No way. The next stop was at the top of capitol hill. Burning to the top was stupid hard on fixies, and going down was insane. Tim was in front of me on his brakeless Guerciotti, and Tyler right behind on his brakeless rig, I don't know how they bomb down state like that...

We had two awesome mix ups in a row, at one point we're all massed around the English Market's door, a dozen sweating out-of breath dudes looking for a little ball of papers, and Tyler cruises in, right as we're bugging the shop owners, and snags the checkpoint papers out back by the dumpster. Everyone scatters back uphill, to Kings English, straight up the east bench. I was dying, and took the worst route ever, straight up seventh.

At this point I look behind me and catch Tate following me block for block from King's English, down to the Collective (!!). I think we hit every red light, and didn't even slow. I was hitting them like magic, Tate told me later that everything turned into knots by the time he got there :).

Next was straight back up to Liberty park, Tate still right behind. It was like having a very persistent red Italian shadow the whole race. We weave through the throngs of people celebrating at the Earth Jam, another very nice touch, and head to the Library. The clue: Top NW corner of the library stairs. You've got to be f**king joking.

Tim, who's been in front nearly the whole race, disappears at this point. We clamber up those bastard stairs, blearily taking in the city, and limp-run back down from the lonely clump of paper. A grim looking security guard looms behind us.

It was a tired sprint back to Gallivan. We'd been hammering for over an hour up the two best hills in Salt Lake, and through every red light the city has to offer. I turn to Tate at the finish. "Nice job dude!" Turns out he's not even from here, he's from Vegas and had no idea where we were headed. He just grabbed onto the nearest person who looked like they knew where they were going and chased like mad. On a brakeless bike in an unfamiliar city. What a monster.

In fact, everyone was monstrous. After we got to the library the security guard closed the gates, and Tim had run up and down the circular stairs twice before we even got there. Everyone had to hustle back to Gallivan empty-handed.

It was such a grueling, intense race, but I loved every minute of it. Somehow, by choosing the route carefully and sending us to all these cool little nooks of Salt Lake, we hit all sorts of crazy obstacles and jams and weirdnesses that made the cat feel like a real event in a much bigger city. Lots of close calls, lots of bemused bystanders, and lots of happy camaraderie. We need more events like this! and twice as many riders! Wahoo!

After the race we headed over to Disorderly house, where the BFC was putting on a get together that served as a great afterparty. They sponsored all the snackies and gave out prizes to the trick competitors, and Tek-Tek played some great Electro-death-disco (whatever the kids are calling it these days). I took some sweet pictures that are on the Saltcycle and FG groups here.

Thanks Tom, Salt Cycle, Salt Lake, and everyone who rides bicycles. Fun fun fun.

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