Biking fast is addictive. Whether it’s hammering the pedals across the Saanich Peninsula to catch a ferry, pumping to the front at Midnight Mass or racing other riders on the daily commute, the adrenalin-laced euphoria I feel in these bursts of speed made me decide to get involved in racing this year.


At first, I didn’t know what kind of races existed or where to begin. Entering a race can be harder than just stepping up to the line. Despite the complications, a new generation of riders hailing from East Van are making their presence felt on the scene and winning converts from the roadies.


So let me break it down for you. Every week, there are alleycats, and road races or criteriums, a.k.a. “crits”.


Alleycats were invented by Toronto bike messenger in the ‘80s but have since spread across the globe. They were designed to test messengers’ skills against each other by emulating a day on the job. Since then, non-messengers have started racing in their own alleycats. If you aren’t racing, the best place to watch is from a checkpoint. Volunteers who work the checkpoints often have a better idea of who’s in the lead than racers do.


Getting started in alleycats is pretty easy. Show up with your bike, pay five or ten bucks, and you’re off. If you’re a bike courier, you might even get a slight discount. The winner of an alleycat is often the rider who is not only strong and fast but also knows the city and plans their route well. As in all bike racing, luck is a big factor.


Be prepared to do some weird things at checkpoints, like eat two whole Weetabix dry as fast as you can or shotgun a beer. Early this season, the first “Summer Series” of alleycats and trick competitions was held exclusively for fixed gear track bikes.


Good alleycats have a creative theme, a fun and challenging course, well-organized checkpoints and tons of prizes. Alleycats are becoming more popular. Last summer there were only two, but this season has already seen an alleycat every weekend in July, with more on the horizon. Racers hungry for more head down to Portland or Seattle, which also have thriving alleycat scenes.





Road racing, on the other hand, goes back over a century, bringing us eccentric traditions like the cycling cap. Races take place on well-paved roads with traffic control.


Going to your first road race or crit can seem intimidating. You find yourself surrounded by people in matching outfits and riding very expensive bikes. Don’t let this throw you—youth and motivation can beat carbon fiber any day.


Unfortunately, road races require insurance, which can be purchased at registration for usually about 30 bucks. If you’re planning on racing often, buy a Cycling BC licence for $131. It allows Cycling BC to keep track of your winnings and rank you against other riders. Then you have to pay your entry fees, which can cost as little as $5 for a Tuesday night crit to $60 on the day of a big B.C. Cup road event.


If you make it past these financial barriers, prepare yourself for the most exquisite torture. Pack riding at high speed takes nerves, and there’s nothing quite like the sight of riders beside you smacking hard onto the pavement and realizing you’re still in the race.


If you win, prepare to be underwhelmed by the prizes. Compared to alleycats, the prize for winning a road race is usually just enough to cover your entry fees, though the glory is a lot greater. It’s not often that a kid comes off the streets and beats the roadies, but when it does happen the roadies take notice and you earn their respect.


You don’t have to choose between alleycats and road races—a new breed of hardcore riders do both; Mike Sidic is a prime example. Mike was a hard working courier, but as if that wasn’t enough riding, he decided to start racing road this year.


His first race was called Armstrong, named for the hill in Abbotsford. Despite knowing nothing about riding in a pack, and wearing a T-shirt and cargo shorts, he muscled his way to third place in a race where close to 50 riders started and as few as 15 finished.


Mike also won the Summer Series of fixed-gear events, consisting of two alleycats and a trackstand competition. He gained international recognition for his victory at the Fast Friday alleycat in Seattle, attended by some of the strongest street-track riders from across the U.S. Beating the best started rumors that Mike was on the Canadian Olympic cycling team.


Louise Fenwick took first in the women’s competition at the Probably a Bad Idea alleycat, and she devours road races. On a Thursday night crit in Richmond, too few women showed up for them to have their own race, so Louise and the two other women had to race with the men. The other two women, and a large portion of the men, were dropped by the devastating pace of the leaders. Louise assertively held her place in the field, riding a smart race and conserving her energy. In the tight bunch sprint, Louise took third, impressing the hell out of the Richmond men’s field.


But the transfer of riders is occurring in both directions. Claire Cameron, who is on the Giant women’s team and competes at the top levels of women’s racing, recently placed in the top 10 at the Tour de Gastown. In her spare time, she also teaches new track riders the ins and outs of the Burnaby Velodrome. The influx of street riders, high on the recent popularity of fixies, has convinced Claire to convert her old cyclocross into a street fixie.


Wendell Challenger, webmaster of the popular bike advocacy and fixie-commuter blog FearlessGearless.com, sums up his attitude to racing: “When I first started bicycle racing, I often wondered how in the hell can I match this pace… there is no way I can do it for very long. The result was that I would get discouraged, until I learned the truth. The truth is that the person you are chasing is hurting just as much as you are. In fact he or she probably doesn’t have much juice left. If you hold on just a little longer, everything will work out dandy.”


Learn more about alleycats and fixies at fixedvancouver.com, and road racing at cyclingbc.net