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A little late, but a post about the Pirate Alleycat that I raced in a few weekends ago. It was a stunning day for a race and I was really sad that I woke up sick. Ah well, racing anyway! Kelly and I dressed up and headed out. We were happily surprised to see a ton of people in Pirate’s Alley in the French Quarter. It was a Saints game day, so there were a lot of other people out there to watch us take off. Best part of this city: No one asked why we were all dressed up!

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After waiting and waiting, we finally got our manifests and took off. The race took us all over town, 14 miles total. We climbed jungle gyms, fought with paint covered swords and made pirate balloons for our bikes.

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After the peg leg challenge, Kelly got a flat. Unfortunately, we did not have a spare tube. We considered stopping at a nearby bike shop, but I felt too icky. We walked, grabbed a beer and hitched a ride home with a friend.

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All in all, the day was a blast. Can’t wait to race in the next one!

********* Brewer of delicious beer *********

By the end of the second round of drinks, we were offered the option of going to a dance party, but Ross and I were pretty beat so we just headed to the hotel. At one point we took a wrong turn at one point landing us on a ramp coming off the interstate that was a little dicy. Adventures!

Somehow by the end of the evening’s trip I had a flat, so the next evening we just drove over to a party at the Peacock Groove HQ for the “Cutter’s Ball”. So may bike people, so many awesome bikes, so much beer!
The following morning a snow storm broke out so I was out of commission for the rest of the trip for riding. Ross however was much more adventurous and eager to experience some snow riding, so he and Lowrah went out of a long ride. Apparently it’s like riding in sand, and some sort of eye covering is a must. Half way back to the hotel Ross broke his glasses and caught a bus back. I really didn’t mind that I missed it.

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I really enjoyed talking with people about what cycling is like in Minneapolis – including how they think it got that way. It’s hard to understand why a midwestern town with atrocious weather would become one of the country’s most bike friendly cities (no offense!). I’m a big believer in government support and infrastructure (damn commie) and tend to use that as an explanation of why bike awesomeness comes about, but there is something to be said for the people who got that representation and who supported cyclists in the first place. Even so we were still all sort of at a loss as to what the “tipping point” was so to speak, and I left that conversation and this trip with the feeling that Birmingham really does not have any excuses. Humph!

Thanks for an awesome time Minneapolis – I look forward to my next visit, in the summer.

From here on out I think that Fall will forever be knows instead as Cross Season.  Today I spent a sunny day drinking beer, hanging out and watching CYCLOCROSS! at Sloss Furnace.  Sloss is the only publicly held industrial site in the world, as well as a killer spot for a cross race.   I, unlike Anna, was not racing so I came out ready to take in all the glory that is a bike race. Glorious it was.

Bici Coop team did very well, with Sam (took 2nd!), Alan (flatted out 2nd lap and had to run it in), Jesse Heath, Heath, Aaron Lane and Sean Malone in the mens 4-5 class and Anna (got 4th, maybe 3rd…jury is still out!) for the ladies.

The course wasn’t too muddy but had it’s share of gravel, hills, switchbacks and obstacles.  The site of bikes kicking up dirt in front of the huge foundry was beautiful.  Add beer and some good friends and I had a Sunday to write home about.  Oh and lots of bloody knees and elbow.  I am weird, sue me.

Anna will be writing about her experiences during her first cross race in Part 2.  Thanks to everyone at Bamacross for putting this together.  Besides the beer situation (Blackwell‘s I am looking at you for your no show!), everything seemed to go off without a hitch.

How was your weekend?

What I got instead was a fall (jeans seam caught in chain ring), a flat (damn glass on the road) and a REALLY cold walk the rest of the way. I arrived cold and dejected. and pretty pissy.

Of course, the reponse was “Are you CRAZY?!” and “It is too cold, that will teach you!”. Yes, a flat tire and a small spill is definitely a lesson I learned from riding in the cold. Oh wait…all of that could have happened in 65 degree weather and the cold wasn’t cold until I had to walk.

Maybe I am still a bit on the pissy side! On the bright side, I get to try my hand and changing my tube, something I learned to do months ago but have not had to do. It is on the rear wheel (back with the scary derailleur) so this could be interesting…

do I regret my ride? maybe. Will I be out on the road again tomorrow? YES.