Alley Cross, Episode Two.

SSCX love.

Last Sunday Team Metropolis attended (and some of us actually participated in) the second Alley 'Cross race of the fall 2013 season at Overlook Park in North Portland.  What's this Alley 'Cross thing you ask? Well, it's sort of a hybrid of a standard alley cat race and a regular cyclocross race. It starts with the entire field (there is only one category) putting their bikes in a designated start location, then convening a short distance away to receive instructions.

The course awaits.

In this case those instructions were "go to the Dog Bowl". You may not know it by that name, but the Dog Bowl is the unofficial dog park located off N Willamette Ave between approximately Killingsworth and Ainsworth, where the road makes a big curve above a sizable depression in the bluffs below. There the racers would receive the location of the actual "cross" part of the race, where they were to do 4 laps of the course and return to the start, which in this case, would also act as the finish.

The racers receive their instructions.

But first, the racers need to get to their bikes. It's common in many alley cat races to utilize a "Le Mans start" named after the French automobile race. This means at the "go" signal, the racers run the short distance to their bikes (or cars) and mount up before starting the course. It makes for an exciting though unpredictable start to to the event.

And they're off!

 Sadly, I had more pressing concerns after the race start and was unable to participate or spectate further. I am told good times were had by all. Part of the fun lies in the fact that there is no designated course, and racers are required to rely on their knowledge of the city streets as much as their speed and bike handling skills.

Shenanigans.

Alley Cross 3 is scheduled for January 11th, at Creston Park in South East Portland. for details check out their Facebook page.

Ho ho ho indeed.

Thanks to Kristina Nash for the photos.