All-City Alleycat 2008: Epilogue

I don't really have much to say today about the events of this weekend, except that I had a great time despite not being able to take part in the race itself. Saturday night I got some great feedback from a lot of riders about my work, and I hope to keep hearing from you all.

For any one interested we still have plenty of t-shirts and caps available. Please get in touch via the email link in my profile page.

Since I am typically a pretty busy fella and an introvert by nature it's not always easy to stay connected with all the riders in the Twin Cities bike scene. Despite this I really felt gratified by the enthusiasm of the crowd as I got up on stage for the custom frame give-away at the Bedlam. Despite my random and sometimes fleeting appearances at events and social gatherings, I think Jeff Frane summed it up the best when he said that "(the sponsors) are doing this because we actually give a shit about you and the scene here." While this might come off a little coarse to some, it struck me as something rather profound. In that one room, among a city-wide sea of rooms, gathered an unlikely collection of folks who love to ride; that ask for nothing more than the freedom to ride and will cut casts of their arms with a handsaw (literally) to do so. I can't speak for the rest of the sponsors but this is exactly what I give a shit about: riding, exhilaration, physical challenge, rising above the mainstream, defying the forces against you. The scene here has made an art of it, and I'm humbled to work my craft alongside it.

I need to thank Jeff (as we all do) for making this happen. Really Jeff, thanks. I want to thank every one who showed up to race, chat, volunteer, or any one (drivers included) that aided in facilitating the race and keeping the riders safe. Thanks to Amber for making my hats and my sister for flying up from Chicago just to hang out for the weekend. Oh and congratulations to Rita, the winner of this year's Capricorn give-away!