The Brooklyn Paper, July 14, 2007
By Rachel Corbett
DUMBO’s quaint cobblestone streets will be taken over next Saturday by
thrill-seeking bike messengers in a renegade “alleycat” race.
At 2 pm, 50–100 young men, a few women, fewer helmets and plenty of
tattoos will speed away from the starting line near the corner of
Plymouth and Washington streets.
City officials rarely intervene since “alleycat” details are kept
secret until the day of the race, riders determine their own routes and
the unsanctioned events are publicized through fliers, MySpace and word
of mouth.
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But that could change, if the riders’ attitudes are any indication.
“Normally, I’m pretty sane, but when I do this, I go completely nuts.”
said 26-year-old Miguel Reyes.
With few rules, winning depends on speed, strategy and, most important,
fearlessness.
These days, Austin Horse, 25, may be the reigning madman, recently
winning the “Rumble Through the Bronx” race.
The DUMBO alleycat is one of Horse’s favorites because of its hills and
rugged terrain. Last year, some riders avoided the cobblestone in favor
of dodging pedestrians on the sidewalks, but Horse toughed it out: “I
got a flat tire right at the beginning, so I rode the whole race on a
flat and still won it.”
Riders push the boundaries of traffic laws, but local authorities have
not done much to challenge the races.
“If it’s just 50 or so people riding bikes through the neighborhood, I
don’t really see a problem,” said Tucker Reed, executive director of
the DUMBO Improvement District.
While messengers’ disdain for lane constraints and traffic signals may
seem hazardous, riders often insist that they have a sixth sense for
timing and, in turn, blame accidents on cabbies and bad drivers.
Reyes said he gave up messengering after having nightmares of being hit
by buses. But he still races to get his fix.
“You could lose your life, be paralyzed, mangled or lose a limb,” he
said. Then he added with a smile: “It’s all about how much you’re
willing to risk.”
The DUMBO Alleycat race is on Saturday, July 21. Visit www.nybma.com
for information.
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