Bicyclists and roller skaters have a fun way to test themselves and support a good cause this weekend. This Saturday, the SBC Community Bike Shop, based out of The Fairbanks, will be sponsoring its first Alleycat Race.
The Alleycat Race is an unsanctioned scavenger hunt race that will send participants, on either bicycle or roller skates, to various Springfield landmarks as they wind their way from the SBC Community Bike Shop at The Fairbanks to the Springfield Brewing Company building downtown.
One of the organizers of the event and SBC Community Bike Shop manager, Tim Nelson, said alleycat races are a trend across the nation, and this isn’t the first race in Springfield. Nelson said he and fellow organizer Jason Stratton are always riding bikes together and brainstorming events to connect the shop with the community.
Nelson said Stratton “mentioned that he was friends with the gentleman that initially started the Alleycat Race here in Springfield and was running it up until COVID.” They were able to get permission to carry on the tradition and advice and data from that gentleman, originator Keith Donaldson. Nelson said Stratton is handling a lot of the organizing and planning the route.
“I’m excited to see what happens,” Nelson explained through chuckles, “see what we learn.”
What makes an alleycat race unique is the emphasis on fun and the course itself. They’re organized around checkpoints and scavenger hunts that gain competitors points. They are also unsanctioned. Roads will not be shut down. Riders will mix with traffic.
“It’s all about fun,” Nelson said before he emphasized “and safety.” Nelson explained “we’re competing, we’re trying to get the best time, however we also want to be mindful of automobile drivers and traffic patterns.”
The good-safe-fun is for a good cause. They will raise money for Isabel’s House. It also serves one of the SBC Community Bike Shop’s missions of building the biking community in Springfield. Nelson also said that by growing their connections and network the Bike Shop builds on its core mission, getting good bikes into the hands of those who can use them.
“One of the major barriers to finding work is transportation,” Nelson said. The Bike Shop wants to be a part of a solution to that. They do this through fixing up donated used bikes and reselling them at below market prices or in some cases donating them to a good cause outright. They also help people fix bikes they already own. Nelson said they always welcome volunteers and donations.
The Alleycat Race starts at 10 a.m. Saturday October 5 at the Fairbanks at the corner of Broadway and Nichols in Springfield. Registration begins at 9 a.m. There will be a short and long route available. The long route should take about two hours. There are also prizes for first place for both routes, best costume, coolest ride and dead last place.
Find more information about the race and the bike shop on facebook and at fairbanksbikeshop.com