Folks, After getting the list-meister's permission, I'm offering the following post: on Saturday March 3rd, there was an alleycat from San Francisco to San Jose (an alleycat is an unsanctioned, non-permitted race, the course usually consists of a number of checkpoints and the route is left up to each racer. The goal is to hit all the checkpoints in the shortest time, so route-planning is a key component).
This was the second year for the race, and the turnout was amazing; 165 people showed up to race, many of them on fixed gears. The distance by the recommended route is just over 50 miles, and at the 3rd checkpoint (around 43 miles) each rider was required to get photographed.
There was a bewildering variety of bikes, but two stand-outs for me
were this CIOCC Enemy:
http://www.flickr.com/
On average the bikes skewed to lugged steel, many of them keirin frames, and, and a fair number of them without hand brakes (mine included).
San Francisco has a pretty good bike scene, but these people are IN to it. Not only did they go down to see the show, but they raced or rode there, and for some of them it was the farthest they'd ever ridden.
These folks are into bikes; many of them are not athletes but they love bikes and bike culture, especially the classic stuff, and they're the ones who are helping keep the flame alive.
Hope you enjoy the pictures (and the winning time was 2:15, done on a fixed-gear).
Galen Pewtherer
San Francisco
CA, USA