Editor's Statement

If you aren’t getting dirty, you are doing it wrong. I can’t help it—no matter the bike, no matter the ride my wheels get dirty along the road less traveled. You don’t have to get your downtube shifters muddy, but no matter where you call home, ride enough and it’s inevitable that you’ll get stuck out longer than expected, along a tract of dirt where there used to be a road. There is something to be said about learning to love the punishment when you can control the dosage to make the days that the universe dishes it out more tolerable.

Just as not every ride should be a sufferfest, not every ride can be an idyllic sunny day spin. Everyday commuters and working couriers experience the worst of it, with rides determined solely by the clock without concern to the weather or traffic conditions. Even but a cursory acknowledgement from a fellow rider when you’re both “in the shit” has weight—misery loves company, as they say.

Sometimes the misery is self-inflicted, with racing being the long-standing go-to competition to test one’s limits and build camaraderie. On page 28 our feature story explores the explosion of alleycat racing throughout urban cycling and some of the influence it has had on the culture, moving from the exclusive courier world into the general consciousness. I am but one of many that got seriously hooked on urban cycling partially through alleycats and the people that surround them. While my risk-taking has toned down since I entered my first in 2003, the allure and trepidation of riding fast with friends on someone else’s terms remains. The particulars of post-race conversations are lost to the ether, but the bonds over tales of spectacular equipment failure, triumphant routes, traffic close calls and bonking in the freezing rain remain. Not only something to codify friendships over, the experiences make the third flat on a tired rainy ride bearable. At least it’s not a race.

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