Once a year it’s MOBILITY DAY in Brussels…. no cars allowed just bikes, rollers, wanderers, prams and public transport.
The 20th of sept 09 was a day of chaos on the streets, happy grins everywhere and Brussels’ first Alley Cat!
Bonus point: a clear dry day…
The Eddy Merckx Glasses Collective got together the first Brussels Alley Cat – Alley Frite, a fixed (with some non fixed gear) bike race, linking the best chip shops in town, from south to north… with a few tricks thrown in at different sites, a quizz, with the aim of getting to the arrival line with a pack of chips.
The race started off in Saint-Gilles, with a first check point at Uccle’s “Clementine” frit kot, where the competitors had to sign they’re nickname (a card game) and pick up a clue for the quizz.
Then they went on to “Kakkoiiiro” toy shop to be photographed passing though “Pêle mêle” 2nd-hand bookshop to sign up and collect a badge. Then onto a another chip shop before hitting “Antoine’s bike store” for some track stands.
After that they had to peddle hard to reach the Atomium, where it was a bit chaotic and then onto “Friterie du Mirroir” in Jette and back to city center arrival line.
On the whole its was average 38km peddle, avoiding crazy kids on bikes, first time bikers, push chairs, ramadam families….
Youssef’s time saving cunning trick: arrival with a frozen chip pack!
And finally the prizes!!
