Tour de Fleurs: Our First Alleycat!

On Sunday, April 3rd, Bike Works hosted our first-ever alleycat-style bike ride, the “Tour de Fleurs” in celebration of spring!
All photos by Kae-Lin Wang

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A woman kneels by her bike which has a bouquet of white flowers tied to the top tube Three cyclists with helmets and flowered garlands around their necks

An alleycat is a bike race modeled after a day in the life of a bike messenger; the route is kept secret until the day of, and take place on city streets amongst traffic. There is no set route, and it is up to the rider to navigate their own path from checkpoint to checkpoint. In addition to the urban asphalt, the “Tour de Fleurs” featured numerous dirt/gravel options to increase stoke and help riders connect to the great provider of flowers and life, Mother Earth.

Video edit by Sean Flood

Two people using a mic to speak enthusiastically, presumably to a crowd gathered outside Two cyclists in orange and one in black smile for the camera

We recognize that all sorts of people of varying abilities ride bicycles. The one thing we all have in common is that we find cycling fun. So we planned the ride to celebrate and encourage fun with a wide array of jovial checkpoints and challenges based on non-bike related talent and luck. About 100 riders participated and together we raised over $1,300 to support Nurturing Roots, a Black woman owned farming community program in Beacon Hill. Nurturing Roots came through with their vegan mac ‘n cheese and bike-powered smoothies! Food was also provided from our supporters at Ezell’s Famous Chicken and Pagliacci Pizza and REI brought a DIY sunglasses station!

A woman sitting at a table full of brochures and stickers Two people smile at the camera enjoying fried chicken from Ezell's

Inside every [person]
Lives the seed of a flower
If [they] look within [they] find beauty and power
Ring all the bells, sing and tell the people everywhere that the flower has come
Light up the sky with your prayers of gladness and rejoice for the darkness is gone
Throw off your fears let your heart beat freely at the sign that a new time is born

-Minnie Ripperton, Les Fleurs

A group of cyclists A group of cyclists with their hands in a circle

Two cyclists with pipe cleaners sticking out of their helmets A young person on a bike gets their nails painted for an alleycat challenge

Someone holds up a Bike Works jersey A small dog in a bike basket

Two people smile for the camera A cyclist smiles with one hand in a paper box and the other holding up a piece of paper