Spoke Cards

A tradition of alley-cat races is to place a custom spoke card in between the spokes of your bike's wheel to identify riders and also as a way to show to other bikers after the fact what races you have participated in. This concept has driven the branding of each year's ride with a custom illustrated and designed spoke card featuring flowers, bikes, and rats.

Showing Off

Every year I hand print shirts for the race and have an activity for riders to do at the end of the race relating to the shirts. We've done tye-dyeing, bleach-dyeing, and a print-your-own printing booth where participants could bring their own shirt to print on! In 2025 I made a custom patch for the race from the hand-lettered logo I made for the race.

Community Prize Sponsors

Every year I coordinate with local businesses to donate prizes for the winners of the race. Every year they exceed my expectations with their generosity and really make the ride special for all the participants.

A Special Spring Surprise

This event is a labor of love and I do it every year because I truly enjoy getting to meet folks in the community and bring everyone together. The spirit of the ride was exemplified during the afterparty of the 2024 Flower Rat.
The 2024 Flower Rat ended and our afterparty was at Charm City Meadworks. While we were tallying the points at the end of the race a migrating swarm of bees touched down on one of our rider's bike bags. Thankfully another rider was a beekeeper & quickly rode home to grab their gear!
This happening against the backdrop of a giant bee mural felt like a sign of approval from the gods of spring. Plus not one rider got stung!