The Rat Patrol competed in the Tour Da Chicago against the Scallywags. This is a series of races on the street, a sort of alleycat olympics. The first ride was a team race: Three coed members ride 45 miles together, the last one in determines the placement for the team.

We were all on tallbikes, except for one suffering individual on a teeny-tiny bike. It was a drizzly but beautiful day, and the ride was quite pleasant. We didn't win any medals, but we amazed a lot of people by actually doing it on junky bikes.

The checkpoint was an Einstein's Bagels. We hit their dumpster before riding home. The Scallies peeled off to go to a knitting party, and the Rat Patrol rolled into home to the cheers of a crowd that had had plenty of time to drink since they'd gotten in.