Afterparty Location Changed!

679 st remi beside the fence of the railroad trakcs

$2 beers $2 shots

(Fattal)

VITAL DETAILS: Race time/location

Here it is jerks, all the shit you need to know

COURS DES MORTS 2010
6 O CLOCK
Rue Labrecque & Ruelle Mercure
BRING YOUR BAG, BIKE, LOCK, PEN & MAP!
10 BONES
Racers get into the Party for free

The race consists of:
-4 manifests
-Each manifest has 5 questions(with addresses)
-Elimination round kicks in on the 3rd manifest. (this will be explained at the start)
-This is a downtown core style race. Everyone from the city should know where they're going!


Start point is here, pretty much st Andre and Maisonneauve


View Larger Map

There are lots of prizes but remember, first guy and girl are getting track frames.

Also Trigger Effect are still playing the show, and I have it on good authority that we're all going to get "really wasted".

La Course Des Morts En Francais!

Image Via Chapter9 Photography

Much love to Olivier from Mile end Bike Garage for the translation. Beers on me Wednesday! Je paiei pour les bieres?

La Course des morts est comme la Faucheuse : inexorable, à pic, infâme qui fout la frousse. Ici-bas, en Amérique, elle est aussi un des plus vieux rite du genre. Gloire éternelle à ceux-celles qui partent sur leur monture l'affronter !



Des messagers à vélo racontent qu'elle revient tous les ans à Montréal, depuis 15 ans. Vous le croirez quand vous verrez les patches à son effigie, et autres parures des vieux de la vieille — elles sortent tout droit des années 90.

On l'attend normalement la nuit de l'Halloween. Cette année, elle arrive le 13 novembre. À deux semaines de retard, c'est une livraison typique des messagers à vélos !

Par le passé, la course a réuni une centaine de participant-es en s'étendant sur environ 60km. Au beau milieu de la nuit. À certains relais, les moins mauviettes pourront toujours tenter d'acheter du temps, moyennant quelque tourment. Et avant la fin, les pénitents se verront offrir le choix de chasser le mal à coup de rasades de whisky.

Cette année la course est moins longue, mais plus débile, si ça se peut. Moins d'intersections où se pitcher, ça veut dire que ça donne une chance aux touristes, s'ils peuvent déplier leur carte de la ville à temps. Toutefois, avec plus de 300 messagers à Montréal, la compétition risque d'être raide.

Aucun doux repos une fois finie la course. Il y a deux cadres de piste, respectivement un KHS Flite et un SE Lager pour celui et celle qui auront triomphé. Pour les autres, en fixe ou pas, des sacs Cocotte et autres articles de la mort. Ensuite, l'afterparty dépasse la course. Trigger Effect, ces « terroristes du son », nous défoncent ça au bar Yer-Mad.

La Course Des Morts: November 13th

Image via Jerome at Chapter9 Photography

Here in Montreal it's a point of pride to race in La Course Des Morts (Race of The Dead for you Anglophones). Not only because it's the toughest and most dangerous race in the yearly calendar, but also because it's one of the longest-running in North America. Some couriers reckon it to be 15 years old and it's been run every year since its birth. Don't believe us? You don't have to, but if you show up this year don't be surprised to see prize bags and patches dating back to the '90s. Here's the clip from last year.




The race traditionally happens on Halloween night. This year it'll be two weeks late: November 13. Hey, it's organized by couriers - what do you expect?
Past races have had over a hundred participants covering somewhere near 60km in the middle of the night. Spooky missions at checkpoints can buy you time, and it's likely you'll be offered a couple shots of whiskey before the race is over

This edition will be short and fast: more core-whore and less long distance, something that just might give out-of-towners a fighting chance - if they're not too busy checking their maps! With more than 300 messengers in Montreal alone, you're guaranteed stiff competition.

The prizes are sweet: KHS Flite and SE Lager track frames will go to the winning man and woman respectively. Expect to see some goodness from Montreal's own bag manufacturer Cocotte and plenty of shiny hardware filling the prize bin for fixed and road classes, too.

The after-party at messenger bar Yer-Mad will rival the race. Montreal "noise terrorists" Trigger Effect are gonna make that little bar shake. Check their Eurotour to get an idea.




More info to come. Videos, shops, maps and all the other good stuff (in French soon!)

Now a word from our sponsors

There are a lot of people helping to get this thing together, here are a few (i.e. the ones that Jesse sent me images for).



Colin from pedalbelts

The fine people at Bikurious

Turbo-jerks Trigger Effect
And their support In Tongues
Plateau moms, 3rd year mcgill students and of course messengers can thank Cocotte for their rugged made in Montreal bags. They also named all their bags after some guy Fred, come to the race and meet him.

Belleville Cycle is pretty much the shit. Check them out at their new space on Bleury if you haven't already. Kinda looks like it says "helleville" doesn't it.

GET STOOOKED! Race Videos

For those of you who may not know what an alleycat is, or how they usually play out, observe. For those of you who do this will be old hat. Neon campy hat.

From this summer's Cycle Bird race, put on by papa bird Cameron.



Sergio and I put on ZeWeenie Roast this September. This video by Tom is great, but kind of ruined by some douche in a purple raincoat talking about hot dogs.

Weenie Roast Race- Montreal from La Vidéothèque on Vimeo.

Beat the Main is a yearly tradition, racing up st laurent from De La Commune to Parc Ahuntsic for the fastest time. Tom managed to capture the latest installment on his helmet cam.

Never mess with Sunday (Beat the Main Race) from La Vidéothèque on Vimeo.

Spoke Cards From Beyond The Grave

Some scans of spoke cards from Course Des Morts past. All images provided by Mo Rateni.