A 24-Hour Alleycat Race Between Amsterdam and Rotterdam: The Damn 24 Story

by Thomas Spronk | Apr 9, 2025 | Events, News

There is nothing like a good old alleycat race. Whether it’s the anticipating excitement when doing the organizational part, getting prizes and setting out the routes, or just taking part in it, it’s always a special vibe. According to Wikipedia, the first race to be called an ‘alleycat’ was held in Toronto on 30 October 1989 and continued, in its original form, around Halloween and Valentine’s Day for the following five years.

Alleycats give you a nice insight into what a local scene is about. Whether it’s a more fun and friendly variant or an extreme sufferfest, we never stumbled upon one lacking creativity nor competition. Back in 2022, we organized one ourselves as part of the Bicycle Film Festival in Cape Town and we were amazed by how much fun it is to host. Since then, our bikes have been taking part in some around the globe and we always try to support these community-building, grassroots races with prizes when asked. Most alleycats—for example, the ones hosted by Cape Town Rat Race or BXL in Brussels—are nice get-togethers and doable for all riders, whether you’re into fixed or geared bike racing. But there’s always a level up.

One of the more stand-out ones we have been supporting since 2024 is Damn 24—a 24-hour endurance bike race spanning the distance between Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The objective of the race is to cover as many kilometers as possible within 24 hours. The next edition of the race kicks off on June 28, 2025, at noon (12:00 PM) in Amsterdam at TwoTone. It concludes 24 hours later with an awards ceremony and celebration at Rotterdam’s coolest cycling store Bikes and Records.

Crowds gather for the Damn24 at Bikes & Records in Rotterdam

We caught up with race organizer Carlos Meneses, current organizer/race director/all-around person in charge of Damn 24, to get to know a little more about this one-off event.

“My general goal is to make all participants suffer, both physically and mentally, as my own personal rides tend to have a similar philosophy.”

Skate mentality and underground cycling culture

“Cycling was never particularly in my background. I really started around 6–7 years ago. Before this, my background and knowledge were primarily in skating, particularly the longboarding part of it. My attitude towards cycling also comes from the mentality of a skater. Speaker strapped to handlebars, riding in cut-off shirts and sneakers, and a general disdain for the “taking themselves way too seriously” side of cycling. By pure coincidence, the YouTube algorithm led me to alleycat videos. Not too long after, I stumbled onto a poster for an alleycat in Rotterdam. I joined my first alleycat, and within 4–5 months, I was organizing my first one. This was finally a cycling subculture I agreed with—riding recklessly through cities with an unapologetic disdain for traffic and societal norms warms my heart.”

“I jumped into the organization of Damn 24 last year when I heard from co-organizer Caio Machado that they were thinking of possibly asking for government subsidies. By this point, I was also the unofficial poster and spoke card art guy for Rotterdam alleycats and quite experienced with organizing alleycats around the city. As time went on and my previous job contract ended, I essentially dove headfirst into all aspects of organizing the second edition of Damn 24 and just kind of naturally took the position as main.”

Damn 24: A 24-Hour Sufferfest on Two Wheels

“Damn 24 was originally started by Lamri Adjis in 2021, the concept being a 24-hour race back and forth between Amsterdam and Rotterdam, the winner being the person to make the most kilometers within the period. Last year, for the second edition, I came in and added some minor twists here and there. To the riders that were sent to “Disneyland Aalsmeer” (a Dutch ode to the Orlando theme park with over 300,000 Disney collectibles, red.) late at night and are still haunted, that was all me, and I’m not sorry.”

This year, I’m fully managing the organization and, therefore, making the event mine with various small changes. My general goal is to make all participants suffer, both physically and mentally, as my own personal rides tend to have a similar philosophy. June 28 and 29 will bring pain in the best way possible. Last year, both Caio and I were honestly a bit jealous of the participants, so this year all preparations are being set up in such a way that we will also be participating and suffering along with everyone.

“This is a race, of course, but you should see it more as a personal challenge. Challenge yourself to a distance and go for it.”

Also, quick shout-out to the 12-hour alleycat taking place in Amsterdam this April—for an event with a way less sadistic outlook and, as far as I’ve seen, the biggest number of participants in a Dutch alleycat by quite a big margin.

Upcoming Events: When and Where to Race

Want to take part in Damn 24? Set your goal and register by June 4th. The Twelve Hour Alleycat takes place in Amsterdam on Saturday April 12th. Make your way to Groningen on April 19th to find a special Easter Egg Alleycat starting at Grote Markt and finishing at Spaak.

Photo credits: Dane Zijlstra, Ludek and Jeremy. Follow us on Substack for more stories like these.