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Wilde Bicycle Company is the passion project of long-time Minneapolis cycling industry fixtures Jeffrey Frane, Josh Klauck, and Andy Tesch. The brand launched this week with two exciting bike models, the Earth Ship gravel/adventure bike and the Yo Jeffy! hardtail. Today we’re featuring an early look at Wilde’s initial offerings with imagery from our buddy Jarrod Bunk.
Bike supply chain shortages got you bummed out? Love the Midnight Special but can’t get yer grubby mitts on one? Well check out this contest Surly is running with Full Cycle, a non-profit organization that uses bikes as a way to support and feed houseless youth in Surly’s hometown of Minneapolis, MN.
Read about how you can win this bike at Pillsbury United Communities!
Help support North Minneapolis and enter to win a 2021 All-City Space Horse! All proceeds go to the WBC & Northside Funders initiative to help businesses impacted by COVID-19 and the events following the murder of George Floyd. Learn more or donate directly here.
There are two ways to enter: Click here or call Behind Bars at 612-436-0255 to buy a ticket (or several!). Raffle ends Thursday June 11 at midnight. We’ll announce the winner next weekend. Behind Bars/Michael’s Cycles will match funds up to $1,600.
All-City’s 2021 Space Horse will be released in August. Winner may choose the size of their liking.
When a city loses a velodrome, it can send shockwaves through the local community. Over at the All-City Blog, the team worked with track racer Renee Hoffmann to talk a bit about their beloved National Sports Center Velodrome in Blaine, Minnesota. As a nice supplement to this story, we’re featuring Adam Zuehlke’s video from the NSC Velodrome, so enjoy!
Minneapolis’ infamous bike race is back for its 23rd year. The Stupor Bowl returns February 1st, 2020, so get ready! Head to the Facebook page for more information.
FOREWORD: Back in May and into June, I had the pleasure of helping the crew at Angry Catfish for a couple of weeks as their summer season began to pick up. The following is a series of entries from a journal I kept during my time there. My hope is that through these vignettes you will get a glimpse of what it’s like to not only work at one of the most successful bike shops in the country, but be a bicycle salesperson and mechanic in the city of Minneappolis. Think of this as an extended shop visit, one where I get my hands dirty and experience the area and community the way those at Angry Catfish and other locals do. All photos are film, shot on 35mm and 120mm. Enjoy!
This past July I was lucky to attend a downhill day with the rad humans who put on the Midwest Dirt Legion. I had heard tales of their group from my partner and friends, so I was very stoked to finally meet them and see what they were up to. Time after time I hear from non cis male people that they feel there is a lack of places they feel comfortable riding and learning in the mountain bike world, which makes the work that Steph and Ash are doing that much more important. I caught up with them for a spin around the local bandit jumps and got a testimonial from their biggest fan, Chelli. If you are looking for amazing people to ride with in the midwest, check out the Midwest Dirt Legion! -Spencer
Midwest Dirt Legion is here to build a better mountain bike community for marginalized genders. Based in Minneapolis, the group was founded in February 2018 by Steph Aich (she/her) and Ash Murray (they/them) . Our focus is on bringing passionate people and organizations in the Twin Cities together to increase ridership for transgender, gender non-binary, and cis women riders.
If You Were Wondering, Frostbike’s Still the Best
Photos and words by Kyle Kelley
Especially for newcomers! It was really rad seeing Sean and Danny from Team Dream and the Cub House experience this unique event for the first time. It really got me thinking about a few of my first Frostbikes, and how a lot of my really good friends have actually spawned from this event. I’ve even seen other friendships flourish from introductions at Frostbike. Going to Minneapolis in the middle of winter as a cyclist probably seems like a bad idea, but when you actually think about it, it’s genius.
Success stories like this really resonate with the cycling community as a whole. Using mountain bikes to economically resuscitate an area is never a bad thing…
Sending it Safely in Cuyuna with Brenda
Words by Brenda Croell and photos by Spencer Harding
Edit note: It came to my attention quickly that the original wording of this article, in my attempt to be playful and transparent with the fact that this was a weekend with my partner whom I adore, I undermined the hard work that Brenda and other Minneapolis WTFs have put in for their community. I asked John to take down the article in that form. Brenda has rewritten the article to better respect their community and women in cycling at large. – Spencer
Cuyuna is everything I love about the Midwest packed into 300 acres. What we lack in elevation we make up for with flowy singletrack through aspens, pines, and descents towards crystal clear lakes. The trails are so immaculately maintained you would have never guessed this place was used for anything else except mountain biking.
Chris Kvale Minneapolis Studio Visit
Photos and words by Jarrod Bunk
Chris Kvale is a humble perfectionist, every stroke of his file and pass of his torch honed the last forty years. When I walked into Kvale’s studio, I couldn’t hold my focus, everywhere I looked there was something that snapped my attention away from what I was gazing at moments prior.
Angry Catfish + Mend Provisions + Northern Coffeeworks + Northern Frameworks make up the Angry Catfish family in Minneapolis:
“A collaborative collective of businesses in Minneapolis, Minnesota go beyond retail and thrive in a community built by each other and those around them. In 2010 Angry Catfish Bicycle Shop + Coffee Bar(ACF) opened to accolades amongst its local patrons and followers across the country with a simple concept to provide the best bicycles, coffee, and environment to enjoy them possible. Not long after the launch of ACF Mend Provisions, a life style fly fishing, men’s apparel, and outdoor goods brand was created and opened around the corner from ACF. Mend was followed by Northern Frameworks the in house frame/bicycle company to Angry Catfish allowing a curated, tailor-made bicycle experience with in the brick and mortar retail establishment in South Minneapolis. Finally in 2017 Northern Coffeeworks took an already refined third wave coffee model offered and ACF and added locale sources food and beverage in a Minneapolis Downtown East setting. The teams of all four businesses not only work together, but also eat, drink, and play together and with their community at large. ”
These guys are the best. Smoochies, Josh!
Parker from Angry Catfish’s Amazing All-City Log Lady
Photos by Kyle Kelley, words by Parker Roenfanz.
BEHOLD: THE LOG JAM!
It’s the Midwest; trails here often ‘require’ neither suspension nor gears. Having been born and bred in an area where the White-Tails carved much of the early singletrack, the folks at All-City created a capable ripper, with tight angles, classic lines, and a few touches of modern flair.
I had the chance to first ride the Log Lady down in Los Angeles before All-City announced it to the masses, and I fell in love with it almost immediately. Having grown up on rigid 26″ single-speeds, the LL really appealed to me.
When the frameset first showed up, I had to make a couple changes to it to make it mine. First, the color had to go; no offense to the wonderful folks over at All-City, but the Red/Black/White fade was not my jam. After that, I jammed the biggest rubbers I could between the stays: Derby’s AM rims with a 35mm internal width and Panaracer’s FBN tire, which measures out roughly 2.7. And finally, I did what any good human should do these days and put dropper on it! Just a little frame modification and the Fox Transfer post was good to go.
Obviously, this setup is a far cry from All-City’s stock build, but it should help showcase what the bike is capable of, and how well one can make it their own.
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Follow Kyle on Instagram, Angry Catfish on Instagram and Parker on Instagram.
Eleven Years of Party at the 2016 All City Championships
Photos by Kevin Sparrow and words by Jeff Frane
11 years. 11 years we’ve been doing this.
Every Summer, for one glorious bike party weekend we own these streets, we own this fucking town. The All City Championships were the first major non messenger-organized alleycat in the city of MPLS. It proved that anyone with a little hardwork and determination could make a major impact on their community, do something good, give something back. It inspired others to start their own races, it helped inspire me to found a bicycle company, it brought old friends together and has facilitated making many new ones around the globe.
August 17th through the 20th brings about the 2016 All City Championships in Minneapolis. Check out all the information at Bike Jerks!
What is a “Log Lady?” and where can you see one? Next Wednesday All-City organized a series of release parties. Check out the details below.
Bike Jerks celebrates 10 years on the ‘net this year and to commemorate their decade online, they teamed up with Minneapolis cap maker Hammerbone on a small run of caps. There are only 25 available, so if you’re a fan, swoop asap. Head over to Bike Jerks for more.
Bicycles inspired by artwork? The MIA and Handscome Cycles teamed up to do just that. Also, Peacock Groove cameos are always a win!
