A-Magazine: February 2012

The Bike That Won CIRREM

Posted by Chris Skogen On 8:05 AM 0 comments

CIRREM was this last weekend and we heard was a good time. In fact, our very own Drew Wilson stood on the podium with a third place finish! The guy that won, Lane Anderson, was riding the Cannondale CAAD9 Optimo pictured below. I feel like we've seen something like this one before... Congrats to all who showed up and rode!

Lane Anderson's Cannondale CAAD9 Optimo

We Like Spike Jonze

Posted by Chris Skogen On 10:33 AM 0 comments

We narrowed it down, but you'll have to decide.

Posted by Chris Skogen On 4:04 PM 18 comments

We have selected our personal favorites from the 800 postcards that came in, but we just can't seem to pick the one. We put up our finalists below and have included a quick survey at the bottom of the page. Have a look and make your choice.

Postcard #1 (If we had a bar, it would look just like this)

Postcard #2 (Looking sharp)

Postcard #3 (Hand detailed leather, no shit)

Postcard #4 (Looking sharp)

Postcard #5 (Pure class)

Postcard #6 (UNderstated elegance)


Postcard #7 (Cut out bicycles are always nice)

Postcard #8 (Laminated wheels, hand painted frame)

Postcard #9 (Skulls make eveything better)

Postcard #10 (Fuck you, old lady!)

Postcard #11 (We've always wondered what the inside of this place looked like)

Postcard #12 (The lonesome cowboy)

Postcard #13 (Antiquity at it's finest)

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

The Email We Sent Today

Posted by Chris Skogen On 2:35 PM 0 comments

Welcome to Almanzo!

We are busy working on finding and securing some funding for this years event so that we can continue to bring you the highest level of enjoyment possible. In the meantime, we thought we'd pass along some pertinent information. Here goes...

What:

Both of the events, the 100 and the 162 are again going to be fully self-supported. This means no outside help, no drop bags, no rides home from Almanzo crew, etcetera.

When:

Friday, May 18th, 2012 - Pre-race sign in will be held in Spring Valley this year from 4:00pm to 9:00pm - Location TBA
Friday, May 18th, 2012 - A spaghetti feed will be available to those interested near the sign-in - This dinner is hosted and will benefit the local Kiwanis Club (aka, good people)
Saturday, May 19th, 2012 - The Royal 162 will start at 7:00am with a cut-off time of 10:00pm. The Almanzo 100 will begin at 9:00am with a cut-off time of 9:00pm.

Where:

Spring Valley, Minnesota - We are working on finalizing a start/finish for both events as the High School is not available to us on Saturday the 19th. We'll have more on this down the road.

Why:

Because riding bikes is the best and riding them with friends and strangers alike is even better!

How:

Under your own power.

---

Where to stay: Lodging for this event is available in a variety of forms. We'll list the options below:

CAMPING:

Forrestville State Park
Deer Creek Speedway - First come, first serve (no reservations for tents) - $10/night - no electric, no water - showers available - let them know you're with the Almanzo
Good Earth Village
Maple Springs Campground

HOTELS:

Spring Valley Inn & Suites

DIRT BAGGING:

Not necessarily the best idea, but if you are going to go this route...you are on your own.

---

What to Expect:

If you have done this event in the past, you should be good on this subject, but just to review. Rules are the same as in years past:

You are responsible for yourself.
Be an ambassador for the sport.
ABSOLUTELY NO LITTERING (Pack it in, pack it out)
You are responsible for yourself.
Do not pee in front of people. (Find an out of the way tree, out of the sight lines of everyone)
Mind the rules of the road. (See #1)
Help others as though they were family. (In a way they really are anyway)
Be an ambassador for the sport.
ABSOLUTELY NO LITTERING.
You are responsible for yourself.
Be an ambassador for the sport.
ABSOLUTELY NO LITTERING.

If you have not participated in this event before and are new to this type of event there are a few things we'd like to let you know:

Bring enough food to ride 100 or 162 miles (there is water available in Preston just off the course at approximately mile 40, as well as in Forrestville State Park near the 60 mile mark).
Bring enough water to ride 100 or 162 miles.
Dress appropriately for the weather and plan ahead accordingly.
Carpool where it is available.
100 miles is no joke. You will climb nearly 7,000 feet during the course of this event. Train now and enjoy yourself later.
162 miles is no joke. You will climb nearly 10,000 feet during the course of this event. Train now and save yourself a ton of trouble later.
Bring a spare tube or two, a pump and any of the tools you may need to repair a mechanical in the middle of nowhere.
Cue sheets will be made available via download the week before the event (we'd make them for you, but it's too expensive this year and we just don't have the cash). The cue sheets are easy to read and will get you from start to finish without getting you lost.
Have fun. It makes the whole thing make more sense if you remember this simple little reminder.

If you have questions, let us know and we'll do our best to get them answered. Thanks again for your interest and we'll check in real soon with more information.

Best Always,

Chris Skogen & Crew

Frostbike, Cutter's Ball & the Lonliest Road in Minneapolis

Posted by Chris Skogen On 7:17 AM 0 comments

We didn't sleep much, but certainly had a great time at Frostbike and the Cutter's Ball this weekend. We got to the Frostbike festivities late in the afternoon on Saturday and took a quick spin around the vendor area, rode the new Campy 11 speed electronic setup (amazing), saw some familiar faces and bolted to check in at the hotel in Richfield. From the hotel we rode our way up Portland Ave and then detoured to the tourist route along the Minnehaha Creek Trail. Being from out of town, riding along the lazy creek is always a pleasure. However, we ended up feeling some burning desire to ride up a hill, so we abandoned the trail and headed north into the neighborhood to grab a quick and amazing bite to eat at Kings Wine Bar. Finally full of fine food and beer, we pedaled further north up Bryant to the Greenway and made East for the party at Peacock Groove.

For the last three years we have attended the Cutter's Ball and have yet to be disappointed. Frankly, we're not sure it's possible to be let down considering the efforts of the fine folks at Banjo Brothers, Twin Six, O2 and Handsome. These gents really know how to make things happen, both for the bike and for it's rider. We digress. The party was well attended, as per usual, and there was no trouble finding wonderful people to share it with. By the time 3:00am rolled around we had had the pleasure of watching a guy faceplant off a raised platform to the concrete floor thee feet below. We saw the incredible, yet relatively tame indoor derby. We saw some form of a masculine dance that revolved mostly around genital punching and all the while heard some amazing tunes from the DJ de jour. Good times indeed.

All in all, we can tell you this much, riding the ten-plus miles back to Richfield at 3:00am is a pretty lonely affair. Not that we wouldn't do it again, but it's pretty lonely.

- fast forward three hours and 15 minutes -

Sunday morning came early. 7:00am to be exact. Grabbed something that looked like an egg in the lobby of the hotel and headed for Frostbike again. This time we went back into the vendor area with a couple of specifics things on our mind. First was sleep and the second was tires. We stopped back to the Challenge booth to speak with Alex about the Parigi-Roubaix tire and it's potential with gravel road racing. Keep your ear to the floor with this one as we think there are some pretty amazing things coming down the pike. A couple more laps around the blue carpet and we headed for the door (which meant sleep was finally getting closer). On the way out we snapped a couple photos of some beautiful rigs. First is a coupled Salsa Fargo and the second a beautiful gem from Civia. Take a look below, we're going back to bed...

For the Weekend

Posted by Chris Skogen On 2:44 AM 0 comments

We are taking the weekend off and heading to Minneapolis. Whilst we are there, we planning on hitting up Frostbike, getting in a little ride and heading over to the Cutter's Ball to take in a little of the Minnesota bike culture scene. It ought to be a excellent weekend of bikes, bikes and more bikes...just what we need right now. So...if you are going to be in the Minneapolis area this weekend as well, please say hello if we cross paths (we'll be in the black hat with the red triangle). For now though, please enjoy the following motion picture.

Guillaume Nery base jumping at Dean's Blue Hole, filmed on breath hold by Julie Gautier from Umblu Liber on Vimeo.

2012 Full Roster (as of February 12th)

Posted by Chris Skogen On 11:25 PM 23 comments

As of February 12th: This is the list. These are the names from all of the postcards we have received. If you're not on here (or we spelled your name wrong) get a hold of us ASAP. If you are on here, we'll be contacting you via electronic mail shortly to welcome you aboard.

Adams, Jason
Adams, Helen
Adams, Kent
Ahrens, Allison
Ahrens, Sam
Albeez, Rhino
Alberts, James
Albrecht, Rich
Alquist, Greta
Altamirano, Andres
Altendahl, Joseph
Alto, Aaron
Amo, Bryon
Amo, Sheila
Anderson, Jared
Anderson, Tom
Anderson, Randy
Andrews, Mark
Anton, Nicholas
Applen, Eric
Armstrong, Chris
Armstrong, Doug
Arrigoni, Curt
Austin, Clay
Ayres, Patrick
Bain, Morgan
Baltzley, Jessica
Barnes, Molly
Barnhart, Tom
Barnhart, Bruce
Barnidge, Mike
Barr, Meghan
Barre, Jay
Bastiaens, Koen
Bastian, Ben
Bates, Bill
Bauer, Todd
Bauer, Tim
Beck, Marcus
Behrends, Tyler
Beix, Dan
Bell, Steve
Bell, Seth
Bell, Randy
Bell, Sally
Benishek, Mark
Bennett, Jonny
Bennett, Tobin
Bennett, Robin
Berg, Wanda
Berger, Chris
Bergeson, Tim
Berglund, Dave
Berglund, Robert
Bergman, Steve
Berkland, Samuel
Besser, Carl
Beveridge, Sam
Bialas, James
Bianchi, Keith
Bilek, Jerry
Binger, Brian
Blackmore, Jeff
Blum, Morgan
Bobusch, Mike
Boecker, Sascha
Bolin, Ben
Bollom, David
Bond, Greg
Bond, Veronica
Borgen, Alex
Boston, Adam
Bowman, Jared
Bowron, Chris
Braaten, Eric
Bratulich, Todd
Braun, Kathleen
Breen, Luke
Brick, Tara
Bridges, Bradley
Brinkman, Brian
Broom, James
Brown, Bobby
Brown, Berly
Brown, Tricia
Brown, Mike
Brown-Caldwell, Connie
Bruessel, Brent
Bruning, David
Brunt, Eric
Buehler, Bob
Burklund, Mike
Burnett, Jeff
Burtness, Kevin
Bush, Bill
Bushinski, Mark
Buttweiler, Devin "Rage"
Buyal, Rick
Callas, Bill
Carlson, Ryan
Carlson, Mark
Carlson, Derek
Carlson, Kent
Carlton, Philip
Carroll, Paul
Carter, Jeremiah
Carter, Michelle
Carter, Tony
Cary, Neil
Chenoweth, Paul
Chezik, Kyle
Chinn, Derek
Christianson, Bjorn
Christy, Karen
Cimpl, Gil
Claessens, Eric
Clark, Phil
Clark, Kevin
Clark, Kevin
Clausen, Ted
Cleveland, Chris
Cochran, Molly
Cochran, Byran
Cochran, Jim
Cole, Brad
Collins, Ayo
Colonel Van Baggins
Conrad, Rick
Coogan, Ryan
Cox, Ben
Crecelius, Mary
Criego, Mike
Crist, Terri
Crowley, Brianna
Cunningham, Ben
Dahlquist, Scott
Daly, Don
Damhorst, Kimberly
Damm, Jeff
Danno
Das, Danica
Davis, Arin
Death Rider
DeGeest, Dan
Degidio, Nick
DeShano, Lisa
Dettman, Brad
Dettmer, Alan
DeYoe, Tostin
Dietel, Randall
Dietzman, Mike
Dirks, Monte
Dix, Mark
Dodig, Jay
Doloto, Rafal
Donaldson, Caleb
Doom, Ben
Dougherty, Bryan
Dresen, Mike
Driscoll, Anissa
Driscoll, Tom
Drury, Jason
Duepner, Ted
Duer, Matt
Duffin, Matt
Duffy, Joe
Dukek, Brian
Dullard, Jeff
Dunkel, Damon
Dunlap, Mike
Eagan, Dustin
Earley, Ken
Easton, Ian
Edge, Justin
Edge, Corey
Edgerly, Mike
Eichorst, John
Eifert, Jon
Elsbernd, Ryan
Emery, Mark
Endorf, Mike
Engen, Matt
Eppen, Brian
Eppen, Kim
Erickson, Scotty
Ericsson, Michele
Ericsson, JP
Espinosa, Carlos
Evanoff, Nick
Evans, Jeff
Evans, Mark
Evertone, Hurl
Faceplant, Robert
Falkowski, Jonathan
Falloon, Tom
Farrell, Shane
Farrow, Charlie
Feirn, Fred
Felt, Joseph
Feltovich, Brian
Ficke, Joel
Fields, Greg
Fischer, Michael
Fischer, Todd
Fish, Doug
Fisher, Mike
Flinsch Garrison, Jacob
Flynn, Maren
Flynn, Tim
Foley, Tiffany
Foley, Frank
Foley, James
Follmer, Chris
Folpe, Andrew
Fonkert, Ryan
Forester, James
Francl, Luke
Franken, Bill
Freese, Steve
Fritz, Chuck
Fuhrmann, Brian
Fulner-Erickson, Lauren
Fulner-Erickson, Ben
Gaikowki, Jason
Galloway, Don
Garbis, Nicholas
Garwick, Stu
Gasperino, David
Gasperino, Anthony
Gates, Kari
Gazda, Jared
Geary, Patrick
Gehring, Tom
George, Taylor
George, Brian
Giannobile, Evan
Gibbons, Nick
Gibson, Justus
Gibson, Randy
Gibson, John
Gillihan, Todd
Gilpin, Jean
Gleason, Greg
Glisczinski, Dan
Glubka, Gary
Goblirsch, Jim
Godfrey, Corey
Goehrig, Chris
Goehrig, Gail
Gold, Dan
Gollnik, Bob
Gollogly, Heidi
Gonzalez, Mary
Grafa, Adam
Graham, Scott
Grant, Collin
Greene, Christopher
Greiber, Jennifer
Grelk, Dennis
Gremillion, Andy
Grimes, Peter
Gritman, Bob
Groh, Brian
Groskreutz, Michael
Gustafson, Peter
Gustafson, Craig
Guy, New
Hagen, Aaron
Hagstrom, Judson
Hallaway, David
Halstrom, Mark
Hamel, Fletcher
Hanlon, Kelly Jean
Hansen, Dan
Hansen, Gerald
Hanson, Steve
Hargrove, Ross
Harmon, Anna
Harmon, Ian
Harris, Chrissy
Harstedt, Scott
Hartnet, Mark
Hatcher, John
Hatley, John
Haugh, Spencer
Hayden, Brian
Hedblom, Ed
Heim, Dan
Heinzen, Bob
Held, Robert
Hemingson, Shawn
Hendricks, Rich
Hendrickson, Scott
Herman, Kevin
Herz, Matt
Hibbert, Tucker
Hicks, Jason
Hildebrand, Josh
Hill, Bryan
Hillesheim, Joel
Hilligoss, Jeff
Hippen, Scott
Hirsch, Dave
Hirsh, Steve
Hoch, John
Hoekstra, Todd
Hogan, John
Hohman, Tess
Holway, Will
Homstad, Greg
Hooley, Marc
Hopkins, Kim
Horkey, Ryan
Houlihan, Rob
Hunsinger, Andy
Hunt, Krista Kay
Huseby, Christian
Huston, Tiffany
Huston, Morgan
Ingram, Jeff
Inkala, Paul
Irving, Craig
Iverson, Al
Jackson, Randy
Jacobs, Asa
James, Aaron
Jargo, Kevin
Jazdzewski, Jeremiah
Jenkins, Jim
Joas, Bryan
Johnson, Samuel
Johnson, Mike
Johnson, Ben
Johnson, Matt
Johnson, Dennis
Johnson, Lance
Johnson, Mike
Johnson, Dallas
Johnson, Kirk
Johnson, Zachary
Jones, Matt
Jungers, Jake
Kadar, Laura
Kalb, Jim
Kapp, David
Katkov, Alex
Keffer, Andy
Keller, Nick
Kelley, Brian
Kelsey, Tim
Kelzer, Thomas
Kensley, Nathan
Kern, Jon
Kershaw, Jeremy
Keyes, Brad
King, TK
Kinney, Patrick
Kinney, Tim
Kippley, Amy
Kirch, Larry
Klauck, Patty
Klees, Drew
Klein, Scott
Klempke, Brian
Klueuer, Corey
Knoll, Greg
Knudson, Bill
Kocka, Lindsay
Koeneman, Brian
Kohls, Ben
Komperud, Michael
Kondrasuk, Greg
Kovalchuk, Serge
Kovalchuk, Sveta
Kramarczuk, Nicke
Krawczyk, Brandon
Krawczyk, Janna
Krawczyk, Paul
Krawczyn, Andy
Krljic, Marianne
Krobakken, Taylor
Krolak, John
Krone, Doug
Kruck, Josh
Krüesel, Lucy
Krumrich, Paul
Kruse, Brad
Kullman, Shane
Kurtinitis, Michael
Kusler, Dean
Kvittem, Brent
Lageson, Andrew
Lahtinen, Syd
Langland, Vernon
Larkin, Chris
Larkin, Dan
Larsen, Leif
Larson, Todd
Larson, Mara
Larson, Craig
Larvick, Grant
Laurel, Steve
Lawrence, Troy
Lee, Mike
Leiss, Michael
Leisz, Nick
Lemberger, Michael
Lenz, Peter
Leugers, Martin
Leugers, Eric
Leugers, Peter
Lew, Gene
Lewandowski, Randy
Light, Marc
Lind, Dan
Lindberg, Andy
Lindberg, Gary
Lindberg, Brad
Linder, Neal
Linehan, Grady
Livesay, Fred
Lovell, Paul
Lueth, James
Lupfer, Tim
Lynch-McKinney, Matt
Lyons, Kevin
Lysne, Matt
Mable, Dave & Dee
Mac, Kelly
Macaruso, Mario
Machaiek, Matt "Igor"
Macheel, Chad
MacNaughton, Donald
Magner, Alix
Mahoney, Lonny
Mailen, Sean
Mainguy, David
Malanaphy, Maury
Malvick, Reed
Mann, Jeff
Mansfield, Steef
Mansfield, Xavier
Manske, Brandon
Marek, Brent
Mark "The Butcher"
Marquette, Rollin
Martens, Andy
Martin, Ebbie
Martin, Casey
Martin, Nick
Marx, Larry
Mason, Michael
Matthiesen, Ed
Mayer, Fred
McBeain, Tom
McClure, Scott
McClure, Mark
McCollough, Dave
McCormick, Molly
McCormick, Paul
McDonald, Mary
McElvain, Tyson
McEnaney, Bob
McGrath, Antoine
McGuire, Terry
McIntyre, Nat
McKinney, Michael
Meehan, Shaun
Meinke, Brandon
Meiser, Joe
Melcher, Dave "Dog"
Mendez, Natalie
Mertes, Jeff
Michaelsen, Noah
Miller, Tom
Miller, Barbie
Million, Porter
Moehle, Mark
Mondloch, Mark
Moorman, Scott
Morford, Jared
Morison, Angus
Morris, Elliott
Morrow, Will
Morud, Martin
Mulcahy, Suzanne
Mundahl, Greg
Murphy, Tim
Myer, Heather
Nadeau, Jessica
Nederloe, Tryg
Neitzel, Kyle
Nelsen, Mike
Nelson, Alex
Nelson, Tim
Ness, Jason
Ness, Kyle
Nevdal, Aaron
Nichols, Joel
Nikodym, Matt
Norrie, Tim
Norton, Jeremy
Novak, Jason
Novak, Andrew
O'Brien, Devin
Oberbroeckling, Amy
Odio, Jorge
Oenes, Alexander
Ohotto, John
Oien, Peter
Olson, Aaron
Olson, Erik
Olson, Trevor
Olson, Katy
Olson, Keith
Oney, Ben
Ortega, Benajmin
Ortmann, Levi
Ortmann, Robert
Ostmoe, John
Oswald, Chris
Ouska, Mark
Paetznick, Ryan
Paff, Rae
Pahr, Joe
Pamlenyi, Steven
Parenteau, Roger
Parr, Brandon
Parrish, Chad
Parsons, Richard
Parsons, Charles
Pascual, Jose
Patty, Brad
Paulke, Alex
Paulman, Ken
Pearson, Derek
Perret, Matias
Peter Regnier of Sandwich
Petersen, Matt
Peterson, A.J.
Peterson, Aaron
Peterson, Chris
Pfeiffer, Michael
Phillips, Kalli
Phillips, Rick
Pidde, Ridge
Pidde, Aaron
Pieper, Steve
Pike, John
Pippin, Steve
Pitts, Justin
Plant, Paula
Pletka, Bruce
Pollock, Kelly
Polson, Shawn
Porter, Dennis
Porvaznik, Steve
Powell, Nate
Prahl, Tyler
Pramann, David
Prenzlow, Brady
Price, Emerson
Price, Adam
Price, Dan
Prichard, Ashley
Priefer, Lori
Prochniak, Amy
Prosise, Adam
Prosser, Ed
Psihos, Char
Pueschner, Erik
Puzak, Tom
Pyle, Diane
Q-Pete
Rahimi, Kaveh
Rake, Angie
Ramaker, Hannah
Ramaker, Chelsey
Ramaker, Talea
Ramirez, Gregorio
Randall, Kelly
Randleman, David
Randolph, Daniel
Rasmussen, Bryce
Rauckman, Jereme
Redelsperger, Steve
Redetzke, Ryan
Reed, Dave
Reed, Jim
Reese, Bruce
Reeve, Matt
Reinkordt, Elisabeth "Grindcore"
Rettig, Dirk
Rich, Brian
Rients, Jesse
Rinkleff, Franz
Ripp, Ken
Rittler, Craig
Roark, Frank
Robetor, Ben
Roe, Steven
Rogers, Cole
Rogge, Adam
Roltgen, Paul
Rooster
Rosane, James
Rosenbaum, Scott
Ross, T.J.
Rowe, David
Rudnick, Martin
Ruees, Abby
Ruest, NT
Russell, Luci
Russell, Dan
Ryan, Pete
Ruhtenberg, Maria
Saathoff, Ryan
Salhus, John
Salmon, Spencer
Sample, Todd
Sanborn, Allen
Sandberg, John
Sandberg, Jonathan
Sanders, Jeff
Sanders, Jeff
Saravia, Stefan
Saul, Ron
Schad, Charlie
Scharn, Derreck
Schefers, Oscar
Schiltz, Dustin
Schley, Geoff
Schmid, Len
Schmidt, Christopher
Schmidt, Craig
Schmidt, Joann
Schmidt, Joe
Schmidt-Iverson, Patti
Schneider, Joshua
Schoo, Steve
Schow, Pete
Schroeder, Sue
Schuetz, Justin
Schutz, David
Scott, Tom
Scotton, Matt
Seaburg, Mark
Sears, David
Sedlacek, Larry
Seibold, Ryan
Severson, Max
Sexton, Stuart
Shea, Tim
Sherman, Scott
Sheu, Ted
Shively, Josh
Shoemaker, Darryl
Shoultz, Eric
Showalter, Charles
Sieberg, David
Sixta, Bob
Skibby
Skytte, Eric
Smith, Aaron
Smith, Ross
Smith, Shannon
Smith, Jim
Sorensen, Erik
Sorenson, Pat
Squillace, Mike
St. Pierre, Sam
Stachin, Andrew
Stacy, Joel
Staufenberg, Adam
Steensgard, Dave
Steeves, Dan
Stehlik, Mark
Steichen, Steve
Stepanik, Brett
Stephen, Timothy
Stets, Dan
Stetson, Tyler
Still, Guy "Skillet"
Stiller, Joe
Stoner, Jeff
Stonge, Dan
Strachan, David
Strese, Daniel
Strom, Gail
Strong, Jason
Struchynski, John
Stuber, Bill
Sturchio, Glenn
Sudheimer, Erik
Sundby, Scott
Sundquist, Matt
Swanson, Nathan
Swanson, John
Swenson, Brett
Syverson, Jim
Talerico, Dominic
Tassava, Chris
Tassi, Malcolm
Tauber, Sage
Teig, Sara
Tetmeyer, Andy
Theiman, Andy
Thell, Jerry
Theobald, Alex
Thoerner, Heather
Thoerner, Eric
Thompson, Lisa
Throlson, Kent
Tischler, Gregg
Tsatsoulis, Alex
Tsurutani, Gabriella
Tu, Haink
Tummel, Jeremy
Turner, Dave
Tweed, Evan
Tyler, Dave
Ubinger, Tyler
Ulmer, Jeanne
Urch, Joel
Utoft, Dan
Van Norman, Mark
Van Vleet, Matt
Van Vleet, Steve
VanderWoude, Mark
Vangsnes, Erik
Vanskike, Elliott
Varani, Robert
Velo, Phil
Vinar, Jason
Vincent, Timo
Vissel, Jenna
Voreis, Aaron
Vosberg, Roy
Wacker, Ben
Wade, Kathyrn
Wages, David
Wagner, Steve
Wagner, Mark
Walter, Marc
Wandrey, Joel
Ward, Denise
Warner, Craig
Watts, Nick

Waxmonsky, Nicole
Weber, Dave
Webster, Graeme
Webster, Jim
Weichsel, Josh
Weidman, Eric
Weisgram, Mark
Wenmark, William "Doc"
Wentz, Steve
Werts, Tim
West, Female Companion
West, Rev. Grandpa Kim
White, Justin
Wikenheiser, Andrew
Willard, Beth
Williams, Jeremy
Williams, Michaels
Wilson, Drew
Wilson, Kurtis
Witt, Ben
Wolff, John
Wong, Alex
Wood, Brent
Wright, Mark
Wright, Jerry
Yearwood, Brian
Yetley, Jon
Yetley, Jason
Yoong, Garrick
Yore, Steven
Yore, Janine
Zaayer, Jeff
Zabrowski, Jack
Zagozen, Chris
Zavyalov, Innokenty
Zeigle, Paul
Zidarevich, Alex
Ziemer, Dave

For Immediate Release

Posted by Chris Skogen On 9:32 PM 0 comments

Minneapolis Bike Industry Companies 02 Rainwear, Twin Six, Handsome Cycles and Banjo Brothers Team Up Again for Cutters Ball III “Return of the Moocher” on February 18th at 7pm.

The Annual Party Features Free Food, Free Booze and a Healthy Dose of MPLS Bike Culture for Local Cyclists and Visiting Bike Shop Personnel Who Are In Town for an Industry Tradeshow

February 1, 2012 - Minneapolis, MN - For the third consecutive year four of the cycling industry’s emerging new brands, Handsome Cycles, 02 Rainwear, Twin Six and Banjo Brothers partnered to host the Cutters Ball. The Cutters Ball is an underground, unsanctioned celebration of Minneapolis Bike Culture for local cyclists and a free social event for visiting bike shop staff that are in Minneapolis for an annual trade show. The free party takes place in South Minneapolis, in the workspace of custom frame builder, Peacock Groove.

The event was the brainchild of Handsome Cycles’ founders Jesse Erickson and Ben Morrison who recruited the other local companies into the mix. For those not familiar, the “Cutters” reference is in homage to Breaking Away, 1979 Academy Award -winning cycling film. Like the “Cutters” from the film the four brands involved have all bootstrapped their respective companies to success with a combination of street smarts, hard work and a commitment to game-changing products.

The annual event which is by all accounts, “just a damn good party,” does create a venue for like-minded cyclists to brave the normally frigid February temperatures ton seek out free food from Jimmy Johns, beer from Pabst Brewing and music. For those in town from other cites, it presents a unique opportunity to dive head-first into Minneapolis cycling culture. For the four brands involved, they hope the long game will result in better brand awareness and a deeper network of industry contacts.

To raise the profile of this year’s event, the brands are going a step beyond their normal use of social media and bike-friendly websites to promote the event. One hundred select dealers, culled from the customer lists, media contacts and sales targets from the four brands, will receive a one-of-a-kind screen printed seat cover designed by industry pioneers Twin Six. The item is bound to become a collectible. The seat cover’s hang tag will come with it a Top Talent VIP distinction and details of the event.

The Cutters Ball takes place Saturday, February 18th from 7pm-?? at 2718 East 28th Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota. The event is free. Host sponsors are Twin Six, Banjo Brothers, 02 Rainwear and Handsome Cycles. Other sponsors include Hed Cycling, Peacock Groove, Kurt Kinetic, Jimmy Johns and Pabst Brewing Co.

###

About Twin Six
Twin Six is a fashion-forward cycling apparel company located in Minneapolis who offers finely designed cycling lifestyle apparel and a whole mess of other good stuff.

http://www.twinsix.com

About Handsome Cycles

Handsome Cycle Co. was started a few years ago by a couple of guys in Minneapolis who wanted to create classically styled, versatile bicycles for a price within reach of the many—not the privileged few. The Handsome line of bicycles have been crafted from steel because of its comfortable ride and its tried and true reliability. But steel is not handsome—people are. Handsome is about people riding bicycles that reflect the individual's style and riding needs. So, please take a long, handsome look—better still, a handsome ride.

http://www.handsomecycles.com

About 02 Rainwear
Developed by Rain Shield, Inc., O2 Rainwear is a national biking apparel line offering affordable protection from the elements for anyone who rides — from serious cyclists to casual rec riders. We’re based in Minneapolis, one of the most active cycling communities in the country. Our own passion for cycling means we get it: we understand why you’re out there, rain or shine, and we know what you need from your gear to keep you going back for more. Since 1997, we’ve been creating O2 Rainwear products to help you make the most of your ride.

http://www.o2rainwear.com

About Banjo Brothers
Founded in 2003 by Mike Vanderscheuren and Eric Leugers in Minneapolis (not brothers), Banjo Brothers make a line of high quality, well-built and affordable panniers, waterproof backpacks, grocery bag panniers, handlebar bags, seat bags, messenger bags, and more for bike commuters, recreational and urban cyclists.

http://www.banjobrothers.com

About Breaking Away
Breaking Away is a coming of age story which follows a group of four male teenagers in Bloomington, Indiana, who have recently graduated from high school. Breaking Away was acknowledged as the eighth best film in the sports genre by the American Film Institute.

-end-

Running Away from the Rules.

Posted by Chris Skogen On 8:06 AM 5 comments

Last Wednesday I decided that I would run a 10k with a co-worker. I decided I would run it Saturday, three days later. Not exactly sure what was going through my mind, but I imagine it stemmed from the same place that talked me into running for mayor once. What I mean is that it was there, so I felt like I should just go for it. So I did.

I wasn't super excited about paying to run (as I'm not excited about paying to compete in too many events), but the proceeds were staying here in Rochester and going to a local effort to research finding a cure for children's cancer. Noble enough.

After a couple of days of fear induced ghost cramps Saturday finally rolled around and I made my way (in my borrowed running shoes) out the start/finish and got ready to go. Mentally, this event for me was a lot like many of the cycling events I've been to. There were scores of people milling about, signing in and eyeballing each others shoes and clothing choices. I made my way to the nondescript waiver table and grabbed a slip of paper and a pen. A man who was standing behind the table told me, in a voice with no emotion, where to go once I had filled out the form. In line at the next table I waited patiently to get my bib number. When my turn came up and polite man asked me for $25, handed me a receipt, asked my t-shirt size and walked away. He returned shortly with my sponsor logo laden green shirt and my bib number and said thank you. That was it. My interaction with the operation running this thing was over. Pretty simple. Not exactly worth $25, but pretty easy no less.

A few minutes passed and the head guy got on a microphone and said a few words about how great it was to see everyone come out for the run. A moment later he handed the microphone to a local television news personality. With her turn in the spotlight, she proceeded to tell us all about how great she was and how honored she was to "lend her name to such a great cause". I simply couldn't continue to listen to this woman speak as it brought me to the cusp of losing the doughnuts I ate for breakfast that morning. Disgusted, I went outside to wait for the starting gun.

I should say that I have never, before Saturday, participated in a running event. Of any kind. Ever. In fact, I am not a runner. Never have been, but as I stood there on the tarmac waiting for the gun to go off I became less and less anxious about the whole thing and really got kind of settled into the idea of running 6.2 miles. Calm and determined, my heart jumped as the gun went off. That was it, we were on our way.

This event had a 10k option as well as a 5k run/walk for those not interested in making two laps. The mass start left the path pretty full of runners, joggers, walkers, dogs, kids and strollers. As I got settled in to a comfortable pace and began my cadence counting (one, two, three, four, one, two, three...repeat for 6.2 miles) I got off the front of the group most interested in walking and having fun. At this point it was just a matter of keeping the right cadence and setting my sights on the runners in front of me. It went like this for rest of the day.

I am not going to get into the specifics of running the whole thing. I ran, so did a lot of other people and then we were done. My purpose in writing this piece is to examine the model from which the event was built. $25 to enter, proceeds go to some cause that tears at people's hearts, give the participant a t-shirt and be done. Pretty basic. Pretty much the story for any amateur athletic event anywhere. Also, the very reason we started the Almanzo the way we did.

What I am trying to say is this. Which is the healthier, more positively social effort, the money going to help find a cure for cancer or the fact that 300 people just went for a 3.1 or 6.2 mile walk? Don't get me wrong, I would love for there to be a cure for cancer and I am happy to help contribute to the effort. Frankly, I don't think there would be too many people that ran or walked on Saturday that wouldn't have happily made a freewill donation to the cancer cause. So why charge the $25? No one really needs to get another t-shirt riddled with the estranged logos of the "supporting" businesses.

Instead, I would argue this; If the people promoting the event (this one, or any other event like it anywhere) called on the sponsors (read: estranged logo owners) to cover their hard costs (as they most likely did anyway) in exchange for a little exposure and then offered the event to the public with no entrance fee, but rather suggested participants make a donation (if they're financially capable) to the predetermined cause, the numbers for these events would go through the roof and the bottom line for the "cause" would see a huge spike from the increased contributions coming from a happier, healthier, ever-growing portion of the population. All of that and I didn't mention the fact that this new way of organizing things would most likely turn the world (read: The United States) into a less obese and more healthy, fit state because running and cycling events would begin to pop up all over in a way that would ultimately become more attractive to potential participants.

Just my two cents after running a "formal" 10k this past weekend.

All the Best,
Chris Skogen

Where We're At - 02/05/12

Posted by Chris Skogen On 7:23 AM 1 comments

We received a ton of postcards this last week and we're working hard at getting them all entered. Please be patient as we work through the stack and update the final roster...this stuff takes a little time (especially with two jobs and little ones running around).

Burns Dinner > Christmas

Posted by Chris Skogen On 7:15 AM 0 comments

Last night we had the pleasure of joining some friends and their families for a Robert Burns dinner. Not knowing what to expect we were simply amazed at the elegant 12 course meal. The single malt that flowed freely and the poetry reading by all who came left us wondering why we hadn't previously experienced this. Many thanks to Senator Norrie and his band of compatriots. Our experience last night surpassed our expectations of what friendship and family are capable of. Better than Christmas.

For those of you who don't know Robert Burns. There is some info on him here. Enjoy the info and we'll leave you with something that struck close to home last night (think paying money to race and such).

Scots Wha Hae - Robert Burns (1793)

Scots, wha hae wi’ Wallace bled,
Scots, wham Bruce has aften led,
Welcome tae your gory bed,
Or tae Victorie!

Now’s the day, and now’s the hour:
See the front o’ battle lour,
See approach proud Edward’s power —
Chains and Slaverie!

Wha will be a traitor knave?
Wha will fill a coward’s grave?
Wha sae base as be a slave?
Let him turn and flee!

Wha, for Scotland’s king and law,
Freedom’s sword will strongly draw,
Freeman stand, or Freeman fa’,
Let him on wi’ me!

By Oppression’s woes and pains!
By your sons in servile chains!
We will drain our dearest veins,
But they shall be free!

Lay the proud usurpers low!
Tyrants fall in every foe!
Liberty’s in every blow! —
Let us do or dee!

Dirty Benny

Posted by Chris Skogen On 7:32 PM 0 comments

Don't put that crayon down just yet. Now that your pen hand is all warmed up from filling out the Almanzo postcards, it's Dirty Benny time. Yep, registration is open for the Metro's finest gravel event of the year. Info for the Westside Dirty Benjamin can be found on their blog. Check it, don't wreck it.

Raleigh Bicycles

Sample Post 2

Sample Post

POST-TITLE-HERE