Upcoming Winter Cycling Events for February 2014

February is loaded with winter cycling events from fatbike races, alleycats and ending with the Cuyuna Lakes Whiteout. 

The Frozen Frolic Winter Race Series is a series of six races co-sponsored by Freewheel Bike and Maple Grove Cycling and takes place at two venues, Elm Creek Park Reserve in Maple Grove and Murphey-Hanrehan Park Reserve in Savage.  Race Three is on February 1st at Elm Creek, race four is February 8th at Murphy-Hanrehan, race five is February 22nd at Elm Creek and the series wraps up March 1st at Murphy-Hanrehan.  Registration begins at 10am and races start at 11am.  Online registration for all six races is available by visiting the link above.  Awards and door prizes will be given out after each race.  Helmets are required and studded tires are permitted.  Brought to you by the Three Rivers Park District.

The Penn Ice-Cycle Loppet is on Saturday, February 1st at the lagoon located between Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis.  Beginner Men heats start at 11am wrapping up with the Advanced Men finals at 1:10pm and the Women's Race (all categories) at 1:45pm.  It will be a short track race of heats in a criterium format.  Top riders from each heat advance to the next round.  Cash prizes will be awarded.  There is no race-day registration for this event.  Online registration is open through January 31st.  If you're not racing, come out and be a spectator for these exciting races.  Below is video from last year's Penn Ice-Cycle Loppet.

Saturday, February 1st is Stupor Bowl 17 put on by the Minneapolis Bike Messenger Association.  Participants will meet up at One on One Bicycle Studio for day-of registration or check-in between 11am until 1:45pm and race starts at 2pm.  Online registration is now open for only $15 and includes a t-shirt, patch, spoke card and manifest.  There are two options for this one, race for speed or race for stupor.  Check out this video from Stupor Bowl 15 to see what it's all about.

 

For more street racing, meet up at the bandshell on the northeast end of the Stone Arch Bridge at 6:30pm for the No Name Alleycat Race  February 2nd.  Race through the streets of Minneapolis with a manifest of unmanned stops.  Make sure to bring a bike lock, pen, lights, map and your helmet.

The Penn Cycle Fat Tire Loppet will be held on Sunday, February 2nd and starts at 2 pm.  Because this race will take place on the ski loppet course, fat tire bikes only are permitted to enter.  The race will start out at Wirth Park and Penn Cycle gift cards will be awarded to the top three male and female finishers.  Online registration is now available.  In-person registration will be available on January 31st and February 1st. 

The Winona Area Mountain Bikers will be holding the Winona Snow Bomb Fat Bike Race on Saturday, February 8th.  This is a criterium-style race that will consist of several laps around Lake Winona.  Any bike can be raced but fatbikes are recommended.  Prizes will be awarded in both Men's and Women's categories.  Online registration is available through February 7th.  Day-of registration will be available from 8:00 until 9:30am with the race starting at 10am.  Updated details can be found on the Winona Snow Bomb Facebook Event Page.

The 2014 Twin Cites Bike Swap takes place on Sunday, February 9th from 9am to 2pm in the Expo Center at the National Sports Center in Blaine.  Admission is only $5 and that gets you into 11,000 square feet of everything from mountain, BMX, road, cyclocross and vintage bicycles to equipment and parts.  All proceeds go to support the National Sports Center Velodrome.  For directions, click here.

The Fatbike Frozen Forty is back for its third year and is expected to be bigger and better than ever.  Race day is set for Saturday, February 15 and will take place at Elm Creek Park in Champlin, MN.  Online Registration is now open until February 10th and will be capped at 200 race registrants, but register soon as the roster is almost full.  The format for the race will be solo 40 mile (men and women categories) and team 40-mile (any combination of 2-4 people).  As the name implies, this is a fatbike-exclusive race requiring a tire width of at least 3.7 inches or wider.  This year's race will include a cash purse with equal payout to the first 3 places in both Men's and Women's categories.

The Frozen Gopher Fat Bike Race will be held on February 15th at the U of M Nordic Ski Center in Falcon Heights.  This is a fatbike-specific race and all bikes must have tires 3.8" or wider.  The Frozen Gopher will take place on the 6' wide groomed ski trails and consist of a series of 3-mile laps (Recreational-3 laps, Advanced-5 laps).  Pre-registered racers get a 2014 Frozen Gopher t-shirt and can register by calling the Outdoor Center at 612-625-8790 between Noon-6:00pm, Monday-Friday or email Mitch Hoffman, Race Director, at mitch@umn.edu.  Day-of registration opens at 10am and race starts at 11am.  Door prizes and awards for the top racers will be handed out after the race.

Image Credit: Tom Warner

The Cold Bear Challenge Winter Racing Series returns for the 8th year at Hillside Park in Elk River.  This fatbike race series consists of two races in January and wraps up with the third race and FatBike Fest on February 16th.  The course is a 7.8 mile loop lap of wooded and cross-country singletrack.  Race classes are Advanced Men (2 laps), Recreational Men (1 lap), Open Women (1 lap) and there will be prizes for the top three finishers in each class.  Racing starts at noon.  Entry fee is only $15 and includes Fatbike Fest.

The  Cuyuna Lakes Whiteout closes out the month in grand fashion.  The festivities take place February 28th and March 1st in Crosby and Ironton, MN.  Events include the Friday Night Dinner & Amazing Swag Raffle and Yawkey Night Fat Bike Ride & Snowshoe Tour on February 28th and the main events, the Iron Yeti SnoXross Fat Bike Race and Serpent Lake Ice Bike Race on March 1st.  Online Registration is available through February 26th.  After that participants must register on Friday, February 28th at the Ironton American Legion from 5 to 9pm.  There will be no day-of registration March 1st.  The Cuyuna Lakes Avalanche Pass will get you an all-access pass to all the events listed above.  So sign up, have a good time at the Whiteout and help support the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Crew, the trails and next year's Cuyuna Lakes Whiteout.