B-B-BRRR Winter giveaways

We've gotten a lot of great stuff to give away at our event on January 30th, 2011. Chrome was kind enough to send us one of their citizen messenger bags. These bags are super tough and Made in the USA. You can check out the details on www.chromebagsstore.com. Don't let you chance to get your hands on one of these slip away; register today. You can get the registration forms for the event either online at www.gncycles.com or come into our store. Forms will also be available at various locations around the FM area.

B-B-BRRR Winter Classic

Tom and I went out and rode part of the course last Friday. After seeing the how the river was freezing, we decided to have that be a little more focal part of the race. We're still figuring out a few more of the race details, but things are really coming together. Not only that, but industry folks have been really supportive and there will be some great give-aways to those who participate. I'll be issuing updates as they come in. Posters will be going up in the coming week and registration forms will also be finding their way out to the public (they will be available from GNBC on Wednesday). Join us on January 30th and see how much fun winter riding can be.

Winter Bike Race in FM area

I know it's been a long time since I've written something on here, but I was waiting for something amazing to write about. And here it is. Great Northern Bicycle Co, along with numerous sponsors from the cycling industry, is putting on a winter bike race aptly named, B-B-BRRR (Border Battle Bike Race on the Red River). Not all of the details are worked out yet, but the plan is to have it cross over the river (a few times) and encompass both North Dakota and Minnesota. The poster will be finished next week and distributed throughout the FM area. Stay tuned as I will be added posts as soon as I hear anything.

Chrome bags at Great Northern Bicycle Co.

Chrome messenger bags are now available at Great Northern Bicycle Co. Come in and check them out; you will not be disappointed. Any bag that comes with a seat-belt closure gets two thumbs way up in my book. You can also fill the inside with ice and keep your favorite beverage cool.

Last spot filled for passage on the Mighty Quinn

I know this isn't really cycling related, but it's part of my family - as is cycling - so there's the relation. Today, at 3:29pm, my wife Jill and I welcomed the newest rider to our family. Albert Boaz Christianson weighed in at 8 lbs 11 oz (just 5 lbs less than Tom's new bike). Thanks to all who made it possible.

First Family Ride of 2010 - just me and my daughter

So, tonight was GNBC's first Monday Night Family ride of 2010. As it ended up, it was more of a Christianson family ride as my daughter Mamie and I were the only two attendees. This was a great father/daughter outing as Mamie and I took a nice ride north to Oak Grove park. The bridges are still up, so we stayed on the ND side, and worked our way back to the park for some great sliding, climbing, swinging, and hide-and-go-seek playing. As is the norm on every Family Ride, we returned to Great Northern Bicycle Co for our FREE scoop of gelato. Speaking of that, I wonder if Mamie had ulterior motives for going on the ride tonight? Either way, I would encourage all of you parents to join us next week for another chance to spend time together outside as a family (and get a FREE scoop of gelato from the cafe. See you next week.

Nearly blown away - Wednesday Night GNBC ride

I want to personally thank Loren and Tim for dragging me all the way to Sabin on Wednesday night. For those of you who didn't venture outside, it was windy to say the least. Gusts up to somewhere like 45mph. Below is a map of the route from Wednesday night.

For those of you looking to connect for a group ride, there are nightly rides leaving from Great Northern Bicycle Co. every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 6pm. Check their website out at www.gncycles.com and go to the calendar for an explanation of the rides - they get a little faster as the week goes on. Hope to see you out there.

Our F-M area local bike shop has a new name - Great Nothern Bicycle Co.

For those of you who visit downtown often, you've probably noticed some new signage on the north end of Broadway. If you're not a regular to the downtown area, come see what's going on in the heart of Fargo - it's a renaissance. Our local bike shop for the last 20+ years, has changed its name from Island Park Cycles to Great Northern Bicycle Co. The name is keeping alive the heritage of the building that the shop now occupies - a 100-yr old railroad depot. There is also a park of that namesake that is located just off Broadway (did you know they ripped out a huge chunk of parking lot to create a green space downtown - how awesome is that!)

So this is blogging...

You'll have to bare with me for a little while whilst I get the hang of this. I'm hoping this site will help to inform everyone of what's going on in the realm of cycling in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Whether it be the casual cyclists, or those looking to get connected with a group ride, you'll get it here first.

So, I think this image says it best...