Join us for Grease Rag’s 16th Annual Winter Skill Share & Gear Swap! 

We’ll learn, connect, and share our collective knowledge on the basics of winter biking, supporting and empowering a community of FTW to enjoy a safe and fun winter riding season.

Date: Sunday, November 17
Time: 12:30 PM – 4:30 PM (bike rack meet-and-greet starts at 12:00 on Nicollet Mall)
Location: Minneapolis Central Library, Pohlad Hall, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis

The afternoon will feature skill shares on the basics of winter biking, in a safer space. This year’s sessions include:

• Bike Maintenance
• What to Wear
• Self-Care
• Safety, Handling, and Routing

A community gear swap with essential winter items and bike gear will finish off the event.

Things to know about the Skill Share

This event is open to all FTW (femme, trans nonbinary, two-spirit and women) riders! If you are a cis man who benefits from cis-male privilege, please respect this space and do not attend this event. Read more about WTF is FTW.

This event is NEWBIE and BEGINNER-FRIENDLY! Come with questions and leave feeling more confident and ready to take on Minnesota’s most interesting season.

Masks are required in the presentation space. The smaller classroom has snacks; if you are not actively eating or drinking, please keep masks on during the event. The library does not require masks. Please stay home if you have a positive test or feel any symptoms.

This event is FREE. We want to keep things as accessible as possible to FTW, so this event, like all of our events, are volunteer-organized and run.

We run on DONATIONS of labor and goods. If you would like to donate your labor (volunteer) or goods (gear swap, snack table), please contact us at greaseragmpls at gmail.

The gear swap will include goods donated by community members like you! You’re invited to bring bike gear you don’t use, a sweater you outgrew, studded tires you want to pass on, or base layers you no longer need, for example. First-time winter bikers are given priority at the swap. (Broken or excessively worn items will be refused.)

The skill shares are meant to share the basics with you. We encourage you to engage with our social media, make real-life connections with people at the skill share, and attend our other events if you wish to learn more. Because there are so many approaches to biking, like life, it is impossible for us to tell you every detail of everything you might need to know! So be prepared to have some lingering questions – but don’t worry, we have a large community of people who are interested in supporting you.

Winter Craft Party

At our annual craft party, we make warm things to offer new FTW winter bikers at the gear swap! We also help folks learn how to make their own warm accessories. No experience necessary! If you are able to, bring a sewing machine and other sewing supplies to share with the group. We have fabric and patterns. Together, we will piece together hats and buffs to give away for free. You are also welcome to make your own gear and take it home with you after the event. Contact us at greaseragmpls at gmail if you have any questions or want to get involved!

Join us for another year of learning, connecting, and sharing what we have to usher a community of FTW people on bikes through another Minnesotan winter!

Sunday, November 12

12:30-4:30pm

Minneapolis Central Library, Pohlad Hall, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis

We will have a series of skill shares to help share the basics of winter biking, in a safer space.

• Bike Maintenance
• What to Wear
• Self Care
• Safety, Handling, and Routing

After the skill share there will be a community gear swap with essential winter items.

Things to know about the Skill Share

This is by and for FTW. If you are a cis man and benefit from cis male privilege, this event is not for you.

Masks are required in the presentation space. The smaller classroom has snacks and will be mask optional. There will be an air purifier in the classroom. The library does not require masks. We will be providing masks to our participants. Please test within 24 hours of the event. Please stay home if you have a positive test or feel any symptoms.

This event is FREE. We want to keep things as accessible as possible to FTW, so this event, like all of our events, are volunteer-organized and run.

We run on DONATIONS of labor and goods. If you would like to donate your labor (volunteer) or goods (gear swap, snack table), please contact us at greaseragmpls at gmail.

The gear swap will contain goods donated by community members like you! Bring a sweater you outgrew, studded tires you want to pass on, or base layers you no longer need, for example. There is a craft party where we get together and sew some basic hats and buffs to give away to our community for free. First-time winter bikers are given priority at the swap.

The skill shares are meant to share the basics with you. We encourage you to engage with our social media, make real life connections with people at the skill share, and to attend open shops if you wish to learn more. Because there are so many approaches to biking, like life, it is impossible for us to tell you every detail of everything you might need to know! So be prepared to have some lingering questions- but don’t worry, we have a large community of people who are interested in helping you.

Winter Craft Party

Saturday, November 4

2-5pm

Walker Library, 2880 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis

Organized by Karla and Christina, this is our annual craft party to make warm things for new FTW winter bikers! Bring a sewing machine and supplies, and we have the fabric and patterns. Together, we piece together hats, buffs, and headbands to give away for free. Contact us at greaseragmpls at gmail if you have any questions or want to get involved!

Hands-on Bike Maintenance

A deeper dive into what kind of maintenance you should do on your bike during the winter.

Wednesday, November 15

6-8pm

Bike MN, 3745 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis

RSVP/Sign up here

Hosted by Ilse and Helena at Bike MN.

BUYING A BIKE: A Beginner’s Guide Zine Release Party

Saturday, March 4, 12-4pm

Seward Co-Op Friendship Store (317 E 38th St, Minneapolis)

Free, everyone welcome

Please join us for an afternoon of zines and community!

• Pick up your zine pre-order
• Buy a zine if you missed the pre-order (other GR zines will be available!)
• Limited number of free copies for FTW
• Zine-making station
• Relaxed, casual vibe

COVID Precautions

Masks are REQUIRED. We are forgoing snacks and beverages in order to keep people masked up. Surgical masks and hand sanitizer will be provided. We will have air circulation. Please rapid test before attending, and STAY HOME if you feel sick or have had known contact with COVID.

The Space

Come through any entrance to the classroom that looks out onto 38th. The space is ADA accessible, but may be tight to navigate with a larger mobility device. There are gender-neutral bathrooms. Lots of bike parking on 38th.

IT’S TIME TO PRE-ORDER!

Click here to place a pre-order.

Pre-order closes 1/31

*Prices are cheapest when you pre-order. You’ll be able to buy them after the pre-order closes, while supplies last.*

22 FTW artists and writers from diverse backgrounds collaborated on “BUYING A BIKE: A Beginner’s Guide” zine. This zine came to be after many group discussions about the anxieties of buying a bike, and from a commitment to support each other throughout the process. It was funded by Grease Rag donations, coordinated by YOLOW Zines, printed at a local, union print shop, and made possible by our generous contributors.

“What do FTW need to know about buying a bike#8221;

We asked this question of our community and heard back from a diverse spectrum of people who identify as Queer, Cis, Trans, Non-binary, Trans Masc, Autistic, Latinx, Jewish, Femme, Fat, Genderqueer, White, Cancer Survivor, Parent, Middle-Age, Asian, Bisexual, Genderqueer, and more.

We spent Grease Rag’s money to pay contributors for their art and to produce zines. Each 40 page zine costs $7 to print. It took approximately 80 hours to coordinate and lay out, and another 10 hours of printing, assembling, and mailing. We offer these at sliding scale prices to keep it more accessible. If you are FTW and would like a free copy, there is a space for you to request one! Consider pitching in a few bucks for shipping, or picking up in Powderhorn. Zines will be available 3/1. This form will close 11:59pm 1/31.

All proceeds go to Grease Rag to fund free copies of the zine, and additional programming.

Thank you to contributors A. Proudfoot, Addison, Adrianna Jereb, Anna Truong, Ash Hall, Ashleigh, Cristina, Dana Ringler, Fiona Avocado, Jack Warren, KJ Garner, Krista, L. Kling, Lee Penn, Marley Blonsky, Ninjarita, olive, Shadow Auri, Sophie Nikitas, Tavia P., Xena Goldman, Zan Wildwood.

After the pre-order closes, any extra copies will be available for online purchase here.

Share this page with others: bit.ly/orderBUYABIKE

Limit 15 people per session, you only need to attend ONE

December 12, January 9, February 13, March 13, April 10, May 8

To RSVP fill out this form. Form closes May 1, 2023 for the year.

If you are FTW and interested in supporting an event, leading an event, or just want to learn more about Grease Rag, this is the session for you. Afterwards, you will feel inspired and equipped to lead rides, camping trips, craft nights, or maybe something else super creative and fun!

If you are queer, trans, BIPOC, or broke, I’ll pay you $10 to attend. Although this session is free to attend, if you are cis, financially secure, or white, I welcome donations of $5-$20.

1. Ground ourselves within our ideals

2. Connect over your plans for the future

3. Learn about Grease Rag’s history

4. Understand what resources Grease Rag has to share

5. Be in community with each other!

The purpose of the winter skill share is to support and encourage FTW winter riders, especially first-timers. We don’t promote brands or try to sell you merchandise. We do try to give away knowledge, share experience, and create a safer space for FTWs. For free. Instead of a “classroom,” where one person talks all about everything they know, we try to structure skill shares as “conversations,” where we can value everyone’s experiences and contributions to our collective knowledge. I have been to all of the Winter Skill Shares, and I am still learning new things!

What was your experience?

A huge THANK YOU to the planners and hosts of Grease Rag’s Annual Winter Skill Share & Gear Swap. I learned so much, met a lot of great folks and have so much gratitude for the safe and welcoming space

Especially for me as someone who is really just getting into bike commuting, it was so nice to be in such a calm, friendly space where it felt safe to ask questions. Winter biking definitely feels a little daunting to jump into, so I was incredibly appreciative of the variety of expertise being shared! I walked out feeling so much more empowered to tackle both cold weather cycling and full on winter cycling!!

-Max H.

Sessions

This year we had three sessions. You can access presentation notes by clicking the links, below. More information from previous years can be found by searching our site for Winter Biking.

Winter Bike Maintenance and Cleaning with Ari and Helena, and Emily and Angela

Handout from 2015 by Tina Cho

Safety, Handling, and Routing with Low

Handout from 2012 by Kat McCarthy, Zine from 2022 by Kat McCarthy and Low

How to Dress in Any Weather with Catherine and Annie

What to Wear notes by Annie and Catherine, Bike Temperature Tracking template

Self Care Tips with Patrick

Collection of tips from over the years by Patrick Schwinn

Gear Swap

In addition to the Skill Share, we also hosted a gear swap. We asked our community to bring things that are useful to winter riding, and then gave first-time riders first pick. There were studded tires, base layers, bike parts, tools, and the hats, buffs, and headbands we created at our Grease Rag Craft Day. Everyone left with something they can use to keep them riding through the colder months.

Thank You

Thank you to the Hub and BikeMN for hosting us, Three Rivers Park and Express Bikes for contributing, Patrick for lead organizing, and all of our many volunteers and participants who made this a really fun and encouraging event for over 40 riders!

Missed the event?

There’s a follow-up “Winter Skill Share Recap” event coming up.

Monday the 14th from 2p-4p at the Walker Library. We will have the gear swap leftovers for you to look through!

More info here: https://facebook.com/events/s/winter-skill-share-recap/870491884320346/

Grease Rag is a group of FTW (our imperfect shorthand for Femme, Trans, Women, Non-binary, Two-spirit people who don’t benefit from cis male privilege) who bike together with the purpose of supporting and encouraging each other in collaborative and fun learning environments while in a safer space. We are primarily located on occupied Dakota and Anishinaabe land, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The very first Grease Rag camping trip

Initially, the first Grease Rag bike camping trip was a reaction to my very first bike camping trip. My first trip was led by a bunch of well-meaning guys who weren’t able to support me in the ways I needed. I needed gear, reassurance, tips on how to load my bike, and an honest representation of the trip logistics (mileage, speed, conditions, etc.). In the middle of that first trip, as I was curled up in my tent after a long hard day on my bike, I had a moment of clarity. I decided that I was done allowing cis men to have agency over my camping experience. As a beginner, learning how to camp as an adult, I really was relying on men to make fires, pack food, determine routes, and generally do everything for me. I wasn’t actively trying to learn, I wasn’t relying on myself, and I certainly wasn’t having all that much fun. My internalized misogyny was dictating that I just let these men “take care of me,” without any thought about why they were more qualified than I was to tend to my needs. All I knew is that camping is supposed to be FUN, and I wasn’t quite there yet.

So I convinced my friends Becky, Greta, and Kat to let me lead a bike camping trip, as the most experienced in the group with ONE trip under my belt. What we lacked in experience we made up for in enthusiasm!

We started off making a lot of rookie mistakes. We overpacked: box wine, cast iron skillets, full-size tarps. We didn’t listen to the weather reports. We didn’t have a Plan B. We didn’t all have fenders.

The morning of our trip was gray and ominous, with rain in the forecast. As we rolled out, we laughed in the face of the escalating summer rainstorm. “We are badass! We are not made of sugar! What’s a little rain to us?!” Hubris.

Twenty-three miles on crushed limestone trails with loaded-down bikes was not the easiest feat, but we had a reasonable goal. A doable destination. We ate those peanut butter trail miles for breakfast. Spirits were damp, but we were still having a good time, so we kept going. After we rolled up to the guard shack at the campground a few hours later, drenched to our cores, we took a group photo. We look happy in the picture because we hadn’t yet been told that the torrential downpour had flooded the campsites.

There was nothing to do but turn back home.

At the nearby nature center, we dried off under bathroom hand dryers and ate our camp food during a presentation about owls. Was this really it? The end of our trip? Despite everything, we were still happy to be with each other, and it didn’t feel like it was over. As the owls got packed back into their carriers, we plotted to bike the 23 miles back into town to Greta’s apartment. The plan was to camp on her floor and keep the good times rolling. And that’s what we did! We made a dent in that box wine, reflected on the lessons learned, and high-fived each other for being intrepid and badass! I have never regretted that trip, even if some details were regrettable. I think the reason I still remember it so fondly is because we did it ourselves, together. We took agency over our own experience and really leaned on each other when it was hard or we didn’t know what we were doing. And we made it! (Sort of!)

You can’t beat the beginner stoke!

Since that first trip in 2010, I’ve led at least 17 bike camping trips. Some were multi-day trips, some were for intermediate skill levels. But my favorites will always be the beginner trips. You can’t beat the energy of a beginner trip! Everyone is nervous and excited, and at the end I get to relive those sweet, sweet high-fives of badass accomplishment.

Over the years, Grease Rag has grown in size, and maturity, and we have got our trip planning down. We center our trips around FUN, low barriers, skill building, and safer spaces. I look back to all the support and encouragement I needed for my first trip, and try to offer that to others. I look back on all the mistakes I’ve made and lessons I’ve learned, and try to pass on my wisdom. We have fun things for campers like buttons, stickers, zines, camp games, go-arounds, and stretching circles. Most campers on the trips don’t know each other, so we have a pre-trip camping meeting to introduce ourselves and answer any questions. Clear camper expectations, from what to pack, to rain plans, to mileage and conditions of the route, are all shared ahead of time. For people who don’t know if they can bike the whole way, we have volunteer drivers with vehicles, and we camp in a place with a stone shelter option in case it rains really hard and we have a tent fail. There is a cost to participate, but it is a sliding scale, so it can cost you $0 if that’s what you need. If you need gear, we hook you up with a community member who can loan you what you need. We have a skill share so people can participate in making kindling and starting fires. We do some education during the trip on safer spaces and appoint certain people as space-keepers you can go to if you have an issue. Nothing is perfect, and our trips are not for everyone, but I am proud of how our community supports each other so everyone can have a good time.

You can view our trip details on our website. Including pack lists, stories, and advice. We share all of this in the hopes that many people, especially BIPOC FTW, will feel empowered to give bike camping a try. And maybe even take a few friends out for their first time!

Grease Rag has been leading group bike camping trips for beginners since 2009. This year, the FTW* trip is August 20-21. Scroll down for details on the trip and how to sign up.

*Femme, Trans, Women. In other words, people who do not benefit from cis male privilege

CAMPING SIGN UP HERE

VOLUNTEER SIGN UP HERE

Accessible bike camping trips

We aim to have our trips be low barrier, fun, skill building, safer spaces

Low barriers!

You can drive if you aren’t able to bike. A vehicle to get your bulkiest gear to the camping site. Sliding scale $0-$30 camping fee. Hooking you up with the gear you need. Clear expectations and established a safer space. Lots of encouragement!

Fun!

Biking, talking, eating, and being with each other is fun!

Skill building!

We will have a planning meeting to talk about cooking, packing, and gear. We will share skills about building fires and setting up tents. We can provide additional skill shares if you have other topics in mind, too!

Safer spaces!

We will establish a safer space policy up front, provide a quiet area of camp, designate people to help deescalate conflict, and provide name tags with pronouns.

About the Grease Rag Group Camp Trip

Want to give bike camping a try in a safer and supportive environment? WE GOT YOU.

• Don’t want to/can’t bike? Let’s figure out an option to get you to the camp site.
• Don’t want to/can’t pay $30? It is a sliding scale of $0-$30 fee.
• Don’t have all the gear you need? We will hook you up with borrowed gear! Our community is mighty, and will provide us with everything we need.
• Don’t feel confident about your ability? You can do this! Our route is mostly flat, mostly on trails, at a casual pace, and we will have mechanical support on the ride. Come to a Grease Rag group ride to get your legs ready.

Don’t let the whiteness and the cis maleness of the outdoor industry deter you from enjoying the outdoors with us. For inspiration, follow these Instagram accounts dedicated to us outside.

@IndigenousWomenHike on Instagram

@TheBlackOutdoors on Instagram

@BrownFolksFishing on Instagram

@GreaseRagBikes on Instagram (That’s us!)

Read more about FTW bike camping and touring on our website.

Schedule

Sunday 8/7

• 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM – Mandatory Planning Meeting at Powderhorn Park
• Two weeks before the trip!
• At this meeting we’ll do a trip overview, answer questions y’all have, and sort out any final gear shares. It will be a great opportunity to chat with each other before the big trip too! The Grease Rag community has a lot of communal knowledge, and we are here to make sure the trip is a success for everyone.

Saturday 8/20

• 11:00 AM – Meetup in Powderhorn Park
• We will have a few ice breakers and casual get to know you activities before and after the ride.
• 11:45 AM – Roll out
• 3:00 PM – Arrive at Carver Park

Sunday 8/21

• 10:00 AM – Roll out
• 2:00 PM – Return to Powderhorn Park

What You Are Responsible For

• Having a bike in decent working condition
• Getting your labeled gear to the meet up (masking tape and a permanent marker works great)
• Adhering to our Safer Spaces policy (Read it here)
• Your own snacks, lunch, and beverages
• Having your tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad arrangement worked out- Gear Email will be sent on August 10th)
• Bringing eating utensils (see list under Food)
• Contributing to our salad bar and breakfast bar (see Food)
• Yourself!

The Ride

This is the Route (bookmark me)

The ride is 26 miles, almost all on trails with some on-road riding, and mostly flat. There will be multiple ride leaders, mechanical support, and up to 35 of us riding together. This will be a great experience! We will be rolling at 10-12mph, and no one will be left behind.

To get us to our campsite we will bike out on the Greenway, to the Hopkins Depot, where we will take our first break. We will continue on to the North Cedar Regional Trail, then onto Minnetonka Blvd for a short distance to Minnetonka LRT trail, where we will stop at Excelsior Library. There is a brewery and a grocery store nearby. We will continue on the trail until we reach our campsite.

Campsite

The campsite is the group camp site at Three Rivers Park District Carver Park: Zumbra 2. It can accommodate 35 people, 5 vehicles, and has a large stone shelter in case it rains, fire ring, and picnic tables.

Food

We will provide

• Supper basics (vegan/halal rice & lentils/beans)
• Spinach greens for the supper salad bar
• Granola and plant milk for the breakfast bar

You need to provide

• Snacks for the ride out and back- enough to sustain yourself from noon to 4pm
• Beverages, although there will be plenty of water available to fill your bottle
• Your own plate, bowl, napkin, fork, knife, spoon, mug, cup, water bottle
• A “salad bar item” that we will put out buffet style, so you can build the salad of your dreams- Think proteins, dressings, and whatever is fresh fresh from your garden. Whatever you like!
• A breakfast bar item that we will put out buffet style so you can build the granola bowl of dreams. Think nuts and fruit and whatever else!

What to Pack

In addition to what is listed above, you may also want to refer to these packing lists.

GR Bicycle Camping Packing List – a handy spreadsheet

Bike Camping Packing Pack List – a big list with tips and recipes!

Sign up!

Sign up to volunteer! (Some roles are paid)

CAMPING TRIP SIGN UP HERE

If you have any questions or concerns, please ask: greaseragmpls@gmail.com

IT’S TIME TO PRE-ORDER!

Click here to place a pre-order.

Pre-order closes 3/31

*Prices are cheapest when you pre-order. You’ll be able to buy them after the pre-order closes, while supplies last.*

22 FTW artists collaborated on “FROZEN SMILES: Finding Joy Through Winter Biking” zine. The idea for this zine was born out of our collective enthusiasm for supporting each other through the darkest months of winter. It was funded by Grease Rag donations and assembled by YOLOW Zines, and made possible by our generous contributors.

“How are we seeing beauty and cultivating joy as our bikes carry us through the winter#8221;

We asked this question of our community and heard back from a diverse spectrum of artists who identify as Queer, Non binary, cis, Woman, South Indian-American, 30-Something, Introvert, white, Neurodivergent, Trans, Bisexual, Hispanic, Rural Leftist, Gay, Femme, Third Culture Kid, Trans Boy, Mixed Race, POC, Jewish, Elder, and more.

We spent Grease Rag’s money to pay contributors for their art and produce zines. Each 32 page color zine costs $8.50 to print. It took approximately 40 hours to coordinate and lay out, and another 10 hours of printing, assembling, and mailing. We offer these at sliding scale prices to keep it more accessible. If you are FTW and would like a free copy, there is a space for you to request one! Consider pitching in a few bucks for shipping, or picking up in Powderhorn. Zines will be available 4/1. This form will close 11:59pm 3/31.

All proceeds go to Grease Rag to fund free copies of the zine, and additional programming.

Thank you to contributors JJ Kahle, Xena Goldman, Karla Hovde, L. Kling, Lily Sevilla, Scout, Blue, Sol, Ilse, Adelaide, Lee Penn, Liberty Kirkeide, The Knight Ridder, Ash Hall, Annie Deutsch, Anouk V, Molly, Patrick Schwinn, olive nofzinger, Umi Hagitani, and Shruthi

After the pre-order closes, any extra copies will be available for online purchase here.

Grease Rag is for FTW (Femme/Trans/Women, Non-binary, Two-spirit) on bikes to connect in a collaborative and fun learning environment through rides, discussions, shop nights and educational seminars in a safer space.

Riding bikes together is a big part of what we do. Creating a safer and supportive environment with clear expectations is the most important thing. Leaders are not responsible for people’s safety, leaders are responsible for setting expectations and coordinating people to work together. We purposefully do not host any fast rides. There are other clubs and teams in town that do the speed thing! We are all about that slow roll as a way of attracting new riders and people new to group rides.

Expectations

Clearly communicating expectations reduces anxieties and allows riders who are new to group rides or new to Grease Rag an easier time joining in. Make a flyer, text some pals, or post on social media to get the word out! Here are some things to consider: WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY?

WHO

Who is leading the ride? How do I contact a ride leader with questions? Who is Grease Rag?

WHAT

What is the speed, distance, and riding conditions? E.g. “Muppet pace, 3 miles, mostly on trails with some on-street bike lanes and a few moderate hills.” What amenities are on the ride/destination? E.g. Bike racks, single stall/all-gender bathrooms, water fountain? Will there be snacks?

WHERE

Where is the meet up point? Stops? Destination? Is the ride returning to the start? (You may want to be vague about the exact locations of stops and destination for group safety.)

WHEN

When is the meet up, when is roll out, when can we expect to be done?

WHY

Is there a theme? Why is this a safer space ride?

Welcome!

If you’re doing a ride that’s meant to attract new riders, we make sure to welcome them when they arrive. Introduce them to someone on the ride. This goes a long way.

Organizer to do list

• Welcome people as they arrive and introduce newbies to others on the ride. If we are organizing rides meant to attract new riders, this goes a long way.
• Find out which volunteers can do crisis management/de-escalation
• Trade phone numbers with ride volunteers
• Take stock of first aid and tools
• Organize volunteers to control intersections
• Check in with people about pace
• Remind people to hydrate
• Who’s bringing the snacks??
• Play some music- red lights are for dance parties!
• Thank volunteers and riders for doing a great job, and for showing up for Grease Rag <3

Group intro to safer spaces

Here’s a sample script for kicking off an FTW group ride! We do introductions and some community building before we hop on our bikes.

We take a group photo, and then we roll out!

This was also published in Cyclista Zine, 2020.