Winter biking is joy! We loved seeing live feedback from members who shared their favorite things about winter biking.

Our first session was “What to Wear”. Mittens (she/her) reminded everyone that you do not need to be a badass to bike in the winter, and to always start with what you have.

If you’re a spreadsheet human (like me), you might find it helpful to make a spreadsheet that lists weather conditions, what you wore, and how you felt. I have found this to be a really helpful way to figure out what clothes to put on before I ride! It’s also a helpful way to figure out if you need different gear. The slides from Mittens’s presentation are here.

After a short break, Max (he/they) and Catherine (she/her) presented about riding, routing, and safety. They showed us some great photos of road conditions in the winter to remind us that the snow and ice creates an entirely different environment. Key takeaways were to slow down around corners, change your route if needed, ride where you feel comfortable (including options to “take the lane” and/or ride safely on the sidewalk), and use public transit when you need or want to! There is never any shame in choosing a different transportation option if you’re not feeling up for biking. Combining transit with biking can also make for a safer and more flexible trip!

We also gathered some great tips from members. Check them out!

For our third session, Cali (she/her) shared some bike maintenance wisdom. If you’ve ever heard of checking your “ABC’s” before riding, Cali modified that to “ABCD” for winter biking. A is for air in your tires. Make sure your tires are firmly inflated. If you can feel the tire move when you squeeze it, you need more air! Tires often need to be inflated more often in the winter, depending on temperature fluctuation. B is for brakes. Make sure they work! Your brakes may accumulate grit and gunk during the winter, clean them as needed. C is for chain. Check that it spins smoothly, and grease it if it looks dry or squeaks. D is for “don’t forget the frame!” This was one of my favorite bike maintenance tips. Accumulated snow and gunk on your frame can hide cracks in your frame. This type of damage is not common, but it is a serious safety concern that you should check for regularly. Cali sent us home with a nice handout of winter bike maintenance tips.

Between our sessions, Megan (she/her) led us in some simple stretching routines to warm up for winter biking, and to recover after finishing your bike ride. She made us a cute little zine to take home! If you’d like to print out and cut the zine for yourself, you can download it here. Instructions for how to cut and fold a zine are here. (Reminder that Hennepin County Library gives you free printing! Yay for libraries!)

We know that winter is joyful, but can also be challenging. Here are some hot tips for keeping your spirits up.

We concluded our 15th annual winter skill share with a successful gear swap. We loved giving away so many items for free! First-time winter bikers were given the opportunity to choose items first, followed by folks who already had some experience. FTWs went home with cozy warm clothes, studded tires, bike repair tools, reflective/hi-vis gear, bike bags, gift cards to local bike shops, and more! We are so grateful for our generous community of members and local bike shops. Special thanks to Perennial Cycle, Angry Catfish Bicycle, Express Bike Shop, Camden Cycles, and the Repair Lair.

Thanks to everyone who filled out our survey after the event! It was really helpful for helping us plan future events. According to our survey results, over half of the participants had never been to a winter skill share before.

We had a pretty even spread of winter biking experience, which made for excellent conversation.

Finally, we loved that almost all participants learned something new, met new people, enjoyed themselves, and left feeling more comfortable trying winter biking.

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!

On November 10, 2019, dozens of participants of all skill levels attended and participated in Grease Rag’s 11th Annual Winter Skill Share!

At the Winter Skill Share, we tapped into the deep wisdom of our Twin Cities FTW biking community — and shared resources for riding through the Gear Swap — so that we can all have a safe, fun winter riding season.

Special thanks to our presenters Low, Liz, Patrick and France, along with volunteer reporters Kym, Noelle, France and Carolyn. And much gratitude to the incredible organizers and day-of volunteers who brought us together including Low, Patrick, Maddie, Genevieve, Lucy, Linda, JJ, Krista, Ames, Victoria, Margaret, Kat, Tina and others!

Click the links below for recaps from each of the sessions:

• Winter Self Care
• Winter Bike Maintenance
• What to Wear
• Routing and Handling
• Q&A and Group Share

If you have resources or take-aways to add to any of the posts, please email carolyn.szczepanskI@gmail.com and she can update!

Camp Grease Rag was a blast!

We had a fun and successful FTW-Only Camp Grease Rag!

Everyone do your favorite stretch!

Our brunch at Himalaya, a family-owned restaurant

Your positive attitudes, willingness to help out, patience, respect, and FRIENDSHIP made this trip above and beyond.

Carrie, Ali, Tina!

We worked hard to stick to these principles:

Low barriers!

A vehicle to get you and your gear to the camp site. (Although everyone chose to bike.) Sliding scale $0-$20 fee. Hooking you up with the gear you needed. Clear expectations and established a safer space. Lots of encouragement!

Fun!

Parachuting, joke-telling, trying to see shooting stars, campfire conversation, and a conversational pace.

Safer spaces!

We established a safer spaces policy up front, we provided a quiet area of camp, designated people to help deescalate conflict, name tags with pronouns.

Friendship!

Circle time, stretching together, go arounds, volunteer teams, a conversational pace, and brunch are great ways to spend time with each other!

Red light selfie

 

One of our rest stops. Photo: Angela Guentner

Every trip depends on the awesome people who participate!

Anna!

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Figuring out how to haul everything to the starting point was a challenge. Even though I put the majority of things in the van I now feel confident that I could figure out how to fit everything I’d need for a camping trip on my bike. Inspired by the trip, I’m going bike camping solo this weekend!

-Vicky (she/her) has been coming to a lot of Grease Rag events as a volunteer and participant

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Kat!

I’m a multiple time GR Bike Camper, first time parachuter. My biggest challenge is not itching my mosquito bites (well, I haven’t totally overcome it yet).

-Kat (she/her) longtime Grease Rag organizer

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Tina getting the ‘chute treatment! Thanks for this experience, Emma! Photo: Angela Guentner

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This was my first of many things! I’ve never biked to a place to camp, and definitely never biked such a long distance in two days. I had the e-bike but still solidly biked without pedal assist for at least 25+ miles. I’ve wanted to attend GR events in the past and this was my first one that I’ve made it to. It was not my first time falling off the e-bike, but it was my first time feeling really cared for immediately after a fall and felt like I was given time to recover and make sure I was ok instead of being rushed along. 

The distance of the ride itself was a challenge for me this year. I’ve had health issues that include fatigue and make it difficult to ride my bike regularly so being able to get up and ride two days in a row was a nice challenge to face and I’m glad that I did it. I’m still paying for it, but I knew that would be the case and it was worth it.

-Carrie (they/them)

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Shruthi’s first time biking to camp! Photos: Shruthi Kamisetty

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First time biking to where I camped!!!! I’ve been to like…3 full moon rides and the anniversary party and I’m really looking forward to continuing to attend more Grease Rag events.

-Emma (she/her)

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Nancy!

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I’ve been wanting this trip to happen for at least three years, but haven’t had the time to devote to making it happen. I love that Grease Rag is a place where anyone can make a trip or event happen. It’s a place where everyone pitches in. It’s a place where I feel safe. I am especially grateful that I was not the lone POC or NB person on the trip! So happy to camp with my people. Being outside with you all is so healing and lovely. Bummer that there was too much light in the sky for us to see the Perseids!

-Low (they/them)

Low and Kaj!

Special buttons we made for the trip, with designs by Theresa Ptak

Special shout outs

Ali for masterminding, Holly for being the mortar and can driver, Carolyn and Shruthi for arranging brunch at Himalaya (Hi-MAHL-yah), Kat for ride leading and ordering delicious Ghandi Mahal, Craig for printing materials and delivering supper, Casey for fixing boo boos, everyone who volunteered or loaned gear.

Collectively, we made a bomb meal, made sure everyone slept in a dry tent, we all stayed together and watched out for our buddies, picked each other up and had fun in a safer space!

Gratitude.

Everybody eats! Our potluck salad bar Photo: Angela Guentner

Nothing is more fun than heart like taking a casual roll out of the city together with some of my most favorite people. This trip was for BIPOC (Black/Indigenous/People of Color and people with an “it’s complicated relationship to their race”) FTW (femme/trans/women) only. Two people were bike camping for the first time! It was magic.

Everyone took a part in organizing this trip! Ali booked the space and got us hooked up with a route, firewood, and water. We got some SAG (support and gear vehicle) support from our partners. Dinner Crew rocked those burritos and quesadillas! Everyone brought games and love and hilarious stories about our “worst camping experience ever.”

The ride was great, the spot was beautiful. Just when I though my heart could not be anymore full, the sky misted us with a light rain and a double rainbow shined over us. We were camping over Pride Weekend, and all agreed we felt seen by colorful sky.

One of my favorite conversations that we had over the campfire was about access to the “outdoors.” Some of us grew up with families that encouraged and supported outdoor activities. Families that supported us in backpacking alone in other countries, or took us on trips when we were kids. Other families didn’t value “camping” because they came from places where sleeping on the ground wasn’t considered a fun activity. Some of us were self-taught and learned how to camp without a family culture around that, and we were so proud that we were able to claim outdoor activities. We were able to claim our bike camping trip from an industry that promotes the image of either a white family in a lot of fancy gear, or the white man on a hunting or fishing trip. We out here. And we’re proud of ourselves!

That’s just my perspective. Here are some other faces and voices from our trip!

Holly (she/her)

We all just rolled up and made camp like a bunch of pros… fortress secured, we ate a camper’s feast (chicharones and avocado, my god!) and held high court like royals. Pro. Royals.

Then, just to make sure that we were of the earthly world and, we shared our worst camping experiences for a go around. They were bad! SO BAD! AND SO GOOD! Almost everyone shared a life full of experience, problem solving, determination, perseverance, and just plain ol “I won’t do that again” stories. I was smothered in the wisdom and comradery of some RAD BIWTFPOCs who knew their shit and knew how to get stuff done. Our camp was organized, prepared, and I can’t wait to do it again!

Juana (she/her)

BAGGAGE
I feel like this has been a journey for me, not that I am finished. A while ago I joined a bike ride to Carver state park, but declined to spend the night camping there. Low and Ali were there, setting up their tents and happily answering my questions about their gear. I didn’t grow up camping, and so all of it seemed very weird to me, albeit interesting. I didn’t own a tent or a sleeping bag, but I did have a bike! Fast forward a few months, I had met more people who liked camping and talked about how great it was, so I figured I should really give it a try. I bought some stuff used, borrowed some other stuff…. Last summer I finally did it- I went on one of the beginner Grease Rag bike camping trips. I shared a tent with a friend, so I didn’t have to bring everything. And then this trip! I was sleeping solo and contributing more to the food. (I feel like I only brought snacks to the first bike camp trip.) So I had to pack everything! Well not all the food, it was still communal, but this trip definitely felt more self-sufficient. And I did it! The packing part is harder for me than the biking part, but it felt really great.

Ali was going on the trip, and they sent out helpful weather updates and reminders leading up to our departure. My friend Holly went, she and I chatted while we leisurely biked to the campsite. Low was there and they helped me setup my tent. I really like the feel of these communal trips, where people respect your abilities but are willing to help out if you need it.

For this trip I’ve gotten some new items, including a camp chair. But it’s really not about the gear, especially for a Grease Rag trip, since you can borrow items from others if you need to. It’s about spending time together and creating spaces for ourselves. As we shared stories about past camping trips by the campfire, I felt some of my residual camping stress melt away. Grease Rag told me “you can do it, you got this!” Success!

Ali (they/them)

It was a perfect fall like summer night for camping. We had a really nice ride out to the site. Along the way we had an AMAZING garlicky snack at a lakeside break point. ~~mmm garlic~~ I had some encounters with animals as well. I had a deer saunter across my path and got to see the smallest baby ducks I’ve ever seen waddling through the grass.

From this trip I learned that I have come a long way with my biking. The paths we took I’ve biked before and on this trip I realized that I was no longer afraid of the windy hill I use to dismount and walk.

We were at a campground which we ended up having all to ourselves. I felt this made for some great wilderness time with my fellow bike/camper buddies. Later as we finished setting up camp we had a little bit of rain which left a double rainbow over our awesome riverfront campsite.

We had a seriously yummy camp dinner of fire roasted fajitas. Which was later followed up by the creation of whiskey soaked marshmallows for s’mores. =^.^=

It was a perfect evening. There was just enough of a breeze that the mosquitos were kept from biting and we were able to sit out around the campfire with ease. We played tabletop games and wowed each other with tales of adventure or misadventure. The cherry on top for the night was the sound of the waves on the river as I drifted off to sleep in my tent.

I enjoyed the leisurely pace we took in the morning while breaking camp and eating our breakfast of granola and berries. We also had some warm beverages, which is a must for me while camping. The ride back was nice and leisurely as well. The Frosties and fries we stopped for were a stupendous treat!! I felt like we all came together and accomplished creating a great experience.

Bri (she/her)

The BIPOC WTF bike camping trip was wonderful. To be able to bike with such lovely humans to a beautiful riverside campsite was perfection. The double rainbow which greeted us once we had our tents up was amazing. I enjoyed hearing the stories about our worst camping experiences. I think it said a lot about the people around the table that we all seemed to be able to laugh at them after the fact! I’m so grateful that these humans are in my life and every time I hang out with them, I learn that they are even more badass than I thought before. Nothing can beat a bike camping trip with these #babefriends!

Also, Ali is a genius. Whiskey soaked marshmallows toasted over a campfire is tasty.

Liz (she/her)

Julia (she/her)

After a meet-up and stretch session in Uptown, our small crew of six WTFs was rolling at a leisurely pace from Minneapolis to Carver Lake Reserve for the 2017 Beginner Bike Camping Trip. Despite gray clouds, the rain was at bay, and the trail was awash in our music, conversation and laughter as we rode two abreast catching up with friends and making new connections.

Following in the footsteps of last year’s organizers, we pulled off at the Excelsior library for our second and final (or so we thought) stop before the campground. But, as I munched on some carrots, I casually pulled out the campsite reservation to check which sites we had — and my stomach dropped.

I’d booked the wrong campground.

Yep! Organizer botches pretty much the one and only thing that’s essential to the trip. My brain froze. Like many of you, I’m sure, I’m fully convinced that if I make one mistake people will hate me forever. I cringed as I told my fellow campers that I f*cked up… big time. The campground I had booked was another 13 miles away, on roads, in the direction of the quickly approaching storm.

Instead of anger and disappointment I was met with resilience. While our bodies were starting to fatigue, we lept right into problem solving. We called Carver and asked if they had any openings or a bike-in site; they said no. After checking in with how everyone felt, we decided to press on to Carver — and try to befriend folx at one of the group camp sites.

When I got a flat (because, OF COURSE, I would also get a flat), a couple of campers continued on to the site and made an exciting connection. An entire group camp section was occupied by the national convening of the Black Label Punks and a couple of their members, chilling by a camp fire next to a bunch of tall bikes, said we’d be welcome to snag a corner of their site — if we’d be willing to embrace any shenanigans that went down that night.

Needless to say, we were stoked.

But when our full crew rolled up, that offer was rescinded. A surly woman with a baby on her arm looked at us sideways and rallied a vote from the full group that they were NOT okay with six unfamiliar WTFs crashing their party.

My stomach dropped again. By this point, the rain was starting to settle in. It was well after 5 p.m. I was increasingly convinced that I had ruined everyone’s weekend. But somehow everyone remained determined. And positive. We decided to roll on, through the drizzle and wind, to the group camp site and see if we could tuck into an empty spot or pitch our tents, guerilla style, on the banks of the lake.

Long story short — and skipping over the first time we pitched our tents — Anne, my co-organizer of the trip, made a wonderful discovery. Despite what they told us on the phone, Carver DOES have a bike-in site. And it’s perfect. Secluded from the rest of the car camping, up a little hill and surrounded by trees, we set up camp and pitched a tarp before the skies opened and rain started to pour.

Over a cozy dinner of burritos, with fresh veggies cooked over the fire, Anne made a great suggestion. Since we’d had such an… unexpectedly eventful journey, she proposed a round of Rose, Thorn and Bud, an opportunity for everyone to share something they enjoyed, something that challenged them and something that was hopeful or emerging from the day’s experience.

For me, the thorn was obvious: I couldn’t believe that I made such a stupid mistake that put additional stress on all the amazing WTFs who had trusted me to facilitate such a basic trip. But the rose was just as apparent: I was embraced by the care of our community and our collective belief that we had all the tools and determination we needed to find a solution together. And the bud, made my heart want to burst: Instead of feeling rejected for my mess up, I felt even more connection to the amazing WTFs sitting around the picnic table, smiling and laughing as the rain pelted our tarp and threatened to snuff our beautiful fire.

The next morning, as we rode back, we decided that sharing our Roses, Thorns and Buds would be a great way to recap our trip for the wider Grease Rag community and share some of our lessons learned for other beginning bike campers! Incredible gratitude again to my co-organizer, Anne, and the WTFs who made the trip such a beautiful AND imperfect experience!

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Joy

The bud of the trip was the sincerity and vulnerability we all brought to the weekend from the start. We met up the Saturday morning after Philando Castile’s murderer was found not guilty and started with a check-in, sharing our truth and showing up for each other where we were at. Many/all of us were feeling heavy and didn’t have peppy, social energy. This is my bud because I feel myself bringing more and more of my truth and myself into Grease Rag space, and it’s always met with so much support.

The rose of the trip was 4 of us squeezing in a 1 person tent that we had just pitched in a clearing along the bike path. We had biked for hours, realized we didn’t have a reservation at Carver, befriended some punks to camp with, then been turned away by the punks, and were getting rained on. It was so lovely to be still, be dry, be in each other’s company, and drink warm summer shandy. I was reassured to know I was with powerful people and we were going to find a space to camp together.

The thorn of the trip was my hands hurt more than they normally do from long rides, and the next day I (for once!) wasn’t excited to get back on my bike!

Scout

My thorn was laying awake in our tent for ages, anxiously wondering if the pounding rain would soak us or our stuff. Luckily we woke up dry! Thank you modern tent technology!

My rose of the trip was being outside, on my bike, with such rad folks! I loved our conversations as we rode along the lush, green trails.

My bud is that I hope to bike camp more sometime soon and continue to connect with other members of the trip!

Elissa

My bud: Knowing I can go bike camping again, with a group or by myself. I was feeling anxious because of some injuries that still impact my ability to ride, but took care of myself and can’t wait to do it again.

My thorn: Not bringing enough clothes. On the ride home on Sunday I wore some of the same clothes again (the plan was, of course, to save space/weight in my panniers) but really wished I’d been able to start the day fresh.

My rose: The quiet moments right after all our tents were set up, and the group breathed a collective sigh of relief. It was lovely to have some time alone to appreciate what we’d all done before jumping into making dinner.

Anne

My rose: All of the positive energy everyone brought to the trip and getting to hang out with yall! I appreciated how willing people were to keep checking in on their needs, and how tough everyone was in the face of new challenges! Shout-out especially to Carolyn for fixing a side of the road flat like a pro (right after talking about how little you like working on bikes). Man, I really just appreciate all of y’all.

My thorn: The hardest moment of the trip was after the punks changed their minds about letting us camp near their space, when I was riding around trying to find out if there were any spots available. I was so worried that we’d let y’all down or that we’d get kicked out or we’d have to secret camp and we wouldn’t get to roast marshmallows! (Although y’all were incredibly positive throughout this whole ordeal and didn’t seem fazed at all). I don’t think I’ve ever felt so relieved as I was when the park attendants said that the bike camping ~oasis~ was open and we could camp there.

My bud: I really think that we should go camping at Baker. Who’s up for trip part two!?

Ilana

My rose was having this amazing experience to really push my body, get out of the city into nature, and get to know new people! All of whom were so full of energy, and so much interesting skill & wisdom to share especially about bikes/biking but also about queer community, life, etc!

My thorn was that I didn’t pack as much warm clothing as would have been fully comfortable and my cushion situation both for sleeping and sitting/hanging out wasn’t ideal so that made it the least comfortable. Want to fix that for next time. Also just to say — it wasn’t the best best that we didn’t know where we were gonna camp/sleep for a bit, but it was really easy to have perspective that “We’re fine, we’re on vacay pretty much, we’re gonna figure it out and it’ll be good either way.”

My bud is seeing what my body is capable of when it’s pushed, definitely excited to do more bike camping and longer biking trips! Thanks all who put it together!! Solving puzzles you can improve your dexterity and problem solving skills! xoxo

White savior talking about gifting bikes to villages in Africa. A bike fashion show that was… beyond words. Even I cringed through half of the program.

Still, despite the fact that I invited them to be on an equity panel (Yep! Did that, too!), three young leaders from the Ovarian Psycos graciously accepted an invitation to speak. Representing their women of color led group ,which actively confronts injustice and builds radical community, they blew sh*t up with their rejection of the cartoonish but prevailing image of women in the bike advocacy community: compliant, skirt-wearing, white ladies riding Dutch bikes.

Just this month, I got schooled by the Ovas again, as founder Xela de la X came to Minneapolis for our screening of the Ovarian Psycos documentary. Not only did she make me consider my own role in perpetuating white supremacy as a communicator and cyclist — but she also addressed criticism that the Ovas’ language is unwelcoming to trans, non-binary and disabled folx.

Xela at the Grease Rag screening, photo by Monica Bryand

One of the most important moments for me came before the film, as Xela explained the deeply problematic nature of white filmmakers telling the stories of women of color. That had a special sting. I was a reporter for many years, telling stories of powerful people, like Xela, in ways that were likely tokenizing and superficial. In my current job, I do communications around an issue that disproportionately impacts communities of color — an issue I’ve never personally experienced.

It was uncomfortable, but necessary, to hear Xela talk about how that “white gaze” romanticizes and flattens fights against oppression, often leaving unexamined the role of white folx in creating and perpetuating the racist systems — and then discovering or “lifting up the stories” of people acting for their liberation. Not to mention minimizing or omiting community-driven solutions because they threaten the current paradigm.

Photo courtesy of filmmakers

As she spoke about the filmmakers doggedly pursuing the Ovas even after they said they weren’t interested in being the subject of a film, I reflected on my audacity to believe I have the right or ability to tell these stories at all, rather than using any power or privilege to pass on skills and resources to community members to create and share their own narrative.

And, maybe more than anything else, she made clear the imperative that the characters in the story have the right to review and determine how their story is told — a concept they definitely didn’t teach me in journalism school.

With that preface, I watched the documentary with a different lens. Yes, it’s deeply moving in telling the personal stories of several leaders who have endured unspeakable hardships, and the imagery of LA streets full of rowdy WTF riders taking up space and celebrating their power is f*cking awesome. But I could see a tinge of that white gaze.

After the film, Xela took a few questions and there was such a passion and urgency in her voice. When I had the privilege to ask her about the Ovarian Psycos’ work pushing back against gentrification, she described their efforts by saying, “This is war.” Rather than patiently waiting for their communities to be colonized and destroyed as elected officials or advocates bumble to come up with ivory tower policies to combat displacement, the Ovarian Psycos are taking direct action in defense of their families and neighbors.

That wasn’t in the documentary.

That reality, the life and death implications of our white supremacist, capitalist institutions, doesn’t show up in most of our bike spaces, either. And that silence — or worse, erasure — is violence, too.

And Xela owned that the Ovas have heard the concerns that they are complicit in erasing WTF identities, as well. As has been cited in other stories (h/t to Z’s comment in Low’s post this week), the language infused throughout the group’s work and identity is gender essentialist and trans-exclusive. Xela said they’re working to address those valid critiques and are in the process of changing some aspects of their group expression.

One of the goals of the documentary screening was to raise money for the Ovarian Pyscos healing space in LA and to support BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) leaders within Grease Rag. In just a few hours, we raised more than $1,100.

Local leaders and organizers
(Photos by Monica Bryand)

Xela and Grease Rag leader, Low
(Photos by Monica Bryand)

For me the screening was a warm reminder of the solidarity that has been and is constantly being created with Grease Rag. It reminded me that we need to vigilant in addressing oppresive behavior — and be eager to receive and act on that input.

So much gratitude to Xela and the Ovarian Psycos, as well as everyone who made the screening happen!

Thanks to our community, we raised more than $1,100 for the Ova’s creation of a healing space in LA and to support BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) leaders in Grease Rag.

We were also privileged to have the talented Monica Bryand taking pictures. Check out some images of the event below and stay tuned for more reflections!

If you were following #biblx on Instagram and Facebook, you probably saw some of these updates. I heard so many amazing and inspiring stories about that day, that I wanted to collect them in a fun recap with your voices, stories, and photos.

Here on greaserag.org

Photo by Alex MacGillis

I wrote about my experience as a Babes organizer, and included perspectives from Karyn, Jessica B, Jessica N, and Elena.

You can read a post about Safer Spaces at Babes, and how we made some moves to create a More Inclusive Event.

And don’t miss out on the Grease Rag Pre-Babes Wanderabout recap!

Your stories

Some of you wrote the most touching stories, still riding the high of Babes TEN:  The Babes with the WTF only dance floor at First Avenue.  The Babes with DJ Seven, and Sweetpea leading the Wobble.  The Babes with the Wolf and Moose mystery stop.

Thank you for sharing your stories!

Kat took a break from organizing Babes for the last FIVE YEARS (one year completely on her own, what) to ride Babes.  Her words are beautiful.  Almost as beautiful as my memory of us slow dancing to Purple Rain at the end of the night!

Two generations! Kat and Mo- photo by Alex MacGillis

SIX HUNDRED SEVENTY BABES!
What an incredible community to be a part of. I am so honored and proud to see what Babes has become. It has continued to grow in number while digging it’s roots deeper in centering WTFs and making safer spaces in our bike community. I have never felt so much joy than to see the First Ave dance floor packed with WTFs learning the wobble from SweatPea, while Jessica, Karyn, Laura, and Jessica ran a smooth ship from start to finish. This wouldn’t have been possible without Kayla’s brilliant idea ten years ago, and without the continual support of amazing folks like Sica and the the fox den salon and Grease Rag Ride & Wrench. Special shout outs to Elena for running the pre-game show, my teammates Jana, Nikki, and Elise for slaying the race, our pals Amy and Morgen at Solcana Crossfit, and my family Maureen, Amy, Ann and Cayla for riding with me. I was a puddle of tears at the end of the night because all of you! I love you!

– Kat McCarthy

Mona rode Babes stoking on a tandem, borrowed from one of our top level sponsors, Sunrise Cyclery, with Lee Penn.  There were a few rad tandem teams out there this year!  Mona is definitely the first blind racer we’ve had at Babes!

Mona and Lee- Photo by Lee Penn

This past Saturday I had the awesome experience of participating in a local bike race called Babes in Bikeland and biking over 20 miles! We were one of three tandem bikes to compete. I believe I was the first blind women to participate in this race since it started 10 years ago and apparently even though we participated not for the win we still came in 42nd and 43rd!

-Mona Minkara

My friend, Julia is a powerful and kind person.

Photo by Elise Denham Probasco

First time riding since kidney donation surgery was the Babes in Bikeland WTF alleycat race on Saturday. Elise and I made our own bonus checkpoint and visited the hospital.

– Julia Bulbulian Wells

Fox Den Salon has been enthusiastically donating and supporting Babes for NINE YEARS.  This year, their donations made an MC and DJ possible at our after party.  The salon has services that are not gendered, and all of their stylists are raddd.

Bags! Bags! Bags! – Photo by Sica

If you didn’t hear, one of our favorite events, Babes in Bikeland 10 happened last night! While we were honored to be invited to support this WTF (women/trans/femme) bike race for the last 9 years (we missed the first one because we didn’t totally exist yet, oops!) we were EXTRA happy to see some of our super fly client-friends nab the top two spots!!
Congrats to ALL the riders our there, you killed it and made history with the biggest ride yet, at 670 riders!
And a VERY special thanks to our burly buddies Sweetpea and DJ Seven for rounding out the night with some EPIC entertainment!!

And from Sica, the owner of Fox Den:

Sica and me at the race launch!

So, I’m not a super emotional person, but I just can’t stop tearing up this morning thinking about how insane last night was. I could sit here and list all of the ways that Babes in Bikeland has helped the cycling community, our WTF community, our DIY Community, or our town as a whole… But I’d rather tell you about my experiences, and those are rich with the authentic gratitude of a group of eclectic women with different strengths coming together to make a HUGE impact and do something special.
I look forward to this event for 364 days each year (sometimes more!) and it isn’t because of the stops, the gift baggies, the prizes… It is because I get to be a part of something that is just so unique, and work with people that put their everything into turning this from an “event” to an “experience”, and ultimately creating its own community over these last TEN YEARS!! I am just so floored that I get to be involved in the ways that I am with such amazing organizers and such enthusiastic riders!
THANK YOU ALL FOR ORGANIZING / VOLUNTEERING / HELPING / SUPPORTING / PARTICIPATING

– Sica Dawn

The raddest!

Photo by Michelle Jordan

Babes. Thank you for making this little babe’s first alley cat awesome. As a “ladybug from Mars” she made it to all the short route stops, hootin and hollering the whole way. She got so much encouragement along the way, and “can’t wait for next year”. Favorite quote: “Can you tell everyone I’m the radest#8221; Ya kiddo, i will.

– Michelle Jordan

100%. Babes has your back.

Yesterday was the most I’ve ever biked in my life. It was so amazing to do that with other badass WTFs.
Many of you don’t know me or this, but the ride had even greater sigificance for me than an already empowering WTF space. Years ago I was in an abusive relationship and was raped multiple times by someone in the cycling community. I have just recently found my voice and begin speaking out about this and a friend who wanted to ride Babes asked that my rapist and abuser be banned from this space. The response was 100% yes, no questions asked. Babes, when these folks talk about safer spaces, they aren’t kidding, and know with certainty you were safer last night because these Babes stood with the survivor.
I got to ride more than I ever have with some badass people. I got to get down on the dance floor without creeps hitting on me or disrespecting my space. And most of all, I was able to claim my space in this community in spite of what he did to me.
I am in awe and inspired by all of you. Thank you for an incredible experience.

– Julia Marie

Ashley flew in from Denver, and during the race their bike disasterously EXPLODED!  But they always finish what they start.  This time they finished on a Nice Ride!  I commend your Babely spirit, Ashley!

Photo by Kristin Greeley

What a weekend! I came out for Babes and even with a total bike melt down I had an amazing time. 600+ amazing, supportive, strong Babes!
It brings me so much joy to fly into the twin cities and ride around with amazing friends. Thank you Airen Bijou for housing me Laura Kling for putting on another flawless event, and Kristin Greeley for just being a total badass and getting me to the airport and wanting to throw up on mountains with me. Alexandria J Gomez for stuffing me with pizza and bike rescue! I love all my Minneapolis Babes and I can’t wait to see you all again soooooooooooooooon!

– Ashley Hall

One of my favorite “elders,” Dana was dancing all night long. I love that she rocks the spoke card for Babes I.

Photo by Dana DeMaster

#BabesinBikeland was so amazing. Reflecting on 10 years, I am so grateful for the community of women/trans/femme riders that Babes has encouraged and cultivated. Having an all female (as it was called then) alley cat race was a radical act a decade ago. I think sometimes we forget the intensity of the sexism and outright misogyny in the bike community of that time. Babes has been a huge factor in changing minds, changing perspectives, and changing a culture.
I had a ton of fun racing with Kim Werst. We were well-matched in many ways. Yay!
It was great seeing some of my favorite people volunteering at stops.
Having First Ave so ourselves was AMAZING. What fun to have an entire club alone with 700 of your best friends. I loved that at midnight it was the “elders” left in the dance floor and all the 20somethings were long gone. I think Ben Lagerquist and I shared a moment during Purple Rain.
I love you, too, Laura Kling!!!!!
About 12 years ago I went to the first Grumpy Girls Ride and, drinking a PBR under a bridge with 15 women on bikes I thought, “I have found my people.” Indeed. These are still my people and I am so fortunate.

– Dana DeMaster

Jana won top speed for the 25 mile course.

Jana and Kadence (1st place- 15 mile course)- photo by Alex MacGillis

TL;DR: That totally rocked, and I thank you.
So excited to have raced Babes in Bikeland for the 10th time on Saturday!
The Babes organizers are so supportive of women, trans and femme people, have an inclusive swag-for-all-riders policy, and are encouraging of riders at all levels. Thank you Jessica, Laura, Jessica, Karyn, Elena for your many months of work to make the 10th anniversary a smashing success! With 670 riders, I think this was perhaps the largest alleycat in the U.S., if not North America!
My sister Jen and my niece Celeste raced along with Karen. I’m so proud of them for coming out and rocking all the stops! My mother-in-law Leslie was also able to watch her daughter Kim and me racing for the first time.
It had been an action-packed week and I wasn’t feeling “on” at all, but decided to try my best. My swift teammate Nikki definitely had me running scared with her hustle! The stop volunteers were fun and efficient and helped me loosen up the race face a wee bit.
The after party was dreamy–like the kind of reverie where several of your interests all converge- awesome bike people rocking out on a dancefloor, at First Avenue!!? Sweet Pea and DJSeven were so right for this event.
Thanks to my husband, tireless mechanic and #1 fan, Phil for always making sure that my bike is in ship-shape and for encouraging me to train and race. And for holding down the parenting fort while bringing Kaia to witness almost 700 WTFs gathered on one hill! She was stoked to see that there were also a few under-12 girls participating.
Congrats to Kadence, Amy, Jenny, Beth, Chelsea, Tiana for your strong finishes and everyone who came out and had a rad time!
Thanks to my #Shitgoose teammates who volunteered at stops and to our sponsors #altbikeboard #eastlakemgm #pabsttc #pabst #rosestreetpatisserie #tacocatmn #konabikes #peace_coffee for fueling all of this action.

– Jana Velo

Jenny won 1st rookie and 3rd speed in the 15 mile course!

Yesterday I competed in my first ever alley cat race, Babes in Bikeland – the exclusive WTF bicycle race/ride. My only goal was to not finish last. I ended up finishing first place rookie and third overall in the 13 mile course. BOOM! TWO TIMES!

Thanks to all my friends that convinced me to race, not ride. Much love and appreciation to all the organizers who did such an amazing job and to the whole community of WTF riders in the streets and dancers on the floor. This was by far the best and most supportive group that I have ever had the opportunity to ride with and through. Shout out to Amy, pictured on the left, who showed me how to run to the finish line where she placed second. In all the glory and all the grit, this event at this moment meant the world to me. So, so much love to you all!

– Jenny Norman

So happy that the crew that rolled together during the Wanderabout showed up as PIKACHUS for the race!  Beautiful!

Photo by Bonnie Carlson-Green

Thanks to all organizers, sponsors and volunteers for creating such a fantastic ride to celebrate #10 for Babes in Bikeland. We rookies had a blast rolling around town as Pikachu.

– Bonnie Carlson-Green

Our fierce, empowered, glamourous MC darling had a great time.  Her enthusiasm was authentic!

Getting to emcee the Babes in Bikeland 10 finish line party this past Saturday at First Avenue & 7th St Entry was absolutely awesome on its own (and an honor). Teaching and getting 500 or so babes to #wobble with me in celebration of accomplishment and community? EPIC.
(If you’ve never participated in the race before, check it out and plan for next year! It’s all about community and creating safe spaces for W/T/F riders – women, trans, and femme – anyone who doesn’t benefit from cis-male privilege.)

– Sweetpea

Photo by Bjorn Christianson

Babes sponsor ArtCrank put together a great collection of YOUR stories on their blog!  An excerpt from my own story:

As an organizer, I was not able to ride this year, but I heard happy reports from most racers about stops, volunteers, and the course. And that’s all good. But the real reward was seeing the shine and glitter in people’s eyes as they realized and experienced a better world for WTFs. At the starting line, being surrounded by WTFs, scooting and whooping all over the city together, and finally, celebrating together at First Avenue main room. As Sweetpea lead the group in the wobble, I was tearing up as I shook my butt and pumped my fists. The solidarity and beauty of WTFs gets me every time. I love you, Babes!

Your photos

Race launch photo by Bjorn Christianson

Perennial Cycle, Sunrise Cyclery, and Min Enterprises made our photo stop possible.  Min Enterprises is Tina and Anna, and I am honored to call them my friends.

Tina and Anna- photo by Tina Cho

Photo stop album on Facebook for easy sharing

(Non-Facebook album here)

I collected some of your instagram posts here!

Aaron Schmitz was snapping all day!  Great photos spanning from the race start, to lots of photos of Babes coming into the finish area, to some nice stage shots of our winners.

Aaron Schmitz’s photos

Alex MacGillis always shares a great Facebook photo album with us- thank you for your beautiful captures of the after party crew!

Alex’s photos

Bjorn takes great photos every year, and is wonderful at taking beautiful photos while respecting the WTF space.  And he shares his photos so freely!

Bjorn’s photo album

Your videos

Our blog doesn’t like posting videos, so you’ll have to click through to see them.  It’s worth it!

• Erik posted this video.  “Never any doubt in my mind, these women, trans, and femme people will change our world. Vanguard of the new order.”
• Chris Nelson posted this clip from the bike limbo stop (25 mile route).  Looks like fun!
• Want to see me cut through a u-lock in 15 seconds?  We had to get the bike racks off the street at midnight!

Your feedback

What was your favorite stop/activity, and why?  We got a lot of fun answers on Facebook!

Please fill out this form to give feedback on what went well and what could have been better.  We appreciate your feedback!

Lowell kitty and nearly 700 manifests- photo by Jessica Nadeau

Whoopie Cushion for President! Photo by Bjorn Christianson