Winter Classic

By Krista Thom
Contributing Writer
When you’ve found a sport you really love, why give it up just because the temperature drops a few degrees?
At least that is the opinion of Jeremy Christianson, bike enthusiast and part-owner of the Great Northern Bicycle Company. Christianson, who hosts several bike races in the summer and fall, decided to try something different this year. He decided to prolong the bike season by holding a race in the dead of winter.
The event, appropriately dubbed the B-B-BRRR Winter Classic, will be held this Sunday, January 30, at the Fargo Community Gardens. Registration is at 12:30, and the race kicks off at 1:30. Participants have the option to complete either three or six laps, for a total distance of either 5K or 10K. The cost for both segments is $25, which includes a free tee shirt. All participants are required to wear helmets.
Christianson was inspired to plan the race after talking to racers from Grand Forks and Winnipeg. Both cities have held their own mid-winter bike races for a number of years. When they met at a race this fall, Christianson and the other riders started talking about organizing a series of three winter races along I-29. They also agreed that before that could happen, Fargo needed to establish a race of its own.
That’s where the B-B-BRRR Winter Classic comes in. The course will start on the lower terrace of the Fargo Community Gardens and will go through several kinds of terrain. Part of the course is on a paved path, part is made up of prairie grasses, and part goes over the frozen river. Although riding over a track covered with snow and ice may sound dangerous, Christianson said it’s actually easier to ride in the winter, because the snow will cushion any spills.
So far, Christianson has been pleased with the response. When preregistration closed on Jan. 15, he had over 20 riders signed up. Ideally, he hopes to see 50 riders on the day of the race, but admits that the turnout will largely depend on the weather.
One of the underlying goals of the race is to foster a sense of camaraderie among bikers, whether they participate in the race or not. People who don’t feel up to racing can watch the race while sitting around a hay-bale bonfire. After the race, the group will move to the GNBC for the awards ceremony, and the evening will end with a cider-and-coffee social at the Fargo-Moorhead Community Bicycle Workshop.
Although some people might decide to keep their bikes in the garage, a bike race in the middle of winter is not as odd as it seems. In fact, many people in the area rely on their bikes for transport year-round. Asa Jacobs, who works at GNBC, depends on his bike to get him from his classes, to work, and back home. Altogether, he rides 10-15 miles a day. He generally prefers riding his bike to driving a car, but admits it can get a little tough in the middle of winter, when the wind chill on a bike can reach -50.
The practical benefits of riding a bike year-round are undeniable – they are cheaper, easier to maintain, and better for the environment than cars. But these are not always the main impetus. Jacobs explained, “I like it better because it’s very relaxing. You don’t have to stay on the main roads. And you don’t get pissed off at bad drivers.”
Christianson, who doesn’t own a car, said, “It’s actually very freeing. You don’t have to worry about starting your car, waiting for it to warm up. You don’t have to look for parking spaces.”  And what about the practical challenges? Judith Feist, another year-round biker, says she takes the bus or train when she travels out-of-town, and only buys as many groceries as she can carry. Feist owns a car, but says she hasn’t driven it since June, and will probably put it up for sale.
So, anyone who’s ever wondered what it would be like to ride their bike in January, or wants to try riding over the river instead of swimming will get their chance on Saturday at the B-B-BRRR Winter Classic.

For more information about the race, visit GNBC’s website at http://www.gncycles.com.

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