Great food and good cycling. That is what the Birchwood Cafe Bike Club and Race Team are all about. With over 120 members, Birchwood is one of the largest teams in Minnesota.
The team began in the late 1990’s as the GIS Racing Team (GIS being Italian gibberish for Gamblers In the Saddle) and the Birchwood Cafe became the title sponsor in 2001. The partnership is fitting because the members of the bike team believe in supporting local, independent businesses such as the Birchwood, Peace Coffee, Izzy’s Ice Cream, Magnetic Poetry, Grand Performance Cyclery, and the Electric Fetus, all sponsors of the team. As an added benefit, the Birchwood Café provides delicious, locally produced food perfect for replenishing your energy after a long ride The Birchwood Cafe Bike Club and Race Team attracts people who love to get together around a celebration of fun, food and cycling.
Although the team started as purely a bike racing team, its growth has attracted a number of dedicated triathletes and skiers as well as a those who simply like to ride for fitness. All the members of the club are people who like to ride their bikes either because they are racing or simply to stay fit and get out in the fresh air. From May to October there are several regularly scheduled rides. The Sunday Coffee Ride and the First Tuesday of the Month Women’s Ride are open to non-members. For members looking for a hard workout regular training rides depart from the Birchwood Cafe on Saturday mornings and Wednesday nights. Times can vary, but as spring leads to warmer weather earlier, Saturday rides usually leave around 9 a.m. for longer rides (3-6 hours) and Sunday rides depart at 10 a.m. for about 2 hours, returning to the Birchwood in time for coffee and brunch. Weeknight rides leave at 6pm returning to the Café for dinner. The team’s active message board is the main source of communication about rides. As a club member you will have access to the team message board where members post other riding opportunities.
More than half of the membership of the Birchwood team hold US Cycling Federation licenses. The race team competes on the road, on the track and in cyclocross and mountain bike races. Most members race locally, from Eau Claire to St. Cloud, Rochester to Duluth. The race team also occasionally travels throughout the Midwest for important races such as Superweek in Wisconsin. Our jerseys have also been seen in races from California to New York. The race team believes strongly in the benefits of teamwork and encourages members to work together to improve their skills and results.. There is no requirement to race, but those who do will a wealth of knowledge, experience, good advice, encouragement, and support from which to draw.