Behind the Wheels at KA Bike Duluth Festival 2016

Cyclists gather at the 2016 Kraus-Anderson Bike Duluth Festival

By Tom Emison, Vice President of Strategy and Innovation, Kraus-Anderson Construction Company

The third annual Kraus-Anderson Bike Duluth Festival took place August 13-14, 2016. Supported by area business sponsors and enthusiastic volunteers, the event promoted Duluth’s bike trails and natural resources through family-friendly activities for cyclists of all ages and abilities. Tom Emison shared his experience at the event.

 

Dawn broke crisp as a fresh McIntosh apple on Sunday, August 14, at Spirit Mountain in Duluth, Minnesota. My wife, Pam, and I were up early and ready to ride the 50-mile Road Tour during the Kraus-Anderson Bike Duluth Festival in the Twin Ports of Duluth and Superior, Wisconsin.

Supporting Duluth Cycling and Community Organizations

In its third year, the festival benefited the local YMCA and Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores, also known as COGGS.

COGGS was established in 1994 when the Superior Bikers and the North Star Bike Club joined forces. The organization works to improve cycling opportunities for Twin Ports residents by developing and maintaining sustainable, accessible multiuse trails.

COGGS also supports races, social events and group rides, while helping protect green space and connect communities through natural-surface trails. Volunteer and paid maintenance crews support the trail system, and the organization educates the community about responsible trail use and stewardship.

Since 2011, COGGS has been a chapter of the International Mountain Bicycling Association. The organization has supported COGGS in learning sustainable trail-building techniques and trail advocacy that can increase access to trail development.

A Weekend of Riding, Volunteering and Community

Pam and I watched hundreds of local and regional cyclists, along with their families, gather at Spirit Mountain. KA volunteers managed registration and supported other event activities.

Cyclists participating in the Kraus-Anderson Bike Duluth Festival

Jeff Iisakka, vice president and director of operations for the Kraus-Anderson Duluth office, opened the event, and local musicians provided entertainment. Mountain bikers of all ages raced downhill, while riders on the Road Tour traveled through the Twin Ports.

Pam and I rode with a group from Ski Hut in Duluth. The northland scenery included pine forests, large stands of birch trees and rugged rocky cliffs along the paved route.

After the ride, we joined the festivities at the main lodge on Grand Avenue, a facility built by Kraus-Anderson. The weekend offered a memorable combination of cycling, volunteerism, outdoor recreation and community connection.

 

We planned to put the festival on our calendar for 2017.

Learn more about the Kraus-Anderson Community Foundation’s support for local charities through the annual bike festival, a Bike Duluth Festival participant’s perspective, the Duluth office and community involvement.