’50 Reasons’ Minneapolis Is the Bike Capital of America

An original production by GearJunkie.com and Twin Cities filmmaker Erik Nelson, ’50 Reasons’ stakes a claim that Minneapolis is the bike capital of America.

The film documents the local bike culture, from publicly-funded trails, infrastructure, and programs, to engaging Minneapolis/St. Paul personalities and bike-based businesses. “50 Reasons” reveals a cross-section of the city’s scene to make its case that biking in Minneapolis/St. Paul is unique to any other experience in America.

Footage and interviews were shot over two months around the city. The video includes scenes to show the diversity of biking options, vast public support, bike art and culture, and massive adoption of bike-commuting in the city.

A major center of bike design, we go inside bike-world giant Quality Bicycle Products as well as tiny independent makers. Finally, the video has footage of the people who ride year-round, from humid summers to the depths of the Minnesota winter.

The video makes a strong case why Minneapolis, the town that GearJunkie calls home, is the best bike city in the nation.

The full list, including 50 “reasons,” is below. And this is just a start to what makes riding in Minneapolis/St. Paul the best in the U.S.

1. The Grand Rounds Scenic Byway

2. Theodore Wirth Singletrack

3. M.O.R.C.-built Mountain Bike Trails

4. The NSC Velodrome

5. The Midtown Greenway

6. Martin Olav Sabo Bridge

7. Winter Biking Fanatics

8. Bike Cops With Fat Bikes

9. Beez Kneez Honey Delivery

10. Taco Cat

11. Greg LeMond

12. Nice Ride MN

13. Koochella Racing Team

14. Biking Musician Ben Weaver

15. Bike Weddings

16. ARTCRANK

17. Bike Tour To ‘Save The Boundary Waters’

18. Cars-R-Coffins

19. MPLS Bike Love

20. Bunyan Velo Magazine

21. The Stupor Bowl

22. Minneapolis Bike Week

23. Open Streets Minneapolis

24. Dedicated Bike Lanes

25. Babes In Bikeland Alleycat

26. Adam Turman Bike Murals

27. MN Public Radio PedalHub Podcast

28. QBP

29. Surly

30. Salsa

31. All-City

32. Wolf Tooth Components

33. Search And State

34. Park Tool

35. Twin Six

36. Banjo Brothers

37. HED Wheels

38. Donkey Label

39. Peacock Groove

40. ‘Official Winter Biking Day’

41. Birthplace Of Modern Fat Bike

42. ’30 Days Of Biking’

43. SPOKES Organization

44. Pedal MN

45. Brake Bread

46. Copenhagenize Index 2015

47. Independent Bike Shops

48. Regional Bike Chains (Penn and Erik’s)

49. One On One Bike Shop

50. The Bike Junkyard

“’50 Reasons’ Minneapolis Is The Bike Capital Of America” is an original production by GearJunkie and Twin Cities filmmaker Erik Nelson.