Gopher Wheelmen Cycling Club

About our Club:

The Gopher Wheelmen, (GW) is the oldest cycling club in this part of the country.

Our Founder:

GW was founded in 1934 by Ken Woods (6/19/1918 - 10/11/00). Bicycle racing was at a peak and Ken was a top rider in the six-day racing scene. The ‘KW” on our jerseys is in recognition of Ken’s contributions to the club and the sport.

Ken remained a major contributor to bicycle racing since those days. Much of what we have today is because of his stewardship and endless hours of volunteer effort.

GW today:

GW continues to take pride in our contribution and volunteerism to the sport by sponsoring two annual races: The Ken Woods Memorial Road Race (formerly Sogn Valley) and the Red Barn Classic Cross Race.

Membership:

Our membership is currently at 80. We have a strong representation of masters racers (35 plus). We have a growing women’s and junior’s team. All GW members are treated equally without regard to racing category

GW Women

GW women like to have fun! Our team has a lot of interesting personalities and we operate like a diverse, yet close family. Most importantly we don’t take each other too seriously or the sport of bike racing, although we are competitive, supportive of each other and women’s racing and totally kick ass (we like to think so, anyway). We are primarily professionals/ weekend warriors who just happen to really love racing our bikes. Okay, we train a lot together; enjoy good food, alcohol, and coffee. We tend to be socially and politically outspoken. And we communicate via the Internet on an ongoing basis regarding bike training; interesting stuff we find on the Internet related to racing, politics, and whatever out of the ordinary phenomena pops up. The club president usually will send out an email every Monday with training options and an update on races. Also expect interesting/outrageous/comical race reports from our membership coordinator and other women teammates. In summary: we have fun, kick ass, then have some more fun.

Our Mission:

Be a member of the United States Cycling Federation (USCF). Have fun and develop character by encouraging honesty and courtesy in recreational and competitive cycling. Provide assistance in the form of contestants and coordinators for Minnesota State road and Track Championships, and to sponsor a comprehensive racing program.