July 12, 13 & 14, 2013
About the Festival
Bicycle, Blues, and BBQ Festival: July 12, 13 & 14, 2013
Proceeds from the Bicycle, Blues and BBQ Festival support improving the healthy lifestyle through bike-related activities to include creating and improving bike trails, bike safety training, supporting cycling events and activities, and improving the amenities related to cycling.
The party starts on Friday night at 5:30 PM in City Park, downtown Clear Lake. Eat a helping (or two!) of barbecue and enjoy some soul-revivin’ blues BANDS TBD.
Saturday’s activities begin at 8:00 AM with a Tour De Fields. Choose from several different rides–onsite registration will be held at City Park from 7 AM to 10 AM.
All you can eat Dads Belgian waffles with assorted flavored syrups, sausage, and beverages will be served by the Clear Lake Lion’s Pride from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM Cost is $6 for adults (in advance), and children 5 and under eat free. Advance tickets are available at the Clear Lake Area Chamber Of Commerce office.
At 11 AM, the BBQ starts heating up, and the blues music continues into the evening. All eyes turn to the BBBQ Criterium Event at 11:30 AM for fast bike race action at City Park. At 8:30 PM Lamont Cranston Band with special guest Bruce McCabe will take the stage to close to the Blues Music Festival.
The weekend races are in an ‘omnium’ format, where cyclists will be competing for the over-all best racer of the weekend in three cycling disciplines: time trial, criterium, and road race. Racers are also competing for the Midwest Flyover Omnium Race Series, the BBBQ is race weekend #4.
The time trial is a race against the clock and begins at 8:00 AM near Lions Field on North 8th Street (also known as Grouse Ave. or CR S28). It will be an out-and-back course of about 7 miles.
The criterium will run from 11:30 AM to 8:30 PM through the streets of downtown Clear Lake. This USCF-sanctioned race is short and intense, on closed city streets. All skill and experience levels are welcome. If you prefer to be a spectator, you can watch the action from City Park.
Rounding out the weekend is Sunday’s BBBQ road race, beginning at 10 AM at Tourist Park; sign-in will begin at 8:00 AM. The race is a point-to-point route running through the beautiful North Iowa countryside and will be sure to be a memorable competition.
There is a$15,000 race purse plus $3,500 in merchandise prizes for the weekend bicycling events.
For a printable schedule of the festival events and registration form for the charity fun ride, please click here.
This project is sponsored in part by the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the North Iowa Sports Authority.
About Us
North Iowa Spin is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
North Iowa has long been touted as a strong cycling community in the Midwest because of its scenic and rural secondary roads, which lend themselves to excellent road riding and ease of access to nearby communities.
For more information about the Clear Lake criterium or Sunday’s USCF-sanctioned road race, contact Tim Putnam, BBBQ Festival Director, at northiowaspin@yahoo.com.