Team Highlight: Bone Saw Cycling Collective

This is the first post in a new blog series highlighting the incredible work that’s done by some of the cycling teams that ERIK’S supports. Check back soon for more posts in our Team Highlights series!

Team Name: Bone Saw Cycling Collective Ltd.
# of Members: 20
Location: Twin Cities, MN

ERIK’S: What is the history of Bone Saw Cycling Collective?

BSCC: Throughout 2018 there was a group of Minneapolis-based folks who had been riding bicycles in different organized cycling events around the Midwest. As the year went on, we started inviting more friends to join us at different events and learned a lot of great lessons along the way. Almost all of us were brand new to riding our bikes in mass participation events.

Towards the end of 2018, we started talking amongst ourselves about how fun it would be to have a group of our own, one that wasn’t based around racing or being fast. We wanted to be more focused on bringing new friends to events and enjoying the ride.

Bone Saw Cycling Collective was thus born in late 2018, with 14 founding members. We started working to create a group that would foster a welcoming atmosphere, one in which any person who was interested in riding bicycles would feel comfortable.

Today we have grown to 20 members; 15 of those are locally based in the Twin Cities and five are nomad members who live in various cities across the country. We ride in organized events of various disciplines throughout the Midwest and partner with local organizations within our communities to support and uplift our fellow neighbors.

“Meet at Mia: Bike Night” event in Target Park at the Minneapolis Institute of Art on June 6, 2024.

In a nutshell, describe the riders on your team. What shared interests or goals brought you all together?

As we mentioned in the history of Bone Saw, we’re focused on trying new things, from races to different disciplines of cycling to different community events. Our members are passionate about cycling and more passionate about community—both the Bone Saw community and communities at large. We all like to be together, make new friends, get rad, and get home.

What is the team’s mission statement? In other words, why do you ride?

Bone Saw Cycling Collective makes cycling better for all by improving its members’ skills in any and all cycling disciplines, fostering a non-judgmental atmosphere of cycling, and giving back to the community. Cycling is what brings us together, however we work to support one another both on and off the bike. We host skill shares to learn from one another, help each other move, hang out, throw events, volunteer, and even ride bikes with each other sometimes!

What are the team’s plans for the future? Any special events or initiatives coming up?

We’ve had an exciting year so far and it’s just getting started! We’re continuing to host our monthly group ride series in South Minneapolis, as well as a monthly group ride series in Northeast Minneapolis. 

We have group camp trips planned in different areas around the state this summer, as well as riders participating in the Minneapolis Bike Messenger Association’s summer series and six riders on the Day Across Minnesota gravel race! We always look forward to the fall as we throw an alley cat race close to Halloween every year called ScaredyCat that is always a huge hit.

In addition to our busy schedule we have a videographer following us this year and hope to have a video finished that tells more about who we are and what we do. Late last year we attained nonprofit status as a 501(c)3 organization and will be putting together a funding drive this fall to help grow and expand our impact.

Why do you like partnering with ERIK’S?

ERIK’s has been a supporter of Bone Saw since the beginning. We appreciate the partnership that they offer us that has helped open doors to knowledge, equipment, meeting spaces, and more. ERIK’s continued support and belief in our mission in breaking down the barriers of accessibility to cycling is invaluable to us.

What are your favorite biking trails or routes in your location? This can be mountain biking trails, city streets, hybrid paths, whatever you prefer! 

We polled our membership for this question and got back the following answers:

“I personally love riding along the river between downtown Minneapolis and Minnehaha Falls. It’s one of the areas [where] you can go for as long or short as you want on a given day and turn any casual ride into an adventure, much like the Minnesota River Bottoms trails, which are my next favorite spot to ride in the metro area.” —Nick

“I’m a big fan of riding on Minnehaha Parkway for the flow of the curves and slight rolling hills, and then riding south to Lilydale is always fun—you get some nice views of Bdote, super smooth roads, and access to the river bottoms. It’s also beautiful in the fall!”  —Pallav

Stay in touch with Bone Saw Cycling Collective by following them on Facebook and Instagram!