Bike Pull For Food

Have you ever been to a tractor pull, a horse pull, or maybe a dog pull? Now Minnesota will have a Bike Pull contest. A part of this year's Active Bike Living Expo, at the MN State Fairgrounds on April 29 & 30, HaveFunBiking.com will offer the first-ever International Bicycle Weight Pulling Competition.

Throughout the weekend at the Expo, bikes will be competing for cash and trophies in several categories using a miniature weight pulling skid connected by a Chariot axel mount EZHITCH arm. Hooked to the skid contestants will try to go the farthest distance, as the mechanical weight increases creating more resistance.

Theoretically, a human being can pull a load of almost unlimited size given unlimited time and unlimited equipment. Practically, however, equipment, geography, and time puts limits upon what is physically possible, but most people can comfortably pull 300 lbs (137 kg) with a typical mountain bike or cargo Bike. However, with a stock bicycle, how quickly a person can move a load of that weight and more will depend on his or her physical condition. Generally speaking, someone in reasonable condition can generally pull a 300 lb load on a bike at 10 mph (16 km/hr) on level ground if there's no wind. A person exerting the same effort could pull a load of 600 lb. (275 kg) at a speed of about 8 mph (11-13 km/hr), and a 1000 lb load at about 6 mph. Now put that weight on a variable load (a smaller version used in tractor pulls) Foodshelf Network roller-skid and let the competition begin! 

Bike Pull categories for men and women include: Mountain Bike class, Cargo/Cross-Train class, Tandem category and a Fix Gear class. For these categories gearing and tires must be similar in ratio and size (see registration form link below for more details) to what the manufacture originally issued. With the Modified Bike class anything goes, except no motorized assistance will be allowed. After prize payout, proceeds will benefit over 250 food shelves here in Minnesota and the Share the Road, Educational Campaign of the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota. If you would like to compete: BikePullChallenge.pdf

The Active Living Bike Expo is part of "Ironman Weekend" kicking-off the summer bicycling season on the last week of April. This year's event is Friday, April 29 (3-9 p.m.) & Saturday April 30 (9 am.-6 pm.), at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, education building, in St Paul.

Are you ready to pull?

Article Published: 03-23-2011