Bandit Cross

By Steve Smith - www.allhailtheblackmarket.com

Photos by Kelly MacWilliams

Domestically, outlaw bike races have enjoyed an off-road, off-stage spotlight since the days of the Repack events on Mount Tamalpais back when Saber Tooth Tigers and Woolie Mammoths roamed the earth. Alleycats have been an urban cycling mainstay for almost two decades. In that time, roving bands of cyclists have eschewed traditionally organized events with insurance coverage and astronomical entry fees. The Bay Area has long been the home for off the grid events in every discipline of bike racing, and having a long and sordid history with these races, I was intrigued when Minneapolis resident and All-City Brand Manager Jeff Frane began organizing his own cyclocross series through the network of roads and trails along little traveled banks of the Mississippi River. Having watched the development of his races from afar, I was thrilled that one was to coincide with a previously scheduled trip to the Twin Cities.