Bike Jam

 Last month I had the pleasure of taking part in a Winnipeg Bike Jam and it was the most magnificent display of bike love I have ever seen.

Bike Jam is a massive night time bike ride that happens once every month or so in the summer. The route is posted the night before or day of the ride and changes every time with route map and itinerary available online. This ride in particular was centred around an all night art event in Winnipeg called “Nuit Blanche”. It was the last and largest ride of the season with riders numbering nearly 1000.

As a first time jammer I wasn't quite sure what to expect. To be honest, I almost didn't go. I started the ride an hour late at the Frame Art Gallery on Ross st. I rolled up just as the pack arrived and they were easy to spot. A few hundred cyclists were clamouring for poles and fence space to lock up. Everyone was smiling and laughing, the lights on their bikes blinking red and white. I could hear music pumping in the gallery parking lot and see swarms of people flooding into the gallery. I met up with friends, grabbed a quick beer and headed for the gallery.

The gallery was absolutely packed! I saw a few interesting abstracts but wasn't overly impressed at first. There were so many people that it was hard to have enough time or a clear view to appreciate anything. Then I saw the Purple Room. Blue and purple lights dimly lit the room as a DJ pumped tunes at the front. At the far end was a large canvas, paint, and brushes for visitors to get creative. I added my own little tag and moved on to two more large canvases where individual artists were painting. One landscape and one abstract.

After watching the artists for a few minutes, I ducked out into the parking lot in search of familiar faces. This is when I really started to understand the enormity of the event. Everywhere I looked there were throngs of cyclist from many different groups. Commuters, polo players, trial bikers, tall bikes, unicycles and so much more! Finally a city where the bike community isn't divided. It was even more impressive to see the group leaving the gallery. Throngs of cyclists mounted their bikes and poured back onto the street.

I tucked into the middle of the pack. Looking over my shoulder were bikes as far as I could see down the street. I wanted to see the whole pack at once so I wove my way to the front where a beardly man was blaring tunes from speakers mounted on a recumbent trike. Two cargo trikes from Natural Cycle provide the music and it is these two bikes that really make the ride. The atmosphere they create is so lively and energetic. Our bustling bunch wove through the Exchange District to Old Market Square. Once again, everyone piled up their bikes. Some people danced by the trikes, others milled about the square cracking cans of brew. I made the mistake of only bringing one beer and had to make a run to the nearest vendor, the Woodbine. It took so long I almost missed the pack as they headed for the next destination.

We rode down Higgins to a park beside the Louise Bridge. The pack moves pretty slow but there are so many people that some run into each other and wipe out. This is where I really started to notice. Volunteers were stopped periodically between the left and right lanes instructing riders to stay to the right but some were speeding up the left lane. A friend of mine collided with one of these volunteers at full speed and bailed hard and separated his shoulder. Seeing him hit the pavement made me regret leaving my helmet at home. Another friend mentioned a girl who clipped his handlebars on the last ride and fell so hard that she got a concussion and had to be taken to the hospital. Pro tip, wear a helmet!


From the park we crossed the Louise Bridge and headed towards the Saint Boniface Basilica via the Whittier Park trails. Taking the trails was nice but served as a terrible bottle neck. I felt bad for the guys on tall bikes having to stop and dismount so often. As we rolled up to the Basilica I couldn't help but feel ecstatic. The Basilica is my favourite building in Winnipeg and has long been a regular hang out of mine.  As part of Nuit Blanche, swings were installed in the empty archways. The sounds of laughter and tolling bells echoed through the yellow glowing courtyard. I danced a bit and then sat with friends in the grass drinking cheap beer and taking in the atmosphere around me.

At this point the riders started to split apart. The Basilica was a high point for me so after a short stop at Old Market square I called it a night and headed home. I will never forget the sight of hundreds upon hundreds of cyclists of all types winding their way through Downtown Winnipeg. Thanks to everyone that made my bike jam experience extra special. 

Want to see a great video from the Bike Jam?  Click here!