A weekend devoted to bicycles, blues & BBQ

The 10th annual Bicycle, Blues and BBQ Festival was again a huge success. Each year, the festival has grown, becoming one of the biggest weekend draws for Clear Lake. The festival opened on Friday evening with live blues 

music at the Bandshell and BBQ vendors. Bicycling began on Saturday morning with recreational rides for cyclists of all abilities and ages. Later in the morning, the criterium, or “crit”, started on a 0.8-mile course in downtown. Rain may have slightly slowed competitors, but it didn’t stop the event. More music on Saturday gave way to a beautiful Sunday for more races. Race results appear on page 11. North Iowa SPIN, a local cycling and multisport team sponsors the festival. Proceeds from SPIN activities are used to support trail development and cycling projects in northern Iowa.