Skip to main content.
Bikes. Parts. Chaos.
Safety
Begin typing to search, use arrow keys to navigate, click or press Enter to select an item.

A yellow graphic on dark fabric, with text showing, 2014 Alaska

 

For many years, I have heard great tales of SSWC shenanigans from people in Surly. I had never been to SSWC until my straw was picked this year and I got to go to Alaska on the company dime. Many people in the brand and our old time friends had quite a lot to do with starting the singlespeed movement in the first place. Take, for example, the “venerable” 1X1, a bike made for shop rats at time when more and more gears were being thrust upon us by the cycling industry at large. It was (is) simple, tough and unpretentious. And did you know that Minneapolis hosted the 2000 SSWC, which happened not long after the 1X1 came out? Surly has in some way attended nearly every SSWC since then.

My point is that I had a good idea of what to expect, and SSWC2014 did not disappoint. There was drunkenness, debauchery, fits of riding, bears, moose, sleep depravation, great food, bad food, jello shots, Dales Pale Ale, Old Chub, Old Yeller, gongs, feats of strength, salmon, almost 24 hour sun, AMAZING TRAILS and costumes. Yep, pretty much what I expected. 

I did not really know what to expect when it came to the people we would meet. They were really great and had a lot love for riding and the culture that singlespeeding produces. Everybody we met were really proud of Alaska and wanted to show us around. Hell one guy even wanted to give us his car. I was honored to meet Eric Parsons who is the proprietor of Revelate Designs

. Headshot of a person wearing a Surly bikes hat and a large fake beard with debris in it

He and his crew were really great and they make amazing gear. Dusty even let us borrow his rig for a day so we could get out and see the sights before our flight.

 

We also got to meet Greg Matays, one of the founding fathers of fat, owner of Fatback and Speedway Cycles.

 

Side view of two people standing and facing each other, talking in a bike shopAn outside view of a storefront, with a Speedway Cycles sign above

 

They offered to take us up to see and ride the local trails. His “fitness beer” is amazing. Nice shop dog too. 

Downward view of a small, white and brown dog, looking upward and standing on a wood floor

I also got to visit a really cool shop called Off the Chain. It is a great example of a community bicycle shop. If you get to Anchorage stop by and say hello, help them out by volunteering or giving a couple of bucks.

Front view of two smiling people, posing next to each other, in front of a wall with OFF THE CHAIN painted on it

A rack of gear packs, on a retail product rack, in a bike shop

A green chalkboard, with a chalk drawing of a person's head, with UPCOMING EVENT and SURLY WAS HERE, written on it

 

I always knew Alaska was amazing but I didn’t know what to expect from the people. They were really cool folks. I think that is why people attend these events to hang out with people who have a common bond. Whether it is a band you like or activity you do, it is always good to find out you’re not the only freak in the world. Its even better to meet people from around the world who like the same things you do. That is what makes this event so awesome. I met people there who knew each other only from attending SSWC they have been attending for years. It gives us all an excuse to travel somewhere and fuck shit up...together. 

I really wanted to thank Carp, Cate, Holly, Amy, JP and Jeff for showing us around. I hope we can return the favor sometime. Ben 2.0 wrote about many of these folks in his blog. What a great bunch of down to earth, rad people. Also huge thanks to DeeJay and Chewy for organizing the event and volunteer Ryan Greeff who was out marking the course in the wee hours of the morning while we were dodging bears on our ride home. We recognized him by giving him a Pug SS. Here is a photo. Thanks Ryan!

Front view of two smiling people, standing shoulder to shoulder, holding up a Congratulations certificate

Here are some photos...

Right side view of a red & black checked cap, with SSWC14 ALASKA embroidered on it, fitted over a person's knee

 

Headshot of a person with a short beard, wearing glasses and a blonde wig, while licking their top lipHeadshot of a person with a long beard, wearing glasses and a blonde wig, in the dark

Downward, left side view of a black Surly Trucker Deluxe bike, leaning against a rail on a wood dock, above dark water     Rear view of a cyclist, riding a blue Surly fat bike on a street, with other riders in front and trees to the rightFront view of three cyclists, posing with their Surly bikes behind a gorilla statue, with a field and trees behind them    ​Front view of two cyclists sitting at a concrete table, with a Surly fat bike behind them, in a grassy, forest clearingSIde view of a blue shipping container, on a parking lot, with PABLOS BICYCLE RENTALS, painted in mint lettering   Side view of a white trailer on landscape block, with a neon OPEN sign, and International House of Hot Dogs on it​

A liquor store sign, on a roadside, with pine trees behind it 

Who knew Jim had a place in AK?

 A sheet of tin foil with cut up potatoes inside

I ain't scared and niether is my Ice Cream Truck!

 

 

 

 Right side view of a bull moose, walking through deep, green brush, in the woods

Front view of a wood paneled wall, with signs and certificates mounted to it     Right side view of a blue Surly Ice Cream Truck fat bike, leaning against a wooden cowboy statue, on a sidewalk

Front, right side view of two Surly bikes, leaning on a light pole, on a sidewalk with city buildings across the street

 

Downward view of a person, wearing a headlamp, preparing food on the ground, at night            Close up, front view of half a person's face on the right, with two cyclists riding Surly bikes on the street, behind

A stream, flowing straight away, through a forest

 

GRILLIN & CHILLIN AT THE HOMESTEAD

 

Brats on a the top rack of a gas grill      Front view of a person, sitting on a couch, in a room with a window showing the trees on the outside    

FIRST DECIDER

 

A large number of bikes, parked very closely together, around a median on a paved parking

Panoramic view of a group of people, standing closely together, on a patio next to a red building

 

Front view of a person holding and looking through a bike rim, and drinking from a flask

I WON FLASKY!

A group of people, gathered on an outdoor patio with two Rockstar Beverage canopies on itFront view of a cyclist wearing no clothes, falling into an orange snow fence, on a street with spectators watching   Side view of two people, untangling orange snow fence from the rear wheel of a bike, at night on a parking lot

LATE NIGHT DERBY SESSION (CARP DESTROYS OPPONENTS)

Left side view of a pink Surly 1x1 bike leaning on the front of a car, with a cyclist kneeling down by the rear wheel

Lil' Chub 1X1

Rear view of a person's back, with a bike gear and SURLY drawn on it, in black marker

Rear view of a truck bed, loaded with Surly bikes, in a driveway with a person standing near

A traffic light pole, with a Minnesota Dr. sign on it, with mountains in the background on a cloudy day

A little Piece of Home

Three Surly bikes, hanging around in a weedy spot with trees, with a vast field and mountains in the background

Overlook view of trees in front of a vast wetlands area, with blue sky and white clouds above

Panoramic view of cyclists standing on a grassy, hill trail, with a wetlands area and mountains in the background

Cyclist standing on a dirt trail with their bikes laying near, with green brush and trees behind them

Front view of a cyclist standing on a dirt trail in the woods, with their bike laying behind, next to another cyclist

Jim Fell down and went BOOM!

Downward view of a food basket, with fries, battered fish and a cup of tartar sauce on it

 

Halibut, I loved this shit!

 

Left side view of a blue Surly bike with a cyclist, on a grassy, city field with a building and trees in the background

SCREEEN PRINTING AT REVELATE

Downward view of a two hands holding a silkscreen frame over a blue shirt      Downward view of a colored, silkscreen graphic on a pink t-shirt

 

Several groups of people sitting at tables, on an outdoor patio area, in front of buildings with restaurants

YET ANOTHER BAR

 

Front view of a person posing with a cup of espresso, at the front counter of a cafe

WHAT TIME IS IT BOB LIKE 10:30?

Wood sided wall of a building with a Buckaroo Club sign on it, at night with a light shining above

We spent a fair amount of time at this place. They let you take bikes in with you. Hey bikes get thirsty too. 

 

A collection of bikes, parked parked side by side, next to a stone wall at night

 

 

 

Panoramic view of people sitting at tables in a bar

Yeah, My head is bent at this point.

 

Two people, wearing cyclist attire, standing in a concrete tunnel with lighting above

Beer Stop (under a bridge of course)

 

BACK AT HQ FOR SECOND DECIDER (BIKE PILE OUT FRONT)

A large number of bikes stacked together to form a bike tower, at nighttime

 

SOME SORT OF STRANGE DECIDING & BIKE SURFING 

Rear view people standing in a dimly lit club, with a person holding a microphone and facing them

RACE DAY!

A group of cyclists and their bikes, gathered together on a grass field, outside of a building on the left

Front view of a cyclist, standing over a blue Surly bike, with lobster claw shaped gloves on their hands               Front view of cyclist riding through a narrow waterway, in a wetlands field, with trees in the background

 

Front view of a cyclist, standing over a green Surly Krampus bike, in a flooded grass field with trees in the background

 

 

 

Looped GIF of two people doing karate moves, in a field of tall grass, with tree covered hills in the background         Front view of cyclists riding through a narrow waterway, in a wetlands field, with trees in the background

 

Front view of a cyclist, riding a black Surly fat bike through a waterway in a wetlands field, with trees in background

Two Surly bikes, facing opposite directions, parked against an old tree, with a river and mountains in the background

Looped GIF of 3 cyclists with their bikes near, diving into a waterway in a wetlands field, with trees in the background

 

JIM IS PRETTY HAPPY

Front view of a Surly bike with a cyclist standing on the left side, on a grass field with people behind them

 

A vast, grassy waterway, with snowcapped mountains in the background

 

AWESOME BURGERS HERE

Front of a teal and brown restaurant building with an neon OPEN sign in the window, and a Burger Stop sign

ENGINNERDS

Front view of a person wearing glasses, sitting at a table with a Star Wars movie poster on the wall behind them     A framed illustration of a Saturday Night Live tv character, with the words More Cowbell, on a shelf with toy figures

FIREWEED

Close up view of a purple orchid plant with flowers, with blurry mountains in the background

 

A large mountain with a snow and a glacier on it

 

A glacier laying across the side of a mountain and the green valley below

A marshy Alaskan field with trees behind it, and snowy mountains in the background

A marshy Alaskan field with trees behind it, and snowy mountains in the background

A turquoise, bluish lake, with a glacier on a mountain behind it

 

 

 

Although I kinda knew what to expect, there are always pleasant surprises at a SSWC and just the right amount of weird. That is why we travel and go to these in the first place. 

See you in Japan??

TBeard