Chelsea Strate
NAME:
Chelsea Strate
LOCATION:
Minneapolis, MN
ABOUT:
I love bikes. They meant freedom when I wanted to see my friends across town when I was a kid, they meant transportation, fresh air and exercise when I was in high school and college, and now they are also my livelihood and my community. I've been racing bikes for almost 20 years now in various capacities, with a special love of winter fat biking and MTBing. I'm a new mom as of March of 2024, and I am enjoying learning how to be a parent and watching my little nugget grow into her own person. Balancing work, riding, training, family, and breastfeeding has been hard, but very rewarding. In the very little spare time that I have, baking pastries and bread (and eating them) also brings me joy.
MEMORABLE RIDE (OR RACE):
Polar Roll in 2018 in the U.P. of Michigan, deemed the "Polar Stroll" that year because of the tough conditions with the amount of snow and ice they got the weeks and days leading up to the race. They groomed it the best they could, but three feet was a lot to wrangle! There was a long line of us hiking our bikes on the trail that had fallen apart due to the sheer amount of snow. With my Flowbeist and Dunderbeist tires and 100mm rims set up paired with super low pressure, I was actually able to ride some of it, so folks let me pass. People were quitting left and right, but I was enjoying the challenging conditions and the beautiful scenery. I love it when it gets weird out there. Temps were perfect, the sky was blue, and everything was covered in a thick layer of snow. The second half of the course was mostly rideable because so many people had quit, and I wasn't mad that the hardy few of us that kept going got to experience that. I think about that day often!
FAVORITE 45NRTH PIECE:
The Greazy cap used to be my go-to answer for this question, and even though I still love that hat, I have to say that the latest version of the Wölvhammer boot is my new favorite. I love how lightweight yet warm it is, and the removable inner boot is cozy as heck. (Bonus: they are cute too.)
SOCIAL MEDIA: