Gophers fan proposes a Cyclegating at Gophers/Kent State game on Sept 19

BleedGopher

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per the link:

The Concept

Automobiles certainly carry large amounts of cargo, which I am assuming is part of the reason why many people like them. They come in handy for football tailgating events, due to their cargo holding capacity. But could there be an alternative? Although R.T. Rybak was definitely onto something with his Railgating experiment back in 2012, I personally believe our best tailgating alternative is biking.

Bicycle Tailgating – or Cyclegating – would take all the best aspects of tailgating and substitute out the necessity for an automobile. The concept is simple, really: bringing festive tailgating things on bikes instead of in vehicles. Currently, I would guess most individuals who arrive to football games via bicycle end up joining a tailgate or just go straight to the game. In my mind, I think, “why can’t bicyclists establish some tailgating fun, too?”

In good bike party fashion, us Cyclegaters could stick together while exercising our personal freedoms to tailgating space. Bicyclists wielding Burleys or cargo bikes can pack food to eat, drinks to consume, games to play, and fan gear to wear in order to show to the world that we are “just like the rest of you tailgaters – except on bikes!”

The Grand Proposal

Sorry, Vikings fans, this native Coloradan isn’t going to be supporting your NFL team for the inaugural Cyclegating event. Instead, I want to put our efforts behind the state’s DI collegiate team: The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.

On September 19th, 2015, the Gophers will host the Kent State Golden Flashes at 11:00am at TCF Bank Stadium. The stadium is literally the terminus of one of the best new bike routes in Minneapolis: the Dinkytown Greenway. I envision a portion of the cyclegating group meeting at the other end of the greenway near Gold Medal Park around 8:00am, arriving at the other end of the U’s campus around 8:15am, and then setting up camp in the open area between the University’s traditional tailgating lots located here:

http://streets.mn/2015/07/13/cyclegating-the-biking-alternative-to-tailgating/

Go Gophers!!
 

He lost me at "personal freedom". He can do this now. I see plenty of folks walk snd bike in.

What he wants is free tailgating space.

I love to see bicyclists enjoying their rides...but if they offered this up on November 28, would he accept? We tailgate the way we do because it's easy and convenient. If it's cold, I can sit in my car and warm up.

I have family and friends that are avid bikers.

What I smell here is the usual mantra that pervades a good portion of that culture: "we are more moral that you, we should reap the benefits of that moral plane".

I'll get off my moral high horse and let it go.
 

I don't see anything being requested for free, just proposing people bicycling to the game.

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Things like this will need to happen though for the long term future as the parking lots are replaced by University buildings and parking ramps. Surface lots are likely not a long term solution for the University's land use needs, and eventually tailgating will not exist for the most part.
 

If I can have a tailgate party with my car that doesn't have a tailgate. Then you can call your get together a tailgate party and don't need any special recognition. You bike to the games, we are happy for you. I walk to the games (from the river flats parking lot :) ) Without paying for space in one of the tailgate lots, I'd like special pedestrian tailgate parties near the stadium. I think other schools call this pregame. I haven't seen any evidence that the U of M understands this concept.

FYI 70 year old people standing inside the Alumni center is not a tailgate party. I checked on wikipedia.
 



I've been biking to games from day one at The Bank. I'm lucky that I have a group of friends that have a tailgate spot otherwise my tailgating would be done at a bar.
 

I bike to every game at TCF rain/snow/shine. Its the quickest cheapest way to get there. Don't have to deal with the traffic and can park literally 20 yards in front of our gate. Would totally be down to meet up for this cyclegate thing or whatever its called. Only issue I see is where to store the tailgate stuff while your in the game. You can lock your bike up but locking everything else up is difficult.
 

I bike to every game at TCF rain/snow/shine. Its the quickest cheapest way to get there. Don't have to deal with the traffic and can park literally 20 yards in front of our gate. Would totally be down to meet up for this cyclegate thing or whatever its called. Only issue I see is where to store the tailgate stuff while your in the game. You can lock your bike up but locking everything else up is difficult.
I think viewing the bike "tailgating" as normal tailgating where you bring your own stuff is probably not realistic. If a portion of a lot was reserved for bikes and the U could get some of the local food trucks to come by and sell food as well as put out some sets for bags and other tailgating games, then all you would need is to byob.
 



You Citiots can bicyclegate. I live 200+ miles from the stadium and I'm straight, so I'll keep driving.
 

I think food carts sounds like a great idea. There are a lot of taco trucks in Minneapolis. Could be good for those who want to hang out at the stadium but don't want to bring their own tailgate food.

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Hasn't the issue with anything related to this type of thing always been the inability (or willingness) to close down a section of street near the stadium? If they could just do that, you could have all kinds of room for bikes, food trucks, people that park in the ramps to head on over. I would even be willing to pay a small fee to enter the area to help pay for the trash/bathrooms/security.
 




Hasn't the issue with anything related to this type of thing always been the inability (or willingness) to close down a section of street near the stadium? If they could just do that, you could have all kinds of room for bikes, food trucks, people that park in the ramps to head on over. I would even be willing to pay a small fee to enter the area to help pay for the trash/bathrooms/security.

They do close down Oak in front of Mariucci. There are food trucks there and also games. The trouble is there is no alcohol allowed there.
 

They do close down Oak in front of Mariucci. There are food trucks there and also games. The trouble is there is no alcohol allowed there.

They also closed down and roped off the green space south of the alumni center and had beer, music, food all available and a huge crowd taking advantage of it. Problem was they did it for the visiting Nebraska fans not the gopher fans who they must assume want to be indoors at the alumni center with the octogenarians getting their autographs from gophers from the 60's and listening to sports radio guys babble instead of loud music.
 




You Citiots can bicyclegate. I live 200+ miles from the stadium and I'm straight, so I'll keep driving.

This is a comment I would expect from some North Dakota associates of mine... distaste for residents of the "big city", casual homophobia and a love of the open road.
 


They also closed down and roped off the green space south of the alumni center and had beer, music, food all available and a huge crowd taking advantage of it. Problem was they did it for the visiting Nebraska fans not the gopher fans who they must assume want to be indoors at the alumni center with the octogenarians getting their autographs from gophers from the 60's and listening to sports radio guys babble instead of loud music.

And the Nebraska contingent paid dearly to have all of that set up a certain way. Maybe the Gopher fans should do the same if they want the same privileges? The Alumni Center is neither University-owned nor on University property - gotta pay to play.
 

This is a comment I would expect from some North Dakota associates of mine... distaste for residents of the "big city", casual homophobia and a love of the open road.

Yep. Stupid comment for sure.
 

And the Nebraska contingent paid dearly to have all of that set up a certain way. Maybe the Gopher fans should do the same if they want the same privileges? The Alumni Center is neither University-owned nor on University property - gotta pay to play.
It is most definitely on University property. Agree with the rest tho, they paid to rent it out.
 





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