After visiting Jeff's home, we headed over to ANGRY CATFISH.
ANGRY CATFISH is also located just around the corner from Jeff's house. That fact alone speaks volumes about the depth of the local bike culture.
A large roadside building. The exterior is incredibly cool.
ANGRY CATFISH (hereafter ACF) is a legendary shop in Minneapolis.
If there were a "Certification Exam for American Bicycle Culture," this shop would definitely appear on the test.
And behind every great shop, there is a great owner.
Josh. He is the owner of ACF and a Co-Founder of WILDE BIKES.
He also runs the local coffee shop Northern Coffeeworks and the fly-fishing shop Mend, making him a key figure supporting the Minneapolis community.
ACF stocks a wide range of items, from commuters and gravel bikes to MTBs, apparel, and even packrafts.
And the workshop space is truly astonishing.
It’s incredibly spacious.
The number of bikes waiting for pickup is also impressive.
It’s amazing that they even have an in-shop bike wash.
Naturally, their main focus is WILDE BIKES.
An incredible lineup. But it wasn't just the floor models; with staff bikes and custom builds included, there were over 20 bikes to check out. The level of dedication is just different.
Given the high quality of the shop, it's no surprise the customers were gentle folks too. Even though I visited on a weekday, customers were constantly stopping by.
America is huge, so online stores are impressive, but Americans also place a high value on consuming locally.
Circles has been influenced by this philosophy as well.
Ultimately, it’s best to buy a bike locally. Because a bike is a vehicle, it needs maintenance after you buy it. By buying from people who will look after your bike, it’s easier to build a relationship where you can support each other in the long run. (Spending money is actually the simplest way to communicate with shop staff.)
This is actually one of the reasons why Circles has a wholesale division, supplying WILDE BIKES to dealers in different regions.
I think it’s great when people can buy things where they live, and Jeff said the same thing.
I’m not anti-online store, but I think they are best used when you have the knowledge and skills to take on your own risks.
Hey Jarrod!
It’s not just the shop that’s cool; the staff and their bikes are cool too.
This is Jarrod, one of the staff members. A while back he ran a bike shop called Hope Cycley in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, but now he lives in Minneapolis.
He might also be known as the person who started Camp And Go Slow.
We hit it off immediately because we both love fishing, cameras, and, of course, bikes.
Actually, the whole staff is friendly.
ACF really is an incredible shop.
And Their Community…
Jeff said, "I've planned a ride event, let's ride around Minneapolis this evening and go catch the sunset," so we decided to head out for an evening ride.
It was a bit sudden, and it was a weekday, so I wondered how many people would show up.
Turns out, about 30 people showed up...!
Minneapolis is seriously friendly and has such a big heart.
We left the shop, rode through the park, and headed toward downtown to the north.
And when we reached the river, we saw it.
The bridge that served as the motif for the ALL-CITY dropout design!
We took it easy over some light ups and downs. Sunset was almost here.
And we arrived at our destination during the golden hour.
We hung out with snacks, pizza, and drinks.
The collection of bikes was also spectacular. I think almost all of them were WILDE or ALL-CITY?
Watching the Minneapolis sunset while chatting about nonsense was a great experience.
The late sunset is part of it, but the habit of having "after-work ride events 🍺" is truly amazing, and I’ve been thinking about how that could be interpreted in a Japanese context.
But simply put, there are many people here enjoying a life with bicycles. So I just want to communicate that joy.
Again, instead of just introducing the bikes themselves, I've been sharing the culture surrounding them. From next time, I’d like to do some ACF bike checks, Jeff’s bike check, and so on.