Barren Ground Coffee to host time trial cycling race

Yellowknife cyclists, get ready to put your rubber to the pavement. Barren Ground Coffee plans to host a time trial cycling race on August 22, dubbed the Yellowknife Grand Prix. 

Eric Binion, owner of Barren Ground Coffee, told Cabin Radio the business wanted to host a Covid-friendly sporting event and had teamed up with the Yellowknife Multisport Club to do so. 

“There’s definitely a connection between the coffee culture and the road cycling culture. So it just seemed like a good fit,” he said. 

“A lot of people that visit our shop on the weekend, they’ll come in decked in their cycling gear, so they’ve been going for a ride and they’re grabbing a coffee on the way home.”  

The Yellowknife Grand Prix will see cyclists pedal 27 kilometres from Barren Ground Coffee on 52 Street through Old Town, over to the Giant Mine boat launch, to Deh Cho Boulevard, and down Franklin Avenue back to the store.

Binion said the course has been tested and completed in as little as 50 minutes. For amateur cyclists, he expects it to take around an hour and a half. 

The City of Yellowknife has approved the race. The course will not be closed and cyclists will be required to obey traffic rules.

Cyclists will depart the start line separately and be timed individually.

Binion said Barren Ground Coffee will provide prizes and there may be “other fun stuff” at the event.

If you’re interested in participating, sign up on Barren Ground’s website (registration is free).

Binion said so far, around 15 people have done so. He expects a total of 50 people to join.