Company said it is "evaluating a path forward" for next month's Frostbike event.
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (BRAIN) Minneapolis-area distributor QBP is calling on industry members to contact elected officials to "advocate for change" following the death of Alex pretti on Saturday in Minneapolis. And the company said it is "evaluating a path forward" for its Frostbike dealer event, scheduled for Feb. 26-27.
Pretti, a nurse at a Veterans Administration hospital, was a cycling enthusiast who did business at the Angry Catfish bike shop in South Minneapolis and owned a Surly bike. Surly is a QBP-owned brand.
In a LinkedIn post Monday, the company said, "Our neighbors are being unlawfully detained, harassed and murdered at the hands of federal immigration enforcement agents throughout Minnesota. Now is the time to speak up and stand up."
An email to Frostbike registrants on Monday afternoon, signed by QBP President Rich Tauer, said the company didn't have answers about whether Frostbike will be held.
"We are, however, hopeful that the coming week brings meaningful de-escalation that reduces risk and fear for our community. If conditions change and we believe the event can be held without compromising attendee safety, we will remain open to moving forward as planned. Our ultimate responsibility is to make the decision that best protects all those who attend,"Tauer wrote.
An unofficial Surly fan account on the Bluesky social media site re-posted an Instagram post from Angry Catfish over the weekend. QBP officials said that account is not associated with the company, but that it doesn't disavow the shop's stance.
"Please note that though those social posts did not come from Surly, it is true thatmembers of the Surly team are helping organize the unity ride with Angry Catfish, and we do fully support them," a company representative told BRAIN.
Following the George Floyd killing in Minneapolis in 2020, QBP's CEO, Rich Tauer, signed an Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge. The company also launched a related 20-year pledge that included supporting bike projects in underserved communities, a BIPOC mechanic training program, an equity and diversity internship program and doubling its annual allowance for employee paid volunteering time.
