Shakopee native and motorbike performance rider Aaron Colton brought his skills to the downtown Minneapolis skyways, and filmed his joyride during last month’s historic snowstorm.
In partnership with Red Bull, Colton hopped on his custom-built Electric Alta bike to navigate the skyways. Unlike its fuel-powered counterparts, the electric bike made for a relatively silent journey on his first-of-its-kind ride. Colton’s stunts included a stint onstage at Orchestra Hall, a lap around and one-handed shot at the Target Center, and a couple of technical tricks in the IDS Center courtyard. An attempt was also made at riding up and down an escalator like a treadmill. During the ride, Colton hit speeds of 74 miles per hour.
Growing up in nearby Shakopee, Colton was fascinated by the city’s skyway system—rightfully so, given that the Minneapolis Skyway System is the largest contiguous system in the world. The skyways connect 80 city blocks over 9.5 miles. The video project with Redbull offered Colton an opportunity to explore how to navigate a space designed for foot traffic on a bike—which you can watch him do here.
Colton has built a successful career over nearly two decades as a street freestyle rider. Apart from his stint in the skyway, his most noteworthy indoor riding experience includes a ride through the Corning Museum of Glass in New York.
