We did it!

Bike route 65593 - powered by Bikemap 

We biked from Minneapolis to Stevens Point, Wisconsin! It took us three days, with 67.3 miles the first day, 84 miles the second day, and 105 miles the third day. The map above shows how we got from Minneapolis to the Wisconsin border, mostly on bikeways. It's a lovely, scenic route along the Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis, across St. Paul on Summit Avenue's bike lane, then out of St. Paul toward Stillwater and the St. Croix River on the Gateway State Trail. The weather was warm and sunny until a thunderstorm overtook us in Wisconsin, and then it remained pleasantly warm during the days and cool at night. We had some problems with unexpected detours along the way. Our prepared maps didn't help much, since we had to re-route completely.

It's wonderful how much more you see of wildlife from a bike. A red fox spotted us from the side of the road and dissolved back into the tall grass. A bald eagle flew along just over us for a mile or so. We saw deer, wild turkeys, and sandhill cranes along the way.

I'll write more about the trip in the next post.

Another Route Option

We've been continuing to explore the routes across Wisconsin, using BikeMap.net as well as Wisconsin's own online maps (click the header for a link), which show even the smallest roads, with color-coding to identify the bike-friendly ones. The route in the previous post was quite direct, but it showed up in red as a high-traffic route not suitable for cycling, so we tried a different option. Here's what we came up with:

Bike route 62197 - powered by Bikemap 

It is still pretty hilly, but that may be unavoidable.

Choosing a route

We're planning a bike trip to the Recumbent Rally at the Hostel Shoppe in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Our previous long-distance bike trips have been in Europe, using the splendid bike routes and maps of the Netherlands, Austria, and Germany. One reason for not doing multi-day trips near home has been the difficulty of identifying suitable roads and getting information about them.

We're experimenting with a route-mapping system developed in Germany by Bikemap.net and building on Google Maps. (Click the header for a link to the site.) It provides detailed topographic information and allows for GPS device imports and exports. Riders can share their route information on the site or draw proposed routes and look at the distances and elevations to see whether the ride will be practical. Here's a route that we are considering (we'll report back on whether it works out):

Bike route 61416 - powered by Bikemap 

We can see already that there are some big climbs and drops; we will try drawing up some other routes and see if anything looks gentler.

Independence Day 100-mile Ride

July 4, 2008: The Twin Cities Bicycling Club celebrates Independence Day every year with a "Watermelon Ride" in the northeastern corner of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. We live in the southwestern corner of Minneapolis and had skipped this ride in recent years to avoid driving there with our bikes. This year, we decided to ride to and from the event and make a 100-mile day of it.

The weather was perfect, with occasional clouds, temperatures in the high 70's, and a light breeze. We rode a recumbent trike tandem combining a Hase Kettwiesel on the front with a Greenspeed Anura behind. Setting a gentle pace, we finished the ride in 12 hours, including rest stops, a picnic lunch (with watermelon, of course), and an ice-cream stop on the way home.

We are trying to do more of our cycling near home, with less flying and driving to events. It's a celebration of energy-independence.

Human-Powered WHAT?

An annual exhibit of art-fish-houses on Medicine Lake near Minneapolis went Pedal-Powered in 2008 with an icehouse propelled by 6 cyclists on a wooden bench. The Art Shanties liven up a cold Minnesota winter with whimsical versions of the traditional fish house.

Ice Bike Racing

The Minnesota HPVA Ice Bike Races have had some bad luck with conditions over the years. This year our usual lake froze just as the first snow fell, and the ice surface was unrideable. We moved to an impromptu location on Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis, using some paths that had been cleared for a pond hockey tournament the week before. Temperatures were warm -- in the 20's -- and the ice was pretty good. The bikes and trikes were, as usual, splendid!

Another reason to bike

Valvoline Instant Oil Change reminded me today why I love to bike. My husband and I have been carpooling to work for a month because of a combination of weather and a foot injury that had him in an orthopedic boot. We put enough miles on the car that I figured it was time for a quick oil change. My wiper blades were undeniably bad, so when the slimy salesman offered me new wiper blades for $10 off, I didn't ask what the original price might be. Well, it was $17.50 per blade, plus a $12.00 charge for installation!!

What a contrast to our usual bike shops. And what an incentive to go car-free!

Bike fun for Christmas

The "Tree Huggers" entry in the Santa Claus parade in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario shows off some imaginative cycling options, several of them from Bike Forest:



I particularly liked the back-to-back tandem/sociable!

Trike trains

We were out riding around Minneapolis on Veteran's Day with two "delta" recumbent trikes (one wheel in front and two in back) hitched together, when we encountered two different folks with trikes that could hitch on to make a 3-trike train. Both of them enjoyed the fastest trike ride of their life, and we had fun making new friends.

We rode the two linked trikes on the St. Paul Classic ride on September 9 this year, going just over 50 miles (80 km). I rode the rest of my 100 miles (160 km) for the day on a two-wheeled recumbent to complete my fourth "9/11 Century" ride.



In the still photo above, the front trike is a prototype of the Greenspeed Anura, the second one is an older-model Kettwiesel from Hase, and the third one is a SUN EZ-3. In the video, the third trike is a newer model aluminum Kettwiesel. Linking trikes like this is a great way to let people with visual or mobility impairments enjoy cycling. As many as a half-dozen blind riders can ride with a sighted leader this way. People whose strokes have left them with one-sided weakness and poor peripheral vision can safely ride in groups or traffic. Other delta trikes that can be linked in this way include those from Lightfoot and the Sinner Comfort. Hase in Germany, which introduced trike trains, has taken it to greater lengths than anyone else, with its 2007 chain of 93 trikes. (Trike train videos on YouTube)

Midwest Recumbent Rally

August 10-12, 2007, around 300 recumbent cyclists assembled in Stevens Point, Wisconsin for rides along quiet country roads as well as opportunities to admire and try new bikes and trikes.

The Hostel Shoppe, a dealer, importer, and manufacturer of fine recumbents, hosted the event.

Three-wheelers were prominent this year. We considered riding velomobiles, but decided on two Greenspeed trikes, because they were somewhat easier to transport and it's easier to communicate with other riders.