Author Archives: Russ Lowthian

Happy Labor Day! Here in this Monday morning bike pic we captured a couple biker chicks riding the Mississippi River Trail (MRT). This picture was captured in St. Paul, MN, on the MRT. Same Route as the Saint Paul Classic Bicycle Tour coming this next weekend, September 9th.

Bike Pic Sept 25, fun riding into the Monday morning sun, or rain?

In this Monday morning bike pic, looking through the archives, we captured a couple of biker chicks riding the Mississippi River Trail (MRT).  Hope it is not raining where you plan to ride?

So, get into the zone when continuing your time outdoors and your #NextBikeAdventure. View all the great ideas and bike destinations in the latest Iowa or Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide. Then plan your next outing with family and friends, and check out more stories at Let’s Do MN.

Thanks for viewing our latest bike pic

Now rolling through our 19th year as a bike tourism media, enjoy! As we pedal forward, we aim to encourage more people to bike and have fun while highlighting all the unforgettable places you can ride. As we continue to showcase more places to have fun, we hope the photos we shoot are worth a grin. Enjoy the information and stories we have posted as you scroll through.

Do you have a fun bicycle-related photo of yourself or someone you may know we should post? If so, please send your picture(s) to [email protected]. Please Include a brief caption for the image, who shot it, and where. Photo(s) sent to us should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide to be considered. You will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram if we use your photo.

As we continue encouraging more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your #NextBikeAdventure. Also, check out the MN Bike Guide, now mobile-friendly in our 14th year of producing this handy information booklet full of maps.

Bookmark HaveFunBiking.com on your cell phone and find your next adventure at your fingertips! Please share our pics with your friends, and don’t forget to smile. With one of our cameras ready to document your next cameo appearance while you are riding and having fun, we may be around the corner. You could be in one of our next Pic of the Day.

Have a great day with a safe and memorable summer!

On this bike pic Sunday, this biker couple, at a previous Open Streets, are enjoying a sample of Ben & Jerry's. Today, the last Open Streets Minneapolis will be held, 11 to 5 at 14th Ave SE, University Ave SE, and Oak St SE, in Minneapolis, MN.

Bike Pic Sept 24, an ice cream smiles Sunday on a wet day

On this rainy bike pic Sunday in the upper Midwest and looking at the HFB archives, we found this biker couple at a previous Open Streets enjoying a sample of Ben & Jerry’s. The last Open Streets Minneapolis will be held on October 8 on Lyndale Avenue in Minneapolis, MN.

So, get into the zone when continuing your time outdoors and your #NextBikeAdventure. View all the great ideas and bike destinations in the latest Iowa or Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide. Then plan your next outing with family and friends, and check out more stories at Let’s Do MN.

Thanks for viewing our latest bike pic

Now rolling through our 19th year as a bike tourism media, enjoy! As we pedal forward, we aim to encourage more people to bike and have fun while highlighting all the unforgettable places you can ride. As we continue to showcase more places to have fun, we hope the photos we shoot are worth a grin. Enjoy the information and stories we have posted as you scroll through.

Do you have a fun bicycle-related photo of yourself or someone you may know we should post? If so, please send your picture(s) to [email protected]. Please Include a brief caption for the image, who shot it, and where. Photo(s) sent to us should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide to be considered. You will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram if we use your photo.

As we continue encouraging more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your #NextBikeAdventure. Also, check out the MN Bike Guide, now mobile-friendly in our 14th year of producing this handy information booklet full of maps.

Bookmark HaveFunBiking.com on your cell phone and find your next adventure at your fingertips! Please share our pics with your friends, and don’t forget to smile. With one of our cameras ready to document your next cameo appearance while you are riding and having fun, we may be around the corner. You could be in one of our next Pic of the Day.

Have a great day with a safe and memorable summer!

Join the fun this Sunday, October 7th for the eight annual Mankato River Ramble. This year's ride offers three loop options, a 16, 30, or 42-mile route featuring great Rest Stops, ride support, delicious food and beverages, live music and much more.

Mankato River Ramble, the last major Minnesota bike tour of 2023

Join the fun ride with new and old friends on Sunday, October 8th, for the thirteenth annual Mankato River Ramble. Benefiting the great work the Greater Mankato Bike and Walk Advocates (GMBWA) and the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota (BikeMN) are accomplishing. This year’s ride offers a 16, 30, or 42-mile scenic route option with tasty rest stop options along the way. Find delicious pies and other foods, beverages, live music, and more at each stop. Routes can be easily combined for those who want to add additional mileage and colorful scenery.

The whole family will like the scenery along the Minnesota River Valley.

The whole family will like the scenery along the Minnesota River Valley.

River Ramble Registration

Save now, pre-registration closes on October 5! If you have not pre-registered, you can come between 8 and 10 a.m. to Land of Memories Park (100 Amos Owen Lane, Mankato, MN 56001) to sign up and begin the ride. See more info here.

Tasty treats, like the pie stop, makes the ride extra delicious.

Tasty treats, like the pie stop, can make the ride extra delicious.

Volunteers needed

The Ramble wouldn’t be possible without the help of 140 volunteers, and several spots are still open. Find volunteer sign-up options for the 2023 River Ramble at Bikeriverramble.org/volunteer. Volunteers help with putting up signs, helping with registration, passing out treats at rest stops, and encouraging riders. Volunteers get a free Ramble T-shirt.

The Ramble is a fun place to gather and ride with old and new friends!

The Ramble is a fun place to gather and ride with old and new friends!

The Mankato River Ramble is a fundraiser for the Greater Mankato Bike & Walk Advocates and the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota. Proceeds after expenses from the event benefit these two organizations. The ride is made possible thanks to the generous support of the River’s Edge Hospital and the Orthopaedic & Fracture Clinic, as well as the support of more than 50 other sponsoring organizations.

More delicious food upon your return and its included in your ride fee.

More delicious food upon your return, and its included in your ride fee.

More photos from earlier Mankato River Rambles can be found online here.

Come early and ride all that Mankato offers

Nestled along the Minnesota River in Southern Minnesota, Mankato is a hidden gem for outdoor enthusiasts. Explore over 50 miles of paved trails by bike, scooter, or by foot, and even more trails to satisfy the need to get off the paved path. If you choose to spend some extra time exploring all that Mankato offers, here is a list of lodging options to consider.

About Greater Mankato Bike and Walk Advocates (GMBWA)

GMBWA encourages individuals and families to walk and bike as part of a healthy lifestyle. Greater Mankato Bike and Walk Advocates work with city, county, and state governments, businesses, and non-governmental organizations to improve the community’s infrastructure and opportunities for walking and biking. The ride began in 2011; thousands of dollars of profits from the Ramble have gone into signs, outdoor kiosks, mountain bike trail construction, and other improvements in the Mankato area.

About the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota (BikeMN)

BikeMN is working to make Minnesota a state where bicycling is safe, easy, fun, and cool for everyone. The mission of BikeMN is to provide leadership and a unified voice for bicycle education, advocacy, and efforts to make Minnesota more bicycle-friendly so that more people will ride bicycles more often—more at www.bikemn.org.

With small town charm and sprawling countrysides trails the Willmar Lakes Area is the perfect place to visit with your bike for a weekend getaway.

Fall bike getaway options with birding in the Willmar Lakes Area

Buss Lowthian, HaveFunBiking.com

Head west of the Twin Cities, and before you know it, you will be greeted by small-town charm, and a sprawling countryside full of bike/birding opportunities in the Willmar Lakes Area. To the naked eye, it may not seem like much, but the area knows how to show guests a great time.

Now, with fall colors and waterfowl migration soon approaching, it’s a special place to visit. Allowing cyclists plenty of great outdoor memories on the trails and bike-friendly roads that will last a lifetime.

Biking opportunities in the Willmar Lakes Area

The Willmar Lakes Area is the perfect place to visit anytime of the year for a weekend bike getaway.

The Willmar Lakes Area is the perfect bike getaway to visit any time of the year.

Getting around on your bike in Willmar is more than encouraging. Awarded the Bike Friendly Bronze status by the League of American Cyclists, the community has redesigned its streets and inner city trails to make it easy to pedal around and explore the area’s attractions and points of interest.

While biking, this is also a great area for bird enthusiasts. Key locations in Kandiyohi County, include Sibley State Park, Robbins Island Regional Park, Bergquist Wildlife Area, and the Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center.

Sibley State Park is one of the most popular areas, so bring binoculars. While biking the trails around the park, you have a chance to see over 200 different species of birds that nest or migrated here. And with the Glacial Trail, it is easy to get out to the park, by bike, from your hotel room in the Willmar Lakes Area.

Glacial Lakes State Trail

Built on a former Burlington Northern railroad line, the trail is generally level and wheelchair accessible. The trail is paved for 22 miles between Willmar, Spicer, New London, Hawick, and the Kandiyohi/Stearns County line. This multi-use bike corridor offers many opportunities to look at wildflowers and wildlife along the way.

Bring the binoculars along, for some of the birds sittings along the trail you may see!

Bring the binoculars along, for some birds sittings along the trail you may see!

Getting to Sibley State Park from the Glacial Lakes State trailhead? From New London, take the county road west out of town on the paved bike lane, for approximately 4-miles, to the park.

Sibley State Park and Mount Tom

Once you get there riding your bike, hike to the top of Mount Tom. It’s one of my favorite high points in a 50-mile radius to view the patchwork of forest, farmland, prairie knolls, and lakes in the area. Through the summer season, visitors can enjoy swimming, boating, and fishing on Lake Andrew. With an interpretive program open year-round, birding is another activity I enjoy here.

In the park, you will find nearly two miles of paved trails that link Lakeview Campground and the Interpretive Center. With a slight elevation change, another favorite is the Pond View Trail loop. It offers another view perspective of the area.

Other parks and trails

Enjoy the miles of scenic paved trails in the prairie lands of the Willmar Lakes Area.

Enjoy the miles of scenic paved trails in the prairie lands of the Willmar Lakes Area.

Willmar and the surrounding area is easy for everyone to enjoy the outdoors. With several parks offering recreational activities, those who visit with their bike will find many trails to pedal through, including Bergquist Park, Ramblewood Park, Rau Park (Scott Park), Thompson Park, and Swansson Park. You can also take on the trails at Robbins Island Park and Green Lake County Park.

BMX

If birding isn’t your thing, Green Lake has its own BMX park. Part of USA BMX, the park includes an outdoor track where riders can practice every Tuesday at their own speed. The races are on Fridays.

Road biking opportunities

There is also plenty of bike-friendly roads in Kandiyohi County. See the county map here to help you navigate the area.

More about the bike-friendly Willmar Lakes Area

Willmar also has a Ride Share program where you can find different spots throughout town to rent a bike. Find out here how residents and visitors alike can take advantage of these bikes to access the many recreational destinations throughout the area.

When you are not riding, the trails and roads in Kandiyohi County the area offers plenty of indoor attractions when you want to relax and places to stay. Along with several museums covering different parts of the area’s Minnesota history, After your ride covering the birding haunts, enjoy a refreshing local beer or taste of local wine as you take a break from the outdoor activities in this scenic prairie lakes area.

Fall color riding on a bike friendly road.

Bike destinations and peak fall color weblinks for the upper Midwest

Don’t put that bike away just yet! In the upper Midwest, riding in the fall colors is one of the best times of the year to explore the many bike-friendly destinations. Now that fall is officially here, look around at the spattering of color, then look at the following websites to help you plan your #NextBikeAdventure. With warm days, cool nights, low humidity, few insects, and trees offering brilliant autumn colors, fall riding can be picture-perfect.

Enjoying the colorful trees along the trail as they get close to peak.

Riders enjoy the colorful trees along the trail as they reach their peak.

As our summer bike adventures drift into fond memories, we still have a colorful blaze of options ahead. When the tree foliage begins to change, first in Minnesota and then in Iowa, using the HaveFunBiking guides and the state DNR websites, it’s easy to expand your recreational riding through October.

Fall color riding in Minnesota

Using a copy of the Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide and the MN DNR fall color pages will allow you to match up to a  fall experience you won’t soon forget. If you didn’t have a chance to pick up a printed copy of the MN Bike/Hike Guide, here it is online. Offering you bike maps and fun events for fall exploring.

Enjoying the trails doing some fall color riding.

Trail riding in the fall amongst tree-lined paths is inviting.

As the aspen, oaks, and maples burst with color, consider bookmarking these two websites and plan your fall biking adventure. Find more Minnesota fall riding information here.

Fall Color Riding in Iowa

Fall color riding on a bike friendly road.

Fall color riding on a bike-friendly road.

As the brilliant colors fade in Minnesota, Iowa is the place in October that will showcase most of its peak colors. Using a copy of the Iowa Bike/Hike Guide and the IA DNR fall color pages will allow you some more fall experiences you won’t soon forget. If you didn’t have a chance to pick up a printed copy, the online IA bike guide offers even more bike maps and fun events for fall exploring.

Fall color riding Wisconsin

Though we don’t have a Wisconsin Bike Guide, here are links to Wisconsin’s Bicycle routes and fall color report page.

Have fun making some fall-color memories.

The last Open Streets Minneapolis for 2023

As Minneapolis continues its Open Streets series of bike/walk events for 2023, enjoy the last event scheduled for 2023 events on Lynday Avenue.  This last event will again demonstrate how congested city streets can become vibrant, pedestrian-friendly boulevards. Where people can dream, play, and explore.

More about Open Streets Minneapolis

So far, with sunny skies, the first Open Streets was held in June on East Lake Street, then on Glenwood Avenue in July, Cedar-Riverside in August, and West Broadway in September.  This last street event for car-free fun will be on Sunday, October 8th, along Lyndale Avenue.  Offering residents and visitors of all ages a chance to walk, bike, or skateboard while participating in many spontaneous play activities, clinics, food, and music offered along the Boulevard. See the schedule below for more events this year.

Except for some of the main intersections that crossed Lyndale Ave the MPLS Open Streets was car-free.

Except for some intersections, the Open Streets celebration was car-free on Glenwood Ave last month..

Open Streets Minneapolis is part of a global movement and helps people experience streets as public spaces where communities thrive. Congested city streets become vibrant, pedestrian-friendly boulevards where people can dream, play, and explore. These events aim to change how people think about their city streets fundamentally.

At each Minneapolis event, local businesses, artists, and community groups transform their streets, showcasing Minneapolis’s diversity, creativity, and culture.

See more about the event on their Facebook page.

All ages of cyclists and walkers had fun at the Minneapolis Open Streets celebration.

All ages of cyclists and walkers had fun.

Free for the whole family, here are the dates for the 2023 events in Minneapolis:

  • East Lake:  Saturday, June 10th
  • Glenwood Ave: Sunday, July 16th
  • Cedar Riverside: Sunday, August 20th
  • West Broadway: Saturday, September 16th
  • Lyndale Ave: Sunday, October 8th
Biking, running and walking everyone had fun at the MPLS Open Streets

Biking, running, and walking, everyone had fun at the event

Did you have a bike/walk event in your community to share?

If you live outside Minneapolis and have a street celebration in your neighborhood, please let us know at: [email protected], thanks!

Bike Pic Oct 09, wet weather won't stop these biker chicks from smiling

Bike Pic Sept 23, the first day of fall and wet weather ahead

In this bike pic, the first day of fall, we found these cyclists riding in wet weather and still smiling.  What better way to continue your fall fun and your #NextBikeAdventure? Check out our latest article on places to ride in the upper Midwest, including destinations and peak color links.

Get into the zone when continuing your time outdoors and your #NextBikeAdventure. View all the great ideas and bike destinations in the latest Iowa or Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide. Then plan your next outing with family and friends in one of Minnesota’s HaveFunBiking destinations. And now, check out more stories at Let’s Do MN.

Thanks for viewing our latest mountain biking bike pic

Now rolling through our 18th year as a bike tourism media, enjoy! As we pedal forward, we aim to encourage more people to bike and have fun while highlighting all the unforgettable places you can ride. As we continue to showcase more places to have fun, we hope the photos we shoot are worth a grin. Enjoy the information and stories we have posted as you scroll through.

Do you have a fun bicycle-related photo of yourself or someone you may know we should post? If so, please send your picture(s) to [email protected]. Please Include a brief caption to the image, who shot it, and where. Photo(s) sent to us should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide to be considered. You will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram if we use your photo.

As we continue encouraging more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your #NextBikeAdventure. Also, check out the MN Bike Guide, now mobile-friendly, as we enter our 13th year of producing this handy information booklet full of maps.

Remember, bookmark HaveFunBiking.com on your cell phone and find your next adventure at your fingertips! Please share our pics with your friends, and don’t forget to smile. We may be around the corner with one of our cameras ready to document your next cameo appearance while you are riding and having fun. You could be in one of our next Pic of the Day.

Have a great day with a safe and memorable year ahead!

The last day of summer, it’s Car Free Day

This Friday, September 22nd, is the last day of summer and international #Car Free Day. Take the pledge, then check all the maps in the latest Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide for added riding options.

Here is today's bike pic on this beautiful Tuesday, with this young biker chick enjoying an outing riding in St Paul, Minnesota. along the Mississippi River Trail.

Here is today’s bike pic on this beautiful Friday; this young biker chick enjoys the Mississippi River Trail.

With warm summer air temps and sunny skies in the forecast, sign up and try being car-free while celebrating in your community. In the Twin Cities, @MoveMpls is sponsoring a region-wide event, with a free #ebike giveaway part of the event. Inspired by World Car Free Day, this Tuesday, leave your cars parked and enjoy one glorious day, with thousands of neighbors all moving on bikes or by foot, scooter, transit, or even telework.

Help show others what’s possible on a bigger scale and live entirely car-free for 24 hours on Tuesday, September 22nd. In the Twin Cities, find out how you can be car free and win a  Pedigo electric-assist bike a Car-Free in MSP

More on Car Free Day

Car Free Day is a free international event celebrated every September 22nd. People are encouraged to get around without driving alone in cars and instead ride a train, bus, bicycle, carpool, vanpool, subway, or walk. For those that can work from home, telework also counts. Car Free Day is open to all people in the Washington metropolitan area. To participate in this fun and worthwhile event, fill out the pledge form, then go car free or car-lite (carpool, vanpool). Once you pledge, you receive special promotions and are entered into a free raffle to win great prizes!

Car Free Day is organized in various cities throughout the world in different ways, but with the common goal of reducing the number of cars on the streets. The benefit to greater society is a day with less traffic congestion, a greener environment, and reduced gasoline demand. Today, Car Free Day includes celebrations in 46 countries and over 2,000 cities.

Help make Car Free Day a great success. Take the free pledge today!

About Move Minneapolis

Move Minneapolis is a leader in sustainable commuting. They also help downtown Minneapolis employers maximize success and employee satisfaction while reducing drive-alone commutes. By guiding building owners and managers in implementing world-class commuter amenities. They also advocate for commuters and residents who wish to live their green values every day.

Please join them in moving Minnesota in a new direction, one commuter at a time.

Bike Pic Sept 21, summer is slipping, with fall on its way

In today’s bike pic, the second to last day of summer, here is a photo showing Marcus Lea out with friends enjoying a colorful day of mountain biking. Marcus is riding in Lebanon Hills Park, in Eagan, MN, and getting his legs ready for pedaling Car-Free Day tomorrow. What better way to continue your summer fun than riding your bike and catching our latest article on destinations and peak color?

So, get into the zone when continuing your time outdoors and your #NextBikeAdventure. View all the great ideas and bike destinations in the latest Iowa or Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide. Then plan your next outing with family and friends, and check out more stories at Let’s Do MN.

Thanks for viewing our latest bike pic

Now rolling through our 19th year as a bike tourism media, enjoy! As we pedal forward, we aim to encourage more people to bike and have fun while highlighting all the unforgettable places you can ride. As we continue to showcase more places to have fun, we hope the photos we shoot are worth a grin. Enjoy the information and stories we have posted as you scroll through.

Do you have a fun bicycle-related photo of yourself or someone you may know we should post? If so, please send your picture(s) to [email protected]. Please Include a brief caption for the image, who shot it, and where. Photo(s) sent to us should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide to be considered. You will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram if we use your photo.

As we continue encouraging more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your #NextBikeAdventure. Also, check out the MN Bike Guide, now mobile-friendly in our 14th year of producing this handy information booklet full of maps.

Bookmark HaveFunBiking.com on your cell phone and find your next adventure at your fingertips! Please share our pics with your friends, and don’t forget to smile. With one of our cameras ready to document your next cameo appearance while you are riding and having fun, we may be around the corner. You could be in one of our next Pic of the Day.

Have a great day with a safe and memorable summer!

A bike pic to remember! This Wheelie Wednesday photo was taken this fall in Lebanon Hills Park, home of the Wild Ride Mountain Bike Festival.

Bike Pic Sept 20, its Wheelie Wednesday fun on the trail

The last Wednesday in September it’s a bike pic to remember! This Wheelie Wednesday photo was taken in Lebanon Hills Park.

So, get into the zone when continuing your time outdoors and your #NextBikeAdventure. View all the great ideas and bike destinations in the latest Iowa or Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide. Then plan your next outing with family and friends, and check out more stories at Let’s Do MN.

Thanks for viewing our latest bike pic

Now rolling through our 19th year as a bike tourism media, enjoy! As we pedal forward, we aim to encourage more people to bike and have fun while highlighting all the unforgettable places you can ride. As we continue to showcase more places to have fun, we hope the photos we shoot are worth a grin. Enjoy the information and stories we have posted as you scroll through.

Do you have a fun bicycle-related photo of yourself or someone you may know we should post? If so, please send your picture(s) to [email protected]. Please Include a brief caption for the image, who shot it, and where. Photo(s) sent to us should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide to be considered. You will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram if we use your photo.

As we continue encouraging more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your #NextBikeAdventure. Also, check out the MN Bike Guide, now mobile-friendly in our 14th year of producing this handy information booklet full of maps.

Bookmark HaveFunBiking.com on your cell phone and find your next adventure at your fingertips! Please share our pics with your friends, and don’t forget to smile. With one of our cameras ready to document your next cameo appearance while you are riding and having fun, we may be around the corner. You could be in one of our next Pic of the Day.

Have a great day with a safe and memorable summer!