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With summer here there are plenty of fun events scheduled here around the upper Midwest to fill your weekend with excitement and memories. Starting on Friday, the 20th of June, several multi day bike events take off. Then on Saturday you have the multi-modal, Train & Trail Tour taking riders from Minneapolis to Big Lake, Minn. on the NorthStar Commuter Rail Line to bike back. Plus many other bike related events for your weekends of fun and enjoyment.
With all the events listed here, it’s a lot to cover and we could use some help. If you attend any of the bike rides, races and festivals and take any photos with descriptions, please send them to us at: [email protected]. We will share them with all of our readers. Thanks!!!
With summer heating up plenty of fun events are scheduled here around the upper Midwest to fill this coming weekend with excitement and memories. Starting on Wednesday, the 11th of June, our local version of the Tour d’ France, the North Star Bike Festival will kick off the next five days with pro-bike racers. Then throughout the balance of the week and into the weekend you will find many events like the Nanotek Trek ride, the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Festival, the Tour of Minnesota and the Re/Max AttaBoy on Father’s Day, to enjoy.
June 11-15 North Star Bike Festival & Pro Racing
Family fun St Paul, Cannon Falls, Minneapolis, Menomonie, WI and Stillwater www.NorthStarBikeFestival.com
With all the events listed here, it’s more than we can cover. If you plan to attend any of these events and take any photos with descriptions, please send them our way, to [email protected]. We will share them with all of our readers as we get the news.Thanks!!!
This year’s Tour D’ Amico (TDA) will be Hiawatha Bicycling Club (HBC’s) 15th year running the ride. A special year, the club promises several new scenic routes through the western suburbs of the Twin Cities Area offering food sampling along the way and a sinfully delicious picnic at the end.
Again D’ Amico & Sons Restaurants, of Minneapolis, is excited to sponsor Hiawatha Bicycling Club‘s, Tour D’ Amico bicycle ride and progressive picnic. The ride will start/stop at D’ Amico & Son’s location at the corner of Olson Memorial (55) Highway and Winnetka Avenue, in Golden Valley, Minn. Rider registration and packet pickup is from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Those that pre-register and those who sign up the day-of the ride can select from three family friendly bike routes for their touring pleasure.
Ride participants will be able to select routes that HBC club members socially ride throughout the year. Choose to tour the 28, 44 or 62 mile loops with SAG support available along each route. Along each course you will find hydration stops and full rest stops along the way.
Reserve your spot today for the 15th Annual July 4th Ride, because time is running out – after June 15th, the price per rider goes up $10. You can also purchase a souvenir Tour D’Amico Jersey, shown below. Register Online or fill out the Registration Form and pop it in the mail and you’re all set for a great time on July 4th.
You’ll get to ride with new friends, enjoy D’ Amico’s newest menu items and help Hiawatha Bicycling Club raise money for more bicycle education and trail maintenance programs here in the Twin Cities.
Check Out the 2014 Tour D’Amico Jersey A stylish, high quality Tour D’Amico Jersey is offered to you at a very low price so you can enjoy the TDA memory for years to come. Order your jersey by June 8th and it will be available for $42, at check-in on the 4th of July. After June 9th , the Jersey price increases to $55 and will be mailed to you in late July.
You can place your order for the jersey while registering on-line or directly on the Jersey page of the TDA Website.
Imagine, you and your bike traveling 80 mile per hour on Metro Transit’s Northstar Train before reaching Big Lake, Minn. for a scenic bike ride back to Minneapolis on the Mississippi River Trail. On this ride enjoy old and new friends as you ride the Train ‘n Trail Tour on Saturday, June 21st. If you have the stamina for a scenic 45 miles scenic bike ride back to the Twin Cities, find out more below and sign up today.
Visualize yourself as one of the enthusiastic bikers on this rail/bike adventure while awaiting the 11:30 a.m. departure of Metro Transit’s Northstar Train for a 41 miles ride to Big Lake. Think about the commanding views from the double-decked, five-car train that comfortably whisks along at speeds up to 80 mph. After arriving at Big Lake you and the other participants on the ride will pedal back over the lightly-traveled roads and trails along the Mississippi River.
Arriving in the city of Elk River you will enjoy a catered lunch, before continuing along the river to the rides start in downtown Minneapolis. While travelling along the Mississippi River at the pace and intimacy of a bicycle, you’ll see what many tourists never will. You will be immersed in the river’s way of life and experience a route filled with history, enchantment, and remarkable adventure!
Pre-registered participants will meet at the Minneapolis Parks & Recreation Headquarters parking lot at 10:30 a.m. Cars may be left there for the entire day. Riders will begin the adventure riding a short distance on their bikes to the Target Field Station. Then hoping on the Northstar Commuter Rail Line, with bikes, for an 11:30 departure, arriving in Big Lake at 12:19 p.m.
On the return trip, participants will pedal approximately 45 miles over lightly traveled and slightly hilly roads. This is a go-at-your-own-pace ride, not a race.
Don’t miss the train! Pre-registration is required and space is limited to 150 riders. The cost is $30 per person or $25 for members of the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota. The registration fee includes your train ticket, a catered picnic lunch in Elk River, maps and route assistance. This event will take place rain or shine. Refunds will not be available.
Register online here. If you prefer to register by mail, download and print this form and mail it to the address shown with your check.
Not a BikeMN member? Join or renew your membership today and receive a $5 discount on this event. Questions? Call 612-730-3730 or email [email protected].
Mark your calendar for the Nanotek Trek Bike, an event that will introduce you, your family and friends to the world of nanotechnology. The most all-encompassing enabling technology of our time can be witnessed by bringing your bicycle to Rushford, Minnesota on June 14th. Enjoy the day or the weekend in the heart of Bluff Country with a supported bike ride some Nano facts and trivia. The bike routes range in lengths from five to fifty miles on the Root River Trail and several road loops out into the scenic countryside. Then take in several exhibits and discover just how small a Nano really is.
Hosted by the Rushford Institute of Nanotechnologies (RINTek),this event is perfect for the whole family. After your ride discover just how this $2.4 trillion dollar industry will affect all of us in some way in the years to come (video) and the significant role Rushford, Minn. is playing in bringing the nanotechnology to rural America.
Rarely will you find this kind of beauty anywhere in America as you ride the bluff land and Root River trails of Rushford. Wildlife abounds, with great photography opportunities during your tour. Whether you’re a competitive biker or a just enjoying a leisurely trek in breathtaking surroundings, you’ll enjoy this bike tour – Great family fun!
Benefiting the development of nanotechnologies at the Rushford-Peterson High School, the 5th Annual Nanotek Trek Bike Event kicks off early on Saturday, June 14, with ride open at 7 a.m. offering various routes, ranging from loops 5 to 50 miles, with Sag support along the Root River Trail and through the incredibly beautiful and challenging bluff lands. As riders return educational nanotechnology exhibition will be offered at Rushford-Peterson High School Gym, 102 N. Mill St. in Rushford, open from1 to 4 p.m. This event is co-sponsored by the MN State College-Southeast Technical.
5th Annual Rushford Nanotek (Bicycle) Trek registration form is here.
Download the Route Maps (1.8MB PDF) here.
To experience the local food and lodging click here.
from the Reliance Foundry website Reliance Foundry is proud to support “Bike To Work” Week with a contest that will award $5000 in gear to a cycling commuter or an organization that promotes cycling to work. Have you ridden your bike to work during the past year or are you planning to in the near future? Do you want to help encourage your employees’ use of cycling for transportation to and from work?
To show its support for conscientious commuting, Reliance Foundry, North America’s premier supplier of commercial bike racks, bike bollards, and bike storage lockers, is awarding $5,000 in biking equipment to the business professional who can most cleverly articulate how biking to work has changed their life, or how they think cycling to work could change their or their coworkers’ or employees’ lives. The contest will coincide with this year’s Bike to Work Week with the winner being announced on Bike to Work Day (May 16th, 2014). You don’t have to be a regular cyclist; you just have to have tried or plan to try cycling to work. Reliance Foundry wants to hear your story!
The contest is simple – submit your story, however you feel you can most effectively do so. There are no maximum or minimum word limits. In fact, the story does not even have to be submitted in standard written form. Reliance Foundry is looking for the presentation that most effectively communicates the experience of cycling commuters and if video or imagery is your strong suit, you may also feel free to present your bike commuting story solely in these forms. Adding rich media (info graphics, videos, imagery) will all contribute favorably to the judging of your submission. If you’ve biked to work in the past year or plan to on participating in Bike To Work Week, they would love to hear what motivated you or how you or your employees could benefit from new cycling equipment. Present your successes, your trials and your thoughts on the overall experience of cycling to work in written, video or image form for your chance to win the cycling gear of your choice.
Click here for full details, eligibility and terms and conditions.
Libby Hurley The MN High School Cycling League is pleased to announce their renewed advocacy partnership with the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Festival.
For the past 3 years, the Minnesota High School Cycling League has been a proud supporter and participant in what is fast becoming one of Minnesota’s premiere mountain bike events, the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Festival. A collaborative fundraiser in Cuyuna Lakes planned by and for the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Crew and the Cuyuna Lakes Chamber of Commerce.
The Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Festival, Fri. June 13 – Sat. June 14, 2014, hosts a number of exciting events such as concerts, a bike parade, a poker ride, a night ride of the Croft mine area, and a non-sanctioned race featuring opportunities for riders of all abilities to get out and stretch the legs early in the season.
The trails will be open for riding the entire weekend and there are plenty of options for lodging accommodations, including camping with trails connecting the campground to the event sites.
Several MN League teams have already affirmed that they will be organizing groups for the weekend to enjoy some off-season skills building and team bonding.
MN League Preps for Fall Season
The MN League, which began in 2012, nearly doubled in size for 2013 and organizers expect growth to continue for season 3 in 2014. “We had 26 teams racing in 2013,” said MN League Director Josh Kleve. “We expect another 8 to 10 teams will join the league for 2014. We think we’ll be right around 350 student athletes racing.”
The MN League is one of 10 statewide mountain bike racing leagues operating under the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA). Based in Berkeley, CA, NICA provides resources and guidance to guide the development of high school mountain bike racing across the U.S.
For the 2014 Fall racing season, MN League will be adding two new race venues to their schedule. Race 3 on Oct. 5th will take place at the Gamehaven Scout Reservation just south of Rochester. Race 4 will take place in Duluth, with the location yet to be decided. Just as in 2013, new venues are added to the MN League schedule to help drive team development and bring statewide awareness of the high school mountain bike racing program.
New for the 2014 season will be the integration of middle school students. Previously, only high school aged students could participate in NICA mountain bike racing programs. Thanks to a successful Pilot Program hosted by the MN League in 2013, 7th and 8th graders can either join existing teams or launch separate middle school teams for 2014.
Racing will take place in September and October 2014. About Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Festival The Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Festival is a weekend filled with mountain biking to raise funds for the Cuyuna Lakes Chamber of Commerce and the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Crew. 100% of the profits from this event go right back into the community to help maintain and support the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Trails. The Festival consists all sorts of fun, from a mountain bike race through the world famous Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Trails, to concerts, to fun for everyone in the family. For more information about AAA’s products and services, visit cuyunalakesmtbfest.com/.
About the Minnesota High School Cycling League The Minnesota High School Cycling League, founded in 2012, serves all Minnesota high school and middle school-aged students, and regardless of ability level, is committed to providing a positive co-ed cycling experience. Each MN League season includes summer camps, a five-race series, wilderness first aid certification courses and a Spring Leaders’ Summit for training and certification of coaches. The MN League exists by virtue of a range of fundraising activities, as well as generous donors, and MN League sponsors including the founding national sponsor, Specialized Bicycle Components; as well as establishing NICA sponsors Easton Foundations, SRAM, and Trek Bicycles; major sponsors, Giro, Clif Bar and Company, Primal Wear, Quality Bicycle Products, GU Sports, Cannondale, Kinetic, Maxxis, CamelBak, Feedback Sports, Optic Nerve, Easton, Athletic Event Supply, Fort Lewis College, Fox Racing Shox, Sho-Air, Yakima, Lizard Skins, DeFeet and Ritchey Designs; media partners Mountain Bike Action, Dirt Rag, Switchback and Cyclingnews. MN League specific sponsors include Founding Retailers Penn Cycle and Erik’s Bike and Board Shop, Mt Borah, Life Time Cycle, AAA, Muscle Milk, HealthPartners Orthopedic and Sports Medicine, the Minnesota Mountain Bike Series, Salsa, Peace Coffee Racing, Park Tool, Karma Race Management, Ipsity Marketing, and Valley Bike and Ski. For more information on the MN League, visit minnesotamtb.org.
With summer here there are plenty of fun events scheduled here around the upper Midwest to fill your weekend with excitement and memories. Starting on Friday, the 20th of June, several multi day bike events take off. Then on Saturday you have the multi-modal, Train & Trail Tour taking riders from Minneapolis to Big Lake, Minn. on the NorthStar Commuter Rail Line to bike back. Plus many other bike related events for your weekends of fun and enjoyment.
