Tag Archives: Bicycle touring

Bike Pic Dec. 12, a new twist to Winona’s scenic bluffs

A great place to ride your bike, enjoy five miles of new mountain bike trails out of Bluffside Park, in Winona, Located above the Mississippi River Trail, in Minnesota’s Driftless Area, the new mountain bike park open in November.

So, adjust to colder temps and 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 today’s 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 fall!

Bike Pic Dec 10, yeah its Friday, time for a warm weather bike adventure

It’s bike pic Friday and time to ride off on another weekend of fun. In the archives we found these two bikers cruising along the beach, on a trail, in San Diego, CA.

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 in one of Minnesota’s HaveFunBiking destinations. And now, check out more stories at Let’s Do MN.

Thanks for viewing our latest 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 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. If we use your photo, you will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

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!

Bike Pic Oct 18, a recap of summer touring fun by bicycle

Here in the HFB archives, this bike pic Tuesday, we found this biker chick enjoying the roads in Southeast Minnesota’s Bluff Country, near the Root River Valley. 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

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.

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

A perfect pair of sandals can add to your bicycle touring adventures

by Russ Lowthian, HaveFunBiking.com

If you are like me when cycling in a new area, it is fun to get off the bike and walk around a historical area, along the beach or venture into a shopping area, especially with sandals. Many times these extra-curricular stops can lead to more treasured memories.

Telic Energy Flip Flop is a comfortable sandal for both men and women.

The only problem, hiking around in bike shoes isn’t always the best for walking. And, even if your bike shoes are fairly comfortable for walking you don’t want to get them wet or dirty, especially if you use them in conjunction with clip-on pedals. So having a second set of footwear, a pair of comfortable Telic sandals along, can add to your comfort and fun.

Easy to carry when biking

A bungee or carabiner is the perfect way to hang Telic sandals from the seat post.

Lightweight it is easy to bungee the Telic sandals to your bikes frame or seat post if you don’t have a bike rack or large enough handlebar bag. I found that a carabiner (rock climbing gear clip) also works well. Hook the clip into the straps of the sandal and the bottom of the bike seat.

Telic sandals make the perfect footwear when bike touring

From the energy Flip-Flops to the Z-strap or the women’s Mallory it’s easy to carry along a quick change of comfortable sandals.

Telic Women’s Mallory Sandal offers a comfort slide with Orthotic Grade Arch Support

They look good and feel great with enough medial arch support to keep you floating when not pedaling. With the ergonomic technology the Telic’s heat-sensitive Novalon material molds to the shape of your foot, eliminating pressure points making each step is pretty cushy.

For more information or to order a pair check out their website today!

Think of your next adventure with a pair of comfortable Telic sandals – Happy feet!

A film & music festival to test out your multi-day bike touring skills

The 17th Annual Square Lake Film & Music Festival is the perfect way to experience multi-day bike touring. Just north of Stillwater, MN. This unique, bike-friendly, outdoor festival is August 10-11,2019. Over the weekend, with your camping gear shuttled free, enjoy local music on the outdoor stage. Plus short film & animation sets inside their theater-barn. You will experience multi-day bike touring fun, with a new beat for your ride home.

Music on stage with complementing movie screen adds to the fun.

Experience multi-day bike touring fun

Great music will include performances by Saltee, The Owls and The Cactus Blossoms. This is a family-friendly festival! So, in between sets enjoy some of Minnesota’s best local locally-made independent short films on one of the two screens.

Bikers entering the festival.

How far is the ride?

The festival is located on a private hobby farm, just north of Stillwater and only a few miles past the Gateway Bike Trail. Facilitated rides depart from Minneapolis and St Paul. Overnight “camping” on the festival lawn is free. Along with complimentary sag wagon support to carry your gear out to the event and back. Morning yoga and sound meditation are also provided for free to campers on Sunday morning.

Facilitated rides leave from the Twin Cities the morning of the event, with meeting

spots, in Minneapolis at the Hub Bicycle Shop and Summit Brewery in St Paul. The 30-mile ride out to the festival utilizes the scenic Gateway Trail to its endpoint at Pine Point Park in Stillwater. From Pine Point, the festival grounds are three miles further. Peace Coffee will again provide sag wagons to haul bikers’ camping gear. Overnight “camping” on the large lawn is also provided for free.

The festivals first “star score”

In partnership with the Minnesota Astronomical Society, banjo/guitar player Mike Rosetto will be playing a music set specifically designed to be heard while star gazing at the festival. Telescopes will be set up to project images of the stars over the festival onto a large movie screen in the event of clouds!

Stars over the festival onto a large movie screen

How much does the event cost?

Bikers who attend the festival receive half-price tickets when purchased in advance. Regular price tickets are $30 from now through July 10th and $35 after that for attendees arriving by car. Bikers receive a steep discount – only $15 when tickets are purchased in advance. Tickets sales are capped at 400, and of that, almost half are sold to bikers. So try multi-day bike touring and enjoy a music festival that will put a beat into your pedal stroke.

Bike races are a great way to experience new trails and routes

by John Brown, HaveFunBiking.com

Winter is the time of year my thoughts drift to the beautiful surroundings of warmer climates. Having traveled with my bike a great deal, I can attest to the fact that riding new trails and roads will invigorate your riding. The big issue with traveling elsewhere to bike is finding the good trails, best routes or fun secret spots only the locals know about. That’s why I recommend you enter destination bike races. Not to try and win the race, but for the route.

Stage 1 of BC Bike Race’s 2018 route

How can you enter a bike race, but race?

Any competition is not a race if you don’t try hard enough. So ignore your placement in the race results, relax, and think about the event as a well organized ride instead. This mentality works best for long events. For that reason, road circuit races are out of the question, but there are loads of mountain bike, Gravel, and road events that fit the bill.

Why go to a bike race?

The best reason to register for a race but not actually treat it like a race is the convenience. As an example, If you want to schedule an awesome mountain bike vacation on some of the best trails in the world, going to the BC Bike Race would be a good option. By registering, you have access to lodging, food, bike support, rider support and above all else eight preset courses are offered through BC’s best terrain. While you pay for this convenience, the cost is similar to if you were to plan it yourself with a lot less headache. Also, cycling events are family friendly by design, so bring everyone along!

How do I pick

With all these new options available to you, how do you pick your event? My recommendation is to start with location. Pick some areas you want to visit and ride in. Next check local calendars and see if any events will match up. Finally, register for the event of your choice and plan your vacation!

What to expect

What you will experience at these events depends greatly on the type and size of the event. For the sake of this article I will break the event types up into the two most popular categories: mountain bike and gravel bike

Mountain bike races

Mountain bike races are usually really long (like the Circumburke trail challenge in the Kingdom Trails of Vermont or stage races like the Transylvania Epic in Pennsylvania). The long single day races are fun way to test yourself and achieve a one-day goal and are awesome if you have limited time to get away. If time is not as much of an issue, stage races are where it’s at! Stage races are shorter individual rides spread over a series of days. They usually expose you to many different sections of popular trail networks as well as have a great festival atmosphere.

There are few joys that compare to experiencing new trails.

Gravel bike races

The popularity of gravel rides has exploded in the past few years thanks to dedicated people putting on world class events all around the globe. Many of these races started humbly but have grown to mythic stature. Events like Kansas’ Dirty Kanza 200 might be a stretch for most with it’s 200 miles of tire-splitting flint rock. However, for those interested in the adventure of a gravel race with a bit more approachable distance can look at Iowa’s Colesburg Gravelpocalypse with routes as short as 20 miles. Whatever your distance, gravel races are an amazing option with events all around the country.

Lovely new roads await on countess events around the world.

What to do when you go to “race”

When you sign up for a race, it’s best to come to the event with some fitness and realistic expectations. Plan to take your time and have fun. Most importantly, remember that there are some really fast people out there who are actually racing these events. For that reason wait at the start line when the event goes off. Allow all those looking to compete to get into the race course then head off for your ride. When riding, yield right of way easily to all passing cyclists as some competitive riders may have had to stop to repair mechanicals. Finally, the race is meant to be fun. Feel free to push yourself, but if a section appears to be above your skill level there is no shame in walking it. All in all, enjoy the ride, the atmosphere and allow others to do the same

Bike Pic Dec 7, a warm weather bike reprieve in Florida

Riding the bike friendly Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail from St. Pete to Clearwater, Florida gave these two Midwest biker chicks a reprieve from the cold weather at home.

What better way to continue your fun and your #NextBikeAdventure. View all the fun ideas and bike destinations in the latest Bike/Hike Guide. Then plan your next outing with family and friends in one of the HaveFunBiking Destinations.

Thanks for viewing the ‘Bike Florida’ Pic of the Day

We are now rolling into our 10th year as a bike tourism media. As we pedal forward our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike and have fun while we highlight all the unforgettable places for you to 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 that we should post? If so, please send your picture(s) to: [email protected]. Include a brief caption (for each) of who is in the photo (if you know) and where the picture was taken. Photo(s) should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide or larger to be considered. If we use your photo, you will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As we continue to encourage 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 into our 8th year of producing this hand 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 apperance while you are riding and having fun. You could be in one of our next Pic’s of the Day.

Have a great day!

Bike Pic Nov 9, bicycle tourism directors roll out before meetings

At the National Bicycle Tourism Conference in St Pete, FL. this week, tour bike directors from all over the U.S. rolled out for an early morning ride before scheduled BTN workshop sessions begin. Here leading the pack is T.J. Juskiewicz, Director of RAGBRAI.

What better way to continue your fall fun and your #NextBikeAdventure. View all the fun ideas and bike destinations in the latest Bike/Hike Guide. Then plan your next outing with family and friends in one of the HaveFunBiking Destinations.

Thanks for viewing the ‘Bicycle Tourism Conference’ Pic of the Day

Have a great day!

Bike Pic Dec. 14, a beautiful summer ride

Here are a couple happy cyclists touring Washington County, near the Brown’s Creek Trail that leads into Stillwater, Minnesota. See more bike opportunities for this area here.

Thanks for viewing the Bike Pic of the Day here at HaveFunBiking (HFB).

Now, rolling into our 10th year as a bicycle media, our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike, while showcasing unforgettable places to ride. As we search and present more fun photos worth a grin, scroll through the information and stories we have posted to help you find your next adventure. Then, while out there if you see us along a paved or mountain bike trail, next to the route you regularly commute on, or at an event you plan to attend with your bike, be prepared to smile. You never know where our camera’s will be and what we will post next!

Do you have a fun photo of yourself or someone you know that you would like to see us publish? If so, please send it our way and we may use it. Send your picture(s) to [email protected] with a brief caption (of each), including who is in the photo (if you know?) and where it was taken. Photo(s) should be at least 620 pixels wide for us to use them. If we use your photo, you will receive photo credit and an acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As HaveFunBiking continues to encourage more people to ride, please reference our blog and the annual print and quarterly digital Bike/Hike Guide to find your next adventure. We are proud of the updated – At-a-Glance information and maps we are known for in the HFB Destination section on our website and in the guide. Now, as the Bike/Hike Guide goes into its seventh year of production, we are adding a whole new dimension of bicycle tourism information available for mobile devices where you may see some additional bike pics – maybe of yourself so.

Bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure – we may capture you in one of the next photos we post.

Have a great day!

#FindYourNextAdventure

Becoming a Randonneur

For cyclists who care to ride unsupported long-distances, randonneuring is a style of riding that is non-competitive in nature, with self-sufficiency a must and endurance cycling is paramount. When riders participate in a event of this nature they are part of a long tradition that goes back to the beginning of the sport of bicycling in France and Italy. Friendly camaraderie, not competition, is the hallmark of randonneuring.

First grand bicycle trip for Sean and his best friend Paul who set out from Portland, Oregon, across the U.S. to Portland, Maine last summer. The photo above the headline is Lynne F. at the Anderson Viewpoint on a Oregon Randonneurs event

Today there is no direct English translation of the French term “randonnée”, which loosely means to go on a long trip, tour, outing, or ramble, usually on foot or on a bicycle, along a defined route. A person who goes on a “randonnée” is called a “randonneur”. (The correct French term for a female participant is “randonneuse”, but such distinctions are often lost in America, where we tend to lump everyone together).In cycling, it means a hard-riding enthusiast who is trying to complete a long randonnée inside a certain time allotment. Note that a randonnée is not a race. Overall, about the only thing being first earns is some bragging rights.

Andrea, looking good on a D.C. Randonneurs 600K event.

It is not uncommon for the last finishers to get as much applause as anyone else. Indeed, there is much camaraderie in randonneuring. One does it to test oneself against the clock, the weather, and a challenging route – but not to beat the other riders.

In comparison to other forms of competitive long-distance cycling, such as at the Race Across America (RAAM), where there are following cars with crews supporting the riders every inch of the way, randonneuring stresses self-sufficiency.

Help can only be given at the checkpoints along the route, so support crews (if there are any) must leapfrog the rider. Any rider caught receiving assistance from a support crew in-between checkpoints (or, “contrôles” as they are commonly called) will be subject to a time penalty, or even disqualification.

Here is a captain and his stoker on a tandem trike enjoying the countryside on this event.

Randonneurs are free to buy food, supplies, or bike repairs at any stores they encounter along the route. Once riders have successfully completed a 200-kilometer “brevet”, they are entitled to be called a “randonneur” or “randonneuse”.

Randonneur Terminology

Like all other sports, “randonneuring” has a vocabulary of special terms and phrases not readily found in a dictionary. Many of the terms are French words or adaptations of them, owing to the origins of “randonneuring” there over 100 years ago. Today, these terms are commonly used by randonneurs around the world. Informal definitions of these terms are provided to enhance your understanding and enjoyment of the sport, are listed here.

Becoming an official Randonneur

In Minnesota, Randonneur’s are dedicated to promoting the development and enjoyment of randonneuring in the state of Minnesota. Many of the members here are members of Twin City Bicycling Club. For other state chapters go to RUSA(Randonneurs (USA), the national randonneuring organization.