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We did it dad!
Just before the rain hit last Sunday these two cyclists returned from the bike route on the Bears to Pedal Ride.
A first year bike ride out of White Bear Lake, Minn. riders returned from the scenic tour before the clouds burst into a heavy downpour, with over an inch of rainfall.
See a more detailed recap on this ride in the next couple of weeks.
Thanks to Friends of the Environment member Howard Schneider, the community in Lakeville, Minn. will offer three family-friendly bike tours this summer, showcasing the city parks while offering tips on safe riding. Each Tour will demonstrate potential routes from the miles of city trails and quiet roadways in the area. Both residence and visitors to Lakeville, all ages and ability, are welcome to take part in the rides scheduled.
As a volunteer, Pedal the Parks guide Schneider will lead three 12- to 16-mile long rides on Lakeville trails and roads that will last up to two hours. All participants are required to wear helmets and will receive a Rules of the Road card and the Minnesota Trails Summer 2014 Biking issue. The ride cost is $5 per family and registrations are being accepted online or at City Hall, 20195 Holyoke Avenue. Here is the schedule for the summer bike ride tours in Lakeville – all 
rides start at 9 a.m:
The Nor’easter Tour was on June 28, with more than 35 riders starting at Steve Michaud Park, at 17100 Ipava Avenue, in Lakeville. Beating the rain this first tour passed through eight parks, four conservation areas with the Lakeville Parks and Recreation Director, Brett Altergott joining the tour. If you missed this one there are two more dates to explore city trails and bike routes.
On Aug. 9, Big Lakes District Tour, riders will meet at Casperson Park, 19720 Juno Trail and ride around several lakes including Lake Marion, which features the new trail and bridge on Kenrick Avenue.
For the Sept. 20 Southern Charm Tour, riders meet at Pioneer Plaza, 20801 Holyoke Avenue and ride trails close to downtown, including the bike parade at the Lakeville Arts Festival.
Schneider, a retired Dakota County employee, said “the rides are fun, environmentally responsible and allow people a fun way to exercise”. The events could also serve as an aid for parents interested in teaching children about bike riding safety. “When we have stop signs or red lights, we all wait and go together so we can safely cross the street,” Schneider said.
For those visiting the Lakeville area who want to learn more about connecting to the hotels from the trails and fun things to do when not riding, see the HaveFunBiking.com At-A-Glance article.
By Ben Coxworth, GizMag
Kayaking down rivers is definitely a fun experience, with new scenery constantly presenting itself at every turn. It does offer one logistical challenge, though – you have to leave one vehicle at your take-out point before you start, then take another vehicle (with your kayak on it) upriver to the put-in. That, or you have to arrange for someone to pick you up. Either way, it’s not a one-person activity. Ohio-based inventor Jerry Allen, however, has created a possible solution. His Solo Shuttle Trailer lets you tow your kayak behind your bicycle to get to the put-in, then bring your bike along for the trip to the take-out.
Allen first came up with the idea when his schedule only allowed for him to paddle at a time of day when most of his friends and family were at work. With no one to help with the shuttling, he ended up simply not kayaking very often.
The trailer frame is constructed of 6061 aluminum and stainless steel, and is equipped with a couple of foam flotation blocks … just in case. For getting the boat to the put-in, it’s towed behind the user’s bike just like other bicycle kayak trailers (yes, there are others).
Once it’s time to launch, the trailer is reconfigured so that it can be mounted on the rear deck of the kayak. Built-in mounting points allow the bike to then be attached to the trailer, in much the same way that it would sit on a car’s rooftop carrier. Upon reaching the take-out, the bike is taken off, the trailer is put back together in “towing” mode, and the user then pedals home with the kayak once again behind them.
The Solo Shuttle Trailer is designed to grab onto the the cockpit combing of wide-beamed recreational kayaks, so sea kayakers and paddlers of sit-on-tops won’t be able to use it. Looking at it, one also has to wonder how that added weight on the back of the boat will affect its stability and handling.
“My bike and trailer’s combined weigh is about 40 lb [18 kg],” Allen told us. “I would like to ask people that routinely load extra gear on their kayaks for extended trips how they might handle the added weight. I can say for myself the handling has not changed. I can still track a straight line and even stand in my kayak if I want.”
He is currently raising production funds for his trailer, on Kickstarter. A pledge of US$600 will get you one, when and if they’re ready to roll. One of the prototypes can be seen in use in the pitch video below.
… and if this project “floats your boat,” you might also want to check out the Shuttle-Bike. It’s a kit that’s carried in a backpack while cycling, that lets users mount their bike on pontoons when they reach the water.
Sources: Solo Shuttle Trailer, Kickstarter
Chris Chavies, Minnesota Navigator
Wind noise has long been an annoyance when riding a bike and can also be a safety issue when it comes to hearing approaching automobiles. Now there is a new product called Wind-Blox, designed to help reduce wind noise and allow a cyclist to hear better while riding. After a successful Kickstarter campaign in the Fall of 2013, this product is now available to everyone.
Wind-Blox was the idea of creator Mike Fajen, who enjoyed listening to audio while commuting to work but found he had to turn the volume way up to overcome the wind noise. After wrapping socks around his front helmet straps to reduce the wind noise, he noticed he could turn his audio volume way down and was also able to clearly hear the sounds around him, including traffic. Design and development of Wind-Blox would soon follow.
Wind noise on windy days and riding downhill can be deafening, making it hard to hear anything. When I first came across Wind-Blox, I definitely wanted to give them a try and see if they would really make a difference. I enjoy listening to podcasts while riding and have to turn the volume way up to compensate for the loud wind noise. Sometimes the wind noise was so loud that even with a higher volume on my smartphone, I still had problems hearing my podcasts, let alone the traffic and sounds around me. After my fist ride using Wind-Blox it has been the perfect solution in reducing wind noise and allowing me to turn the volume of my podcasts way down while still be able to hear traffic and other sounds.
Wearing the Wind-Blox without the use of headphones while riding I noticed that wind noise was cut dramatically. The biggest differences I noticed was riding at a fast pace into a headwind and on speedy downhill’s. I tested them out in various riding conditions and speeds removing them 
at times to have a comparative analysis.
What I discovered was, riding was much more enjoyable and quieter with Wind-Blox on my helmet straps than without and carrying on conversations with other cyclists while riding was much easier – I was able to do so without turning my head to hear what they were saying and reading lips. When riding in traffic or out on those lonely gravel roads, I was able to hear cars approaching from behind much sooner because of the reduced wind noise that Wind-Blox blocks. Click here for their video.
The manufacture of this product states that it blocks over 50% of wind noise and I would have to agree with their claim. You’ll be able to hear sounds around you better, carry on conversations, listen to audio at lower volumes and notice sooner when an automobile is approaching.
Wind-Blox are available in Black, Bright Lime Green, Bright Pink and Silver Gray for $15/pair from the Wind-Blox Products page or on Amazon.com.
from Maggie Flanagan, MS Society, Midwest Chapter
Nearly 1,000 bicyclists will participate in the 25th annual Bike MS: TRAM Ride, from July 13 to 18, 2014. TRAM (The Ride Across Minnesota) is a five-day cycling vacation that covers approximately 280 miles. Every year, TRAM is hosted in a different part of Minnesota, with each host town rolling out the red carpet and providing true Midwest hospitality. This year’s TRAM Ride starts in Pipestone and travels east to Welch Village, Minn. Stops in between include Marshall, Redwood Falls, St. Peter and New Prague.
Money raised through TRAM helps the National MS Society continue the important work of supporting people who live with multiple sclerosis. More than 17,000 families living in the upper Midwest area are affected by MS and every push of the pedal makes a difference to each one.
The Bike MS team extends special thanks to all the loyal TRAM riders who return each year to hug old friends, experience beautiful Minnesota routes and, most importantly, strengthen the MS movement. We also welcome new riders with a passion for biking and an appreciation for small-town, Minnesota love.
Join us in celebrating 25 years of TRAM! Visit myMSbike.org or call 855-372-1331 for more information and register today!
Fun TRAM facts:
• The first ever TRAM ride started with only a few hundred riders. This year, we’re expecting nearly 1,000 cyclists to hit the road with us. My TRAM — how you’ve grown!
• TRAM has been hosted by 61 different host towns throughout Minnesota
• TRAM routes have covered a combined 7,500 miles
• TRAM volunteers have served more than 125,000 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at rest stops
From Pete at the Electric Bike Report
The results are in from a recent electric bike survey: 55% of those surveyed had ridden a traditional bike weekly or daily. That jumped to 93% after they bought an e-bike!
Electric bikes = More people riding bikes, more often! photo credit to Turbo Bob.
6% of those surveyed had not ridden a bike as an adult. With an electric bike, 89% of those now ride daily or weekly!
Those are just a few of the stats from an e-bike survey that was directed by John MacArthur, Sustainable Transportation Program Manager at the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium (OTREC). John is also a research associate at Portland State University (PSU).
John-MacArthur-OTREC-PSU
Mr. MacArthur recently presented the survey results and some general e-bike education in a webinar called ” E-Bikes: Generating the New Wave of Cyclists”. The webinar was presented to the Initiative for Bicycle & Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI) group that OTREC & PSU promotes.
From these results it is evident that more people are riding bikes more often with electric assist.
And here are some other interesting stats from the survey:
– 35% don’t avoid hills on their electric bike and 31% take a more direct or higher traffic route.
– 30% say they take a lower traffic or less direct route.
– 73% ride to different destinations on their e-bikes than they did on a standard bike.
Here are some of the comments from the survey participants on how an electric bike has helped them:
“Replaced 95% of my car trips making commuting fun”
“Encouraged me to ride longer distances and keep up with family & friends who were more fit”
“I use the e-bike primarily as a substitute for the car where I would have otherwise driven a car. Now I can carry my son and a week’s worth of groceries.”
“I’m a retired 68 years old with bad knees. Before the e-bike my range was limited by pain to about 5 to 6 miles. Now I am able to go 30 to 35 miles.”
Click here for the video version of the webinar with John MacArthur presenting: How do you feel about eBikes?
Mr. MacArthur’s research does not stop here. “Drive Oregon and Kaiser Permanente Northwest have developed a program to give e-bikes to Kaiser employees at three Portland region campuses for trial use. The program’s primary goal is to test user acceptance of electric-assist folding bicycles (IZIP E3 Compact) as a first/last mile commuting solution and be able to communicate positive stories to a broad range of workplaces to help reduce single occupancy vehicle (SOV) use.”
“This e-bike evaluation study can provide valuable insight into the potential market, user characteristics and barriers to adoption.”
So what do you think? Do the results of this survey correlate with your e-biking experiences?
For updates from the electric bike world, plus ebike riding and maintenance tips, join the Electric Bike Report community!
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.
June 20-22 Black Hills Fat Tire Festival
Rapid City,
SD Multi-day…
…http://www.bhfattirefestival.com/
June 20-22 Northwoods
Bike Retreat Manitowish Waters, WI Rec . . . . www.aroundwisbike.com
June 20-22 Bike The Boarder Mohall, ND and surrounding areas Multi-day . . . . . www.biketheborder.com
June 21 Train & Trail Tour Minneapolis to Big Lake, MN Rec . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.bikemn.org
June 21 Bike Bemidji Loop Festival Bemidji, MN Rec . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.bikebemidji.com
June 21 Buzzard Buster Endro Levis Mound Trail, Hatfield, WI Mtb-Ride . . . . . . . . www.wemseries.com
June 21 Lady Slipper Nature Ride Avon, MN Rec . www.lakewobegon.com/events#LNSR
June 21 Lake Minnetonka Triathlon Excelsior, MN Du-Tri . . . . . www.lakeminnetonkatriathlon.com
June 21 Bike MS – Cruise the Cornfields Des Moines Area, IA and back D-day . . . . . . . . . . . . www. myMSbike.org
June 21-26 Swiss Cheese & Spotted Cows Mineral Point, WI Multi-day . . . . . . www.scscbiketour.com
June 22 Bears to Pedal White Bear Lake, MN Rec. . . . . . . . . . . www.bearstopedal.com
June 22-29 Headwater of the Mississippi/Northwoods Adventure Bemidji, MN Multi-Day . . www.mywahooadventures.com
June 22 Rochesterfest Triathlon Rochester, MN Du-Tri . . . . . . . . . . . www.finalstretch.com
June 22 Red Wing Classic Memorial Park – Red Wing, MN Mtb-Ride . . . . . . . www.mnmtbseries.com
June 28 Shooting Star Trail Bike Ride LeRoy, MN Rec . . . . . . . . . www.shootingstartrail.org
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!!!
Info and photo source Micah Bader, Albert Lea Tribune
Cold, wet conditions didn’t stop participants of the Freeborn County Bike-A-Thon earlier this month. An annual bike ride to raise money for cancer research this year’s event was held on May 3rd. According to Bike-A-Thon organizer LeAnn Juveland, “there were 54 riders, many from Albert Lea with a few from out of town that come back each year for this event.
Team Navarro, a five-man group had members from three states: Minnesota, Iowa and Colorado participate. “The Navarro family has been directly affected by cancer, as Robert Navarro died of kidney cancer. Dave Navarro, Rich Navarro, Brian McDonald, Scott Norman and Ramon Navarro rode to honor Robert,” Dave Navarro, stated.
With the weather this year, many participants shortened their route instead of completing the 100-mile course with rest stops in Alden, Glenville, Gordonsville, Myrtle, Hayward, Geneva, Hartland, Freeborn, Conger and Albert Lea. Food, including bananas, oranges, water, granola bars and hot dogs was available at the rest stops . Refreshments were provided by generous area businesses donations, said Jody Dreyling, a volunteer with the ride.
With the highest temp for the day was 42 and the low at 33 degrees a common route was a ride to Glenville and back or a ride to Glenville with a lift back in a pickup. “There were quite a few people who came but chose not to ride,” Juveland said. “One of them was from Washington D.C., and they had ridden other years, but chose not to ride this year, because conditions were horrendous.”
Juveland has been organizing the event for 11 years. “The money raised, several thousand dollars this year will be presented to the American Cancer Society,” she said. “David Anderson of Albert Lea alone raised $2,100.”
As the weather warms up, there is no better way to enjoy the beauty of the countryside here, around the Albert Lea area, than on a summer bike ride. Click here for an At-A Glance look at biking in this area.
The Minnesota High School Cycling League is pleased to announce a full schedule of Try it Out Sessions for all middle-school and high-school student athletes (grades 7-12).
How it works:
Try it Out Sessions provide a young student the opportunity to get on a mountain bike and give mountain biking a try!
With the support from Erik’s Bike and Board Shop and Penn Cycle, the Minnesota League has a fleet of demo mountain bikes that will allow student-athletes to see what mountain bike riding is all about. Helmets, donated by the MN League, will also be available.
Try it Out Dates
▪ Thursday, May 22 – Salem Hills
▪ Tuesday, May 27 – Elm Creek
▪ Wednesday, June 4 – Carver Lakes
▪ Thursday, June 12 – Murphy – a CrankSisters Skills Session
▪ Tuesday, June 17 – Salem Hills
▪ Wednesday, June 25 – Elm Creek
▪ Thursday, July 10 – Carver Lakes
▪ Tuesday, July 15 – Murphy
▪ Wednesday, July 23 – Salem Hills – a CrankSisters Skills Session
▪ Thursday – July 31 – Elm Creek
Each session runs from 6 to- 7:30 p.m. Registration is not required, however a signed waiver is required for student-athetes to participate.
Full Details for the Try it Out Sessions
CrankSisters Skill Sessions
Noted above in the schedule Pro MTB Racers Jenna Rinehart and Kyia Anderson, will be leading two CrankSisters skill sessions exclusively for girls at the above designated sessions; to help build female participation in the sport.
Crank Sisters Mountain Bike Try it Out Session are open to GIRLS, no racing experience required. Please note, boys may attend the try it out sessions on the above dates and try out the bikes, but skill sessions with Pro MTB Bike Racers are for girls only.
CrankSister Sessions will be lead by Jenna Rinehart (June 21) @jennarinehart and Kyia Anderson (July 23) @kyiabikes.
Full Details for CrankSisters Sessions and pro Bios
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.
