Tag Archives: Minnesota bike ride

Three fun fall bike rides benefiting BikeMN

If you want to make plans for a fall bike ride, consider one or all three of these annual Minnesota rides. First is the Saint Paul Bicycle Classic on Sunday, Sept. 10th. Then, on September 30th, the Rosewood Gamble in Thief River Falls. And then the Mankato River Ramble is on Sunday, Oct. 8th. All three day-of bike rides benefit the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota (BikeMN), and offer several route options to fit your riding style.

A Minnesota tripleheader of fall bike rides

First, the Saint Paul Classic Bike Tour

Ready for the first of two great Minnesota fall rides?

In the Twin Cities, thousands of people will enjoy traffic-free cycling on the scenic parkways of Saint Paul. It’s the 29th annual Saint Paul Classic Bike Tour. The biking event is Sunday, September 10th, from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Ride participants can choose from bike routes of 15, 30, or 45 miles.

Breathing new life into the Minnesota oldest bike ride, that has connected families and friends for decades, moves to Shakopee, MN, Sunday, July 15.
Fun for everyone, the St Paul Bike Classic

Organizers report the rest stops along each route will provide panoramic views, live music, delicious baked goods, tasty beverages, and fresh organic fruit. AARP presents the Saint Paul Classic Bike Tour. Proceeds benefit the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota, a nonprofit focused on state-wide bicycle advocacy and education. To learn more or to register, click here.

The Rosewood GambleThis image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is RG-BTRF-gravel-600x450-1.jpeg

Head to beautiful Theif River Falls in Northwest Minnesota and choose five different rides on September 30th.

Find two fun and challenging gravel rides, including a 25-mile or 62-mile (metric century) route. Or, the Rosewood 30; tThe Sweet 16-mile course, or the MEC/Northland College 1.4-mile family-friendly loop. which you can ride as much as you like with a rest stop every 1.4 miles!

To learn more or to register click here.

The Mankato River Ramble

The whole family will like the scenery along the Minnesota River Valley.
The whole family will like the scenery along the Minnesota River Valley.
Tasty treats, like the pie stop, makes the ride extra delicious.
Tasty treats, like the pie stop, can make the ride extra delicious.

The perfect one-tank getaway for an overnight stay or daycation. The Mankato River Ramble showcases some of the state’s most beautiful areas at the most beautiful time of year! This year’s ride on October 8th offers a 12, 24, and 42-mile route with plenty of rest stops with tasty treats. To learn more or to register, click here.

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. See more at www.bikemn.org.

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, and 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.

See more of what the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota is up to

Check out their BLOG of workshops, classes, and other fun events the money raised at these bike rides supports. For their BikeMN mission statement, check Here.

A bicycling staycation is a great overnight getaway option

Traveling closer to home is the new norm for many of us, and a fun bicycling staycation may open your eyes to new horizons. Using sustainable travel, like a bike, allows an adventurer to see points of interest and landscapes not commonly noticed when using other modes of transportation. Also, planning an overnight on your next staycation will make your bicycle ride there and back even more enjoyable. So, you may want to ask yourself two questions: How many miles can you comfortably ride in a given day? And, what town is 10 to 50 miles away that fits into your range, so your next adventure is memorable?

Sara’s bicycling staycation to Bloomington

Recently we helped Sara Lynch with an overnight staycation starting in Lakeville, MN. She and her husband rode to Bloomington and then back, using the HaveFunBiking maps we publish in the Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide.

So precisely what is a bicycling staycation?

According to Wikipedia, a staycation is a day trip with a distance from a person’s home to another location they would like to visit. Then, add a bicycle or other mode of transportation. Maybe a combination of both (multimodal transport) can expand the range of the adventure.

Sara’s staycation in the south Twin Cities Area may give you ideas.

Most of Sara and her husband’s bike adventures had been day trips until recently. Over the 4th of July weekend, they enjoyed their first bicycling staycation this year. According to Sara’s blog, Planet with Sara, “that all changed for this adventure. We started in Lakeville and biked to Bloomington with many fun stops along the way.”

Sara, stopping on the historic Cedar Bridge.

After spending the night in Bloomington, we biked back via a different route with even more fun stops.” Read on here for their course, recommended stops, and helpful tips for creating your fun bicycling staycation.

Lakeville to Bloomington

On the southern edge of the Twin Cities attractions, Lakeville is a family-friendly mecca for bicycling. Offering miles of paved trails, Lakeville has three fun mountain bike areas in the area and several great road routes to enjoy. Both visitors and residents alike will find plenty of safe bike riding opportunities in this bike-friendly community. And when not riding, check out the many attractions here. See Destination Lakeville for more ideas and places to stay.

Riding to Bloomington uses paved bike/ped trails and quiet neighborhood streets; using the route, pedaling through the Minnesota River Valley is approximately 25 miles to the north.

Bloomington back to Lakeville

After a restful night, you will find many cycling opportunities in Bloomington. Located along the north bank of the Minnesota River, near the airport, you will find many bike-friendly attributes here to make it easy to get around. Thanks to the city’s paved trails and designated bike lanes. And mountain biking along the Minnesota River is a fun place to shred some trails for those looking for an off-road adventure. When not riding around this riverfront community, check out the world-renowned Mall of America and other points of interest while visiting. See Destination Bloomington for more ideas and places to stay.

Returning to Lakeville, Sara used a 26-mile western route on quiet neighborhood streets and paved bike/ped trails back.

Map and bike route

Thanks to Hiawatha Bicycling Club for access to their mobile map. Here are the turn-by-turn directions if you want to plan a bicycling staycation encompassing the Lakeville to Bloomington bicycling. Enjoy!

This bike pic Tuesday, the afternoon sun should be the perfect time to check out last minute adjustments on your costume and plan to visit the Halloween Capitol of the World.

Bike Pic Oct 29, a perfect time to test out your Halloween costume

This bike pic Saturday, the afternoon sun should be the perfect time to check out last-minute adjustments on your costume.

Also, check out our latest article on places to ride in the upper Midwest, including destinations and peak color links. Then, 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. 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!

Bike Pic May 07, a little cycle cross excursion on the trail

This road biker guy, in this bike pic, likes a little cycle cross action, and with the nice weather, many mountain bikers have been out on the trails in Lebanon Park, near Lakeville, MN.

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, our goal is to encourage more people to bike and have fun while highlighting 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 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 pic was shot? 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 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!

in a word I was a pioneer, and therefore had to blaze my own trail- Major Taylor.

Bike Pic Feb 26, Blaze Your Own Trail, Be Your Own Pioneer Like Major Taylor

“In a word, I was a pioneer, and therefore had to blaze my own trail”- Major Taylor. In the final days of Black History Month 2022, we are celebrating the career of Major Taylor. So be your own pioneer and blaze your trail today, plan your next bike adventure!

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, our goal is to encourage more people to bike and have fun while highlighting 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 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 pic was shot? 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 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!

This bike pic Halloween, before the trick or treaters come around, put on your costume and take your bike for a spin around the neighborhood for some added fun.

Bike Pic Oct 31, this Sunday dress for bike-ghoulish day of fun!

This Halloween bike pic, with warmer temps, put on your costume and take your bike for a spin around the neighborhood for some added fun.

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. An now, check out more stories at Let’s Do MN.

Thanks for viewing our latest bike pic  

Now rolling through our 16th year as a bike tourism media, enjoy! As we pedal forward, our goal is to encourage more people to bike and have fun while highlighting 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 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 pic was shot? 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 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, memorable 2021!

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 2021

Join hundreds of bicyclists on Sunday, October 10th for the eleventh annual Mankato River Ramble. This year’s ride offers three loop options, a 12, 26, or 42-mile route option featuring great rest stops along the way. Find delicious food, beverages, live music, and much more at each stop. Routes can be easily combined for those who want to add on additional mileage.

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

Pre-registration closes on October 4. 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 sever spots are still open. Volunteer sign-up for the 2018 Ramble at www.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 and will be celebrated at the volunteer appreciation party at the Mankato Brewery with amazing food from Pub 500.

“Our volunteers are the ones who make each ride what it is. We couldn’t have a successful event without all their donated time. They set the tone of each ride and we are grateful to always have so many generous volunteers at the Ramble each year!,” said Dorian Grilley, Executive Director of the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota (BikeMN).

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 Mankato Clinic 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 Ramble’s can be found online here.

About the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota (BikeMN)

BikeMN is working to make Minnesota a state where bicycling is a safe, easy, fun, and cool choice 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.

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, and mountain bike trail construction, and other improvements in the Mankato area.

Bike Pic Oct 02, yeah it’s Friday and the Mankato River Ramble is vertual

Here in this bike pic, we captured a group of cyclists having fun pedaling the trails around Mankato last year on the Mankato River Ramble. This year’s Ramble is virtual, all month long through October, see more here.

What better way to continue 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.

Thanks for Viewing Our ‘HaveFunBiking’ bike pic

We are now rolling into our 15th 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 appearance while you are riding and having fun. You could be in one of our next Pic of the Day.

Have a great day!

Bike Pic Nov 9, fond memories of a MN Ironman Bicycle Ride

Digging through the archives this Bike Pic Saturday we show a couple of biker chick enjoying the  Minnesota Ironman Bicycle Ride back in 2015.

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

Thanks for viewing Bike Pic Saturday 

We are now rolling into our 11th 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 appearance while you are riding and having fun. You could be in one of our next Pics of the Day.

Have a great day and find your #NextBikeAdventure

A bike pic to remember! This perfect fall weather day we caught to radio dude, in Mankato MN, out on one of the communities recreational trails. Not sure we know what he is up to, with his bike helmet secure, but it looks like he is having fun!  

Bike Pic Oct 18, it’s a perfect weather day for a fall ride and fun

A bike pic to remember! This perfect fall weather Friday we caught to radio dude, in Mankato MN, out on one of the community’s recreational trails. Not sure we know what he is up to, with his bike helmet secure, but it looks like he is having fun!

Get into the zone and plan your next bike outing with family and friends at one of Minnesota’s HaveFunBiking Destinations. View all the fun ideas and bike destinations in the new HaveFunBiking Guide.

Thanks for viewing our ‘fall’ Bike Pic  

Now rolling into our 11th year as a bike tourism media, our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike and have fun. While highlighting all the unforgettable places for you to ride. As we continue to showcase more destinations you can have fun visiting we hope the photos we shoot are worth a grin. As you scroll through the information and stories we have posted, enjoy!

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), or 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 do 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 next bike adventure – Also, check out the latest  Bike Guide, mobile-friendly as we enter into our 9th year of producing print and digital guides.

So bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure. Please share all our pictures with your friends and don’t forget to smile. We may be around the next corner with an HFB camera ready to document your next move while you are riding and having fun. Capturing you in one of our next ‘Pic of the Day’ posts.

Have a great day and a memorable new year ahead!