Tag Archives: Minnesota trails

Bike Pic July 5, a post-holiday ride, extends the 4th of July fun!

This bike pic Friday, we caught this tandum couple extending their 4th of July holiday fun! The photo was captured in the Twin Cities along the Mississippi River Trail, with many scenic waterscapes with views of both the Minneapolis and St Paul skyline.

So, adjust to the warmer temps, have your rain gear ready, and get into the zone when continuing your time outdoors for that #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 bike pic

As we roll through our 21st year as an outdoor 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. To be considered, the photo (s) sent to us should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide. 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 our 15th annual mobile-friendly MN Bike Guide, a handy booklet full of maps of fun places to bike and hike.

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 fun as we pedal into a summer of fond memories!

Bike Pic July 3, fun shredding the forest trail

This Bike Pic Wednesday, we captured this biker dude riding the trails in Lebanon Hills Park, a fun trail system in Eagan, MN.

Thanks for viewing our bike pic

As we roll through our 21st year as an outdoor media, enjoy!

Have fun as we pedal into a summer of fond memories!

Bike Pic Aug 2, yeah it’s Friday, time for that next bike adventure

It’s bike pic Friday, and it’s time to ride off for a weekend of biking fun, as these cyclists demonstrate.

So, adjust to the warmer temps, have your rain gear handy, drink lots of water, and get into the zone when continuing your time outdoors on that #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 bike pic

As we roll along in our 21st year as an outdoor media, enjoy!

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. To be considered, the photo(s) sent to us should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide. If we use your photo, you will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

Have fun as we pedal through a summer of fond memories!

Last chance to register for the musical Saint Paul Classic fall bicycle ride

The 30th Annual Saint Paul Classic Bike Tour is a music-filled fall bicycle ride through the Capital City. It offers fun for all who participate. This year’s ride on Sunday, September 8, will again showcase the beauty of the east Twin Cities Metro Area. Riders will celebrate riding through historic neighborhoods along the 12.5-mile “Lollipop Loop,” the 30-mile Saint Paul Grand Round, or add a lap around Lake Phalen for 33 miles. Registration for the event closes this Thursday, September 5th.

About this fall bicycle ride

Saint Paul Classic riders always find plenty of good treats along the course.

The Saint Paul Classic Bike Tour is one of the most comfortable, family-friendly bike rides in Minnesota. Known throughout the area for its quality, all proceeds from this fall bicycle ride support the mission-driven work of the Friends of the Parks and Trails.

The Classic is an excellent experience for all ages and skill levels. In this relaxed environment, the tour winds through historic neighborhoods, beautiful parks and parkways, and the revitalized downtown riverfront. Join new and old friends for a non-competitive, go-at-your-own-pace- ride, with rest stops full of tasty treats. All you need to do is:

Participate in an event that champions bicycling
Choose a route distance you are comfortable with
Enjoy mostly traffic-free cycling, with much of the tour closed to motorists
Rest assured, medics, police, and SAG wagons are on hand for your safety and convenience
Enjoy fresh, local produce and baked goods at each well-stocked rest stop
Groove to the live music performed by local artists at each rest stop
Have fun!

The Saint Paul Bike Classic registration.

Everyone riding the Saint Paul Classic find the routes scenic and friendly.

Everyone riding the Saint Paul Classic finds the routes scenic and friendly.

About Friends of the Parks and Trails of St. Paul and Ramsey County

Friends of the Parks and Trails is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that promotes public support and appreciation of parks and trails in St. Paul and Ramsey County. For 39 years, they have worked tirelessly to Promote park-friendly policies, participate in parks and trail planning, protect the Mississippi River and the land around it, and preserve open spaces within the community. See more here.

Bike Pic June 26, wheelie Wednesday may help you find your sweet spot

This Bike Pic Wheelie Wednesday, if life were a mountain bike trail, a wheelie might help you smooth out your day-to-day ride. As the trails dry out, why not review the following tips to make your week an adrenaline high?

Thanks for viewing our bike pic

As we roll through our 21st year as an outdoor media, enjoy!

Have fun as we pedal into a summer of fond memories!

Best Dam Pie Thank You Ride celebrates the Mankato River Ramble

Come celebrate with the Greater Mankato Bike & Walk Advocates (GMBWA) on Sun, Oct 6th, with the Best Dam Pie Thank You Ride.

With the destruction of the Dam and Pie Shop earlier this year. The GMBWA is grateful to its past sponsors, participants, and volunteers of the Mankato River Ramble over the past 13 years. For a fun fall bike ride in 2024, they are thanking the community by offering a ride and the best dam pie available in southern Minnesota.

The plan is to gather around noon at Mount Kato, 20461 Old State Highway 66, Mankato, MN. A few announcements will be made, and then at 12:50 p.m., participants will enjoy ride-and-walk options together. The ride routes will stop at the new temporary location of the Dam Store in downtown Mankato!

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

On Sun, Oct 6, registration proceeds will be donated to the Dam Store owners, the Hruska family, who are long-time supporters of the River Ramble each fall. As many GMBWA members know, the family suffered tremendous losses with the 2024 Spring flood.

While you are enjoying your yummy Dam Store slice of pie, GMBWA board members will present a check to the Hruska family, owners of the Dam Store. As a group, the ride will then head back to Mount Kato. Those who would like to add to their mileage can join a group that will do some road riding in the beautiful river valley between Mankato and Rapidan.

Best Dam Pie Ride Registration

Get registered today! They only have 200 pie pieces for the first 200 registered riders and walkers. Plus, when you register, you can donate to the Dam Store owners, and we will include your donation in our presentation to the Hruska family.

Recommended donation $20/person. Sales of the Classic Dam Store T-Shirt (front) are also available after you register. Families welcome! Please have one registration for each person. Register here!

12:00 pm – 12:30 Preregistration required. Check-in at Mount Kato. Pie coupons for the first two hundred registrants. Coupons must be used on Sunday, October 6, before 7 pm.
12:45 pm – Group Announcements: Thanking our sponsors, Donation to the Hruska Family Dam Store owners, and description of the GMBWA 2025 Fall ride.
12:50 pm – Ride and walk leaders depart. Choose from a 20-mile ride, six mile-ride, or 4.5-mile walk. Rides will stop at Dam Store Cafe in Downtown Mankato.
1:00-7:00 pm – Enjoy a slice of Dam Store pie. The first 200 registrants will receive a coupon for a slice of pie. Coupon is good on Sunday, October 6, and must be used before 7 pm.

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

A tasty treat, the pie stop can make the ride extra delicious.

Ride Routes Planed

Routes:
4.7 miles – https://strava.app.link/kve7ZgBOYMb
6.15 miles – https://strava.app.link/jUiWFMRUZMb
17.82 miles – https://strava.app.link/uF75nKUUZMb

A fun place to gather and ride with old and new friends!

Current Sponsors for 2024 include the Dam Store Cafe, Mount Kato Ski Area, Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota (BikeMN)

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.

For the last 13 years, GMBWA has received funds from the Fall bike ride via our sponsors and registrations. Those funds have been intentionally recirculated back into our community to support cycling and walking activities and infrastructure. For example, last year’s ride funds help support new bikes for kids with Mankato BMX and also bikes for families with the YWCA New Americans program.

Bike Pic June 20, fond memories with a possibility of rain

With rain showers threatening many outdoor activities this bike pic Thursday, take a moment to reflect while planning your #nextBikeAdventure. Here in this photo, a biker chick and her friend are riding the Mississippi River Trail, in the Twin Cities Gateway.

Thanks for viewing our bike pic

As we roll through our 21st year as an outdoor media, enjoy!

Have fun as we pedal into a summer of fond memories!

Bike Pic June 19, it’s Wheelie Wednesday over the log pile

This bike pic is Wheelie Wednesday, if the trails dry out, it’s fun to go over the log pile in Lebanon Hills Park. Part of the Dakota County Park system near Lakeville, MN, in the south suburbs of the Twin Cities. Find terrain and trails for riders of all skill levels to enjoy.

Thanks for viewing our bike pic

As we roll through our 21st year as an outdoor media, enjoy!

Have fun as we pedal into a summer of fond memories!

Bike Pic June 10, trail riding into the Monday morning sun!

This Bike Pic Monday, out on the trail having fun as the morning sun enhances the view of the trail ahead of them.

Thanks for viewing our bike pic

As we roll into our 21st year as an outdoor media, enjoy!

Have fun as we pedal into a summer of fond memories!

Bike Pic, June 7, yeah it’s Friday and time for that next adventure

This bike pic Friday, and time to ride off for a weekend of fun. Plan your next outing with family and friends at one of Minnesota’s HaveFunBiking Destinations.

Adjust to the warmer temps, have your rain gear ready, and get into the zone when continuing your time outdoors for that #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 bike pic

As we roll into our 21st year as an outdoor media, enjoy!

Have fun as we pedal into a summer of fond memories!