Welcome. We're your premier source for fun places to explore by bicycle or on foot. Offering guides, maps and articles on road and trail riding for the novice to seasoned cyclist - helping you find your #NextBikeAdventure
This bike pic Friday We caught a young lady competing in a tough Minnesota High School Cycling League mountain bike meet on the Jail Trail in St Cloud this last fall.
So, adjust to the above-normal 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 Holiday Season!
In this bike pic, we captured this young biker dude having fun pedaling down the trail, ready for the Minnesota High School Cycling Leagues Race #2, up at Lake Rebecca near Rockford, MN, this Saturday and Sunday. See our recap article of Race #1in Shindlers Way Park, Austin, MN. Rochester on August 26 – 27.
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, and check out more stories at Let’s Do MN.
Thanks for viewing our latest 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 summer!
I love riding my Mountain bike and want to share that passion with my boys. I am dedicating weekends to kids’ mountain bikes to teach them to love the sport. The sense of freedom and excitement it gives me has been amazing to experience through their eyes. Here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way.
Kid’s mountain bikes
Dozens of companies produce kid’s mountain bikes. They often have suspension, brakes, and gears similar to adult versions. The kid’s bikes usually have either 20″ or 24″ wheels to determine the overall bike size. Be sure to find the right size at your local bike shop.
Teach to shift kid’s mountain bikes
One big difference between riding around the neighborhood and on trails is the need to shift quickly and frequently. Most kid’s mountain bikes have between six and 21 gears, with the higher gears used on the pavement and the lower gears for off-road conditions. Teaching your kid(s) how and when to shift will help them become more comfortable while riding over varying trail conditions. It is easy to train them on the sidewalk in front of my home. Have your child ride down the sidewalk in one gear, then shift to an easier gear and pedal on the grass when returning. By shifting between gears and conditions, kids can get an excellent feel for how the gears work.
Teach braking on kid’s mountain bikes
Stopping on kid’s mountain bikes is about balancing two things; stopping power and control. Most brakes can easily produce enough stopping power to skid the wheels, but you lose control when the wheels skid. I found an easy way to teach this balance: find a short but steep hill with a clear run-out at the bottom. Position yourself below them on the hill as a safety precaution and have your kid’s head down. The first time down, tell them to squeeze the brakes (front and rear) as hard as possible. On the second trip down, have them squeeze a little less and feel the difference. Then have them apply the front brakes more, then more rear brakes on each successive trip. After a little while, they will have a good feel for the best way to use their brakes.
Standing position
When kids learn to ride a bike, they do so sitting down. While sitting is fine for smooth roads, it can become uncomfortable when riding over rocky trails. Try to teach your kid to stand while riding, using your legs to absorb bumps. You want to encourage them to bend their knees and elbows and keep their weight back over the seat. This position lets them absorb all the rough terrain they might encounter.
L-r: Matt Johnson and his sons Jack 10, and Cole, 9, mountain bike in Salem Park in Inver Grove Heights on Sunday, June 12, 2011. (Pioneer Press: Scott Takushi)
Board trick
A fun trick to teach some skills involves nothing more than using a plank. A 2×6 piece of wood that’s about six feet long works best. You will need to set it on the ground and have the kids ride over it. Riding perpendicular helps them work on absorbing impact in the standing position while riding along its length, which helps teach control. A significant part of the board trick is that it gives a person a visual indication of where to ride without penalty if they can’t stay on.
Up and Over
Once they get comfortable with the standing position, you will want to teach them how to get over objects. To start, find an object on the trail that might be challenging for your kid to ride over. Please take a minute to show them where to ride to get over it. Have them back up, get a moving start, and run at the object. You can be a safety net by standing over that object if it doesn’t go too well. Reach out, straighten them out, and congratulate their try. If your trails don’t have an excellent place to practice this, you can build an obstacle with a pair of two-by-fours and some lengths of PVC (see picture below).
Short and sweet
Please do your best to keep it fun. Pack treats, snacks, and drinks, and take a lot of breaks. If a section of trail was super fun, turn around and do it again. Keep the pace slow and have fun. If you meet a puppy, stop and pet it. Do anything you can to keep it fun, and a big part of that is keeping it short. Rides over an hour can start to wear out new riders and take some of the joy out. And regardless of the duration, be sure to encourage the things they did well.
Bribery
Kids are like politicians, as they aren’t above bribes. After the ride, I always take my son for a treat (our current favorite is a smoothy from Wendy’s). This Pavlovian exercise can do wonders to reinforce the fun experience of a mountain bike ride, and encouraging the fun is an essential part.
Enjoy the accomplishment you have made teaching them the skills so they can join you on the trail!
About John Brown, the author
As a lifelong cyclist and consummate tinkerer, John operates Browns Bicycle in Richfield, MN. It all started for him in grade school when the bike bug bit, and that particular fever is still there. Now, and over the past thirty years, he has worked at every level in the bike industry. Started, like most, sweeping floors and learning anything he could about bikes. He eventually graduated as a service manager and then a store manager. Through the years, he has spent extensive time designing and sourcing bicycles and parts for some of the largest bike companies in the world. All the while focusing on helping as many people as possible enjoy the love of riding a bike. In that pursuit, he has taught classes (both scheduled and impromptu) on all things bikes. John also believes in helping every rider attain their optimal fit on the bike of their dreams. Please feel free to stop in any time and talk about bikes, fit, and parts, or share your latest ride. You can also see more of John’s tricks and tips on the Brown Bicycle Facebook Page.
Unless you enter the annual Woodtick Races in Cuyuna, MN, these bloodthirsty wood ticks are annoying and could be hazardous to your health. Especially if you are biking or hiking on trails through the woods or in tall grass, take note as you enjoy your outdoor adventures! These little critters, especially if they are deer ticks species, can be nasty. Like the wood tick, the deer tick also lurks in any natural wilderness setting. However, they are small as a freckle, have tiny black legs, and you may find them loaded with disease-causing pathogens or Lyme Disease.
Two wood ticks on the left pose with a deer tick next to a Roosevelt dime for reference. Photo by David Bosshart
Getting a deer or wood tick in a city park or on a paved bicycle trail, but the probability is very low. Especially on paths with the grass mowed along the edges. Generally, these blood-sucking critters are only a problem if you are off the trail biking or walking through tall grass and brushy wooded areas. Ticks tend to crawl up on vegetation, tall grass, and wood and wait to grab onto a passing animal or human.
Once attached to people or pets, deer ticks can be hard to find. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), their numbers are on the rise and carry harmful pathogens. Thanks to the CDC’s website, there are several things everyone should know about ticks to stay disease-free.
Wood Tick Bite Prevention
Before You Go Outdoors
Know where to expect ticks. Ticks live in grassy, brushy, wooded areas or even on animals. Spending time outside walking your dog, biking, camping, or hiking could bring you close contact with ticks. Many people get ticks in their yards or neighborhood, in rain gardens, and in natural areas
Treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin. Permethrin can be used to treat boots, clothing, and camping gear and remain protective through several cleanings
Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanoate. EPA’s helpful search tool can help you find the product that best suits your needs. Always follow product instructions
Another option is the Tickless Active we are testing. This rechargeable device emits a series of ultrasonic pulses undetectable to people, pets, or wildlife but interferes with the ability of ticks and fleas to orient themselves
Do not use insect repellent on babies younger than two months old
Do not use products containing OLE or PMD on children under three years old
Avoid contact with ticks, especially in wooded or brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter
Ride and walk in the center of the off-road trail.
After You Come Indoors
Diagram from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
When out in the wilderness, check your clothing and gear for ticks. They may be carried into the house, your car, or on clothing and gear if not careful. Any ticks that are found should be removed. At home, tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing after you come indoors. If the clothes are damp, they may need additional drying time. If the clothes require washing first, hot water is recommended. Cold and medium-temperature water will not kill ticks
Examine gear and pets. Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats, hydration saddle packs
Shower soon after being outdoors. Showering within two hours of coming indoors has been shown to reduce your risk of getting Lyme disease and may effectively reduce the risk of other tickborne diseases. Showering may help wash off unattached ticks, and it is an excellent opportunity to do a tick check
Check your body for ticks after being outdoors. Conduct a full-body assessment upon returning from potentially tick-infested areas, including your backyard. Use a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body. If you are comfortable, another set of eyes to check is a good idea. Check these parts of your body and your child’s body for ticks:
Under the arms
In and around the ears
Inside belly button
Back of the knees
In and around the hair
Between the legs
Around the waist
Now that you know more about these vampire-like blood-sucking parasites, plan your #NextBikeAdventureand have some fun!
The last bike pic Thursday in September 2021, these young Minnesota High School Cycling League are ready for another mountain bike outing at White Tail Ridge, in River Falls. Volunteer with the Minnesota chapter of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association or learn more about how your school can participate.
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
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 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. 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!
This bike pic Friday, a cool blustery day with snow to our north, it’s time to dig out the fat bike for some fun. Here we caught this biker dude getting ready with his fat bike to act as a trail official of the Minnesota High School Cycling League, for the last race next weekend at Mount Kato.
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.
After a successful MN MTB League Race #1 in Austin, MN, the last week of August. Races #2 and #3 of the Minnesota High School Cycling League were challenged by Mother Nature with wet weather, cancellations and a shorter race track. As racers and spectators arrived at Lake Rebecca, near Rockford, MN for Race Weekend #2 on September 7th the rain arrived soon after. But, even with damp and soggy race conditions, the racing excitement stayed strong for the day. With strong rains pounding the area through the evening, Sunday races had to be canceled. The following weekend rainy weather returned to haunt Race #3. But the community had a couple of tricks to keep the race running and stay-off another cancellation.
Race #2 photos by Todd Bauer and David Markman
MN MTB races, weekend #2
On Sat. Sept. 7, in-between light rain showers, 42 teams prepped their middle school racers for racing at Lake Rebecca. For some of these teams, this was their first race, due to a 2019 bye week system designed to manage field sizes.
Race #2 photos by Todd Bauer and David Markman
In between raindrops, the 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade racers were able to test their skills on the fast and flowing tracks at Lake Rebecca. But, the weather was not as kind for the high school racers.
Racing Sunday was canceled due to heavy rain
Due to continual heavy rain in the early morning on Sunday, Sept. 8, concerns of rider safety and trail damage were evaluated. A joint decision between Three Rivers Park District and Minnesota High School Cycling League was made to cancel the high school races.
“Everyone did an amazing job helping to tear down the venue, racecourse, and team tents after the cancellation,” said Josh Kleve, Executive Director for the MN High School Cycling League. “Granted no one wanted to cancel the races, but everyone knew, in the interest of safety, it was the right decision to cancel the high school races.” Click here for more Race #2 results.
Racers avoided another cancellation on Sunday of Race #3 by using a short crit course. photos Todd Bauer and David Markman
Race #3 highlights
A couple of weeks ago, starting on Saturday, September 14th, half of the 63 MN League teams (due to the bye-weeks) headed to Western WI for a full weekend of mountain bike racing at Summit Lake Farms in Stone Lake, WI. In addition to the races on Saturday and Sunday, some of the racers also took part in the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival, held in the Cable/Hayward area on Sat., Sept. 14.
At the Chequamegon Short and Fat event
The podium was filled with Minnesota League racers. Braeden Anderson, Crosby-Ironton, took overall first place and Zoe Camp, Southwest Mpls., was the first female across the line! Team jerseys from Prior Lake, Highland Park, Hopkins, Washburn, New Prague, Edina, and Blake/Breck were just a few of the teams which had racers competing at the event. Even the race announcers commented on the number of high school racers at the event and thanked the efforts of National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) to help get young kids involved in the sport.
Middle school racers got underway at Summit Lake Farm
Race #,3, photos Todd Bauer and David Markman
As the racing excitement wrapped up at Fat Tire race in Cable, middle school racers got underway at Summit Lake Farm. However, only the 6th – 8th-grade girls and 6th-grade boys were able to get their races in before the weather turned. After consulting with the team coaches, and evaluating the larger storm moving in, it was decided that out of the safety of the student-athletes, volunteers, coaches and spectators and to not damage the trail, the remaining races would be postponed until Sunday.
Sun. Sept. 15 – Heavy rain and wet trails led to a race format change
After a torrential rainstorm that evening, a review of the racecourse the following morning left race officials and coaches with a choice, cancel the high school races or shorten the course and run a crit race with marathon timing. It was decided to try the new race format and let the racers compete. So, instead of a cross-country race, racers were challenged to see how many laps, on a shortened course, they could complete in 30 minutes.
The high school races were on! With not a drop of rain in the sky and the sun shining, all of the high school racing categories were run in the new race format. Coaches, racers and spectators were supportive of the efforts to ensure the kids were able to race. Click here for more Race #3 results.
Tipping the race helmets to salute the community
“Big thank you again to our community for their support and help to avoid canceling the race completely,” said Josh Kleve, Executive Director for the MN High School Cycling League. “We are grateful to all the coaches and volunteers that stepped up today and helped us to continue the race day with a modified program. It was great to see people camping all weekend and enjoying the new venue despite the damp weather.”
A crit course was a success. Photo Credit: tmbimages.com
The Minnesota High School Cycling League is a state-wide independent activity provider for student-athletes in 6th to 12th grade. Their mission is to build strong minds, bodies, character, and communities through cycling, regardless of ability level. Each MN League season includes summer programs, a seven-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. For more information on the MN League, visit minnesotamtb.org.
With the eighth season of the HS Cycling League race, the series started off at Schindler’s Way Trail, in Todd Park. The first race, of the series, had 798 racers from across Minnesota and Western WI. This is just a portion of the total number of racers from the MN League. With a 30% average growth each year in racers and families in the league, a bye-week schedule was added to manage field sizes. As a result, instead of all 63 teams competing, 45 teams from across the state of MN arrived in Austin to put their skills to the test in the first race of the season. View the Bye-Week Schedule for 2019.
Changes to the League Race schedule a success
The Minnesota League moved from holding all of their races in one day to a two-day race weekend. This additional day of racing allowed middle school racers to compete on Saturday and high school racers to have a full day of racing on Sunday. Racers, coaches, and spectators all shared their overwhelming positive reactions to the schedule change.
Photo Credit: tmbimages.com
6th-Graders added to Middle School Racing
The move to a two-day racing schedule also allowed the League to add in 6th graders to middle school racing. In the first race of the season, there were almost 300 middle school boys and girls who competed in their first race.
The Minnesota High School Cycling League is a state-wide independent activity provider for student-athletes in 6th to 12th grade. Their mission is to build strong minds, bodies, character, and communities through cycling, regardless of ability level. Each MN League season includes summer programs, a seven-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. For more information on the MN League, visit minnesotamtb.org.
The MN High School Cycling League returns to Austin, MN this Saturday and Sunday (August 24-25) for an action-packed weekend of mountain bike racing. This will kick off the 2019 racing season for almost 2,000 middle school and high school students throughout Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.
Get ready Minnesota – a new race venue will be added for the Sept. 14-15 race. Each year, the MN League moves their race weekends to different venues across the state. This brings the sport to different locations around the region and to offer new and exciting race opportunities for the students. This year, the League is thrilled to be a part of the Chequamegon Festival the weekend of Sept. 14 and Sept. 15. Working with a variety of partners, including the Chequamegon Festival, a new trail has been built near Stone Lake, WI (Summit Lake Game Farm) that will become an exciting race venue for years to come – and a new mountain bike trail for people to ride and enjoy year-round. A special thanks to Tom Gujer and Chad McDonald for their help to make this trail happen!
Growing Interest and demand for younger mountain bike racers
They are all ready for a challenge. Photo Credit: tmbimages.com
As the interest in mountain bike racing has grown across the region there is also an increasing number of younger students interested in riding and racing with the MN League. To accommodate this demand, each MN League team has been given the option of adding in 6th-graders to their middle-school teams. They are thrilled to announce that there are over 160 sixth graders already signed up!
Schedule moves to two-day race weekends to accommodate growth
Due to a 30% growth in teams and racers, the MN League has adjusted their races from one day to a two-day racing schedule weekend for each scheduled race. Middle school racers will compete on Saturdays and high school racers will compete on Sundays.
“Last year, due to required race day schedule changes, we had to remove Sunday pre-ride time – this year, we were determined to find a way to bring back the ability for student-athletes to pre-ride and race on the same day,” said Josh Kleve, MN League Director, and Co-Founder. “By shifting the middle school to Saturday, this enabled us to add 6th grade, a long-requested addition, and spread the races out providing a more enjoyable experience for all of our middle school and high school student-athletes.”
Race Weekend Timeline at Austin, MN – Race #1
Photo Credit: tmbimages.com
For race #1 a full weekend is lined up at Schindler’s Way Trail near Todd Park, in Austin, MN. This Saturday, August 24th the middle school racers (6th, 7th, and 8th grade) will kick off the weekend schedule at 1 pm, with the last race of the day starting at 3:40 pm. Racing will resume on Sunday. August. 25th, with high-school racers starting at 9:30 am and wrapping up with the last race of the day starting at 3 pm.
With over 70 teams registered, the MN League has implemented a bye-week schedule to balance the riders across the venues. See the teams competing in Austin, MN.
The Minnesota High School Cycling League is a state-wide independent activity provider for student-athletes in 6th to 12th grade. Their mission is to build strong minds, bodies, character, and communities through cycling, regardless of ability level. Each MN League season includes summer programs, a seven-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. For more information on the MN League, visit minnesotamtb.org.
Over 2,500+ people attended the MN High School Cycling Leagues annual Year-End Ceremony at Northrup Auditorium, on. Fri. Nov. 9, to celebrate and reflect on an amazing and historic season. Since 2012, when the MN League launched, each year, strategic changes or additions have been made to move the MN League forward to getting #morekidsonbikes.
Cycling League medals and trophies for 2018 | Northrup Auditorium | Photo Credit: tmbimages.com
Over the years, they have added races to the schedule, included middle school aged riders to the program, introduced a bye-week schedule and moved to ability-based racing. For 2018, they piloted the Giant Bicycles Dirt School Spring Riding Program, created divisions in middle school, added the Framed Bike Skills Challenge event and added an additional race date and bye-week to the schedule. As the MN League grows in size, schedule and program changes are done to accommodate and accelerate this growth.
In 2018, ending the season in Mankato with almost 1,600 riders, the MN Cycling League became the second largest mountain bike league in the nation. With over 25 NICA leagues across the nation, MN is part of a growing movement with the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA).
The MN League has become more than a racing program, it has become a youth development program. Each year the MN League adds hundreds of new student-athletes, coaches, volunteers, and spectators. Who’s ready for 2019?
Cycling League highlights and overall season results
Jaden Neimeyer, Hutchinson | One of the 2018 Student-Athlete Speakers | Photo Credit: tmbimages.com
To celebrate the accomplishments of all, each year, four students are selected to offer their thoughts and thanks to coaches, volunteers, parents, and their fellow teammates. This year, Jaden Neimeyer, from Hutchinson offered his thoughts on volunteers, Olivia Fox from Wayzata expounded on the impact of the coaches, Grant Hietpas from Stillwater thanked all of the parents, and Vladimir Lind from Burnsville shared his positive reactions from being part of the MN mountain bike community.
As the crowd clapped and cheered for these four amazing students, the lights dimmed in preparation for the season-ending video from Todd Bauer at tmbimages.com.
Josh Kleve, Executive Director for the MN Cycling League | Photo Credit: tmbimages.com
The 2019 race schedule of the MN Cycling League was well received by the entire audience. As the dates and locations were announced, cheers erupted from the crowd.
The new race location, just south of Hayward, WI, brought on the largest reaction. In 2019, the MN League will hold their own race during the Fat Tire Festival Weekend. More details on this race are coming, but it will be separate from the Short and Fat race.
2019 Race Dates and Locations
* Aug. 24/25 – Schindler’s Way Trail, Austin, MN
* Sept. 7/8 – Lake Rebecca, Rockford, MN
* Sept. 14/15 – Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival, near Hayward, WI
* Sept. 28/29 – Whitetail Ridge, River Falls, WI
* Oct. 5/6 – Detroit Mountain, Detroit Lakes, MN
* Oct. 12/13 – Spirit Mt., Duluth, MN
* Oct. 26/27 – Mt. Kato, Mankato, MN
6th-graders added to the middle school program
Exciting changes to the program include the addition of 6th-grade riders to the middle school program and instead of having one day of racing, the MN League is moving to a two-day race weekend which will allow a pre-ride of the course on both Saturday and Sunday. Middle school races will be held on Saturdays and High school races will be held on Sundays.
Special acknowledgment – Coach/Asst. Coach of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Racers with Heart and the Jeff Robertson Award
Mike Busch, Mankato – Coach of the Year | Photo Credit: tmbimages.com
The MN League respects their student-athletes and acknowledges their efforts to achieve a podium spot, however, the MN League takes this evening to celebrate a number of people who might not achieve a podium spot and their actions have set examples for others through their courage, determination, leadership or sportsmanship.
“I always look forward to this event,” said Josh Kleve, Executive Director of the MN League. “This is the last opportunity of the year for our community to come together, share stories, give thanks and pay respects to a few key people whose contributions are significant to the success of our league. This is their time on the podium.”
▪ Coach of the Year: Mike Busch, Mankato
▪ Asst. Coach of the Year: Ryan Erspamer, Duluth
▪ Volunteer of the Year: Eric Larson, Duluth
▪ Male Racer with Heart – Ian Hase, White Bear Lake
▪ Female Racer with Heart – Zoey Sheedy, Rochester
▪ Jeff Robertson Award – Todd Bauer, MN League Core Staff
OVERALL SEASON RESULTS
Congratulations to all! | Northrup Auditorium 2018
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
Congratulations to all on a successful season!
Final overall individual results are now posted to the website.
Full Individual results for Varsity, JV2, JV3, Freshman and Middle School. View Full Results
TEAM RESULTS
High School D1 Team Results:
1. Stillwater
2. Edina
3. Southwest Mpls
High School D2 Team Results:
1. Crosby-Ironton
2. Highland Park
3. Chaska
Middle School D1 Team Results:
1. Stillwater
2. Prior Lake
3. Washburn
Middle School D2 Team Results:
1. Rochester Composite
2. Alexandria Area
3. New Prague
Final overall team results are now posted to the website.
Full Team results for D1 and D2. View Full Results
EVENT AND RACE PHOTOS View Photos. Photo Credit: Todd Bauer and David Markman – MN League Official Photographers.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
Please take a minute to review our list of local and national sponsors. With their support, we are able to offer our youth development programs. When considering a purchase, be sure to visit and thank our sponsors for their support. Please encourage them to continue supporting the MN League and our student-athletes.
