Tag Archives: Peace Coffee

A peaceful fall Saturday to get junior conditioned for the weather ahead.

Bike Pic Nov 2, a peaceful Saturday morning bike ride with junior

This bike pic Saturday is a peaceful morning for a bike ride. Maybe bundle up Junior and get him conditioned for the cooler weather ahead.

So, adjust to the cooler, have your rain gear handy, 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 today’s bike pic

As we roll into 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 fall with 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.

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

The Ramble is a fun place to gather and ride with old and new friends!

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 April 16, a cup of joe, and a ride if the rain holds out

This bike pic Tuesday, with another wave of rain in the forecast, these biker dudes stop for a caffeine fix on their morning ride.

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 today’s bike pic

Now, as we roll into our 20th year as an outdoor 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. To be considered, the photo (s) sent to us should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide. 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 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 2024!

Here in this bike pic, we captured these two biker chicks having fun pedaling the trails around Mankato last year. This year's Ramble is this Sunday, October 7th

Bike Pic Oct 08, a fun ride on the Mankato River Ramble

Here in this Sunday bike pic, we are covering the Mankato River happening today as these two biker chicks have fun pedaling the trails and enjoying colorful scenery. See our latest article on destinations and peak color links for your area. For more on visiting the Mankato Area click here.

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 fall!

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.

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!

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

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

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

Experience multi-day bike touring fun

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

Bikers entering the festival.

How far is the ride?

The festival is located on a private hobby farm, just north of Stillwater and only a few miles past the Gateway Bike Trail. Facilitated rides depart from Minneapolis and St Paul. Overnight “camping” on the festival lawn is free. Along with complimentary sag wagon support to carry your gear out to the event and back. Morning yoga and sound meditation are also provided for free to campers on Sunday morning.
Facilitated rides leave from the Twin Cities the morning of the event, with meeting
spots, in Minneapolis at the Hub Bicycle Shop and Summit Brewery in St Paul.  The 30-mile ride out to the festival utilizes the scenic Gateway Trail to its endpoint at Pine Point Park in Stillwater.  From Pine Point, the festival grounds are three miles further. Peace Coffee will again provide sag wagons to haul bikers’ camping gear. Overnight “camping” on the large lawn is also provided for free.

The festivals first “star score”

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

Stars over the festival onto a large movie screen

How much does the event cost?

Bikers who attend the festival receive half-price tickets when purchased in advance. Regular price tickets are $30 from now through July 10th and $35 after that for attendees arriving by car.  Bikers receive a steep discount – only $15 when tickets are purchased in advance.  Tickets sales are capped at 400, and of that, almost half are sold to bikers. So try multi-day bike touring and enjoy a music festival that will put a beat into your pedal stroke.
Here in this bike pic, we captured a biker chick having fun pedaling around Mankato last year on the Mankato River Ramble. This year's Ramble is this Sunday, October 7th

Bike Pic Oct 06, it’s Saturday and the Mankato River Ramble is tomorrow

Here in this bike pic, we captured a biker chick having fun pedaling around Mankato last year on the Mankato River Ramble. This year’s Ramble is this Sunday, October 7th, see more here.

What better way to continue your summer fun 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 10th year as a bike tourism media. As we pedal forward our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike and have fun while we highlight all the unforgettable places for you to ride. As we continue to showcase more places to have fun, we hope the photos we shoot are worth a grin. Enjoy the information and stories we have posted as you scroll through.

Do you have a fun bicycle related photo of yourself or someone you may know that we should post? If so, please send your picture(s) to [email protected]. Include a brief caption (for each) of who is in the photo (if you know) and where the picture was taken. Photo(s) should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide or larger to be considered. If we use your photo, you will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As we continue to encourage more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your #NextBikeAdventure – Also, check out the MN Bike Guide, now mobile friendly, as we enter into our 8th year of producing this hand information booklet full of maps.

Remember, bookmark HaveFunBiking.com on your cell phone and find your next adventure at your fingertips! Please share our pics with your friends and don’t forget to smile. We may be around the corner with one of our cameras ready to document your next cameo appearance while you are riding and having fun. You could be in one of our next Pic of the Day.

Have a great day!

As the summer bike season rolls into the October here are a few of the fun events to take in this weekend in the upper Midwest.

Bike Pic Oct 5, plenty of fun weekend events, Wild Ride canceled

As the summer bike season rolls into the October here are just a few of the fun weekend events to mark on your calendar and this weekend. Here in this photo a Peace Coffee advocate is getting ready for this year’s Wild Ride Mountain Bike FestivalCANCELED, in Lebanon Park. It’s in Eagan, MN, this Saturday and geared for the whole family.

Other weekend events

Several other trails are holding Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day, on October. A IMBA (International Mountain Bike Association) event here or a trail near you.

In Iowa, the Full Moon Trestle Bridge Ride take place Saturday, Oct 7th, for evening ride near Des Moines.

Also this Saturday, October 7th, is Free Bikes 4 Kids Collection Day, at many of Allina Health Hospitals and Clinics. Do you have a bike to donate, see map  for location to bring in your old bike(s).

Another fun event this weekend is the Mankato River Ramble. Going into their 7th year, this year’s this fun ride with several mileage and trail options is on Sunday, October 8th.

 

So get into the zone and plan your next bike outing with family and friends at one of HaveFunBiking Destinations. View all the fun ideas and bike destinations in the latest Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide.

Thanks for viewing our ‘Weekend Events’ pic of the day!  

We are now rolling into our 10th year as a bike tourism media. As we pedal forward our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike and have fun while we highlight all the unforgettable places for you to ride. As we continue to showcase more places to have fun, we hope the photos we shoot are worth a grin. Enjoy the information and stories we have posted as you scroll through.

Do you have a fun bicycle related photo of yourself or someone you may know that we should post? If so, please send your picture(s) to: [email protected]. Include a brief caption (for each) of who is in the photo (if you know) and where the picture was taken. Photo(s) should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide or larger to be considered. If we use your photo, you will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As we continue to encourage more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your #NextBikeAdventure – Also, check out the MN Bike Guide, now mobile friendly, as we enter into our 8th year of producing this hand information booklet full of maps.

So smooth out your day-to-day ride with Wheelie Wednesday, and:

Remember, bookmark HaveFunBiking.com on your cell phone and find your next adventure at your fingertips! Please share our pics with your friends and don’t forget to smile. We may be around the corner with one of our cameras ready to document your next cameo apperance while you are riding and having fun. You could be in one of our next Pic’s of the Day.

Have a great day!

Coffee comes first, as the K'ul Chocolate Team states here. Picture taken at the 2016 North Star Bicycle Festival, in Stillwater.

Bike Pic Aug 23, the K’ul Chocolate team knows coffee comes first

History shows coffee comes first and was discovered long before the bicycle. So a cup of java should be first in the order of things to start ones day. Thanks to a number of reports and legends surrounding coffee, the first users of this stimulating refreshment goes back to the 10th century. Where as the earliest bicycle, the German draisine,  only dates back to 1817.  So, thanks to the K’ul Chocolate team for bringing this fact to our attention, on a shirt, at the North Star Bike Festival Races, in Stillwater, MN this summer.

As coffee comes first and you enjoy that perfectly brewed cup of Peace Coffee, maybe paired with a piece of K’ul Chocolate, please page through all the bike friendly places to explore in the new Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide

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

Now rolling into our 10th year as a bike tourism media, our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike. While showcasing all the unforgettable places for you to ride. As we continue to showcase more place to have fun 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), 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 do use your photo, you will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As we continues to encourage more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your next bike adventure – Also, check out the MN Bike Guide, now mobile friendly, as we enter into our 8th year of producing the guide.

So bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure. And don’t forget to smile, while you are riding and having fun. We may capture you in one of our next photos that we post daily.

Have a great day!