In 2004 I did four long rides and while they were all great, the best was the Top of Holland Bike Ride. I really lucked into this one. A cyclist friend of mine (he’s 80 and still runs marathons, bikes 100-mile a day rides, cross-country skis the Birkebeiner Ski Race, and easily outplays me at…
I’ve been asked before and seen in the paper, “Why do cyclists ride on the roadway when there is a bike trail next to it?” Sometimes we are asked questions and don’t have quick answers. Here are some answers: If the cyclist is riding on a good shoulder and not in the way of traffic,…
In 1998 my friend, Eric, and I, along with two friends (Dave from Michigan and his friend, Jim), had ridden the first third of the St. Paul, MN to New Orleans, LA ride Eric and I had decided to do. We ended in Galena, IL and had planned to start in Galena and ride to…
In 1998 my friend, Eric, and I decided we’d like to ride the length of the Mississippi from St. Paul, MN to New Orleans (we had already ridden the portion from the headwaters in Northern Minnesota to St. Paul and figured we didn’t have to do that part again). As we were both still working…
In 2004 my friends, Eric, Dave, and I decided to ride the George Mickelson Trail, which winds its way through the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota for 114 miles. As we rode both ways we ended up riding 230 miles that week. We hauled our bikes, tents, and bike bags to the eastern terminus…
In 1997 three friends of mine, Eric, Dave, and Dave’s friend, Jim (not to be confused with Eric’s friend, Jim) rode 570 miles along Lake Michigan through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. As that was some time ago I reached out to Dave and Eric for some help with my somewhat faulty memory. Eric filled…
In 1990 My friend and neighbor, Eric, asked me, as we had ridden bike together often, if I would like to go on the state-wide bike ride, TRAM (The Ride Across Minnesota), with him. TRAM is an organized bike ride of 300 miles in which riders’ gear (tents, sleeping bags, duffel bags) are transported to…
In 1996 my good friend, Eric, and I plotted a route across Wisconsin from Stillwater, MN to Green Bay, WI. (315 miles), to ride by ourselves. We stayed in frugal motels and rode on roadways and some bike trails. It was a fairly normal Wisconsin bike ride except that it was mid-September and the fall…
In 1993 I rode the Headwaters 100 bike ride, a ride that had a 100-mile and a 100-km route. The photo shows Lee and me at the headwaters but is from the BAM ride. I just wanted to get the photo of the headwaters post. Their website says they now have three routes—100, 75, and…
I rode BAM three times over the years (2007, 2008, and 2012). This ride does not go across the state but rather does a loop in a different part of the state each year. Riders go 60-80 miles a day for four days and start and end at the same spot. The first time I…