HALLOWEEN Pumpkin Ride

Amish Market and Home: 9.07 miles Tandem Pedal Time: 42 minutes, average speed 12.6

We did it—we rolled over 3000 miles on this mild Halloween night. What a sweet treat!

The temperature was on the cool side, 45 degrees, and the wind was blowing but we enjoyed this short ride along our peaceful country road. We had fun hunting for pumpkins along our route but unfortunately didn’t find a single carved pumpkin—Google helped me out here.

The farmers continue to be busy in the fields and we keep our eyes open for the large machinery that shares the road with us this time of year.  Most are friendly and wave as they pass.

We have been fortunate to have biked on many holidays this year including Labor Day, Fourth of July, Memorial Day—I wonder if we will be able to continue this trend and bike Thanksgiving and Christmas? All we need are ice-free roads, a little sunshine and a temperature above 30 degrees. Bring on November.

October Total Miles: 415.24
Accumulative 2012 Biking Miles: 3003.85

A Dark & Chilly Tandem Ride

Dover Loop: 20.31 miles
Tandem Pedal Time: 1 hours 32 minutes, average speed 13.2

Brrr, it’s getting cold out here. We couldn’t go far this evening because of the cloudy skies. We did bike to Dover but did not dare stop to rest for fear we would get caught on the road after dark. By 6:00 p.m., it became scary to be out biking even with all the bike lights on. We made it home just as the sun was sinking out of sight. This evening ride brought us to within 6 miles of totaling 3000 for the year. We hadn’t seen mileage like this since 2008.

We decided to gamble that we would be able to complete our mileage challenge on another day—there just has to be one more good biking day left before we end our 2012 biking season.

Soup’s On!

Eyota, Dover, St. Charles, Utica Loop: 42.06 miles
Tandem Pedal Time: 3 hours 13 minutes, average speed 13.0

With the temperature still in the 40’s, we continue to ride. Our goal today was to pedal until we were too cold or tired, whichever came first. We headed west towards Eyota and then east towards Dover for lunch at the Roadtrip Roadhouse. It was very quiet in the bar—the usual crowd must have been resting up from the Halloween party held the night before. We claimed our usual parking spot and headed inside for a yummy bowl of hot soup.

St. Charles was next on our route and we stopped at Sister Kathy’s to visit with the crew working outside on her shed. After picking up some ballast, a heavy link chain Dennis wanted, we continued towards Utica. The Utica gang was gathered outside enjoying a game of bean bag toss; all waved as we passed by.

We could tell our biking season was nearing an end with the appearance of snowmobile signs showing up in the bare farm fields. Soon we will be restricted to only weekend miles but we are getting so close to our goal of 3000 miles and will be very happy with that for this 2012 biking season.

A Chilly Pumpkin Ride

RRT – Lanesboro to Harmony: 46.11 miles
Tandem Pedal Time: 3 hours 35 minutes, average speed 12.8

The strong winds and cool temperatures put us on the Root River Trail again today. This was also the opening day of the Pumpkin Ride on the Root. We, however, did not see pumpkin riders out on this crisp morning. We pedaled to stay warm stopping only to perform a bit of trail maintenance required due to the strong winds and storms we have been getting.

Once in Harmony, we stopped at the Crunchy Side for another quiet Friday lunch until the seven brothers from Iowa arrived—a loud but very friendly group. They were also cyclists but not on bikes this weekend—“too cold” said one brother.

With the leaves gone from the trees, we were able to see more wildlife than usual on the Trail: Cardinals, blue jays, turkey, “flying” squirrels scampering under our tires and one deer being hauled by hunters in a wheel barrow.

We had to chuckle once we neared the parking lot where our van was waiting—it looked so lonely sitting there all by itself—where is everyone? I guess the 39-degree temperature must have had something to do with it but we sure did enjoy this late October biking day along the Root.

Will we make our 3000 mark for this year? We’re getting close but our season is also nearing its end—the pressure’s on.  Stay tuned to find out.

Blowing in the Wind

Winona via Stockton: 65.58 miles
Tandem Pedal Time: 5 hours 15 minutes, average speed 12.4

We were blessed with another beautiful mid-October biking day. There was no fog this morning so we decided to bike to Winona along the country roads winding past Utica, Lewiston, Stockton and Minnesota City. Our greatest challenge of the day was the 14 mph winds blowing out of the southeast which is the direction we started out so that we could enjoy the wind at our back on the return trip. The flags along our route are a continual reminder of just how strong the winds are blowing.

Just out of Stockton, Dennis noticed a flatbed trailer for sale and slowed to check it out. I noticed an unusual wooded bridge so took advantage of this break to get some photos. As I returned to the bike, I noticed Dennis on the phone and heard him say, “We’ll take it”. We just purchased a two-up snowmobile trailer. We made plans for the exchange to take place later in the evening but as we continued on towards Winona, a truck pulled up in front of us and the owner of the trailer jumped out to introduce himself. He recognized us from the description Dennis gave over the phone. We were now close to our lunch stop—our choice was Mexican today. We enjoyed the extended rest while we waited for our food.

Our rest was now over and we had to face another climb to get out of Winona. There would also be wind to contend with. We were trucking along just fine and nearing the end of this exhausting climb when a truck full of youths decided it would be fun to lay on their horn as they sped past us. My heart skipped a beat but there was no stopping now, we were so close to the top. It took us 20 minutes of cranking to pedal the two miles along this hilly stretch of road which required another pedal break once we reached the top.

The pumpkin and corn fields will soon be gone for the season and they will be missed. The fall colors add much enjoyment as we slowly pedal along. We are now only 115 miles from our 3000 goal—one more good riding weekend should do it. Let’s get ‘er done!

Foggy Alternative

RRT – Lanesboro, Harmony, Fountain: 58.68 miles
Tandem Pedal Time: 4 hours 11 minutes, average speed 14.0

To get the miles on we planned for the day, we needed to begin biking even before the heavy morning fog lifted. The road was unsafe to be on so we drove down to Lanesboro to put on some more RRT miles. We began pedaling out of Lanesboro towards Harmony where lunch was planned at On the Crunchy Side American Bar & Grill. The hills up to Harmony can be taxing but knowing that food was at the end of our climb helped to cajole us along.

The best part about making it to Harmony is the ride back down—miles of freewheeling. As we neared Isinours Junction (4.5 miles from Lanesboro), we made the decision to add more climb to our route and turned up towards Fountain. Before we turned, however, we spotted an ambulance and cop car on the trail with their lights flashing. We were reminded how dangerous this sport can be and could only hope injuries to the cyclist were minimal.

Discover the dramatic river-carved blufflands of southeastern Minnesota! Part of the Blufflands Trail System, the Root River State Trail provides outstanding views of the soaring limestone bluffs of the Root River Valley. Wildlife is abundant, and sightings of wild turkey, deer, hawks and turkey vultures are common. This paved, 42-mile state trail begins in Fountain and runs through the quaint and picturesque rural communities of Lanesboro, Whalan, Peterson, Rushford and Houston. Constructed on an abandoned railroad, the trail is generally level.

We are so fortunate to have this wonderful trail system just miles from our front door. We look forward to its expansion and improvements coming in 2013.

Our Neighborhood

Amish Market and Home: 10.26 miles
Tandem Pedal Time: 47 minutes, average speed 13.0

Not the best weather for a ride but we wanted to get in some exercise so biked to the Amish Market west of our farm and then back home. The 50-degree temperature and slight wind added a bit of resistance to our ride.

Apply the Math

Douglas Trail –Pine Island and Back: 26.11 miles
Tandem Pedal Time: 1 hour 37 minutes, average speed 16.0

The tandem came to work with us today. The promise of 60-degree temps gave us the motivation to pack all bike gear and hit the trail following or work day. We used the van to change out of our work clothes and into our MTR jerseys and bike pants. The weather was so nice; we didn’t even need our bike jackets. We took off down the trail at break-neck speed and then a realization hit me: If you increase your pedal speed, you can get more miles in before the sun sets. What a revelation! That average speed of 16 mph is not a typo.  It is a speed we are proud of and it did take some effort and concentration—no talking, Dennis, just pedal. The camera even had to stay in its bag (except for one shot).

We were back at the van before dark and heading for home by 6:00 p.m. Each mile we bike is one more towards our goal of 3000 by season’s end—will be make it? Just 250 to go!

Douglas State Trail

The Douglas State Trail is a paved 12.5 mile, multiple use trail developed on an abandoned railroad grade. This trail crosses outstanding rural scenery, traversing some of the richest agricultural land in Minnesota. The trail begins in northwestern Rochester, travels through the small town of Douglas (for which the trail is named) and terminates in Pine Island.

An Afternoon on the Root River Bike Trail

RRT—Lanesboro to Harmony: 46.33 miles
Tandem Pedal Time: 3 hours 42 minutes, average speed 12.4

Because of the wind and cool October temperature, we decided to drive to Lanesboro and enjoy a day biking on the Root River Trail. The trail towards Rushford will be closed until December but the news is good—the trail is being widened which should include some much-needed resurfacing. We took off towards Preston with a lunch stop at the Old Barn and then onto Harmony where we stopped in at the Crunchy Side. We learned here that the Root will be extended soon to continue on to Forestville State Park. All land has been acquired so that the project can finally become a reality.

Racing Against Time

To County Road 10 and Home: 16.59 miles
Tandem Pedal Time: 1 hour 17 minutes, average speed 12.8

But I don’t want to pack the bike away yet! We began cranking down our country road heading west into the 12-mph winds and 40-degree temperatures unsure just how many miles we could comfortably ride before we would become numb from the cold. As we continued pedaling and an enjoyable conversation began, we were surprised to realize we were soon miles away from home. The only factor preventing us from continuing further down the road was the reality that the sun would be setting at 6:32 p.m. and the lights would go out. We are hoping the snow holds off long enough for us to get at least 3000 miles on the bike for the year—we haven’t seen that number since 2008.  It will take some motivation and dedication but we know it is possible.

Mankato River Ramble

42-Mile Road Route: 41.90 miles
Tandem Pedal Time: 3 hours 13 minutes, average speed 12.9

Despite the 24-degree temperature on this sunny, Sunday morning, we were happy to be in our van and on the road by 5:30 a.m. driving toward Mankato, Minnesota to attend the second annual Mankato River Ramble bike ride. We so enjoyed this ride in 2011 and were looking forward to ending our 2012 bike season with this very special event.

Registration volunteers were cheerfully greeting the 1600 registered riders as they arrived despite the frosty morning air. We collected our riding information and were then directed towards a warm beverage before beginning the 42-mile scenic Lake Crystal Loop. We chose to bring the tandem for this event and as we awaited the 8:30 a.m. ride start, we enjoyed visiting with riders curious about our recumbent bike.

We continue to be amazed with the mass of volunteers willing to give their gift of time in a way that is so very meaningful to us and the volunteers on this Mankato ride are some of the best. The River Rambler organizers excel at organization and include many appreciated details such as assigning these two gents the task of waving riders out with wishes of a pleasant and safe journey—how thoughtful.

As we began pedaling out of the Land of Memories Park, the stream of cars just arriving for the event continued to roll in with their bikes in tow. We pedaled slowly so that we could focus on each sponsor sign that lined the route as we exited the park.

Just 3.5 miles into our ride, we encountered our first rest stop at the Minneopa State Park. We were entertained here by the musical sounds of the Fatheads which we enjoyed while munching on delicious cookies as we gathered around a warm fire. The temperature was cool but we stayed comfortable layered in clothing to prevent the chill from affecting our enjoyment of the ride.

After a thank you wave to the cookie girls, we pedaled away from the park and towards the historic Red Jacket Railway Trestle bridge built in 1901 and newly reopened this biking season. We enjoy working pieces of history into our biking adventures.

We were well-cared for along our route and greatly appreciated this man pointing us towards our next mouthwatering stop—the Rapidan “Pie” Park. The Rapidan Dam Café baked up a tasty variety of award-winning pies and accordian and guitar music by the Bockfest Duo added warmth to the air.

As the SW wind began to increase, we felt an urgency to keep on moving. We biked the next 21 miles out into the country without stopping. We passed through the town of Lake Crystal with its beautiful lakes and then experienced the down hill glide of the “Elevator Shaft”. We were happiest when travelling north with the wind to our back. We finally reached the Judson Bottom Road with its scenic rolling terrain leading us to our next rest stop at Minnemishinona Falls with one more pleasant volunteer inviting us to stop in for a rest, an offer we were happy to accept. More cookies, music and visiting enticed us to take an extended rest before completing the final 7 miles back to the Land of Memories Park.

Our last miles of this journey were along the Minnesota River. We were reminded of the dry season we have had as we looked out over the receding waters.

We finished our ride back where we began and collected our Ramble tee shirts beautifully designed with the trestle bridge across the front. We’ll be marking our calendars for October 6, 2013 so that we can attend the third Annual River Ramble. We so enjoy spending this day with the happy folks of the Mankato River Ramble making memories and meeting new friends.

Our Pumpkin Ride

St. Charles and Home: 11.55 miles
Tandem Pedal Time: 57 minutes, average speed 12.0

What a cold and heavy ride this was. Cold because our bodies are not used to biking in 40-degree temperatures and heavy because we chose to purchase more groceries than planned on this errand. Milk and laundry soap can add pounds quickly to our packs plus the added wind resistance made for another endurance challenge. The monster hill out of St. Charles seemed gracious to us today, though, and we were at the top before fatigue set in. The cold was not an issue now as our bodies seemed to acquire an internal furnace that comforted us all the way home.

High Fashion

Dover Loop: 20.69 miles
Tandem Pedal Time: 1 hour 29 minutes, average speed 13.8

Here we are into October already. The dryness of our summer has not been great for crops but it sure has made for a good biking season. I enjoyed riding in fashion today protected by my new specialized bike helmet. I now have a collection of 3 cracked bike helmets that I can’t seem to part with—any ideas of what I can do with them? We pedaled away from Dover’s Roadtrip Roadhouse and on towards St. Charles via Hwy 14. We wanted that one more opportunity to climb the category 5 hill taking us out into the country—really, we had some local errands to do before turning for home ending another nice biking evening!

Amish plow horse gathering hay in our field on the farm