Windy Trail Ride

Tri-County & the Douglas Trails: 54.54 miles
TANDEM Pedal Time: 4 hours 26 minutes, average speed 12.2

Is the bike season officially here? Snow is still in the forecast but on this beautiful day we need not worry. The temperature shot to 80 degrees on the sunny side of the trail. We started off on the Tri-County Trail near Eyota and biked the complete trail to Plainview and back in the morning for a total of 27.73 miles but we weren’t ready to quit just yet so drove to Rochester to bike the Douglas Trail to Pine Island and back to add another 26.81 miles to today’s ride. The trail was very busy with walkers, skaters and cyclists. It’s great to see everyone enjoying the trail.

April Miles: 198.33
Total 2013 Miles: 277.92

Attack of the Grasshoppers

Tri-County Trail: 53.31 miles Tandem Pedal Time: 4 hours 15 minutes, average speed 12.5

With our morning chores out of the way, we had the afternoon to play. It was agreed we would bike from home to pick up the Tri-County Bike Trail near Eyota and then bike the trail into Elgin. We noted the temperature was in the 90’s as we began pedaling down the road but a slight breeze out of the south added comfort to our ride. We stopped in Saint Charles for a Subway lunch and then pedaled down US-14 towards Eyota. We cranked our pedals around and around for 18 grueling miles before we pulled onto the Tri-County Trail to enjoy a 2+ mile non-pedal glide towards Viola, MN. The attack of the grasshoppers began shortly after we reached the trail. They continued to jump onto various parts of our bodies causing us to jerk and twitch which made for a rather unsmooth tandem ride.

At 25 miles into our route we found ourselves in Elgin and directly in our path was the Huddle Bar & Grill. This bar not only offered a cool place for us to rest but also provided an extremely friendly atmosphere. From the time we stepped inside we were greeted by all with introductions and friendly chatter. Dennis was surprised to learn that the bartender was married to the daughter of a VoTech teacher he had in the 70’s—small world.

It was now time to turn this bike around and head for home. Remember those 2+ miles of downhill? Well, we now got to repeat those miles but in reverse—always up for a challenge. Once on US-14 we had no problem enjoying the wind at our backs as we pedaled towards supper awaiting us in Dover at the Roadhouse. We hate to eat and run but the sun was already starting to crawl below the horizon and we still had 10 miles to go.

We pedaled down our driveway as the sun quietly slipped from the sky. This trip of 53 miles will definitely be a repeater—such an enjoyable day.

One Warm Ride

Dover-Eyota-Elgin-St. Charles-Utica-Home: 62.06 miles
Comments: Ride Time was 4 hours 49 minutes, average speed: 12.8

We finally had a day with no worries. We could head out knowing we had the whole day to ride without interference. We decided to revisit the Tri-County Trail. We were biking down our driveway by 9:00 a.m. and enjoying the tailwind as we continued towards Eyota.

Outside of Eyota, we picked up the Tri-County Trail and continued on the trail until we reached Elgin. We chatted with other bikers as we pedaled towards Elgin making the trail miles go by very quickly. We reached Elgin a bit too early for lunch so decided to extend our ride to Utica where Brewskies was sure to have a hearty lunch and cold beverages to help chill us on what became a very hot biking day. It’s amazing how the heat affects energy levels.

After our Brewskies break, the cyclocomputer on the bike registered 102° and we were really feeling it. We had to keep reminding ourselves that we were almost home. The last half of our ride was also plagued with high winds forcing us to keep the pedals turning even on the downhill glides. Our ride was a challenge today but the effort was worth it.

In the News

Tri-County Trail: 16.50 miles
Comments: Ride Time was 1 hour 3 minutes, average speed: 15.5

Great biking weather has returned to Minnesota just in time to christen an 8-mile extension of an existing state bike trail. Bikers were called to Elgin, MN to ride the Tri-County segment of trail running from Elgin to Olmsted County Road 9. Dennis and I were joined by 12 other enthusiastic riders to pedal the new portion of the trail completed just 10 days earlier. Rochester sent a Channel 6 reporter to film the event and interview organizers responsible for the new trail. The Plainview newspaper was also collecting information for their press. A group picture was taken and then Dennis and I led the pack setting a speed record on the tandem for this year. The trail is very nice and plans are in the works to connect this portion of the trail to Chester Woods Park near Rochester. We appreciate the hard work that goes into providing these recreational trails for all to enjoy.

Unchartered Territory

Tri-County Bike Trail: 26.59 miles
Comments: Ride Time was 2 hour 8 minutes, average speed: 12.4

This was the day to try a new trail. We drove to Eyota to bike the newly-paved Tri-County Bike Trail. The temperature was in the low 60’s and the winds were mild so we settled in for a comfortable afternoon of riding. One mile into our trip and unexpectedly the trail turned to gravel. What to do now? We decided to continue down the path. The bike tires can handle packed gravel such as this but we found we only had to pedal two miles on the rocky surface before we were surprised again to see the return of smooth pavement which continued for the rest of our journey. The trail currently travels past Viola, Elgin and into Plainview. The stretch from Eyota to Elgin will be beautiful when completed. The path from Elgin to Plainview follows Hwy 42 and is not as enjoyable. This trail is only the beginning of a planned expansion to connect Rochester to southeastern Minnesota. Bicycle awareness is growing in leaps and bounds captivating the attention of law makers across the country and helping to make road biking safer and reminding us all to “SHARE THE ROAD!”