City Slickers 200k

The City Slickers 200k provides a wonderful opportunity to use a few (of the many) bike-ped trails in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and surrounding communities.  At 200k with minimal climbing, it’s an ideal early-season brevet.  It’s also a popular brevet (30+ riders this year), so there’s a good chance of riding with a local cyclist who knows the route.

This is a ride I’ve wanted to do since joining the Minnesota Randonneurs, and fortunately, a lapse in my work schedule provided an opportunity to participate this year.  I’m glad it worked out…   …the brevet will be remembered for helping a new randonneur complete his first 200k.

Below are a few photos.  Enjoy!  The City Slickers 200k is highly recommended!

(Randonneurs gather at the Lake Street Dunn Brothers)

(Rob Welsh, Minnesota Randonneurs RBA, provides an overview of the day)

(Riding with velomobiles...  ...a first!)

(Crossing the Minnesota River en route to Ft. Snelling State Park)

(Barges along the Mississippi River)

(Crossing the Mississippi River)

(Quickly in a rural setting on the way to Afton...  ...glad for the wide shoulder)

(Freshly tilled fields ready for planting)

(A small section of gravel...  ...I saw a cardinal on this stretch of road)

(Passing through Hudson, WI)

(Crossing the St. Croix River)

(Heading west after a brief stop in Stillwater)

(Passing by the 'World's Largest Snowman' in North St. Paul)

(Brief detour before crossing the Mississippi River)

(A much narrower river only a few miles upstream from the earlier crossing)

(Riding near Maple Grove...   ...more excellent trails)

(Storm approaching from the west)

(Rain and wind passed in time to enjoy the iconic Grain Belt Beer sign)

(Crossing the Mississippi River one last time, with downtown Minneapolis in the background)

Gallatin Valley Rambler 200k

Jason Karp, RBA for Montana, always does a nice job designing excellent routes.  The Gallatin Valley Rambler 200k, held on April 29^th, was no exception.  Using the Karp residence as a central control, the route is essentially two out-and-back loops, first to the west past Three Forks and the second to the southeast around (and then through) Bozeman.  Squeezed in between each loop was an excellent lunch stop organized and prepared by Jason’s wife, Brenda.  She had grilled cheese sandwiches, roasted pepper and tomato soup, and a nice selection of cookies to keep us going.  There was no need to eat at convenience stores during this brevet.

(Riders gathering at the Karp residence)

Unlike my previous brevets in Montana with (at most) a half-dozen riders, a group of 10 participated in the Rambler, with riders coming from Bozeman, Molt, Missoula, Helena, and Jackson (Wyoming).  The weather may have been a factor, as we enjoyed mostly clear skies, light winds, and cool temperatures.  It was certainly a contrast to the preceding day, with rain/skeet/snow squalls common throughout the valley.

Like many brevets, most of the group stayed together early on.  I’ve come to place high value on this part of the ride while warming up the legs and lungs for the day ahead.

(Heading west on Dry Creek Road)

Jason incorporated two short jaunts off Highway 205 as part of the west loop, one to Missouri Headwaters State Park and another toward Buffalo Jump State Park.  I especially enjoyed the latter, as it included some climbing (something I enjoy).  The view overlooking the valley was well worth the brief effort.

(Entrance overlook to Buffalo Jump State Park)

The west loop landscape was dominated by agriculture.  Irrigated crop and alfalfa fields were common, with occasional grass pastures providing new growth for an assortment of livestock.  Some of the livestock included pack animals, as we passed a few pastures with mules.

(One of the many tilled fields with sprinkler irrigation)

(Mules!)

This was my first brevet with a recumbent randonneur.  Lane, from Missoula, expertly guided his Schlitter Encore through the 13 controls over the 10+ hour ride.  I was impressed by how efficiently he managed the many starts-and-stops, particularly through the streets of Bozeman with dual 650b wheels.

(A fascinating machine…)

(…that looks to be an incredibly comfortable ride)

I’ve been intrigued by recumbents lately given the challenges I have with upper back and neck strain during long rides.  The recumbent riding position decreases back/neck strain considerably.

Lane offered the opportunity to try his recumbent at the end of the brevet.  Fortunately, a large parking lot was available across the street from Jason and Brenda’s home, so I gave it my best shot.  With excellent guidance and encouragement from Lane, I was able to make a loop around the parking lot on my fourth try.  The experience left me intrigued to learn more about recumbents.

One aspect of riding in Montana that I particularly enjoy are the people I get to ride with.  Friendly and thoughtful are two words that immediately come to mind.  My experience with a rear flat near the end of the ride underscored my positive feelings towards these great group of people.

(Rear flat within 10 miles of the finish…)

(…and the group I was riding with stopped and waited.  Nice!)

The Gallatin Valley Rambler 200k is an ideal early-season brevet.  Starting and ending in Belgrade, Montana, the route covers a significant portion of the Gallatin Valley with limited climbing, mostly quiet roads, and a visit to the Missouri River headwaters, all surrounded by 360° of beautiful snow-capped mountains.  It is a great way to start the randonneuring season.

(Bridger Mountains in the background)

Ride Report – Northern Pancake 200k

The first brevet of the season took me to northern Minneapolis on May 3^rd for a nearly flat 200k with 30 other randonneurs.  The temperatures were ideal for riding (50s°F), but a shifting wind made for some challenging sections.  Finishing in just over nine hours on my Specialized Roubaix was not unsurprising given the lack of time I’ve had in the saddle so far this year.  Needless to say, this was a ride of ‘base miles’.

(Riding together prior to the second control)

Still, I enjoyed connecting with a few riders from last year’s Munger Bungo, and even managed to meet a couple folks due to some unfortunate circumstances (helped one rider switch out tubes following a double puncture within the first 15 miles, and then stopped following an unfortunate crash by another rider also early in the brevet).

(Refueling at the Princeton, MN SuperAmerica – Control #3)

I expect to return at least once this year to participate in another brevet organized by the Minnesota Randonneurs.  They do a great job with planning and communication (now with a Facebook page).  I’m fortunate they are within a seven hour drive of Bismarck.

(First 2014 brevet in the rear view mirror)