General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Bike Route Ideas - North Metro Rss Feed  
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2009-04-13 8:15 AM

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Arden Hills, MN
Subject: Bike Route Ideas - North Metro
Anyone have any good 70-80 mile routes in the north metro area they'd like to share? If possible I'd prefer roads with shoulders.

I biked this route on Sunday which was ok although the road east of Big Marine Park Reserve (Old Guslander Trail) was fairly rough.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/training/map.asp?route...













2009-04-13 9:36 AM
in reply to: #2080351

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Subject: RE: Bike Route Ideas - North Metro

I don't have any routes in mind, but I highly recommend the Twin Cities Bicycling Club Bike Atlas.  There are dozens of routes all over and around the metro area.  The atlas comes with an interactive CD where you can print off each map and cue sheets for the routes as well.  I know that there are a few long routes up north and northeast of St. Paul in the atlas.  The routes in the atlas are pretty good too, since many of them are routes used by the bike club.

If you don't want to buy the atlas online, I've seen them for sale in many of the local bike shops.  Check it out.

2009-04-13 10:01 AM
in reply to: #2080548

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Arden Hills, MN
Subject: RE: Bike Route Ideas - North Metro
Excellent idea - I will have to pick one of these up. I tend to be a creature of habit and I'm getting bored riding the same 2 or 3 routes over and over and over and over...
2009-04-14 11:32 PM
in reply to: #2080351

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Subject: RE: Bike Route Ideas - North Metro
I've got a couple decent decent routes of that distance in the northeast to southeast metro. Most mileage has decent shoulders but with any route of that distance there's sections that aren't so hot.

BTW, you start about 4 mi west of me. Come out through WBL and we'll log some miles and I'll show you around.



DB - 2009-04-13 8:15 AM

Anyone have any good 70-80 mile routes in the north metro area they'd like to share? If possible I'd prefer roads with shoulders.

I biked this route on Sunday which was ok although the road east of Big Marine Park Reserve (Old Guslander Trail) was fairly rough.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/training/map.asp?route...











2009-04-15 8:23 AM
in reply to: #2080351

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Subject: RE: Bike Route Ideas - North Metro
From Arden Hills, you can head down 96, then up Hodgson/Rice, and out toward Blaine... head back from Blaine, over to Hugo. You could cruise out to WBL, then get on the Withrow course, and head up past Taylor's Falls. Or do part of that loop then down into Afton via 15/Manning.

The East/N.east side has FABULOUS shoulders and roads (well, okay...95 has some sketchy bits where it's bumpy, but...). I lived in Shoreview for a few years, and the riding rocked. Now, I'm over by Lake Elmo, and I think I have even more options than I did in Shoreview.
2009-04-16 7:36 AM
in reply to: #2085514

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Subject: RE: Bike Route Ideas - North Metro
Yep. That's my stompin' grounds. x2 with respect to hwy 95 + bad traffic.


mmrocker13 - 2009-04-15 8:23 AM

From Arden Hills, you can head down 96, then up Hodgson/Rice, and out toward Blaine... head back from Blaine, over to Hugo. You could cruise out to WBL, then get on the Withrow course, and head up past Taylor's Falls. Or do part of that loop then down into Afton via 15/Manning.

The East/N.east side has FABULOUS shoulders and roads (well, okay...95 has some sketchy bits where it's bumpy, but...). I lived in Shoreview for a few years, and the riding rocked. Now, I'm over by Lake Elmo, and I think I have even more options than I did in Shoreview.


2009-04-16 8:42 AM
in reply to: #2080351

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Subject: RE: Bike Route Ideas - North Metro
Hey guys - thanks for the ideas.

Have either of you taken the bike path that comes out of hugo north through Forest Lake, Stacy, etc? I'm curious what kind of conditions it's in and if you have to deal with a ton of stop signs, intersections, etc.

I'm planning on playing hookie from work tomorrow and getting my long ride out of the way since it's supposed to be nice and the wife and I were thinking of taking Lake Drive north to Forest Lake and then jumping on the bike path and heading north. But I could also just stay right on 61...


2009-04-16 9:16 AM
in reply to: #2088389

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Subject: RE: Bike Route Ideas - North Metro
I THINK you can take that path that parallels 61 all the way as far as Duluth--but I haven't done it. We'd hop on it in HUgo and ride for a while (from SHoreview it's a ways to Hugo)...I seem to recall (haven't been out there in a couple of years) some stop signs/intersections, but nothing that really held me up too much--esp. if you're paying attention.
2009-04-16 9:17 AM
in reply to: #2088220

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Subject: RE: Bike Route Ideas - North Metro
We should get a group ride together some day (if I ever get my bike off the trainer :p). Where in WBL are you coming from?
2009-04-16 9:57 AM
in reply to: #2088493

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Subject: RE: Bike Route Ideas - North Metro
Not sure how far the path parallels hwy 61. I've ridden it north past Forest Lake and for the most part it's in great shape. There are plenty of driveways crossing it, but not too many stopsigns. Depending on when you go, there can be lots of peds/family bikers that take up the whole trail but that's mostly near the towns.

Shoulder on 61 is really nice, but till we get some rain there's lots of debris (i.e. risk of flats).


mmrocker13 - 2009-04-16 9:16 AM

I THINK you can take that path that parallels 61 all the way as far as Duluth--but I haven't done it. We'd hop on it in HUgo and ride for a while (from SHoreview it's a ways to Hugo)...I seem to recall (haven't been out there in a couple of years) some stop signs/intersections, but nothing that really held me up too much--esp. if you're paying attention.
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