Come join us for a 3.5 mile hike through Theodore Wirth Park, including the Quaking Bog, and around Brownie Lake. We will be on hilly, mostly dirt packed trails except when crossing over 394 to get to Brownie. Park in the Wirth Lake Beach parking lot where there is also a biffy if needed. Look for our dark gray Highlander. Afterwards, join us at Mill Valley Market a mile north on Wirth Pkwy at the Trailhead where there are numerous choices for food and beverages. Hope to see you there!

Saint Paul Happy Hour #12

Now that cooler weather is here, I will be using shorter routes that will not include stops for food. There will be restroom stops as needed.

This will be a TCBC ‘B’ ride, but because of the many trails, the average speed will only be about 13 mph. My goal will be to keep the group together by regrouping whenever it is needed. If there are 8 or more riders, I will ask for an additional ride leader to ride sweep.

We will be riding on the Bruce Vento Trail and Wheelock Bikeway to Como Park. Then return on the Reservoir Woods Trail, Trout Brook Trail, Gateway Trail and Bruce Vento Trail.

We will have a short restroom break at the Como Lakeside Pavilion (Dock and Paddle) at mile 9.

With the increased popularity of this ride, I would like to ask everyone to park in the large 11 Wells Spirits parking lot and ride your bike the short distance to the Saint Paul Brewing entrance. This will allow brewery customers to park closer to the brewery.

The ride briefing will be at the Saint Paul Brewery entrance. Rest rooms will be available at the ride start, inside Saint Paul Brewing.

I will not have any maps/cue sheets at the ride start, so please download the route to the ‘Ride with GPS’ app on your phone or onto your GPS bike computer. Or to print a map and cue sheet, click the GPS Route Link below, then click on More in the black box above the ride name, then Print Map & Cue PDF then Print Official.

After the ride, socializing, beer, and food will be at Saint Paul Brewing. They have one of the most interesting and beautiful outdoor beer gardens, but this time of year we will probably be more comfortable inside. Happy hour beer pricing will go until 4 PM.

For those interested, we will be leading a hike/walk starting at 11:00 am on Thursday, December 5, from Big Willow park at - 11522 Minnetonka Blvd, Minnetonka Mills, MN 55305
Meet the group in the parking lot by the baseball fields and playground, not the City Public Works.  
The restrooms are not yet open for the season, so please try instead to use a gas station about a mile west before driving to the hike's starting parking lot.

This will be about a 4.0 mile total walk/hike, with a little of everything, starts on tar trail, then firm-pack trail, then even some well-trod grassland.
There are a couple of short steep hill climbs, and we also walk by the babbling brook that is Minnehaha Creek, and also along some railroad tracks, and over a couple foot bridges.
Pets are allowed on the Big Willow park trails. 
The frost is in/out of the ground, so it could be muddy or slippery in spots. 
We will be wearing hiking boots (not tennies) and walking/hiking at a casual/relaxed pace.  
May want to bring binoculars and/or walking sticks.
 

Here is a route map:  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45856965
Optional lunch is about 3 miles into the route, at Station Pizzeria in Minnetonka Mills, with a then 1 mile walk back to the parking lot afterwards.
Please text/call us at 612-839-5406

Walks and Hikes are covered by our club's insurance, if posted on our club's ride calendar by a current ride leader (which we are).

As always - attendees must be current TCBC members for the insurance coverage, Guests are welcome but only covered on their first event.  

Please register for this hike event on the TCBC Ride Calendar entry for December 5.

This is a “flat as can be 202k ACP Brevet". It is intended also as a winter permanent or brevet with as little climbing as possible.

This ride is sponsored by Minnesota Randonneurs. Please go to http://www.MnRando.org for more details and to officially register for the ride. There are membership requirements: you do need to be a Randonneurs USA member which covers ride insurance, collecting and managing RUSA ride statistics and randonneur award levels. You can sign up with RUSA at www.RUSA.org. Membership is $30 for 2024.  You can also join Minnesota Randonneurs for $25/year or pay a one day ride fee of $5.

The latest GPS link and cue sheet will be available on the MnRando site after you register for the ride

Please note that this event is not a TCBC ride and although TCBC members can receive mileage credit for riding it, the ride is not covered by our LAB insurance. Minnesota Randonneurs, through Randonneurs USA, has their own LAB insurance policy coverage.

Global Fat Bike Day

Since 2012, the first Saturday in December has been designated as “Global Fat Bike Day”. There will be fat bike rides all over the world. My version will be in Como Park, with an option of going to the Reservoir Woods trails. The route will use paved trails, singletrack dirt/snow trails and grass, meandering past many of Como Parks scenic features. The Como Park route is 7.5 miles and is suitable for all Fat Bike skill levels. We will do 1 or 2 laps with a short break/bathroom stop at the Como Park Pavilion between laps. Each lap will take about 1 hour to complete. If there is any interest in riding more singletrack, the second lap can be in Reservoir Woods, which is more suited to intermediate skilled Fat Bikers. I will lead at a moderate ‘Fat Bike’ pace and regroup as needed.

The ride briefing will be in the grassy area between the pavilion and the Hamm Memorial waterfall.

Park your car in the parking lot on the south side of the pavilion. If that lot is full, there is a parking lot on the north side of the pavilion. Restrooms are available on the north side of the pavilion and the second floor of the pavilion. The route starts on the bike trail on the south side of the pavilion.

After the ride, please consider joining me for a post ride beer and lunch at the Dock and Paddle.

Join us for our fun “night ride” adventure on gravel trails and singletrack thru the woods of Minnetonka.

Mountain bikes and Fat Tire bikes are best on these rides.  This is a NIGHT ride, so a good headlight and tail light are required.  

Please park on Burwell St. next to Station Pizza (not in the Station Pizza parking lot).

Join us for our "Half a Pancake 101k", our monthly Winter Populaire. The route is somewhat similar to the well known Northern Pancake. It starts at the same location and heads north to East Bethel, the only stop at the turnaround at mile 30. The route is flat and features quiet roads through fields, forests, and some lakes.  

This ride is sponsored by Minnesota Randonneurs. Please go to http://www.MnRando.org for more details and to officially register for the ride. There are membership requirements: you do need to be a Randonneurs USA member which covers ride insurance, collecting and managing RUSA ride statistics and randonneur award levels. You can sign up with RUSA at www.RUSA.org. Membership is $30 for 2024.  You can also join Minnesota Randonneurs for $25/year or pay a one day ride fee of $5.

The latest GPS link and cue sheet will be available on the MnRando site after you register for the ride

Please note that this event is not a TCBC ride and although TCBC members can receive mileage credit for riding it, the ride is not covered by our LAB insurance. Minnesota Randonneurs, through Randonneurs USA, has their own LAB insurance policy coverage.

Join us for our fun “night ride” adventure on gravel trails and singletrack thru the woods of Minnetonka.

Mountain bikes and Fat Tire bikes are best on these rides.  This is a NIGHT ride, so a good headlight and tail light are required.  

Please park on Burwell St. next to Station Pizza (not in the Station Pizza parking lot).