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Outreach Rides for 2008:

These special category rides are non-TCBC rides that are eligible for TCBC mileage credit, but are not covered by TCBC insurance. Outreach rides are designed to increase our members’ visibility in and support of non-pledge biking events in the broader biking community. A TCBC leader will be present at qualifying Outreach Rides to give a ride briefing and allow members to sign up for mileage, but it is the sole responsibility of participating members to sign up for and pay the registration fee for the event. The organizers of the event are solely responsible for its quality and safety. Members are strongly encouraged to wear their TCBC jerseys when participating in Outreach Rides.

Ride Leaders: Outreach Ride Policy

May 18

Sierra Century near Eau Claire, WI

Sunday, May 18th - Join me and others on this uniquely scenic bike ride and make Mother Nature proud. Decide as you ride - routes are 12, 30, 60, 80 or 100 miles. Meet Ride Leader @ 8:00 am next to registration table at the Wise Nature Center in Beaver Creek Reserve north of Fall Creek (12 miles east of Eau Claire, Wisconsin)

Registration includes lunch after the ride and food and drink reststops during the ride along with support vehicles. Get their early bird rate of $17.00 if postmarked by Saturday, May 10th, and consider for a moment adding a little more to your check as a donation. See the ride's advertisement the May of TCBC NEWS and visit http://wisconsin.sierraclub.org/chippewa/century.htm - for more details and to download the pdf registration form.

Ride rolling hills on lightly traveled roads through forests, past Amish farms, and if you choose, along a new 100 mile loop south of Osseo that features beautiful ridge top views. Remember to wear a TCBC jersey and/or socks if you have them. TCBC Ride Leader, Kristine Poelzer, 651-633-1127 voice mail press 4.

Lodging options: call 1-800-344-FUNN or just reserve a room at the Antler's Motel 715-834-5313 AAA and AARP discount rates - ask for Mary (the owner) and tell her 'Kristine with TCBC' referred you.

On Sunday, May 18th, ride your bike in the Chippewa Valley Sierra Club bike ride and put money in the hands of schools to take groups of kids outside to improve the environment. Indeed, the ride brochure says "Support a great cause. Proceeds from the ride fund environmental education grants to area public schools."

When deciding to lead this bike event as an Outreach Ride, I checked out the website to see exactly what 'conservation' is being tackled by the members of this Sierra Club. They are a bit modest. The paragraph on their Conservation webpage starts out with "A few of the conservation issues of concern to our Group's members include Ice Age Trail work around the Chippewa Moraine...." and then goes on and on to list twelve other initiatives. And that's just in the section for local conservation. Their work extends to state and national conservation issues as well.

As usual, following a link on a website pays off with new discovery. Check out www.BeaverCreekReserve.org for photos of this hidden place of beauty and remarkable resources such as the Hobbs Observatory, miles of hiking trails, trout streams, and more. There's no better place to start/end this Sunday ride than the Wise Nature Center in Beaver Creek Reserve (BCR). The BCR is located 5 miles north of Fall Creek, Wisconsin and 12 miles east of Eau Claire; about a two hour drive from the Twin Cities.

May 25

Leinenkugel's Chippewa Valley Century Ride

35, 50, 75, or 100 mile options
REGISTRATION:  7:00 - 10:00 AM
 
The ride starts and finishes at the lower pavilion of Irvine Park -Chippewa Falls,WI.  Participants can register from 7:00 to 10:00 AM and immediately start ride.  TCBC Leaders John Hoffmann and Herb Schultz will be present at registration pavilion for mileage and briefing particulars until registration ends a 10:00 AM.  Fees are $20 before May 16, $25 after May 16.  Fee includes:  Rest stops with food and water; Sag wagon; Brat Feed.  T-shirts available starting at $15.  The course is all on blacktop roads and traverses beautiful farmland of Chippewa County along Chippewa and Flambeau Rivers, Lakes Wissota and Holcombe, and through the kettle moraine topography of the Chippewa County Forest.  Contact:  Chippewa Valley Century Ride, P.O. Box 975, Chippewa Falls, WI  54729.  www.chippewavalleyride.us, Lodging information @ www.chippewachamber.org   Tel:  866-723-0340.  Registration and Waiver forms available on line and at select bike shops in WI and MN.
 
Directions to Irvine Park:  From West on I-94 (Twin Cities)  Take I-94 to Chippewa Falls exit 52- Hwy 29 East, follow Hwy 29 East 20 miles into Chippewa Falls.  Take exit 79 (Business 29).  Travel approx. 4 miles into Chippewa Falls. Follow Hwy 124 North signs through Chippewa Falls.
 
Irvine Park is on your left (Leinenkugels is on your right).  Park in lot adjacent to city swimming pool.  John Hoffmann  715-834-7897;  Herb Schultz  952-941-4381,  Cell at ride  715-379-1074 and 952-334-5382.

Jun 7

Tour of Lakes

35 or 70 miles.  Join in the FUN on Tour of Lakes (TOL), an event ride sponsored by the Paul Bunyan Cyclists in the Brainerd Lakes area.  Be part of the train of TCBC jerseys as we make our way from one delicious rest stop to the next via the scenic low-traffic roads of the area.  The tour is known for its varied and plentiful rest stops (think ‘rolling buffet’), with past tours featuring such treats as blueberry pancakes, breakfast sausages, fresh fruit, beef & chicken tacos, hot turkey sandwiches, corn on the cob, cheesecake, root beer floats...you get the idea!!!  You DEFINITELY will not be in "calorie deficit" mode after this ride! 

• Registration:  Pre-registration is required by MAY 1.  To register for the ride, go to www.paulbunyancyclists.com and click on ‘Tour of Lakes’.  TOL does NOT accept registrations postmarked after that date and consequently, no "day of ride” registration is available.  Cost is $22 and includes ride support, rest stops, and a t-shirt.  You must be registered for the ride and attend the ride briefing in order to get mileage credit. 
   
• Ride start time/departure location:  Ride departs from the Crosslake Community Center (14126 Daggett Pine Road, Cross Lake, MN 56442).  Consider getting to the Community Center early to allow time for parking, check-in, picking up your t-shirt & taking it to back to your car, etc. To the extent practicable, we will ride together in a few groups based on pace as it’s a LOT OF FUN to be part of a train of TCBC cyclists, all in our club jerseys, rolling down the road!  Speaking of TCBC jerseys, be sure to wear yours (the most recent one) if you have one!  If you don’t have one and are interested in getting one, please let me know as there are a few left over from last year.

More Info for Tour of Lakes Weekend

Jun 21

Jordan Valley Bike Tour

8:00 AM; 5th Annual Jordan Valley Bike Tour. 12, 20, 35, 60 mile routes. Depart from Mini-Met in downtown Jordan (Rice & Water Sts). Join the 5th annual ride through scenic, rural Scott & LeSueur counties. Pleasant mixture of hills & long flat stretches on low traffic roads. Four distances to choose from (with options), five rest stops with refreshments, 10-20 miles apart. SAG service. After the ride check out the Jordan Art Festival. Cost $20 & up (earlybird discount thru 6/10). 350-400 riders.

Leader: Tim Bischke 952.492.2088 cell at ride: 612.298.0851; timbee205@gmail.com, for more info see: www.jvbt.org or email at info@jordanvalleybiketour.org

Ride sponsored by Jordan Chamber of Commerce to raise funds for bike safety & trail development in the local area.

Jun 21

Superior Vistas Bike Tour

Join me and others on Saturday, June 21st, for this fully supported ride in Washburn, Wisconsin, with food/beverage stops en-route and at the finish - don't miss the music, locally grown strawberries and locally made ice cream & baked goods. An amazing array of route choices - 13, 19, 34, 52, or 68 mile loops - for example the 19 & 34 mile loops offer a swimming beach at the reststop and the 52 and 68 miles loops include 20 miles of smooth and sweet blacktop through the wilderness of the National Forest.

Lodging in the area is hard to come by due to the Lake Superior location so you can check the website www.SuperiorVistas.org or phone 1-800-284-9484

OR

You can book a room where I have about 20 miles away at the Bad River Lodge, Casino and Convention Center, 123 Maple Street, US Hwy 2 in Odanah, Wisconsin - toll free (800) 777-7449   http://www.badriver.com/lodge.html  Their price fits my budget. Ask for Norm and tell him Kristine with TCBC referred you.

Meet me @ 8:00 am next to registration table at Thompson's West End Park in Washburn, WI on the shores of Lake Superior.  $20 for individuals and $45 for families when registration is postmarked by June 6th. Hot showers available after the ride for 50 cents. You can print (then mail) the pdf of the registration form from the website. Remember to wear a TCBC jersey and/or socks if you have them. TCBC Ride Leader: Kristine Poelzer 651-633-1127

Jul 19

Split Rock Bike Tour – 32nd year! – Duluth, MN

100% of your entry fee is donated to Courage Duluth and Union Gospel Mission. All costs associated with putting on this bicycle event are provided through donations from the tour sponsors and supporters. Velo Duluth is a long-standing bike club in Duluth, Minnesota and club members have more than 30 years of experience in planning and conducting this excellent one day annual bicycle tour that starts and ends in Duluth and goes along the beautiful north shore of Lake Superior with the most spectacular views.

Pre-registration by mail is preferred by July 11.  If postmarked on or before July 11, the individual cost is $25 and $35 for a family (2 adults and 2 children under the age of 18). Cost after July 11: $30 for individual; $40 for family. To register for the ride, go to www.VeloDuluth.org  and click on ‘download brochure’.  Cost includes ride support, route maps, and food and beverages at the rest stops.

In order to get TCBC mileage credit, you must be a paid ride registrant and meet the TCBC Ride Leader @ 8:00 am next to the registration table to sign the TCBC Ride Report sheet and attend the TCBC ride briefing (cell phone at the ride start: 612-759-0990). Since this is a TCBC OUTREACH ride we want to promote our club as we support this bicycle event so wear a TCBC jersey and/or socks if you have them.  The morning of the ride, you’ll want to allow time to park your vehicle and complete check-in with the ride sponsor prior to meeting the TCBC Ride Leader – registration opens at 6:30 am.

Lodging in Duluth can be hard to find so make your arrangements as quickly as possible. Back in April, staff with VISIT DULUTH helped in finding a lodging location at which the TCBC Ride Leader made her reservation: Voyageur Lakewalk Inn at 333 East Superior Street (218-722-3911 http://www.voyageurlakewalkinn.com) with 10 rooms at a rate of $75.00 per night for a one bed or $84.00 per night for a two bed. This Inn is centrally located close to downtown Duluth, the lakewalk paved trail, and the tourist haven Canal shops as well as just a 7 block (.67 mile) ride straight on Superior Street to the registration table location.  Check with the Voyageur Lakewalk Inn for a room or contact VISIT DULUTH for other options: 1-800-438-5884.  Many hotels/motels release room blocks as early as 30 days prior to an overnight stay so you may find something open that wasn’t available earlier.

New for this year, the registration table is at the convenient Ordean Building in downtown Duluth (street address is 424 West Superior Street - see the brochure or website for directions). The place to go is the lower lobby of the building - entrance is located on Michigan Street.  Parking ramp is across from the Ordean Building on the other side of Michigan Street and free parking has been arranged for the day. Note: If you are using a car top bike carrier, there is not clearance for bikes in the ramp. You will have to take the bikes – and maybe the carrier - off before entering the ramp or park across the highway in Playfront Park.

Route distances are 20, 40, 60, and 100 miles. All routes are out-and-back along the north shore of Lake Superior. The distances correspond to the rest stops provided. Participants have the option to check-in at registration location and then drive up to the edge of town and start their ride at Brighton Beach. This is about a 7 mile drive. This way the ride through town is avoided. From Brighton Beach riders follow the Old Scenic Highway 61. This is a two lane road with very wide shoulders that follows the shoreline of Lake Superior. This is the same route that the popular Grandma's Marathon follows every June. It is relatively flat between Brighton Beach and Knife River, a 25 mile round trip.

Some unique challenges exist. Temperatures can be 5-10 degrees cooler along the shoreline than away from it. While the routes are mostly flat with some rolling hills, weather can create some big challenges. Wind can be a factor along Lake Superior. Keep in mind that if you have a tailwind on the way out, you will most likely have a headwind coming back. Be prepared for varied weather conditions. Sudden weather changes can occur along the big lake with afternoon storms that can bring winds, rain, and 10-20 degree drop in temperature over a very short period of time. You can stash a rain jacket in your jersey pocket or bike bag along with other items you might want to have along just in case you need them.

All in all this is a ride like no other – so join us for the first time or come back as a repeat rider!

TCBC Ride Leader: Kristine Poelzer, kpoelzer@msn.com , home: 651-633-1127 voice mail #3, cell phone at the ride start: 612-759-0990

Aug 16

Dairyland Dare

Self-start 6 to 9 AM for 100k (7,000 feet), 200k (15,000 feet), or 300k (19,000 feet). The "dare' is to do the 300k within daylight hours. If you liked the HHH, missed the HHH and want to do a similar ride in the same area, or just want a greater challenge, the Dairyland Dare is the ride for you. Register for one of the Dairyland Dare (http://www.dairylanddare.com/) distances and sign-up at the TCBC ride briefing. Because the Dairyland Dare allows a self-start between 6 AM and 9 AM, the TCBC sign-up and ride briefing will occur the preceding evening, August 15, to allow riders to select their preferred start time. Notify the outreach reader of your intention to participate and meet at 6 PM, Friday, August 15, at the Dodgeville Best Western, 1130 North Johns Street, Dodgeville, WI 53533. Contact the outreach ride leader to schedule an alternate ride briefing time if necessary. Wear a TCBC jersey if you have one. See “Outreach Rides” section of the newsletter for more information. NO TCBC INSURANCE. Steve Scholl, 651-699-1203 (h), 651-341-0597 (c), srs428@msn.com.

Aug 24

Harvest Ride 2008 - Hudson, WI

Enjoy rest stops, sag, maps, and then fruit pie & ice cream served at ride end! Register online at: http://spreetouring.com/Harvest%20Ride%20Bicycle%20Event.html The 25 and 65 mile routes tour across easy rolling prairies. In addition to rolling prairies, the century route will provide a couple of nice climbs and great views. Note: the ride start is between 7-9am, so let's gather at 8:30am for the briefing. Wear your TCBC jersey if possible. See you there! Scott Weinberg scott-weinberg 'at' msn 'dot' com.

Sep 6

Jesse James Bike Tour

8:00 AM 10/30/45/60/100 mi. Scenic countryside ride around Northfield and lakes region west of Faribault .  Register for Jesse James Bike Tour (http://jessejamesbiketour.org/)  and meet at 8 AM front of school for sign-up and ride briefing.  Wear a TCBC jersey if you have one.  See “Outreach Rides” section of the newsletter for more information. NO TCBC INSURANCE. Steve Scholl, 651-699-1203 (h), 651-341-0597 (c), srs428@msn.com.

Sep 7

DOOR COUNTY CENTURY OUTREACH RIDE

30, 64,75, 100 mi. Depart from Sevastopol School in the town of Institute. Ride briefing by the registration area. All riders must be members and registered to receive mileage credit. Wear a TCBC jersey. No TCBC insurance.

REGISTRATION: Registration deadline($40 by July 30 or $50 by August 31) is before September 1 with no day-of ride registration. Register online www.doorcountycentury.com or by mail, downloading the registration form. Fee includes the ride, water bottle, rest stop refreshments, and a ticket to a post-ride spaghetti dinner with cherry or apple pie. A long sleeve T-shirt, Sunday breakfast and a Sat fish boil can be ordered as extras.

*Pick up packet on Saturday 3-8 PM at Sevastopol School plus check out local bike shop sales in the gym.

Questions? Contact Katie Angle katie.jim@comcast.net or 763-208-3595. See Overnight Trips page for more info.

Sep 21

10th Annual Western Wisconsin Autumn Trek

September 21, Sunday. Registration starts at 7:30 AM Hoffman Park, River Falls, Wisconsin. Meet Ride Leader by Registration Table for TCBC check-in between 7:30 and 8:15 AM. 25, 45, 65 and 100 mile options. Well marked routes and trail maps. Sag wagon & Radio Support, Rest Stops. Circle K Apple Festival with Civil War reenactments. Ride must be completed by 3:30 PM. Fees: Individual $25, Tandem $40, Student $15, Family Maximum $50. Brochure and Registration form at: http://www.rivervalleytrails.org/AutumnTrekBrochb08.pdf.