Overnight Trips for 2010:

Jan 22-29

RIDE ‘EM TEXAS HILLS

Howdy pardners!

Time to saddle up again and ride the roads of the Texas Hill Country. Our 7th annual bike trip is again headquartered out of Marble Falls, Texas, about 50 miles west of Austin. We will be offering eight days of riding, commencing the afternoon of Friday, January 22nd, 2010, and ending the afternoon of Friday, January 29th. There are no upfront costs. You will be responsible for your own meals, transportation, and accommodations.

This will be a regular TCBC A/B ride. Self-sufficient B riders are welcome to join us. Our routes will vary in length from 30 - 65 miles per day and will depart around 10:30 AM. There MAY BE some options for additional miles. Some routes will leave directly from the Best Western Motel in Marble Falls, whereas some start destinations will necessitate a short drive. Routes will not have been previewed or ridden since last year, so you must possess a “go with the flow” attitude. There is no sag service. Also, be sure that your bike is in good working order, as the closet bike shop is in Austin, 50 miles away.

January is traditionally the coldest time of the year in Minnesota, making it the perfect time for a getaway. Come join us on the quiet, rolling rural roads of the Texas Hill Country. You won’t find the terrain as steep as some of the Wisconsin hills, but it’s not flat, hence the name. You will enjoy Texas BBQ, courteous drivers, acres of cattle ranches, horses, and maybe you will spot an armadillo. Most of all, you’ll find good biking with good people.

Good Times - Yee Haw!

You have several options for transportation: You can drive from Minneapolis to Marble Falls (1200 miles). Fly into Dallas (4 hours away), San Antonio (1 1/2 hours away) or Austin (1 hour away), rent a car and drive to Marble Falls.

As for accommodations:

Best Western (830-693-5122) This is where most people have stayed in the past.
Quality Inn (830-693-7531).
Hill Country Inn (830-693-3637) (slightly less for the budget inclined).
Hampton Inn (830-798-1895).
La Quinta Inn (830-798-2020)
Wallace Guest House B&B (830-798-9808) http://www.thewallaceguesthouse.com

Rides will originate at the Best Western.

I would like to get some idea of the number of people coming. If you are interested, please call or email the Trip Leader. We would also like to coordinate car pooling for people driving down. If you have any questions or need more information, please call or email.

Click on http://tx2010.sports.officelive.com/default.aspx for the latest news and updates.

Trip leader: Susan Evan, 612-729-1441, bikersusan-at-hotmail.com

Mar 6-13

BikeAZona 2010

By the time March arrives, you are going to want to get out of snowy Minnesota and you’ll be ready to ride in sunshine and warmth. Once again we will be hosting 8 days of biking under the blue skies of Arizona. We’ll kick the week off with a 1:00 ride on Saturday, March 6th and wrap up the following Saturday, March 13th. Come out and ride 8 days with us or take a day off the bike and explore the variety of attractions that draw snowbirds to the Valley each year.

Our format will remain the same as previous years; you find your way out here and a place to stay (we have motel discount suggestions) and we’ll treat you to a variety of road biking routes designed for the A/B rider. Self-sufficient B riders are welcome to join us and a number of the routes have short cut options or are out and back so you pick the distance. Most routes are around 50 miles and some include 3,000 to 4,000 feet of climbing but we try to plan a nice downhill return. Rides will start either in Scottsdale or require a drive to a remote start to allow us opportunity to ride in the desert.

This year’s ride will be limited to 50 riders in order to provide a safe riding environment and support for riders on unfamiliar roads. Participants will be accepted on a first committed, first signed on basis and we will maintain a waiting list if needed. Please send a check for $20/person made out to Kate Kovar if you wish to secure a place on BikeAZona 2010. Ten dollars will be spent for a BBQ on Sunday night and the remaining money will cover gas for scouting routes and water and snacks for routes without rest stops. If you come to BikeAZona and cannot attend the BBQ, you will be refunded ten dollars. If you don’t come and your slot is taken, all of your money will be returned. If you don’t show and don’t give us notice, your deposit will be forfeited.

More information about the ride can be found on the BikeAZona web site at http://bikeazona.blogspot.com/   If you are interested and wish to obtain e-mail updates on the status of the trip and more details as they unfold, e-mail us at katekovar-at-hotmail-dot-com or jimpederson-at-gmail-dot-com and we will add you to the distribution list. Already sold? E-mail and we’ll send you the address to mail your check and you’re in! Hope to see you in Arizona in March. Trip leaders Kate Kovar and Jim Pederson 763-234-5180.

May 22, 23

Cruisin' the Coulees- Spring

SAT 10:00 am and SUN 10:00 am. A/B Ride

Join us once again for a journey over the narrow, serpentine roads that traverse southwest Wisconsin’s beautiful Coulee region. This two day event returns for a seventh season with its traditional spring and fall rides.

We'll meet in Nelson, Wisconsin Saturday morning. It’s about 75 scenic miles southeast of downtown St. Paul on WI Hwy. 35. Entering Nelson, stay on Hwy. 35 south where it splits left from Hwy. 25. Proceed a short distance to Castleberg City Park on the left. The park entrance is just north of Beth's Twin Bluff Cafe. Please park along Hwy. 35 (Main St) then meet at the park shelter.

Saturday's ride departs at 10 am with options of 30, 36, 58, 63 and 71 miles. The 30 and 36 mile routes do not have a rest stop, so be sure to bring along adequate food and drink. The lunch stop is at the Subway/convenience store in Durand for the 63 and 71 mile riders. The 71 mile route will surely test your mettle with an altitude gain estimated to be 6,000 feet or more!

Following Saturday’s ride, we’ll either head outdoors for our popular “Coulee Cookout”, or dine indoors at a nearby restaurant if the weather forecast is not promising. We’ll make the call a few days beforehand and post the details on the TCBC Message Board.
Overnight accommodations are best found with a Google search of the nearby towns of Wabasha, MN or Alma and Pepin, WI. The Wabasha Chamber of Commerce website has details on lodging in the area and links to their websites. Wabasha is three miles west of Nelson. The AmericInn of Wabasha (1-800-634-3444) is the largest in the area. The Pepin Motel (715-442-2012) is also a good choice, but it fills up quickly.

On Sunday we'll meet in Alma, WI, 7 miles south of Nelson on Hwy. 35. We’ll depart from the Lock and Dam # 4 parking lot at 10 am. Please park on Main St. adjacent to the lot. If you desire an excellent pre-ride breakfast, join the group around 8:30 at the Pier 4 Cafe, 600 N. Main St. in Alma. (One block north of the lock and dam lot).

Ride options on this day are 42, 65, and 77 miles. All routes have the initial 27 miles to the rest stop at Waumandee General Store in common. The lunch stop on the 65 and 77 mile routes will be at Hansen's Hold-up with its spectacular vista overlooking the Trempealeau River Valley and the town of Arcadia.

After the exhilarating switchback descent to Alma at rides end, we will undoubtedly “fail to resist” the Wisconsin-made ice cream at the Fire and Ice Shop.

As always, the emphasis for the weekend is on social group riding. Come along and you’ll quickly discover why Cruisin’ the Coulees has become a “don’t miss” affair for many of us over the last few years.

Questions? Call Bob Hoffman, 651-430-2676 or Tony Wanschura, 651-224-8360.

June 4-6

Tour of Lakes 2010

Join us for 3 days of bicycling and socializing in the beautiful Brainerd Lakes area June 4-6, 2010 on our annual Tour of Lakes weekend! If you’ve never biked in this area before, you are going to love it! The roads are low-traffic and very scenic, passing by many area lakes and forests. The Paul Bunyan trail is also nearby. We’ll do rides all three days. The rides on Friday & Sunday will be regular TCBC A/B and B rides, while the ride on Saturday will be a TCBC Outreach Ride---the Tour of Lakes, my all-time favorite 1-day ride! Plan to not only bike with the group, but eat, socialize, and relax by the lake and around the campfire with us as well at Good Ol’ Days Resort in Nisswa! I hope you can join us!

Lots more information here

July 14-15

2 Days of Biking in Grand Rapids, Minnesota

A/B Level Ride – Self Sufficient “B” Riders Welcome

Come join me up at the cabin on beautiful Lake Pokegama for 2 full days of scenic biking in the North Country. It’s about a 3-1/2 hour drive from the cities.

Lodging is available in town and there is some room available for camping at the cabin on a first come first serve basis.

Lodging Info: http://www.grandmn.com/lodging/index.html

Rides will depart from:

Ogle’s Supermarket
503 NW 4th Street (aka Hwy 2)
Grand Rapids, MN 55744

Route Info

Day 1 Wednesday July 14 – Depart at 1:00 PM We will venture out onto some beautiful back roads taking us out of Grand Rapids into Cohasset. We will ride around Lake Pokegama and back into Grand Rapids via the scenic “River Road”. 46-48 Miles (Terrain is mainly flat with a few hills).

Day 2 Thursday July 15 – Depart 9:30 AM We will head east on the Mesabi Trail from the Itasca County Fairgrounds out to Hill Annex Mine State Park and on to Nashwauk. From Nashwauk we will take some rural country roads through Balsam, Lawrence, Wabana, and Deer River Townships through the Chippewa National Forest on our way back to Grand Rapids. We will travel on the Edge of the Wilderness Scenic Byway for a few miles. 60, 65, 75 Mile options available (Terrain is mainly flat with a few climbs on the trail) (Daily Wheel Pass required $3.00) can get at Glen’s Navy Store by Ogle’s or fill out envelope at trail head. (Lunch will be at DJ’s Balsam Inn or Convenient Store across the Street)

Wednesday night 6:00 PM BBQ and Pot Luck at the Cabin – Bring something to grill and a dish to share. Don’t forget your lawn chairs.

Thursday night 6:30 PM Dinner after the ride at the Forest Lake Restaurant on Hwy 2 just west of the Ogle’s Supermarket.
For more information and directions to the cabin, contact Diane Ziemer at 612-247-4835 or via email at Diane.Ziemer@Comcast.net Please RSVP so I have an idea of how many folks will be attending the BBQ and also how many dinner reservations we will need for Thursday night.

Jul 30 - Aug 1

Mad Town Miles - MTM

Maintaining the acronymic tradition of WOW (Weekend on Wheels), this summer’s out-of-town event -- MTM (Mad Town Miles) -- will be held July 30th -August 1st in Madison, WI.

Though the efforts of their president, Grey Hyer, the gracious folks of the Bombay Bicycle Club have reached out to Twin Cities bikers, and will be assisting on route planning and guiding in this shared club weekend of rides leaving from Madison’s SW quadrant.

On Friday there are plans for mid- afternoon biking, followed by a shorter Madison familiarization “tour” before assembling for an evening meal. Saturday’s ride into the countryside will likely have an extended loop for more ambitious riders. After enjoying dinner there will be time for a “city lights” night ride. To allow sufficient return travel time, Sunday’s ride will end in the early afternoon, but with special arrangements by Penn Cycle, Trek’s 1st dealer, there’s a Monday opportunity to bike and/or drive to Waterloo and tour the Trek factory.

To best coordinate this semi-official happening, an e-mail to WentBiking@ comcast.net will get you on the mailing list, and keep you informed on the latest details of the weekend’s adventures. David Gepner 612-861-1703.

More information: CLICK HERE

Aug 17-18

CREAMERY OVERNIGHT

C 50 Mi. Special rate is offered $110 per room. Paved trail, trail pass required: $4 daily, $15 annual. Start from John Hoffmann's house in Eau Claire at 10 AM. Ride to Downsville, WI. and return next day. Water and rest stops along the way. Contact John Hoffmann at 715-834-7897 for reservations at the Creamery (by August 12) and for directions to his house. Creamery Amenities: Large beds, each room has a large hot tub, large meeting room, a fine restaurant. Overnight luggage will be sagged.

Aug 20

NORTH SHORE EXPLORERS - Trip Extension

Ride from the Outpost Motel to Canadian Border

"Outpost to the Border", 8/20, 8:30am, 64 miles total, "B" Level

Drive up for the North Shore Explorers ride one night early and grab a few more miles plus additional beautiful, scenic Lake Superior shoreline riding. The ride goes north on Highway 61 from the Outpost Motel (8 miles North of Grand Marais on Highway 61) to just shy of the Canadian border. There are no stopsigns or stoplights and almost no cross-streets for the entire route, only very scenic shoreline riding! A great aspect of the ride is the climb up Mt Josephine with the accompanying spectacular view of Wauswaugoning Bay.

On the northward portion of the ride, we will stop in Hovland at the Chicago Bay Marketplace for freshly made cinnamon rolls, but you must RSVP (robf228{at}gmail{dot}com) by 8/17 if you want one! We'll stop at Ryden's Border Store for lunch/snack and should have enough time afterwards for waterfall viewing on the return. After that, we will attempt to rendezvous with the rest of the TCBC group at the Naniboujou Lodge for tea around 2:30. By the nature of the route, this is a mapless ride, however you can view the ride and get more route info at www.bobswebplace.org.

Lodging: See the main North Shore Explorers ride listing below, plus now the additional choice of The Outpost Motel (http://www.outpostmotel.com/)

Leaders: Bob Floyd (651-235-5953), Ed Hassler (612-990-9861), Deb Fellows (612-868-9815), Pete Hall (612-889-1361), Clareyse Nelson (612-623-3009).

Aug 20-22

NORTH SHORE EXPLORERS

It’s time to get out of the hot cities and enjoy three days of biking along the north shore of beautiful Lake Superior!

Rides

Friday, 20 August
GRAND MARAIS TO NANIBOUJOU LODGE
1:00 pm, 30 miles. Meet at the World's Best Donuts shop, 10 Wisconsin St., (and the name is not an exaggeration) in downtown Grand Marais and ride along the Lake Superior shore northward to the famed and historic Naniboujou Lodge for afternoon tea and beach lounging, then return to Grand Marais. Dinner options available.

Saturday, 21 August
GITCHI GAMI TRAIL
8:45 am, 28 or 55 miles. Meet at the Gitchi-Gami Trail Association’s registration table at Gooseberry State Park. Both routes begin and end at Gooseberry State Park and follow the Gitchi-Gami Trail through Split Rock Lighthouse State Park and along the North Shore to a rest stop in Beaver Bay. The longer route adds an additional 27 mile loop. Ride registration and details available at www.ggta.org (online registration opens after Memorial Day in May 2010).
Pizza and fun Saturday evening at the infamous Sven & Ole’s, 9 Wisconsin Street, Grand Marais.

Sunday, 22 August
TWO HARBORS TO NEW SCENIC CAFÉ AND/OR DULUTH
10:00 am, 30 - 55 miles. Meet at Culver’s in Two Harbors (1082 Old Highway 61). Ride southward along scenic Old Highway 61 along Lake Superior and enjoy the last glimpses of the lake before returning to the cities. Lunch options available.

LODGING
Camping: A group campsite has been reserved for the weekend at Cascade Falls State Park, between Lutsen and Grand Marais. $10/person (includes Friday and Saturday nights). Please contact Deb Fellows at 612-868-9815 or fellowsd@comcast.net to reserve.

There are many other camping and lodging opportunities, including
Cascade Falls Lodge (www.cascadelodgemn.com) located next to Cascade Falls State Park
Best Western Superior Inn & Suites (http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/productInfo.do?propertyCode=24063)
Naniboujou Lodge & Restaurant (www.naniboujou.com)
Additional lodging, dining and info (www.grandmarais.com)

To set the mood for the trip, you can glimpse Grand Marais virtually using the Grand Marais Harbor-Cam (http://grandmarais.com/webcam.html)

We hope to see you on this weekend!
Leaders: Deb Fellows (612-868-9815), Bob Floyd (651-235-5953), Ed Hassler (612-990-9861), Pete Hall (612-889-1361), Clareyse Nelson (612-623-3009).

Aug 28-29

Rochester Roll

Make the most of a late summer weekend by riding the scenic Cannon Valley Trail, the Goodhue Pioneer Trail, scenic farm roads, and the Douglas State Trail, as we make our way to Rochester, MN and return. After Saturday's ride, meet and greet multi-level TCBC riders and share camaraderie and experiences on this south of the metro trip.

Join the Rochester Roll, an overnight trip for A/B, B, B/C and C riders on 28 and 29 Aug from points along the Cannon Valley Trail and Zumbrota to Rochester, MN and return. It's an easy, fun ride with en route places to stop and graze. Ride leaders are: Rob and Nancy Welsh, Bob Brown, Don Hopkins, and Duane and Diana Kasper. Riders are welcome to make this a one way ride with appropriate one way mileage and furnish their own return transportation. Please check the ride schedule for departure point, distance, and time for each group. The Cannon Valley Trail requires a daily pass @ $3.00.

Riders may bring one SMALL bag per person. Sorry but no sleeping bags. Bags will be tagged according to drop point and loaded 15 minutes prior to departure time (mandatory). Bags will also be tagged for drop points on Sunday. Donations for drivers are accepted, although not mandatory, to help off-set the price for lodging and gas.

If you plan to join the Rochester Roll:
1. Please email lineskater@aol.com with names and number of persons to help determine baggage transportation.
2. Please make your own overnight accommodations. Deb Fellows has graciously offered to help find room-mates (lower cost). Please email her at: deborah.fellows@gmail.com

See below for suggestions within a reasonable distance from the end of Saturday’s ride and Sunday’s start. Both motels have plus and minus factors.

Microtel Inn 507-286-8780
Distance Notes - exit .3 miles before trail’s end + 1 mile
Cost - $69.99 (mention TCBC) for a double room (single beds are cheaper)
Breakfast - Yes
Restaurants - Timber Lodge

Motel Six 507-282-1011
Distance Notes - exit at trail’s end + 2.2 miles (Riders will receive appropriate mileage.) The return via road (for dinner) to the Timber Lodge is about 1.5 miles.
Cost - $39.99
Breakfast - NO
Restaurants - McDonald’s, Pizza Hut

Sep 19-25

Black Hills Bicycle Rally

Join us for a bicycle rally in the Black Hills of South Dakota. We will
have a variety of A/B and B/C rides scheduled. See mount Rushmore, the
Needles highway, Crazy Horse Monument, Custer State Park, Spearfish Canyon, and the Mickelson Trail.
The Black Hills are especially scenic in the fall. See Harney Peak (7242 ft, the tallest mountain east of the rockies!

Our website: http://home.earthlink.net/~jumark/blackhillsbicyclerally/index.html

More detailed info later.

Jack Uttermark: jackuttermark{at}hotmail{dot}com
Don Hopkins: Dchopkin@aol.com

Oct 8-10

Glubby's Fat Tire Ride. (GFTR)

Glubby's Fat Tire Ride Weekend is just outside of Cable, WI, on Fri-Sun, October 8-10th, is the best time for mountain bikers to enjoy the Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association (CAMBA) Off-Road Bike Trail System. There are 300 miles of marked and mapped routes for mountain bikers including 30+ miles of sweet single track. Check them out at CAMBA's website:www.cambatrails.org.

MOUNTAIN BIKING AND RENTALS: The CAMBA mountain bike trails are for most skill levels. Mountain bike rentals are available at the New Moon Ski and Bike Shop in Hayward, WI, at 800-754-8685 or Riverbrook Bike and Ski in Seeley, WI, at 1-800-297-7687.

LODGING: Make your own lodging reservations at Lake Owen Resort, 1-715-798-3603 . Cost for room is 65.00 per night, if two nights booked. Cost per night if one night booked is 75.00. But you will want to be there both nights :)

GATHERING AND MEALS: On Friday night at Lake Owen resort, there will be a pizza and Salad dinner for a price of 10 dollars, Please RSVP for this by Oct 1st, by e-mailing me at gglubby@comcast.net, then I will send you my address so you can send a check to me. There will be a potluck on Saturday night at the Lake Owen resort, bring something to BBQ and something to share. So we don't end up with a lot of the same food, please bring something based on the following:

If your last name starts with:
A-E: Bring a desert
F-O: Bring a side dish or salad (i.e. potato, pasta, fruit, lettuce)
P-Z: Bring an appetizer.
If you would like to bring charcoal or dinnerware instead of the above please e-mail me.

FRIDAY RIDE: Oct 8 Depart at 2 PM from the Telemark trailhead (park next to the tennis courts) to ride the Ojibwe single track trail. A/B level.

SATURDAY RIDES: Oct 9 Depart at 10 AM from the Namekagon Town Hall trailhead. There will be A/B rides from here including the Rock Lake single track. Bring lots of water and snacks for the trail as we will be out for a while here, our longest day. Bring a lawn chair and a cooler with a lunch and a beverage for after the ride here.

SUNDAY RIDES: Oct 10 Depart at 10 AM from the OO Trailhead. A/B level.

Please see the Schedule of the rides at www.biketcbc.org for more info.

E-mail update: If you are not on a e-mail list for this event from the past and would like to be added to the list, e-mail me at gglubby@comcast.net

Emergency Contact Form: (Click here). If you would, please fill this out so we have contact info for you in case something should happen. Please fill out 2 copies---carry one with you on your bike and put the other in a sealed envelope and I'll collect them on Friday and return them (unopened) on Sunday. I will also have blank copies in case you forget yours.

CAMBA: Get free maps of the 300-mile CAMBA trail system by joining this organization. At the same time, you'll be supporting the wonderful organization that maps, marks, and maintains these outstanding trails. This is money very well spent! www.cambatrails.org has complete details.

Safety: There is a youth hunt in the area this weekend, although this has gone on in the past and we never have seen any hunters or had any problems, it is best to error on the side of safety and wear a blaze orange vest or similar on Saturday and Sunday

Garry Glubka, 651-303-2207 gglubby@comcast.net

Trip archives

2009 Overnight Trips

2008 Overnight Trips

2007 Overnight Trips

2006 Overnight Trips

2005 Overnight Trips

2004 Overnight Trips

2003 Overnight Trips

2002 Overnight Trips

2001 Overnight Trips