Outreach Rides for 2011:

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

Apr 9

200k Brevet - Randonneur, Waterloo, Ia

Cedar Valley Randonneurs ride, starting in Waterloo, passing through Oelwein, Volga, Oelwin, Dunkerton and back to Waterloo. Contact Robert Fry at cvbrevet@mchsi.com, website www.iowa-randonneurs.org for registration details. Contact TCBCBrevet@aol.com to confirm Outreach ride status.

Apr 30

200k/300k Brevet - Randonneur, Waterloo, Ia

Cedar Valley Randonneurs ride, starting in Waterloo, passing through Oelwein and Volga for the 200k, on to MacGregor then back to Waterloo for the 300k route. Contact Robert Fry at cvbrevet@mchsi.com, website www.iowa-randonneurs.org for registration details. Contact TCBCBrevet@aol.com to confirm Outreach ride status.

May 21

200k/300k/400k Brevet - Randonneur, Waterloo, Ia

Cedar Valley Randonneurs ride, starting in Waterloo, passing through Oelwein and Volga for the 200k, on to MacGregor then back to Waterloo for the 300k route. The 400k route will go through Oelwein, Monona and DeSoto, Wi, before returning to Waterloo. Contact Robert Fry at cvbrevet@mchsi.com, website www.iowa-randonneurs.org for registration details. Contact TCBCBrevet@aol.com to confirm Outreach ride status.

May 21

2011 ALS Bike Trek MN

Please join us on Saturday, May 21st, in honoring the memory of Bob Stimson, one of TCBC’s Founders, who died on January 12 this year from the devastating effects of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease).

One of Bob’s dreams was to have a bike ride in Minnesota to raise money to fund  research into the cause(s) of, and to find a cure for ALS. He was the inspiration and driving force behind making this ride a reality and, fortunately, he lived long  enough to witness the first edition of the ride last year. For everyone who knew Bob, he will be there in spirit this year.

The ride start location has been moved to Big Marine Park Preserve located on the  southwest shore of Big Marine Lake which is northwest of Marine-on St. Croix. The routes of 14, 34, and 52 miles will  be significantly improved from last year, but are still in the same very scenic area. There will be live music and a BBQ lunch included after the ride.

Details for the TCBC Outreach Ride of the ALS Bike Trek MN led by Doug & Linda Peterson, can be found on the TCBC Schedule page: click here for ride details.

Official ride details and registration information can be found at: http://alsmn.als.net/ 

Pre-registration on-line is suggested and appreciated by the organizers.

If you can, please join Bob’s family, friends, and acquaintances on his special ride.

May 21

Central Lakes Bike Tour

Ride from Fergus Falls as far - or as short - as you and your group want to! Ride support provided all the way to Evansville and stops leading up to it (Dalton, Ashby). The ride begins in Adams Park in Fergus Falls (The park with the big Otter). Registration is at 8 a.m. and all riders must depart by 9 a.m. If you want to ride all the way to Osakis and have a ride back to Fergus Falls, pre-registration is required to ensure a spot on the ride back. Otherwise, pre-registration is not required. For more information visit centrallakestrail.com/trail-events.html or www.visitfergusfalls.com and click on Calendar of Events; go to May 21. See ride schedule for more details.

May 22

Chippewa Valley Sierra Century

Join us 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 @ 7:45am (8:00 departure time) 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 14th, and consider for a moment adding a little more to your check as a donation. 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 Leaders, Karen & Pete May, 952-926-3827. 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. 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. Pete & Karen May 952-926-3827 home phone 952-200-4939 cell phone day of ride.  See ride schedule for more details.

Jun 4

TOUR OF LAKES OUTREACH RIDE

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. Ride fee 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 at 7:30 am from Pequot Lakes. Consider getting to the ride start early to allow time for parking, check-in, picking up your t-shirt & taking it to back to your car, etc. Please be sure to wear your most recent TCBC jersey if you have one!

More Info for Tour of Lakes Weekend

Jun 11-12

TOMRV 2011

The 196 or 115 mile, two day tour begins Saturday from Bettendorf, Iowa to Dubuque - 106 miles with a stay over a Clark University. On Sunday, it returns via a different 90-mile route to Bettendorf. A shorter route, 69 miles starts from Preston to Dubuque and returns to Preston on Sunday via a different route of 46 miles.

This is the 34th TOMRV sponsored by the Quad Cities Bicycling Club. It has about 1,500 riders and is very well run, You will see beautiful scenery from both the Illinois and Iowa sides of the Mississippi, and be impressed by rest stops supplied with healthy and nutritious food that a hungry biker craves. For more information on the ride - check out the TOMRV website - http://www.qcbc.org/tomrv/ride.html. It has a great profile of the ride and registration can be done online.

I have done this ride twice in the recent past. My experience is it will test your endurance. The first 50 miles are relatively flat along the Mississippi. It then climbs out of the valley and is up and down until you get to Dubuque. The secret to success is to keep something in reserve for day two because the first 40 miles have some good hills as well. There are great vistas, small towns and people to meet on this tour. Treat it as such and you will have a great time.

Bettendorf is about a 360-mile ride from the Twin Cities. It’s a perfect opportunity for a long, overdue road trip where you pile a bunch of buddies in a car and catch up on life. With this distance, the first thought is to take the interstate. However, I would recommend trying to take an alternative route at least one way. If you have never done it, you will find that Iowa is not necessarily flat and one big cornfield. If you go through Waterloo, consider stopping at Mama’s Italian restaurant. Say hi to George and Michael and ask if they have any Spanakopita in back. Ride leader Dan Miller.

Jun 18

200k/300k/400k/600k Brevet - Randonneur, Waterloo, Ia

Cedar Valley Randonneurs ride, starting in Waterloo, passing through Oelwein and Volga for the 200k, on to MacGregor then back to Waterloo for the 300k route. The 400k route goes through Oelwein, Monona and DeSoto, Wi, before returning to Waterloo. The 600k route carries on past DeSoto on the 400k route to Wilton, Wi, Richland Center, Wi and Prairie du Chein before returning to Waterloo through Oelwein. There is a sleepover stop and bag drop. Contact Robert Fry at cvbrevet@mchsi.com, website www.iowa-randonneurs.org for registration details. Contact TCBCBrevet@aol.com to confirm Outreach ride status.

Jun 18

Watercarnival

Are you looking for a new place to ride? Come join us on Saturday, June 18 for the Watercarnival Ride in Hutchinson, MN. In addition to the bike ride, there are other events and celebrations scheduled around town as part of a week-long celebration of summer.

65 mile ride
Bike from town to a rest stop in Piepenberg County Park, on Belle Lake. We head north and travel thru much of the scenic lake country and pass thru the towns of Dassel and Litchfield, before returning back to Hutchinson. This route also includes biking along the Crow River on the Luce Line trail, and includes two additional rest stops.

(Optional – there is a 20 mile ride offered, but will not have a TCBC Leader for this ride)

Registration

Is at the Hutchinson Middle School, 1365 South Grade Road SW, Hutchinson from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM, on June 18th, 2011

Hutchinson is an easy one hour drive west of the Twin Cities on Hwy 7, one hour south of St. Cloud on Hwy 15, or 45 minutes north of New Ulm on Hwy 15

• Showers: Are available for riders before and after the ride in the Middle School.
• Rest Stops: One rest stop for 20 mile ride, and 3 rest stops for 65 mile ride.
• SAG support: SAG vehicles will patrol both routes
• Bike maintenance: Mechanics will be available at the start/finish

Pre-registration is $20. $25 for Day of Registration

1. Mail: Print and fill out the registration form then mail in advance.
   Watercarnival Bike Ride Advanced Registration Form (PDF)
2. Day of Ride: Print out registration form and bring with you on the day of the ride.
   Watercarnival Bike Ride Registration Form (PDF) --coming soon--
   

The Watercarnival Bike Ride is sponsored by the Hutchinson Rotary Club and Outdoor Motion Bike Shop. Proceeds from the bike ride go to Rotary Club local and international projects including scholarships, literacy, clean water, and polio eradication.

Jun 25

Jordan Valley Bike Tour

Join our 8th annual Jordan ride on low-traffic, rural roads in Scott & Le Sueur counties with a variety of hills, curves and long flat open stretches with pleasant country scenery. Towns include New Prague, Montgomery, Le Center, Belle Plaine. The 80 mile is an extension of the 60 which you can choose at about 20 miles (80 milers must leave at 7:00). Rest stops every 15-20 miles, SAG, snacks, T-shirt, $20 & up. Earlybird deadline 6/16. Hang out afterwards at the Jordan Art Festival or Pork-in-the-Park. Sponsored by Jordan Chamber of Commerce. For more info or to register on-line see www.JVBT.org

Jun 25

Superior Vistas Bike Tour

13, 19, 34, 40, 52, 70 or 100 mi. Meet Ride Leader at 7:45 am next to registration table at Thompson's West End Park in Washburn, WI, on the shores of Lake Superior. Fully supported ride with several route options offering quiet rural roads and views of Lake Superior. Ride details and registration forms are available at http://www.superiorvistas.org or call Ashland Chamber of Commerce at 1-715-682-2500 or 1-800-284-9484. Ride leader plans to do 52 or 70 mile route at B pace. TCBC Ride Leader: Tom Melcher 651-353-3372 (cell). For those who would like a three day weekend of great north central Wisconsin rides, we will also have a regular TCBC ride on the afternoon of June 24, departing from Seeley, and another the morning of June 26, departing from Washburn. See TCBC ride schedule for details.

Jun 25

KICKAPOO KICKER 100K TO 200K

Depart from Viroqua, WI. This will be the hardest 200k you will ever do in your life. Relentless & savage. The ride is chip timed. Info and register at: www.kickapookicker.com. Registration required. Email me if you are coming and we will meet for the briefing either the night before or the morning of. Leader: Scott Weinberg. scott dash weinberg at msn dot com.

Aug 13

THE DAIRYLAND DARE 100K TO 300K

Depart from Dodgeville, WI. The Dairyland Dare is a grim and heinous ride. I and others believe this is the single hardest one day ride in the country. Last year the Hammer Team rode the 200k (Jonas and I hung with them for 30 minutes and paid the price for a week). This year a Tour de France ex-pro is racing the 200k. The rest stops are very well stocked with food and Hammer products and the event is well organized. The ride is chip timed. Email me if you are coming and we will meet for the briefing and sign in Friday evening at Harris Park and/or in town so you can start when you wish. Ride info, maps, and packets passed out Friday evening at Harris Park. Info and register at: www.dairylanddare.com. Registration required. Leader: Scott Weinberg. scott dash weinberg at msn dot com.

Sep 10

Jesse James Bike Tour

See ride schedule listing here

Sep 25

Hayward, WI - Weiss Community Library Fall Bike Tour

Choose one of six routes through gently rolling Sawyer County forest and lake country. The 100-mile route passes 20 lakes and crosses many streams and rivers. Families and novice riders can enjoy scenic 13 and 5 mile routes. Start and finish at The Steakhouse Restaurant with post-tour food (1 food ticket per rider/door prizes). $30 'til 9/24, $40 race day. Register @ www.active.com. Addtl info/inquiries: www.weisscommunitylibrary.com 715-634-2161. See TCBC ride schedule for details.