We’re going to try a new route to Shakopee this week. This 63-mile route is an extension of our Tour of Bloomington route, and we’ll do it counterclockwise. In Shakopee, we’ll stop at the Donut Connection for coffee and pastries. The weather should be nice with partly cloudy skies, temps from 64 to 76 degrees, and a 7 mph west wind. The ride will leave Rosemount at 08:00.

Continuing our series on ride safety, to understand the laws that apply to you when riding a bicycle, you should read the Minnesota state statute 169.222 Operation of Bicycle.

The Birchwood Bike Team is putting on the State Road Race in Hutchinson, MN on Saturday, August 7. It takes a lot of volunteers to put on a road race and they still need about 20 more volunteers. It's usually a pretty fun time and a way to support your local bike racing community. If you will also be racing, let the volunteer coordinator know and they will register you without a fee.

A volunteer with the Wapsi-Great Western Line Trail Association reached out to me to let me know that they’ve organized the Border Bike Ride on Saturday, August 28th, a ride benefiting the interstate trail connection between the Shooting Star Trail (MN) and the Wapsi-Great Western Line (IA). There are five route/distance options (22, 40, 56, 86 and 100 miles) and they would love to have us experience the area. The nonprofit has programmed discount code RosemountCyclingBorderBike2021 for Rosemount cyclists to enjoy a $3 registration per rider instead of $12. The discount code expires Sunday, August 21st.

The MS Ride Across Minnesota, which I rode last week, was partly on the Shooting Star Trail. The trail and roads in the area are in good condition and the roads don’t have much traffic, so the ride should be quite enjoyable.