Saturday Rides Starting from Starbucks in Rosemount, MN
Rain, rain, go away. We will ride again on Sunday.
It will be dry on Sunday, so we’re going to ride to Shakopee in a counterclockwise direction, starting from Starbucks at 8:00. Our route should avoid flooding, because we’re crossing the Minnesota River at I-494 and Hwy 101. This route is a bit longer than usual, so plan for a little more time and effort.
Read MoreSaturday’s ride will start in Rosemount and 8:00 and it will follow a new alternate route to Shakopee. It’s been nearly two years since we’ve followed this route counterclockwise, and I’ve made a few minor changes, like following the Minnesota Valley State Trail for a couple of miles and avoiding some road construction. We have a few different places we can stop along the way, so we’ll see if folks prefer Hyland park or a donuts shop.
Read MoreThis week’s ride will follow our route to Shakopee clockwise. On this 61-mile route, we’ll mostly travel roads that we haven’t been on since last year. If needed, you can shorten the route about ten miles, by taking Stagecoach Rd north to State Corridor Refuge Trail to Bloomington Ferry Rd and get back on the route near Hyland Lake Park. We'll stop at Hyland Lake Park.
Read MoreAs I said during last week’s ride, it’s been a while since we’ve had a west wind for our ride, but that’s going to change Saturday. So, this week, we’ll head west to Shakopee following the route clockwise. This route is a little longer than most (61 miles), but there are a couple of shortcut options for anyone who needs a shorter ride. It’s too early for fall colors, but we’ll have a great weather with partly cloudy skies, temps from 54 to 60 degrees, and west winds from 4 to 7 mph.
Read MoreFall weather is suddenly upon us, and because it will take a while to warm up, and we aren’t yet acclimated to the cold, we’ll be starting our ride Saturday at 13:00. The route will be Shakopee counterclockwise, with some changes to shorten it a little and avoid some afternoon traffic. It will be sunny with temps about 55 degrees and west winds at 12 mph.
Read MoreWe’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.
Read MoreRain is expected Saturday morning, so this weekend we’re riding Sunday morning. The ride Sunday will leave Starbucks at 08:00. We’ll follow the Shakopee route that we rode a month ago, but in the opposite direction and without a construction detour in Bloomington. The 56-mile route will have a stop about 21-miles out, at Hyland Park, because that facility is open and city parks are not. The weather Sunday should be sunny with temps from 54 to 64 degrees and 5 mph WNW winds.
Read MoreSaturday, we will be heading west to Shakopee, where we’ll cross the Minnesota River and head back to Rosemount via Bloomington. The 60-mile route will be similar to one we did last month, but with some more new roads. We’ll stop for a nature break at Hyland Park, like we did a month ago.
Read MoreIt’s a busy weekend and we have three opportunities for you.
Saturday at 08:00, there’s a meetup on Zwift. We’ll ride the “Dust in the Wind” route in Watopia and talk via Discord during the ride. I’ve invited the club members who follow me and rode together in the game last winter. Follow me on Zwift to get invited to my meetups.
Saturday 10:00 to 16:30 is Free Bikes 4 Kidz annual bike-collection day and they are looking for volunteers to help out with unloading and categorizing bikes. Their volunteer coordinator told me that “any shift, any amount of time would be so helpful.” Their Collection Day signup form has shifts that start at 10:00, 11:00 and 12:30. Breakfast bagels and pizza lunch will be available and you’ll get a FB4K t-shirt. This year, their warehouse is in the south metro at the Southtown Shopping Center in Bloomington at I-494 and Penn Ave. Sign up now.
Sunday at 8:30, we’ll do a group ride from Startbuck’s in Rosemount to somewhere west (Prior Lake or Skakopee). I’ll change up the route to keep it fresh for this late-season ride.
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