Crazy mixed-surface Saturday ride...

I was antsy after a long work week (3 long work weeks really), and needed a long bike ride today.  I rode big last weekend on my Lemond, and managed to ride bigger considerably today on, oddly enough, my 29er.  It's not my big-miles bike, so it was the result of a completely non-planned, leave from the apartment and see what happens venture.  Good idea.  I rode to Grand Performance, a local shop first, cuz I needed a spare tube, then down along the Mississippi to Fort Snelling State Park.  From there, I crossed the Mendota bridge to the other side of the river to explore some gravel trail that I thought went a decent distance along the river.  It did.  I linked up with the MORC built river-bottoms singletrack in Bloomington, then on to hwy 169.  Rode up through Eden Prairie to the Kenilworth Trail, which is a rails to trails path.  It turns into the Greenway in Minneapolis, which took me back to St Paul via the West River Pky and the Lake Street/Marshall Bridge and down to Summit Ave.  Wow.  Didn't plan to go that huge, but it was worth it.  The route below shows 55ish miles, but that's a very short estimate as I couldn't possibly have tracked the whole route as the singletrack wound all over the place along the river.  As a result, I'm estimating the route with all it's meandering was closer to 63ish miles.  Considering the varied terrain and surfaces and being on fat tires, that's a pretty good day.  I'd place it equal to a moderate road century as far as effort.  So it was just what I needed to clear my engine from too much being in the office/classroom. 

ND Tour Account

I'm still in the progress of writing an account of the ND bike crossing I recently completed.  It may not be up for a bit, as I'd like to take the time to do it right, and thus have a record worth keeping of a trip that was worth remembering.  Keep your eyes peeled for it and I hope not to disappoint.  

this is cool....

Teaser...

ND bike crossing was a success.  I don't have time to blog the full story now, so I'll leave with at preview picture until I can sit down and write...