Fall is the Perfect Time of Year to Experience the Central Lakes Trail

Image Credit: MN DNR

Fall is the perfect time to take a ride on the Central Lakes Trail.  This former railway bed is a 55 mile paved trail that travels through ten communities in west-central Minnesota.  Riders will experience the cooler weather and Fall colors as they pass by the woods, wetlands and lakes between Fergus Falls and Osakis.

Below are video previews from the MN DNR highlighting each segment of the Central Lakes Trail to help you plan your ride route. The Central Lakes Trail Association also has a detailed trail description page that uses trailside markers developed from old Burlington Northern Railroad mile markers.

Fergus Falls to Dalton
10 miles

Dalton to Ashby
5 miles

Ashby to Melby
4 miles

Melby to Evansville
5 miles

Evansville to Brandon
6 miles

Brandon to Garfield
6 miles

Garfield to Alexandria
8 miles

Alexandria to Nelson
 5 miles

Nelson to Osakis
6 miles

The Central Lakes Trail map is available for download from the MN DNR and the Central Lakes Trail Association.  Visit CentralLakesTrail.com for more information and links to lodging and bike rentals along the trail.  Get out and enjoy the beautiful gem known as the Central Lakes Trail.

Resources to Get You Riding Gravel

The idea for this post came to me after I received an email from a woman who was a gravel first-timer and thought she would enjoy riding gravel but didn't know where to start.  She asked me for some recommendations of where to ride near the Twin Cities.  I gave her a list of resources to point her in the right direction.  Riding gravel is one of my passions so I decided I should put this information into a post so others can enjoy the Minnesota gravel riding experience.

There are several resources I use to help me discover new places to ride.  With this information I can plan out routes and by using my smartphone I can stay on track without the worry of getting lost in unfamiliar territory.  If you are new to riding gravel or an experienced aficionado, I hope this information will help you find new roads to ride.

Google Maps

Google Maps has been a longtime favorite of  mine for finding gravel and planning routes.  Using the Google Earth (satellite) layer I can find gravel roads and map out a ride.  Once my route has been created, Google Maps displays the route distance, elevation profile and the option for turn by turn directions by selecting "List all steps" in the elevation profile box.  From here you can print a cue sheet by selecting "Print text only" or with the map included by selecting "Print including maps" in the print options above the map.

Mobile Apps

There are quite a few cycling website/apps that use Google Maps for their mapping engine to plan routes, Strava, MapMyRide, RideWithGPS, Runtastic, and Endomondo just to name a few.  Creating routes using these websites will sync them with the corresponding mobile app for use out on rides to keep you on course.  These apps will also let you search other user's routes and some even give you the option to download GPX files of the routes for export into the app website of your choice or Garmin GPS devices.  For more information and features on Runtastic's Road Bike Pro app see my post App Review: Runtastic Road Bike Pro.  To learn how to create routes with your PC using the Strava Route Builder for use with the Strava iPhone and Android apps, see my post Strava Routes Now Available For iPhone & Android.

Gravelmap

Gravelmap is an interactive user-submitted gravel route database created by a web developer/cyclist from southern Oregon.  This is a growing resource with new road/routes being added weekly as the word gets out about it.  Read my post Gravelmap Launches Interactive User Submitted Gravel Route Database for more details.

 Forest Roads

Image Credit:  MN DNR

Minnesota has many miles of forest, logging and fire roads located in our State and National Forests waiting to be explored.  For more information on riding gravel in Minnesota's State Forests, see my post Explore Minnesota's State Forests by Mountain Bike With Resources From the MN DNR.  GORP has compiled a list of road and trail rides in Superior National Forest and more information can be found on the USDA Forest Service website.  Information for Chippewa National Forest can be found on the USDA Forest Service website.  The Cook County Visitors Bureau has also compiled a list of adventure riding opportunities in Northeastern Minnesota.

Riding Gravel Forum/
Gravel Grinder News

The Riding Gravel Forum is a place to share your knowledge, experiences and photos with others that like to crush gravel. It's also a good resource to learn from experienced gravel riders, ask questions and join in the conversation on everything from bikes, components, accessories, gravel racing and everyday gravel riding.  Read my post New Riding Gravel Forum Provides a Place to Talk "Gravel" to learn more.

Another one of my go-to gravel resources is Gravel Grinder News from Trans Iowa Race director, Guitar Ted.  It covers everything from bikes, equipment, events and gravel-related links.

Riding Safely

There are several good articles on how to stay safe out on those lonely gravel roads.  Guitar Ted has put together this post entitled Safety And The Gravel Road Rider.   Marsh Jones, Miesville Grinder organizer has some Common sense tips for riding gravel on his blog.  I have on many occasions encountered aggressive dogs out in the country and Crazy Guy on a Bike has written Some tips for handling encounters with "Man's Best Friend" while cycling that will help you know what to do in just such an event.

Gravel Events

For those looking to challenge themselves or ride with others there are still quite a few gravel races/rides left for 2014 in Minnesota.  I have compiled a list of 2014 Minnesota Gravel Grinders with links to more information and registration details.  2014 is winding down and I will be publishing a new list for 2015 as next year's gravel events start to be announced.  For additional gravel events outside of Minnesota, visit the Gravel Grinder News Calendar of Events page.

The upcoming Fall riding season is my favorite time of the year to hit the gravel.  Weather conditions can range from warm and sunny to cool, cloudy and sometimes windy.  Dress accordingly and be prepared for sudden weather changes because you may find yourself a long way from your finish destination if things turn cold or rainy.  When the leaves begin to change colors expect some spectacular scenery on rural country rides.  Southeastern Minnesota is where I like to ride this time of year, the hardwood forests along gravel roads in this region are quite a sight for the eyes.  Begin a new adventure, leave the hustle and bustle of the city and head out into the country for some great riding on the road less traveled.  

Cyclopath Now Helps Find Bikeable Routes Throughout Greater Minnesota

Cyclopath is a geo-wiki bike route planner that is operated by GroupLens Research at the University of Minnesota.  Until recently, this useful route planning tool was limited to the Seven County Metro Area.  Now Cyclopath has added the MnDOT road network to their map making easier to find routes throughout the state based on your own bikeability ratings for roads and trails.  Using Cyclopath is easy and can be done either on the website or on your Android device with the Cyclopath app.

Cyclopath's map is editable where anyone can add information about roads, bike trails, locations and cycle routes.  Your input will help Cyclopath and MnDot improve the data contained in the map.  For more information on the privacy policy and what is done with the data collected, visit the Cyclopath User Agreement page.

 

Now you can find a bike route anywhere in Minnesota based on your biking preferences.  Do you want to find the fastest route with the shortest distance?  How about traveling a little or a lot further to include highly rated roads?  Would you like to travel a little or a lot further to include trails and bike lanes?  These preferences can be chosen on both the website and the Android app.

Website

Android App

Website

When you are ready to find your route, enter your starting point and desired destination using the website or Android app and select your bikeability preferences.  For demonstration purposes, I chose to search for a route from Cannon Falls to Mankato using a higher bikeability preference.

After the route is found on the website, you can view the overview of the route, route directions, print a cue sheet and download a GPX file to be imported into most GPS devices or for upload to sites like Runtastic, MapMyRide and RideWithGPS.  When logged in, routes can be saved to your library for later use or on the Android app.

In the app, the route will be displayed and (with GPS enabled) it will show your location along the route.  Switch between the route map and route directions by selecting the menu button in the lower right-hand corner of the screen.  The app even has an option to record your GPS track.  Saved routes from the website and the app can be accessed and loaded, too.

These are just a few of the features that are possible with Cyclopath.  For more information including video tutorials, FAQ, guidelines for map editing and the User Manual, visit the Cyclopath Geowiki Help page.  To sign up for a free Cyclopath account to contribute and improve map data or save routes to your library, visit the Log in/ Create Account page.  The Cyclopath app is free on Google Play.

Strava Routes Now Available For iPhone & Android

Now you can easily navigate your created or starred (favorite) Strava Routes on your iPhone or Android device.  The feature was added in the latest update (Version 4.1) of the Strava GPS Cycling and Running App.  Create routes with your PC using the Strava Route Builder and they will sync with the Strava app on your mobile device in the Route List.  Starred routes will also appear in your Route List.

Creating a route is easy.  Log in to your Strava account and select the My Routes tab and click on the Create New Route button.  You are now ready to start planning your new route.

Plot your route manually or implement the Use Popularity toggle.

To check the elevation profile for your route, turn Elevation On in the lower right corner.  You can even move your mouse along the elevation chart to see where the hills are along your route.  When your route is complete, click the Save Route button and fill in the required data. 

When you are ready to ride and would like to use a created or starred route for navigation, go to your Routes list in the app and select Use Route with your GPS enabled.  Once the route is loaded, select the STATS tab and hit the Record button and start your ride.  Select the ROUTE tab to see your location on the selected route and follow the red line.

For more information on creating routes using the Strava Route Builder, see Strava's Get Ready To Plan Your Route page.  To learn more about creating your own route or following someone else's using your smartphone, see the Strava Blog post Discover a New Route, Follow It From Your Phone.

To download the Strava GPS Cycling and Running App for your device, visit the iTunes App Store or Google Play.

*Note:  All app screenshots are from the Android version of the app.

Google Maps Adds Elevation Profiles For Bicycling Directions

Google Maps has added a new feature to their bicycling directions that now provides elevation profiles for bike routes.  Cyclists that are looking for an easy route with few hills or those who want to take on a hill climbing challenge can now tell the exact amount of elevation gain and loss for a specified route.  Google has yet to make an official announcement regarding this new feature, but after TechCrunch discovered it, Google has confirmed that it has been added.

To use this feature, click on the directions icon and select a starting point and a destination with any points in between that you would like to add.  Next select the biking directions icon and a panel on the left side of the map will show distance, estimated travel time, route options and the elevation profile for each route.  In the elevation profile panel there is an option to hide or show bike paths.  To switch between routes, click on the desired route on the map or on the elevation profile panel.  You won't see an elevation profile for routes that are essentially flat.

This new elevation profile feature is only available at the moment for desktop Google Maps and not any of their mobile Google Maps apps.  Hopefully Google will add it for mobile use in the future.

Plan Your Own Twin Cities Brewery Taproom Bike Tour

The Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area is known for two things, cycling and craft beers.   With our bike infrastructure and a boom of new microbreweries, this give cyclists a great opportunity to bike to a multitude of taprooms around the Twin Cities.  So many breweries with taprooms are scattered throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul that you should be able to plan several bike tours without hitting the same ones twice, unless you are compelled to visit your favorites.  Ride with friends, in the era of social media it shouldn't be hard to put together your own group taproom bike tour.  If you prefer that someone else do the navigating, check in with Bike to Beer in Minneapolis for upcoming bike tours of local microbreweries.  To help you better plan your own brewery taproom bike tours, I have created a Twin Cities Taprooms by Bike map.

View Twin Cities Taprooms by Bike in a larger map

Open this map on your smartphone to help you reach your taproom destinations or use it to plan out a ride using your favorite cycling/mapping app or GPS software.  Use the Bicycling map layer available in Google maps to show trails, bike lanes and bicycle friendly roads to plan the most bike-friendly routes from taproom to taproom.  

Taproom hours* vary, so plan out your route in accordance with those that are open on the day of your ride.  Below is a list of the brewery taprooms on this map with hours and website links.

*Taproom hours subject to change.  Visit brewery website or call for updated taproom hours. 

945 NE Broadway St., Ste.188, Mpls
Taproom hours:
Wednesday 4-10 pm
Thursday 4-10 pm
Friday 2:30-Midnight
Saturday Noon-Midnight
Sunday 11:30 am-9 pm
612-217-0437

 

4571 Valley Industrial Blvd S, Shakopee

Taproom hours:

 Tuesday 3-7pm

Wednesday 3-10pm

Thursday 3-10pm

Friday 3-11pm

Saturday 12-11pm

Sunday 12-8pm

952-230-2739

2320 Capp Rd., St.Paul

Taproom hours:

Friday 4-10pm

Saturday 2-8pm

 1315 Tyler St NE, Mpls
Taproom hours:
Wednesday 4-11 pm
Thursday 4-11 pm
Friday 3-11 pm
Saturday Noon-11 pm
612-276-6911

 1744 Terrace Dr, Roseville
Taproom hours:
Wednesday 4-10 pm
Thursday 4-10 pm
Friday 2:30-11 pm
Saturday Noon-11 pm
Sunday Noon-7 pm
844-TRY-BENT

2222 4th St., White Bear Lake
Taproom hours:
Tuesday 4-10 pm
Wednesday 4-10 pm
Thursday 4-10 pm
Friday 3-11 pm
Saturday 1-11 pm
612-360-2986

 2014 Washington Ave. N.,Mpls
Taproom hours:
Wednesday 4-9 pm
Thursday 4-9 pm
Friday 4-9 pm
Saturday 1-9 pm
Sunday 1-6 pm
612-227-9635

 

1750 Thomas Ave. W., St. Paul
Taproom hours:
Thursday 4-9 pm
Friday 4-10 pm
Saturday 2-10 pm
Sunday 2-6 pm
651-444-8882

1300 2nd St. NE, Mpls
Taproom hours:
Tuesday 4-10 pm
Wednesday 4-10 pm
Thursday 4-10 pm
Friday 3 pm-12 am
Saturday 12 pm-12 am
612-209-2626

920 East Lake Street #123, Mpls
Taproom Hours:
Sunday-Thursday 11am-10pm
Friday-Saturday 11am-12am
612-217-4668 

7929 Victoria Dr., Victoria
Taproom hours:
Wednesday 4-10 pm
Thursday 4-10 pm
Friday 4-10 pm
Saturday 12-10 pm
Sunday 12-6 pm
952-300-8408

421 3rd St., Excelsior
Taproom hours:
Wednesday 4-10 pm
Thursday 4-11 pm
Friday 4-11 pm
Saturday 12-11 pm
Sunday 12-6 pm
952-474-7837

2506 Central Ave NE, Mpls
Taproom hours:
Monday-Thursday 4-11pm 
Friday 4pm-12am
Saturday 12pm-12am
Sunday 12-9pm
Taproom: 612-444-3574

 

 688 Minnehaha Ave E, St. Paul

Taproom hours:

Tuesday 3:30-6:30 pm

Thursday 3:30-6:30 pm

Friday 3:30-6:30 pm

Saturday 12-6:30 pm

651-698-1945

 414 6th Ave N, Mpls

Taproom hours:

Wednesday 3-10 pm

Thursday 3-10 pm

Friday 3-11 pm
Saturday 12-11 pm
Sunday 12-6 pm

Home Twins games

612-333-3208

 7785 Lake Dr., Lino Lakes

Taproom hours:

Wednesday 2-10 pm

Thursday 2-10 pm

Friday 2-10 pm

Saturday 2-10 pm
Sunday 12-8 pm

651-964-2160

 3036 Minnehaha Ave., Mpls

Taproom hours:

Tuesday 4-10 pm

Wednesday 4-11 pm

Thursday 4-11 pm

Friday 4 pm-12 am

Saturday 1 pm-12 am
Sunday 2-9 pm

612-315-4633

112 1st St. S., Buffalo

Taproom hours:

Wednesday 5-10pm

Thursday 5-10pm

Friday 3-10pm

Saturday 3-10pm

Sunday 2-7pm

hayespublichouse@gmail.com 

 711 NE 15th Ave., Mpls

Taproom hours:

Wednesday 3-11 pm
Thursday 3-11 pm

Friday 12-11 pm

Saturday 12-11 pm
Sunday 12-8 pm

612-843-5090

2821 E Hennepin Ave., Mpls

Taproom hours:

Monday-Thursday 3-11pm

Friday 3pm-12am

Saturday 12pm-12am

Sunday 12pm-11pm

612-722-7222  

 

1900 Tower Dr W., Stillwater

Taproom hours:

Tuesday-Thursday 5-10 pm

Friday-Saturday 12-10 pm

Sunday 12-6 pm

888-430-2337

725 Mainstreet, Hopkins

Taproom hours:

Wednesday 4-10 pm

Thursday 3-10 pm

Friday 2 pm-12 am

Saturday 12 pm-12 am
Sunday 12-7 pm
952-938-2415

248 River St. N., Delano

Taproom hours:

Wednesday 4-10pm

Thursday 4-10pm

Friday 4-11pm

Saturday 2-11pm

Sunday 2-6pm

763-333-1033

2934 Lyndale Avenue S., Mpls

Taproom hours:

Tuesday 5 pm-12 am
Wednesday 5 pm-12 am

Thursday 5 pm-12 am

Friday 2 pm-1 am

Saturday 12 pm-1 am
Sunday 12-10 pm

612-326-1999

712 Ontario Avenue West, Mpls

Taproom hours:

Wednesday 3-10 pm

 Thursday 3-10 pm

Friday 12 pm-1 am

Saturday 12 pm-1 am

612-321-8324

1500 NE Fillmore St., Mpls

Taproom hours:

Thursday 4-11 pm
Friday 4-11 pm

Saturday 12-11 pm
Sunday 12-9 pm

612-758-0105

221 2nd St. N., Delano

Taproom hours:

Thursday 4-8pm

Friday 4-10pm

Saturday 2-10pm

Sunday 11am-6pm

 4848 W 35th St., St. Louis Park

Taproom hours:

Wednesday 3-8 pm
Thursday 3-8 pm

Fridays 3-10 pm

Saturday 12-10 pm

952-955-9965

910 Montreal Cir., St. Paul

Taproom hours:

Friday 4-9 pm
Saturday 4-9 pm

651-265-7800

520 Malcolm Ave. SE, Mpls

Taproom hours:

Sunday-Thursday 11 am-11 pm
Friday-Saturday 11 am-12 am

763-535-3330

 125 E 9th St #127, St. Paul

Taproom hours:

Wednesday 4-10 pm

Thursday 4-10 pm

Friday 3-11 pm

Saturday 12-11 pm
Sunday 12-5 pm
651-330-4734

2325 Endicott Street, St. Paul

Taproom hours:

Tuesday 3-10 pm
Wednesday 3-10 pm

Thursday 3-10 pm

Friday 12-11 pm

Saturday 12-11 pm
Sunday 12-8 pm
651-340-5793

 255 W Main St, Waconia
Taproom hours:
Monday 4-9pm
 Tuesday 4-9pm
Wednesday 2-9pm
Thursday 2-9pm
Friday 2-10pm
Saturday 11am-10pm
Sunday 1-8pm
612-888-2739