Bike to Duluth: Come On, Do It!

Story by Quinn Erickson

This blog post post was published in Streets.mn on October 4, 2024 . It is being republished here with permission.

Quinn Erickson (selfie) prepares to lead a daylong bike ride from Minneapolis to Duluth.

Anybody want to ride their bicycle from the Twin Cities to Duluth? Let’s go! It’s about 170 miles from Minneapolis proper to the lift bridge. It’s real flat. Mostly bike path, but a couple stretches of road. A reasonable rider can do this in about 13 to 15 hours.
Come on, do it!

This is what I typed into the “About” section of a Facebook event called “Bike to Duluth!” in hopes of coaxing the crazies out of the digital woodwork to join me on the trails and roads spanning the great divide from the Twin Cities to the Twin Ports on an epic, 170-ish-mile bike ride from Van Cleve Park in Minneapolis to Canal Park, Duluth. Bike to Duluth! held its inaugural ride on June 29, 2024.

The starting lineup at Van Cleeve Park in Minneapolis on Saturday morning. Some arrived after we shot this photo, and we picked up many more riders along the way! Photo: Emily Kora

Why Did You Do It?

The easiest answer is: Why not? But that doesn’t summon the spirit of the ride or do justice to the enormity of the endeavor. And so, in words and pictures, I’ll attempt to answer the many questions that people have posed to me upon hearing about this ride.
There is nothing quite like experiencing the world by bicycle. The scenery along this ride is so dynamic. It’s cool to watch the landscape as it changes from the city, to manicured suburbs, to rural farmland and forests and, finally, to the rocky outcrops of the North Shore. This ride allowed us to experience just about every environment our beautiful state has to offer.

Enjoying the adventure on the protected bike lanes through SaintPaul’s Como Park. Photo: Quinn Erickson 

There’s just so much you miss out on — for better or worse — when you’re traveling 70 mph in a climate-controlled, sound-proofed car, usually distracted by the radio or, you know, driving. Traveling under your own power at a reduced pace allows you to take in your surroundings. With the right soundtrack in your headphones and the slow pan of the world passing you by, it can be a magical experience. It’s also an incredible challenge, a difficult journey made possible with enough gumption (and food). I’ve done a lot of epic rides, but this one is iconic to me.

Riders navigating their way to Duluth from Minneapolis on the streets of White Bear Lake. Photo: Quinn Erickson

I’ve had a fascination with long bike rides for as long as I can remember. After many years of doing them on my own, I started to seek a cycling community. Last year, I found myself signing up for races and bike events. While looking for events online, I came across the Two-Hundo Fundo, a 200-mile mixed surface ride (sponsored in August 2023 by the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota) that started and ended in Minneapolis at Brackett Field Park. All you had to do was show up with your bike at 4 a.m.!  Although I didn’t finish all 200 miles, I was inspired by the individual who put this event together. I had a good time navigating the route and met some really cool people. I wanted more of this in my community, so that’s why my friend Nick and I put together Bike to Duluth!

Riders Emily Kora and Nick Ries enjoying the dramatic scenery about 10 miles south of Duluth on the Willard Munger Trail. Photo: Quinn Erickson

How Did You Plan the Route?

This route was easy to plan, thanks to the robust system of bike trails in Minnesota. The majority of this ride can be completed on a dedicated paved bike trail, with a 38-mile stretch of road between North Branch and Hinckley.

We utilized the Diagonal Trail, the Hardwood Creek Trail, the Sunrise Prairie Trail, the Willard Munger State Trail and plenty of bike-forward infrastructure in the Twin Cities. The route is mostly U.S. Bike Route 41, which runs from St. Paul to Canada. This route has been vetted by hundreds, if not thousands, of riders before us. Nick and I are fans of gravel riding so we are working on making a “gravel route” to Duluth, but, as far as road biking goes, there’s only one way that makes sense.

This helicopter is just off the Willard Munger Trail. Once you see it you can’t NOT stop at it! Photo: Quinn Erickson

We also utilized Ride with GPS, a free app you can use to create and view routes; this is how we distributed the official route to participants. This app does a pretty good job, but some fine-tooth refining was necessary. We encountered some road construction in, which made for a little “hike-a-bike” section at the end. Most people who are interested in doing a ride like this tend to be gluttons for punishment, so we didn’t hear any complaining about this surprise at the end. I drove the road section a couple of weeks before the ride and checked the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) website for any construction or closures on the roads or bike trails on the route.

Nick “navigating” on a pedestrian bridge over the St. Louis River. Photo: Quinn Erickson

What Obstacles Did You Encounter?

You are guaranteed to come across obstacles on a 170-mile bike ride. The most prominent one that day was the weather. We had nervously been checking our weather apps the preceding weeks, and the forecast was constantly changing. A couple of days out, it looked like we were going to stay relatively dry, but we had a pretty strong headwind that was noticeable on the 38-mile road section.

We were all pretty gassed from the wind by the time we rolled into Hinckley. The rain was intermittent enough that it had stopped by the time I had one sleeve in my rain jacket, so it became easier just to ride through the light rain.
When the other 130 or so miles are all bike trails, the road section feels like an obstacle. No matter how cautious you are and how many precautions you take, biking on a highway is inherently dangerous. I was looking forward to the shelter of the bike trails, not only from the brutal headwind, but from the cars and trucks barreling past us.

Riding the Sunrise Prairie Trail en route to North Branch. Photo: Quinn Erickson

Aside from some pretty strong bouts of fatigue, I didn’t encounter any personal obstacles. I had zero mechanical failures and didn’t “bonk,” as they say. “Bonking” is basically hitting a wall, typically in a physical sense. I know some of the riders weren’t as fortunate. One rider, Amanda Harvey, had two flat tires early on in the ride, which set her pretty far back. She ended up doing most of the ride solo and “made it in time for one beer.” Here is her account of the ride:

Rode from Minneapolis to Duluth on Saturday as a shake out ride for the @thedayacrossminnesota. While the course profile is flatter and smoother, putting in big miles helped me find kinks and hopefully get them smoothed out for August. Many kinks were found, and I’ve got some work to do!

Riders of Bike to Duluth! on Old Highway 61. Photo: Quinn Erickson

It’s important to note the obstacles that weren’t there as well. Organized bike events can cost hundreds of dollars, and that’s if you’re lucky enough to get a spot before they reach capacity. Additionally, there can be significant travel and lodging costs, and time missed from work, which can be hard to afford as well. We sought to lower these barriers by keeping the event completely free and using the Facebook event page as a forum for people to offer and request rides back from Duluth. Additionally, we had my girlfriend, Emily, who is a nurse, following us. She shared her number with everyone should they need some help. This reassured us all and helped with the psychological component of the long ride.

My comrade, Nick, braving the traffic and rain on the St Croix Scenic Byway. Photo: Quinn Erickson

What Was the Most Rewarding Part of the Ride?

For me, the most rewarding part was the people who came out and made this ride special. Once my mom, Jane Flannigan, heard I had created this event, and it had some traction, she sprung into action. Without being asked, she recruited my aunt Ellen and the two of them spent a weekend in Duluth, knocked on business doors, and got a wide array of door prizes we raffled off in Duluth. They had done something similar for the church years ago, so they were veterans of the game. 

Jane Flannigan (left) and Ellen Erickson (right), a.k.a the heart of Bike to Duluth! Photo: Quinn Erickson

They procured an array of gift cards from businesses around Canal Park and about 50 chocolate gold coins. With some lanyards, we turned these into finisher medals for everyone.
They also tracked us on the route and surprised everyone, including me, with a nice rest stop about halfway, at the Pine City Dairy Queen. We were welcomed into Pine City with an array of snacks, including the most refreshing watermelon I’ve ever had.

Smiles and donuts will help you get through a grueling ride like this! Photo: Quinn Erickson

They later met us at Canal Park with a finish line banner and cow bells to welcome us in. The time and effort they put forth was nothing short of amazing. It made the ride so special. This event started as “nothing more than a mass start at a TBD location” and turned into an amazing, heartwarming event thanks to the kindness and efforts of some amazing people.

I hope to see and participate in more of these spontaneous group rides moving forward. We had a lot of fun getting this together and look forward to Bike to Duluth! 2. To that, I say:
Come on, do it!

A warm welcome at the finish line outside Canal Park Brewing. Photo: Jane Flannigan

Care packages for ride finishers. Photo: Jane Flannigan

The finish line. Photo: Jane Flannigan