Minneapolis Forever

Minneapolis to Red Wing – 57 miles
Average Speed – 9.8 mph

We had a fabulous visit with Christine and Mitch and really appreciated their hospitality, especially since it came with a nice comfy bed and good pillows. I forgot to get photos last night, so Mitch is absent as we figured it better not to wake him so early.

The system of bike paths around Minneapolis absolutely amazed us and frustrated us as well. It would be an easy city to get around without a car if you know the city. For tourists like us, we had to stop and check the semi-adequate $10 cycling map frequently, especially once we left St. Paul. It’s been a long time since we had to navigate a big city.

There were definitely advantages to having only one option for leaving town.

By the time we reached Hastings, we had already done over 30 miles and Hastings doesn’t seem far out of the Twin Cities at all. Of course, it involved a nice climb and Route 61 had absolutely no shoulder beyond the bridge over the Mississippi. Angry drivers honked wanting us to abandon the road, which we do have a legitimate right to use. Robert spotted Las Margaritas where we stopped for lunch and for dos margaritas.

The heat and wind intensified. Does this sound like a recording, yet? We took it easy and stopped several times to cool off. Shortly after our last stop, I suddenly felt what I thought was a dry cleaning bag tangled in my leg. It wasn’t a bag, but just air hissing out of my tire. So, at about 1950 miles, I get my second flat, which was caused by a rip in the sidewall of the rear tire.

The repair process didn’t go well. The first inner tube got pinched and the second tube at a slit in it (and it was a new tube). We hadn’t repaired the old tubes, so only had two new tubes, which both failed, so it was time to patch a few holes. The patch kit didn’t work very well at all. The patches wouldn’t stick until the third try with the third patch.

Fortunately, Red Wing has a fully-stocked bicycle shop, so Robert ventured out and bought a new tire, new tubes and a new patch kit. I will have to be very attentive when we start approaching the 3000 mile mark as my flats have occurred about every thousand miles mas o meno.

In spite of our early start this morning, it took us all day to get here. Surely, tomorrow will be much easier. That’s what we say everyday. Since it is our last day in Minnesota, it has to be a good day, even though the forecast calls for continued heat and wind in our faces.

Being on this side of the Mississippi sure feels good. The river up here doesn’t resemble the river in Memphis or any other place down south. It’s much narrower here and probably wouldn’t be referred to as the “Big Muddy”. I read that 30% of entire length of the Mississippi is in Minnesota, which makes sense considering how much it meanders.