On the Bike
Okay, let’s get the obvious out of the way. Minnesota gets cold! Our visit was in late October and the temperature was around 32 degrees and gusty when we saddled up. We emailed Alyssa the day before (from the Southwest Airlines gate in STL) to find out if she would still ride if it snowed, her response was “of course I’m a Minnesotan“. We had flurries while we biked over the Mississippi river! We dressed out best, but we were still cold. With that out of the way, on to the ride.
We met Alyssa (Owner and Tour Guide) at the Minneapolis by Bike headquarters at 301 4th Avenue South, Suite 164N. We parked on the street and set our parking meter for 4 hours. We were joined by two other couples. We had signed up for the 13 mile, 4 hour Market Tour, one of several options that they offer.
Alyssa was simply awesome. One of the best parts of the tour was that she used audio technology in the bike helmets so that she could tell us about the sights while we rode. We did stop occasionally to get a brief rest and take some pictures. Alyssa modified the route due to the weather and shortened it just a little bit. The big stop on the tour is at the market in the mill area (museum) by the theater. Which features a busy farmers market on Saturdays.
A lot of the ride is on streets, though Minneapolis is a great bike town. This is not a ride for families that have inexperienced riders that may not be comfortable riding along streets with traffic. Fairly flat ride, just a few little hills to contend with. Minneapolis is quite the city with a fascinating history of logging and flour production. You also learn a little about the St. Paul/Minneapolis rivalry.