On Sunday, September 13th, Tomkin and I got up early so we could take part in the
St. Paul Classic Bike Tour.
Tomkin had done the 30-mile route with Roxanne a couple years ago, and originally we had planned to do that this year, too. But after Tomkin's injury put our training on hold, we opted to just go 15 miles instead. We left home about 8:00am and biked the 2-1/2 miles down Summit Ave. to the starting point.
We made our way to the registration table, which was located in the middle of various vendor stations with info and giveaways.
There was also a place to get some carbs (muffins, bagels, etc.) and fruit. We wandered around a bit, got the tags for our bikes, put some air in Tomkin's tires, and then started off on the ride!
It was a beautiful day out--we couldn't have asked for better weather. We started by heading down Summit Ave. to River Road. One of the best parts about this bike ride is that the roads are blocked off to car traffic. So nice! We stopped to enjoy a scenic view.
Then after the first five miles of the ride there was a rest stop with porta-potties, musicians, food, and beverages.
We got some snacks and stopped to do a little people-watching. Some people really went all-out!
We biked another five miles or so, heading toward downtown St. Paul, and then turned toward Ramsey Hill.
This is an incredibly steep hill (last winter on a particularly snowy day, my car barely made it up!), and pretty much everyone ended up walking their bikes to the top. Tomkin rode for quite a while, though!
At the top, they handed out "I Topped Ramsey Hill!" buttons, and there was another rest area set up.
We got some food and then watched other people make it up the hill.
There was a real sense of community about the whole event, which was really cool. Eventually we started the last leg, which was a straight shot down Summit Ave. We headed back to the starting point so I could pick up my T-shirt.
After checking out more of the vendor booths, we hopped on our bikes and made our way back home.
All together, including the ride to and from the starting point, we biked 19.8 miles. Not a bad way to start the day! We were home a little after 11:00--about the time we usually get going most days! Both of us really enjoyed the bike ride, and we're already planning on doing the 30-mile route next year.
Tomkin had done the 30-mile route with Roxanne a couple years ago, and originally we had planned to do that this year, too. But after Tomkin's injury put our training on hold, we opted to just go 15 miles instead. We left home about 8:00am and biked the 2-1/2 miles down Summit Ave. to the starting point. 
We made our way to the registration table, which was located in the middle of various vendor stations with info and giveaways. 
There was also a place to get some carbs (muffins, bagels, etc.) and fruit. We wandered around a bit, got the tags for our bikes, put some air in Tomkin's tires, and then started off on the ride! 
It was a beautiful day out--we couldn't have asked for better weather. We started by heading down Summit Ave. to River Road. One of the best parts about this bike ride is that the roads are blocked off to car traffic. So nice! We stopped to enjoy a scenic view. 
Then after the first five miles of the ride there was a rest stop with porta-potties, musicians, food, and beverages. 
We got some snacks and stopped to do a little people-watching. Some people really went all-out! 
We biked another five miles or so, heading toward downtown St. Paul, and then turned toward Ramsey Hill. 
This is an incredibly steep hill (last winter on a particularly snowy day, my car barely made it up!), and pretty much everyone ended up walking their bikes to the top. Tomkin rode for quite a while, though! 
At the top, they handed out "I Topped Ramsey Hill!" buttons, and there was another rest area set up. 
We got some food and then watched other people make it up the hill. 
There was a real sense of community about the whole event, which was really cool. Eventually we started the last leg, which was a straight shot down Summit Ave. We headed back to the starting point so I could pick up my T-shirt. 
After checking out more of the vendor booths, we hopped on our bikes and made our way back home. 
All together, including the ride to and from the starting point, we biked 19.8 miles. Not a bad way to start the day! We were home a little after 11:00--about the time we usually get going most days! Both of us really enjoyed the bike ride, and we're already planning on doing the 30-mile route next year.
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