Twin Cities Social Distancing Ride Planning

Minnesota's Stay at Home Order has all of us experiencing a little cabin fever and riding a bike is a great way to cure it.  Social distancing is key right now to help flatten the Covid-19 curve but since implementation of the order some Twin Cities trails have become quite crowded.  For those not comfortable with road cycling, bike trails are a great alternative but with fewer people driving I've found taking to the road is more enjoyable now and definitely helps avoid getting too close to others.  Lately I've been using a mix of road and trails, low traffic routes, times of day and the weather to practice social distancing riding with great success.  Another tactic I have been using for some time is to ride from home.  This has helped me discover the bike infrastructure in my neighborhood and beyond.  In this post I will introduce you to some ways to find areas to explore and plan rides to help you avoid the crowds and still put on plenty of miles.

Bikeverywhere

Image Credit: Bikeverywhere

Doug Shidell has been producing the most up-to-date, accurate and readable cycling maps since 1984.  His Twin Cities Bike Map has been a staple for cyclists navigating the Twin Cities for just as long.  It is available in tear and water resistant print form from Bikeverywhere and Twin Cities bike shops for $13.50.  For those that prefer to carry the map on their phone there is a mobile version that works with the free Avenza Maps app for both IOS and Android.  The mobile version of the Twin Cities Bike Map sells for $5.99 and covers 1,000 square miles of bike trails and bike friendly roads.  It works with the GPS in your phone to show you exactly where you are on the map so you can never get lost.  Pick up a print map today or download the mobile version and start exploring the roads and trails in your neighborhood.

Google Maps

Google Maps for mobile has been a long time favorite of mine for getting from point A to point B while cycling.  Using Bicycling Directions in the app, it will help you get to where you want to go by offering several route options showing mileage, elevation gain/loss and estimated travel time.  I have used this many times over the years to find the fastest or best bicycle friendly route to get home when I'm out on one of my ramblings.  

By visiting Google Maps on the web you can plan out a destination ride and send the route directly to your phone to use in the Google Maps app.  A pair of earbuds or a Bluetooth speaker to get turn-by-turn audio directions in real time can be used so you don't have to keep looking at your phone.  Google Maps is a free app that is available for both IOS and Android.

Gravelmap

I've been a gravel advocate for a very long time and these low traffic roads are perfect for practicing social distancing cycling.  With the help of Gravelmap.com you'll see that you don't have to travel far to find gravel roads and routes close to and within the metro area. 

In addition to the changing scenery you'll find that in most cases you have the road all to yourself making gravel a great choice to avoid people out exercising.  Search the map for gravel roads and routes near you today and go on a bike adventure away from everyone.

Tips

Off peak times are perfect for getting out and riding to avoid crowds.  One of my favorite times is early in the morning when everyone is still in bed.  Pedestrian and cycle traffic is very light or non-existent which makes it very easy to practice social distancing.

My other favorite time is just after dark.  By now most others have already got in their walk, ride or errands done and are back home for the night leaving the trails and roads empty.  I can ride areas that are normally busy during daylight hours without having to come near or pass others.

Being a year round cyclist I've ridden in every type of weather and just because conditions aren't ideal doesn't mean it won't be an enjoyable ride.  Staying warm and dry during the spring months is pretty easy with the proper ride apparel for the conditions.  Get out there and ride during the rain, most everyone else will be inside.  Windy days are fun when the gusts are at your back and they add some resistance training to make you a stronger cyclist when they're not.  It's these times when the weather isn't as favorable that there are few people out recreating on the paths and trails.

Housing neighborhoods are another good place to ride to practice social distancing.  Depending on the proximity to main roads and trunk-ways, they can be low traffic making them a good area to do some road riding for those not comfortable with riding on higher traffic roadways.

When I want to get in a road ride but avoid the hustle and bustle of the city I will venture out to the lower traffic country roads near my home.  I've been riding these roads for years and have my favorite routes and roads.  If you are unfamiliar with country roads in your area, plan out a route using Google Maps in the satellite mode.  By zooming in you will be able to tell if the roads you want to ride have a wide shoulder or no shoulder at all.

If I'm riding during hours of the day that tend to see more trail users I will avoid the high traffic areas and opt for those that don't get used as much.  If you are familiar with the trail systems near your home, chances are you already know which ones to steer clear of during peak times. 

Make yourself visible to drivers, other cyclists and pedestrians.  Drivers may not be used to seeing cyclists as much this time of year and with more people out biking during the Stay At Home Order we are currently under in Minnesota there will be a lot more of them to watch out for.  Use daytime running lights front and rear and position yourself to be seen by motorists and others.

There are plenty of opportunities to ride bikes and avoid higher pedestrian and cyclist trafficked areas to practice social distancing.  By using some of the resources and tips mentioned above you should be able to put on some serious solo mileage that will lift your spirits and put a smile on your face.  Now get out there and ride your bike.

Central Lakes Trail

The Central Lakes Trail is a 55-mile trail 

that runs through the heart of 

west-central Minnesota 

from Osakis to Fergus Falls

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.  

Gravelmap Launches Interactive User Submitted Gravel Route Database

Gravelmap is a new website that launched on April 1st and comes to us from a web developer/cyclist from southern Oregon.  After first learning of Gravelmap, I saw huge potential for this budding new resource and decided to get in touch with the site's creator to learn more about it and to give a little feedback about its current features.

Theo responded filling me in on all of the details of Gravelmap and even implemented several of my suggestions to make the site better and even more user friendly.  He proceeded to tell me, "Last year, I acquired an interest in "gravel grinding," as many others have done. Here in Oregon we have lots of gravel, but finding it can be a challenge. Though the roads are plentiful (BLM/USFS roads, logging roads, etc.), when planning a route using Google Maps or topographic maps, it's not always clear if a road is accessible, legal to access, traversable by bike -- or if it even exists. As I explored, I found many great roads, not to mention a few dead ends here and there. But, more than that, I began to contemplate the idea of a resource to help other cyclists find the roads I was enjoying. As more and more people acquired cross bikes and began searching for gravel, I began to hear the same question from friends on Facebook and elsewhere: 'Does anyone know where the gravel roads are?'"

"While out on a ride about a month ago, I had the idea to build a site that would allow users to "draw" and save routes over a live map. Google Maps offers a very powerful interface for extending and adding to its functionality, and the fact that I had worked with it before made it an easy choice to use as the basis for the tool. I spent a series of late nights and a weekend or two building the route mapping engine (the components that make it possible to click, drag, and delete points on the map to create a route), followed by the pieces surrounding it -- the database on the back end, site pages, user login/registration functions, and so on. Eventually I had something that was bare-bones but functional, and I leased a hosting account and launched the site on April 1." 

Because Gravelmap is so new the route database is very limited, but that's where you come in.  Your added gravel routes will be extremely beneficial to the growth and usefulness of this great new resource.

"Most people who find the site simply want to know where the gravel is in their area, and new routes will help make that happen.  My sole intent in building the site is to help share the passion that I have for gravel and backroads cycling. I check the stats and the route database multiple times per day and I get genuinely excited when I see new signups or new routes added -- it feels great to know that people are participating."  

I am always looking for new gravel roads to ride and Gravelmap now allows me to find other user's routes in my area and I can share mine.  Getting started is easy, simply click "Log in" on the top navbar and sign up instantly using Facebook or create a user name and enter an email address with a password.  That's it, you're ready to start sharing your routes, voting on routes and leaving comments on routes you've tried.

Using Gravelmap is easy, visit the Gravelmap Help page for an overview of how to browse the map, add your first route and to see what the guidelines are for adding routes.  Once you have added a route to the Gravelmap database or found a route you would like to try, click anywhere on the route to display more details including:

• Description 
• Overlapping routes
• Elevation profile (including reverse direction, if desired) 
• Export a GPX file for the route
• Vote on the route
• Leave a comment
• Embeddable route profile (copy and paste a HTML snippet to display a route on a webpage or blog)

Future plans for Gravelmap include user profile pages (click on a user's name to see the other routes they've created) and route editing.  Gravelmap is also compatible with Android devices and is iPhone friendly.  Images below are from an Android phone.

Sign up today to be a part of this fledgling resource and help with the growth of its interactive database of gravel/dirt roads and paths.  After getting to know Gravelmap you may find a bug or have an idea to make the site even better, feedback is welcomed from the developer.  Visit the Feedback page to voice your ideas or problems.  For more information, news, terms & conditions and privacy policy, visit the About Gravelmap page.  Follow Gravelmap on Twitter (@Gravelmap) or "Like" on Facebook.