Bicycling Posts

Duluth Mail Bag: Tourism Taxes, Bike Lanes and Bonding

Hobbs Mail BagAs a two-time Duluth city councilor, now in my final year of service, one of my goals is to make city government more accessible, or at least help citizens become more informed. I figure there are many Duluthians who would like some simple answers to some simple questions. I learned in school that if there is something you don’t understand it’s likely there are many others who feel the same way. Hence the idea of the Duluth Mailbag column.

I won’t divulge who is asking the questions, but I’ll answer them in this format about once a month. Feel free to put a question in the comments for next month’s “Duluth Mailbag” or tweet me via @Hobbs_Duluth or email me at hobbsforduluth @ gmail.com.

Also, if you want to have a longer conversation, you can sign up for a 45-minute cup of coffee through my 100 Cups of Coffee project.

Apologies for the delay in this column, I’ve been chasing Springsteen across the country and watching the Twins clinch the AL Central. OK, here we go!

Duluth mentioned in Washington Post article on biking

A data analysis article on the Washington Post website touts Key West, Fla., as a city with a high percentage of bike commuters, and a resident draws a comparison to Duluth.

“It’s not Duluth,” said Dane Iseman, longtime Key West resident and co-owner of Island Bicycles. “Unless there’s a hurricane whipping through here, unless there’s coconuts flying sideways around the island, you can ride pretty much anytime.”

Just three months ago, however, a Washington Post article referred to Duluth as a “mountain biking paradise.”

Bike-a-Band Inaugural Ride

Tom Maloney built a rolling stage for a moving concert. Here’s a very brief montage of videos and photos from the inaugural ride of the Bike-a-Band.

Washington Post: Duluth a “mountain biking paradise”

The Slice: Winter Biking

Jeremiah Peck and Shawna Mullen talk about the simple things needed to get into winter biking.

In its series The Slice, WDSE-TV presents short “slices of life” that capture the events and experiences that bring people together and speak to what it means to live up north.

Minnesota’s Mountain-biking Trail Boom

Minnesota Public Radio reports that professional builders have constructed more than 100 miles of mountain-biking trails in northeastern Minnesota in the past five years.

Spirit Mountain, Mission Creek trail link ready

A biker crosses the new Sargent Creek bridge on the DWP Trail Connector west of Ely Peak. (Photos by Mark Nicklawske)

A critical bridge is open, a tunnel has been repaired and work is nearly complete on a six-mile scenic trail that uses a former rail line to connect two large recreation sites on the west side of Duluth.

The city’s Parks and Recreation Division is in the final stages of improvements to the Duluth Winnipeg & Pacific Trail Connector which provides a direct link between the Mission Creek trail system in the Frederick Rodney Paine Forest Preserve and Spirit Mountain. A ribbon cutting on the $600,000 trail project is expected later this summer.

Duluthians consulted as national resources for bicyclists

Avesa Rockwell and Jeremy Kershaw have been consulted as experts on bicycling in Shape Magazine. Kershaw and Rockwell lead Heck of the North, a company that plans events for adventuresome bicyclists, such as Le Grand du Nord, Heck Bikepacking Race and Heck of the North.

Redhead Mountain Bike Park Overview

Red Head Mountain Bike Park opened this summer on former Iron Range mineland near the Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisholm.

The Slice: Red Head Mountain Bike Park

The Slice follows the recreation group Mesabi Outdoor Adventures as members try out the new Red Head Mountain Bike Park, built on former Iron Range mineland near the Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisholm, about 60 miles northwest of Duluth.

In its series The Slice, WDSE-TV presents short “slices of life” that capture the events and experiences that bring people together and speak to what it means to live up north.

Duluth Cross City Trail 2020 Update: Segment 2 nearly complete

The River Route segment of Duluth’s Cross City Trail has been under construction this summer in West Duluth. It should be paved and ready for bicyclists in a matter of weeks.

Duluth You & Me: Willard Munger State Trail

This edition of Duluth You & Me needs an historical footnote. The Willard Munger State Trail is referred to in this 1993 illustration as a 14-mile trail. It now spans 70 miles to Hinckley.

Use the link below for a printable PDF for your drawing and coloring pleasure.
Duluth You & Me: Willard Munger State Trail

Follow the Duluth You & Me subject tag to see additional pages. For background on the book see the original post on the topic.

Duluth Adventures: An Encyclopedia of Human-powered Multisport Adventures

I’ve been a bit obsessed with planning human-powered multisport adventures in Northeastern Minnesota. Even within Duluth city limits, the options for loops are nearly endless. I was curious if anyone else out there had done similar trips in the past. Then I thought about how cool it would be to have a documentation of many routes for others to explore, want to replicate, or spur their creativity for a new route/loop. And Duluth Adventures was born!

Check out duluthadventures.com. This website pretty much hinges on other people’s submissions so I strongly encourage anyone to navigate to the “submit” button and send in their own routes.

Alexandera Houchin: Where the Water Ends

Cloquet native Alexandera Houchin is best known as the 2018 and 2019 women’s Tour Divide winner. The annual self-supported bicycle race follows the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, which crisscrosses the Continental Divide from Banff, Alberta, Canada to Antelope Wells, N.M.

In this video, produced by the University of Minnesota Duluth, Houchin tells her story of growing up never seeing a Native American dentist or doctor, and deciding to counter that with plans to practice dentistry on her reservation.

Maxxis Tires visits Duluth

Maxxis Tires, a manufacturer of a variety of tires, including bike tires, sent cyclist/videographer Brice Shirbach to Duluth to show off the world-class bike trails.

Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!