Riv Rally midwest and Grant's visit and other bike stuff to do in Minneapolis at that time

[Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery]

We managed to schedule Grant's book-signing visit for May 31 at Hiawatha Cyclery in Minneapolis, MN, which dovetails nicely into the Midwest Riv rally that begins the following day, June 1 in Red Wing, MN. It's going to be a solid 4-5 days of Riv-ish bike fun. And you're invited!

Here's some detail.

Thursday, May 31.

I believe the book-signing is scheduled for 6-7:30 PM. I'm going to provide grilled sausages/burgers and/or pulled pork and fancy beer and probably have potluck for the rest. I'm aiming to feed 50 mouths, but maybe 100, who knows! Come by the shop starting around 4-5 pm, and be hungry and ready to talk bikes and look at bikes and ride around on bikes.

By pure coincidence, local bike company Salsa Cycles is sponsoring a film at nearby Riverview Theater the same evening.
http://revealthepath.com/
I would have hated to miss this, but there is a 9pm showing for the film. We can do the book signing thing with Grant, then anybody who's interested can ride over to the theater (which is an old-timey neighborhood movie theater, not a modern shopping mall cineplex). If past experience is an indicator, attending bike films at the Riverview with several hundred Minneapolis bike nuts and bike industry types will be really, really fun. Seriously, this is going to be a spectacular evening for bike people.

Friday, June 1:
I'll be leaving in the morning to ride down to Red Wing to meet and greet out-of-towners who are joining the Midwest Riv Rally. You can ride down with me if you want to. The ride to Red Wing is about 65 miles. This meet-and-greet will be an informal sort of thing, but I imagine we'll ride around, eat, drink, be merry, and then scatter off to our respective accommodations. The natural focal point for meeting up in Red Wing will be Bay Point Park. Again, this part is highly unofficial and not at all choreographed. Go to the park, and look for people on nice bikes, and then hang out with them. I'm planning to roll in around 3-4 PM, but that really depends on who rides with me and how fast we go.

Saturday, June 2:
Meet at Bay Point Park around 8 am. We'll try to ride out around 9 am down the Wisconsin side of Lake Pepin. Expect 50-60 glorious low-traffic miles of mixed terrain, some hills, some gravel, some pavement, perhaps a modest water crossing (or three). There are cafes and pie shops along the route so we don't need to pack much food. Do not ask me how fast the ride will be, please. I simply don't know, and don't care. It's my opinion that the group should stick together. The fast guys and gals can wait for us slowpokes at the tops of hills and at intersections. Everybody should feel free to stop to snap photos, take a breather, slow down, walk up the hills, etc. I don't plan to provide maps or cue sheets for various reasons, but mostly so we don't get too focused on the route and so that the fast people don't turn it into a race. When we get to Wabasha, I'll have camping arranged, but there's at least one hotel there for those who don't care to camp. You're on your own for hotel reservations. At this time, I don't plan to have any support vehicle, so you'll have to carry your own gear or convince someone else to carry it for you. Maybe one of you has a spouse or friend or relative who'd like to be involved but who doesn't want to ride a bike? If so, maybe you could volunteer that person to provide a support vehicle? But my default is no support vehicle, just so we're all prepared. To be clear, my default is no support of any kind. Just a friendly ride, and if something bad happens, we'll figure out how best to handle it.

Sunday, June 3: Much like the previous day, except in Minnesota. We'll roll out of Wabasha around 9 am and follow a mixed terrain route, mostly paved, but some gravel, some hills, somewhat more traffic. When we get back to Red Wing, the ride/rally will end.

Depending on the time, weather, and mood, I will either look for accommodations for the night in Red Wing, or start riding back to Minneapolis. I'm planning to get back to Minneapolis by Monday afternoon, but it could be Sunday night if the wind blows in the right direction.

Any questions or concerns or other stuff? Post it here, and we'll talk. Are you planning to drive in and have room for someone to share a ride? Post here and maybe a carpool can be arranged.

[Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery]

For those interested in making hotel reservations for the overnight in Wabasha on June 2, I've been told that the website of the biggest hotel there, Americinn, shows that the place is booked. I've also been told that the website is inaccurate and that there may be still rooms available, but you'll have to call them to reserve a room. [800] 634.3444

I'm planning to camp at the city park, and there should be plenty of space for your tent there, too, if the hotel thing doesn't work out for one reason or another.

[Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery]

No discussion on this, but I've received a couple emails from people who asked about this, and thought I might move it to the top of the feed for a few minutes. I've heard from a handful of out-of-towners who are coming in for the Grant book thing and/or for the Riv Rally. And I've heard from a few HC customers who'll be there. And my usual adventure buddies, of course. But honestly, I have no idea if it'll be 15 people or 150! Either way, getting all of us together to ride bikes is going to be a special thing.

On Monday, April 23, 2012 12:47:16 PM UTC-5, Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery wrote:

[Shaun Meehan]

I plan to be there for the book event. I assume you'll have plenty of copies of Grant's book for sale Jim? I don't know about the ride yet. I'm going to try to make some portion of it at least...

Shaun Meehan

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[EricP]

Going to be making the signing and the Rally.  Will be my most extensive ride with camping gear.  In fact, changed a few things around in the schedule to make sure it would happen.

 

Eric Platt

St. Paul, MN

[Doug Magney]

Looking forward to the book signing and the rally. My new 62 Hunqa frame should arrive within a week or so. I want to have it built up and ready to go for all the festivities.

On Thursday, May 3, 2012 8:00:05 PM UTC-5, EricP wrote:
> Going to be making the signing and the Rally.  Will be my most extensive ride with camping gear.  In fact, changed a few things around in the schedule to make sure it would happen.</div>
>  </div>
> Eric Platt</div>
> St. Paul, MN</div>
>  </div>
>
> On Thursday, May 3, 2012 7:25:23 PM UTC-5, <a>meehan...@gmail.com</a> wrote:</div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;padding-left:1ex;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid" class="gmail_quote">I plan to be there for the book event. I assume you&#39;ll have plenty of copies of Grant&#39;s book for sale Jim? I don&#39;t know about the ride yet. I&#39;m going to try to make some portion of it at least...
>
> Shaun Meehan
>
>
>
>
>
> <blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;padding-left:1ex;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid" class="gmail_quote">
>  </div></blockquote></div>
>
> </blockquote>

[Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery]

Yep, planning to have plenty of books for sale. I expect them to arrive any day now.

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[John Blish]

Apparently my attachment failed according to notice I received, although it came through in my copy. 

Very Grant can be seen here, too:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/111838829033930119881/albums/5739556532803227729

-jb

On Sun, May 6, 2012 at 4:50 PM, John Blish <jbl...@gmail.com> wrote:

Thank you, Jim, for setting this up, being the host and taking care of details.  I appreciate your efforts and your hospitality.  Should be a great time.  I look forward to seeing many Riv fans. 

I expect to attend both the book talk and the overnight tour.  If things work the way I hope, I will be riding my recently renovated Bridgestone MB-1, now known as Very Grant, seen in the attachment, all packed and ready.  Judy, Judy Judy.

John

 

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--
John Blish
Minneapolis MN USA

--
John Blish
Minneapolis MN USA

[John Blish]

Sorry for all the fussing.  Maybe the whole message failed so here is that again, too:

Thank you, Jim, for setting this up, being the host and taking care of details.  I appreciate your efforts and your hospitality.  Should be a great time.  I look forward to seeing many Riv fans. 

I expect to attend both the book talk and the overnight tour.  If things work the way I hope, I will be riding my recently renovated Bridgestone MB-1, now known as Very Grant, seen in the attachment, all packed and ready.  Judy, Judy Judy.

John

[Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery]

I think it worked that time. It'll be great to ride with you, JB.

Everybody who's pledged to attend this event is a true gentleman, except that one guy, but he knows who he is. Speaking of gentlemen, I'm not sure that we have any ladies planning to come. Not sure that I blame them for having other plans that conflict with riding around discussing the nuances of cantilever brake straddle hanger aesthetics for a couple days, but I hope you Riv-oriented females feel that you are welcome and encouraged to join the overnight ride, in full or in part. That goes for every demographic category, actually.

The two commonest concerns I've heard are addressed here:
1. You don't need to ride a Rivendell or even a bike that is somehow related to Riv. Your bike need not be steel or have a tweed mudflap or even fenders. There will be some "country" roads and some hills that are substantial by Midwest standards, so I recommend some low gears and a tire that's at least 32 mm. And you'll have to schlep your stuff, so you'll need adequate cargo capacity (unless you can get someone else to transport your gear for you). Aside from those suggestions, what brand or style of bike you ride doesn't matter. It matters more to have a versatile, can-do attitude and a sense of adventure.

2. Everybody I've talked to is concerned about "slowing everybody down". Good! We need slow people (like me) to keep things in the proper perspective. I figure that the fast guys and gals won't be into this, so it's probably a non-issue. We've got all day, so don't blow it by finishing early! Plan to take LOTS of pictures and to make frequent stops to regroup, chat, have snacks, occasionally address mechanical issues, etc. That said, you should be somewhat confident in your fitness to cover 50-60 somewhat hilly, mixed terrain miles in a day, on back-to-back days. If that's likely to be a hardship for you, please be sure to have some kind of emergency bail-out plan, just in case, but still feel free to join the ride.

Hard to believe this is just a few weeks away. It's going to be the highlight of the Summer, I expect!