Bloomington to Minneapolis Route?
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 335
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 30 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Bloomington to Minneapolis Route?
Seeing as how there's no Minneapolis specific bike forums any longer (wow that was a rabbit hole) - I thought I'd ask here about the best route/s from around Anderson Lakes Park Preserve to Downtown Minne. Thanks!
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 852
Bikes: Cannondale '92 T600 '95 H600 '01 RT1000
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 89 Post(s)
Liked 104 Times
in
80 Posts
How easily can you get to the Cedar trail? That would be the best route for two-thirds of it. Just for kicks I punched it into google maps and it looked a bit convoluted to get there. I'd assume it's weighted toward trails rather than good roads.
Yeah, MBL ended up being quite the cluster. Too small an audience and too big of egos, among other factors. I gave up my vested interest in it whenever I joined here--maybe 2010?
Yeah, MBL ended up being quite the cluster. Too small an audience and too big of egos, among other factors. I gave up my vested interest in it whenever I joined here--maybe 2010?
#3
meh
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Hopkins, MN
Posts: 4,700
Bikes: 23 Cutthroat, 21 CoMotion Java; 21 Bianchi Infinito; 15 Surly Pugsley; 11 Globe Daily; 09 Kona Dew Drop; 96 Mondonico
Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1109 Post(s)
Liked 1,011 Times
in
518 Posts
I live west of Minneapolis, and don't ride in Bloomington much. So I can't share a route to help, but I'll share a tool I use a ton - Global Heatmaps on Strava's Route Builder tool. Here's a screenshot with the brighter red lines highlighting the popular routes for other bikers. This is a free tool in Strava.
Untitled.jpg
BTW - former MBL member too
Untitled.jpg
BTW - former MBL member too
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Minneapols, Minnesota
Posts: 538
Bikes: 89 Raleigh Technium PRE, 92 SP 1000 ti, '09 Team Pro, 72 International, 63 Hercules 3-spd, '81 Vitus 979, 2 Kabuki Submariners, 2 C. Itoh Submariners, Gary Fisher Big Sur, Skyway 3-spd, Robin Hood w/ S-A IGH 5 speed.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I hardly ride in Bloomington. The streets and drivers don't impress me as bike friendly. My only suggestion is to get to American Boulevard which has real wide shoulders and then head north on Portland which crosses over crosstown and will take you all the way.
#5
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 335
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 30 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Thanks, yes reading about the rise and fall of MBL was a fascinating waste of time the other night
#6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 335
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 30 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I live west of Minneapolis, and don't ride in Bloomington much. So I can't share a route to help, but I'll share a tool I use a ton - Global Heatmaps on Strava's Route Builder tool. Here's a screenshot with the brighter red lines highlighting the popular routes for other bikers. This is a free tool in Strava.
Attachment 549995
BTW - former MBL member too
Attachment 549995
BTW - former MBL member too
#7
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 335
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 30 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
For now tho I don't see any good routes out of West Bloomington - so maybe I'll just have my wife drop me and the bike at the trail before she then goes to work. I'm too old and withered from years of commuting in Chicago to battle with cars on roads with no bike lane.
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 6,432
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 539 Post(s)
Liked 44 Times
in
38 Posts
Great thanks. We're going to rent in Bloomington for a while because that's where the wife will be working and our daycare is at her work - and I'll be working downtown. But I'm thinking that we'll likely settle somewhere closer to the Cedar Trail - probably Eden Prairie. If you load bike lanes in Minne on Google maps - there's a big dead zone south - but a ton diagonally SW. Plus it looks like there's a light rail extension headed to EP.
For now tho I don't see any good routes out of West Bloomington - so maybe I'll just have my wife drop me and the bike at the trail before she then goes to work. I'm too old and withered from years of commuting in Chicago to battle with cars on roads with no bike lane.
For now tho I don't see any good routes out of West Bloomington - so maybe I'll just have my wife drop me and the bike at the trail before she then goes to work. I'm too old and withered from years of commuting in Chicago to battle with cars on roads with no bike lane.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/18658615
You can take next-to-road bike trails to the southwest LRT, which brings you directly into minneapolis. (These are trails built next to the road for biking, but seperated from the road by a physical curb and usually a foot or two of grass).
Regarding living in EP, I don't know if this will change with the lightrail stuff that's several years out, but be aware that the trail is gravel between EP and Hopkins. It's not a good work transit route if it's rained in the last 24 hours for that reason. There is a big bus depot in EP that most of the people I know use for getting downtown that works well - priority service directly to downtown. EP is covered in beside-the-road separated bike trails, you have to wait at interections but don't have to ride on the street.
Last edited by PaulRivers; 01-23-17 at 07:05 PM.
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Minneapols, Minnesota
Posts: 538
Bikes: 89 Raleigh Technium PRE, 92 SP 1000 ti, '09 Team Pro, 72 International, 63 Hercules 3-spd, '81 Vitus 979, 2 Kabuki Submariners, 2 C. Itoh Submariners, Gary Fisher Big Sur, Skyway 3-spd, Robin Hood w/ S-A IGH 5 speed.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Great thanks. We're going to rent in Bloomington for a while because that's where the wife will be working and our daycare is at her work - and I'll be working downtown. But I'm thinking that we'll likely settle somewhere closer to the Cedar Trail - probably Eden Prairie. If you load bike lanes in Minne on Google maps - there's a big dead zone south - but a ton diagonally SW. Plus it looks like there's a light rail extension headed to EP.
For now tho I don't see any good routes out of West Bloomington - so maybe I'll just have my wife drop me and the bike at the trail before she then goes to work. I'm too old and withered from years of commuting in Chicago to battle with cars on roads with no bike lane.
For now tho I don't see any good routes out of West Bloomington - so maybe I'll just have my wife drop me and the bike at the trail before she then goes to work. I'm too old and withered from years of commuting in Chicago to battle with cars on roads with no bike lane.
I would just suggest exploring which streets have bike lanes and wide shoulders out your way. I am sure you could stitch together a decent route with some experimentation! Welcome to the Twin Cities. We are pretty bike mad despite the winter weather!
#10
Count Orlok Member
Where'd you read about it? I've got some time to waste...
#11
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 335
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 30 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#12
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 335
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 30 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Regarding living in EP, I don't know if this will change with the lightrail stuff that's several years out, but be aware that the trail is gravel between EP and Hopkins. It's not a good work transit route if it's rained in the last 24 hours for that reason. There is a big bus depot in EP that most of the people I know use for getting downtown that works well - priority service directly to downtown. EP is covered in beside-the-road separated bike trails, you have to wait at interections but don't have to ride on the street.
#14
meh
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Hopkins, MN
Posts: 4,700
Bikes: 23 Cutthroat, 21 CoMotion Java; 21 Bianchi Infinito; 15 Surly Pugsley; 11 Globe Daily; 09 Kona Dew Drop; 96 Mondonico
Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1109 Post(s)
Liked 1,011 Times
in
518 Posts
Regarding living in EP, I don't know if this will change with the lightrail stuff that's several years out, but be aware that the trail is gravel between EP and Hopkins. It's not a good work transit route if it's rained in the last 24 hours for that reason. There is a big bus depot in EP that most of the people I know use for getting downtown that works well - priority service directly to downtown. EP is covered in beside-the-road separated bike trails, you have to wait at interections but don't have to ride on the street.
My jeans and bike were clean before this ride:
IMG_20170120_145401.jpg
A couple friends just posted a new route option from Hopkins to EP, I haven't mapped it yet, but these were his note: K-Tel > Shad Oak > Dominic > Jorissen > Rowland > Baker. This doesn't help with the Bloomington route, but if OP moves to EP.
Last edited by Hypno Toad; 01-24-17 at 07:28 AM.
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 852
Bikes: Cannondale '92 T600 '95 H600 '01 RT1000
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 89 Post(s)
Liked 104 Times
in
80 Posts
If it'd work out for you to live more on the east side of Bloomington, you'd have easy access to the lightrail to downtown (southern terminus is the Maul of America) and also decent biking into downtown--trail all the way along the rivers, so there are very few intersections compared to normal city biking.
#16
meh
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Hopkins, MN
Posts: 4,700
Bikes: 23 Cutthroat, 21 CoMotion Java; 21 Bianchi Infinito; 15 Surly Pugsley; 11 Globe Daily; 09 Kona Dew Drop; 96 Mondonico
Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1109 Post(s)
Liked 1,011 Times
in
518 Posts
Hypno Toad can still be seen in a T6 MBL jersey (2015 Westside Dirty Benjamin), also have a couple spoke. I'm slow to let things go...
11402804_10205325538612480_4383589519565317919_n.jpg
#17
Count Orlok Member
Last edited by gna; 01-24-17 at 06:56 PM.
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 6,432
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 539 Post(s)
Liked 44 Times
in
38 Posts
In the winter they're a little more iffy, they do plow them though - but the priority is "streets first, then side trails". Depending on the weather they can be a bit bumpy because of packed down ice, but they do get plowed. You need some alternative transportation to work on the days when it's snowing that day.
The limestone on the SWLRT is good most of the year (& always messy), but spring melt is total peanut butter. I was down in EP on Friday to meet some friends for lunch, rode the SWLRT with my fatbike, what a mess with this January thaw! Anything less than 4" tires would leave you walking.
My jeans and bike were clean before this ride:
My jeans and bike were clean before this ride:
Sure, but I got the feeling that moving to EP might have been motivated by the "easy" access to the bike trail. You don't realize it's not paved from a map.
Last edited by PaulRivers; 01-24-17 at 10:21 PM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
imthewalrus
Eastern Canada
2
08-25-11 04:03 AM
michaelrule4
Eastern Canada
11
12-19-09 09:43 PM