The Great Long Fellow Ride...Or NOT?

Sunday June 2, 2019

Hosts: John and Helen Mattsen

This route gets an A+ for being constantly scenic and interesting. (Therefor “great”).

Distance: 35 miles. In years past, this route has been severely plagued by floods, road construction, rock slides, and has been closed off entirely for sanctioned bike criteriums and rock concerts. IF WE CAN’T DO THIS ROUTE, THE RIDE WILL BECOME “THE AIRPORT EXTRAVAGANZA RIDE.” Either way, it will be a day of fun with fellow tandem enthusiasists.

Almost the entire course is on bike trails or in designated bike lanes on city streets. We will be eating at the Longfellow Grill (for which the ride is named). It’s just two miles uphill from the Longfellow Grill to the end of the ride. One mile up the hill is Izzy’s Ice Cream. There isn’t a bad climb on the route.

Here is the route in a flash. We start at Aldine Park near Snelling and Marshall in St. Paul. Summit Avenue past the Cathedral, down through St. Paul on St. Peter Street, across the river on the Wabashaw Street Bridge, down Water Street bike trails to the yacht club, up through Mendota on the bike trail, over the Mendota Bridge to Fort Snelling, through Minnehaha Park, around the lakes, down the Midtown Greenway to the river, over to the Longfellow Grill, and back up Marshall to Aldine Park. (Okay, there is one little hill on Marshall that is steeper than railroad grade).

No maps provided. Riders who need to be guided through the course should be able to maintain, say, 14 mph on flat terrain with no wind. However, anyone who knows the route can travel at any speed they like, and increase or decrease the distance as they please.

Meet at Aldine Park ( GPS reference 1712 Inglehart Avenue, St. Paul). Sunday June 2, 2019, 8:45 AM briefing with 9:00 AM departure. Please RSVP (and give us your cell phone number) by Saturday June 1 to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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