WHEELIN' IN THE YEARS • THE SAINT PAUL CLASSIC BIKE TOUR
An illustrated history of how Minnesota’s biggest bicycle tour and most far flung music festival helped to shape and continues to showcase the Saint Paul Grand Round.
INTRODUCTION
Greetings. I’m Richard Fred Arey. I started the Saint Paul Classic Bike Tour with a little help from my friends in 1995. My interest in parks and recreation goes back further. I graduated from the Landscape Architecture program at the University of Minnesota in 1980 and became aware of pioneer landscape architect Horace Cleveland during my studies. His work in Saint Paul came into greater focus as I served on the Saint Paul Parks Task Force and then, in 1991, on the first Saint Paul Parks Commission (since 1929). In the Commission’s Annual Report I produced a map of the city’s bikeways and labeled the “Saint Paul Loop ~ a Grand Round,” the first use of the term. In 1995 the Classic was launched featuring the Saint Paul Grand Round.
HISTORY of the SAINT PAUL GRAND ROUND
“Lake Como offers similar advantages for artistic use, as a striking and beautiful feature in a public park, and such use would meet the public demand at an earlier day than Lake Phalen. I unconditionally recommend you secure the control of both lakes and connect them with the city and each other…to form fitting ornaments of this great city.”
~Horace Cleveland in his 1872 address, Outline Plan of a Park System for the City of Saint Paul
In 1872, Saint Paul was mostly uninhabited farmland and prairie with nary a residence in sight. Horace Cleveland came to Saint Paul and Minneapolis to share his vision of how these nascent cities should set aside parks and parkways now, before development consumed them forever. What really caught the ear of the local power brokers and chambers of commerce was this: These parks would pay for themselves thanks to the burgeoning value of nearby real estate.
Cleveland had worked as a landscape architect on the east coast and Chicago and saw the tremendous potential of the Twin Cities open land, lovely lakes and forested Mississippi River bluffs. At a time of great rivalry between the two small towns, he saw them growing together into a great metropolis ~ the “United Cities” he proclaimed. One of his grand visions was a broad boulevard, 200-feet-wide that would sweep down Summit Avenue, bridge the mighty Mississippi and head west across the open prairie to Bde Maka Ska, then known as Lake Calhoun.
Along with designing Summit Avenue’s signature parkway west of Lexington, Cleveland’s work in planning, promoting and designing parks and parkways led both Saint Paul and Minneapolis to develop park systems that circle the city: the Minneapolis Grand Rounds and the Saint Paul Grand Round (no s at the end). The Trust for Public Land rates both cities in the top three nationwide.
Immediately after Cleveland’s 1872 address, Saint Paul’s Common [City] Council passed this resolution: “In order that this city may avoid the errors of other large cities, and begin in time to provide for parks, wide avenues, public squares, and other improvements…to utilize our natural advantages and promote the health and comfort of our citizens…Mr. H. W. S. Cleveland, landscape architect of Chicago, is hereby invited to make a plan for such improvements.”
Cleveland continued his pioneering work in both cities for the next two decades. His work was carried on by Theodore Wirth in Minneapolis and Joseph Wheelock in Saint Paul. It’s impossible to overestimate the value of Cleveland’s vision over the last 150 years. Try imagining Minneapolis with the lakes in private hands or Como Park as the setting for the sprawling estates of the wealthy.
“Minneapolis became a city the day Horace Cleveland arrived.” is the opening sentence in David Smith’s definitive book, City of Parks: The Story of Minneapolis Parks. That statement is equally true for Saint Paul.
HISTORY of the SAINT PAUL CLASSIC BIKE TOUR
Here is the story of how the Saint Paul Classic became Minnesota’s biggest bike ride ~ for a while it was even larger than the Twin Cities Marathon. It’s also the story of how the Classic created the Grand Round ~ the name sprang forth with the ride. And how the ride inspired politicians ~ from Congressman Bruce Vento to Mayor Chris Coleman (he told me it was his favorite Saint Paul event) to reimagine and rebuild the northern half of the Grand Round with off-road bike trails, separated sidewalks and lush landscaping. When the Classic began, the Grand Round was practically devoid of bicycling and walking facilities. There were no bike lanes, no off-road trails (except along Mississippi River Boulevard) and no sidewalks along many stretches of the route. The route was ripe for improvement.
Every good story deserves a soundtrack. Over 80 musical acts have played the Classic, from Johnny Smith and the Red Lake Singers, to Nachito Herrera, to the beloved blues duo ~ Spider John Koerner and Tony Glover. They’re all name checked here, year by year. There’s been specially commissioned art as well. The Classic has always been about more than bicycling ~ it’s a music festival on wheels.
It seems quaint today, but for the first 25 years of the Classic we published a paper ride guide. It included history, photographs, pictorial maps, ads and a registration form. You’d fill out the form, write a check and send it in. Crazy! Most of what follows was gleaned from these ride guides. The last ride guide was in 2019. It consisted of eight, 11″ X 17″ pages. We printed 82,500 copies and mailed 49,000 to cyclists here and abroad.
WHEELIN’ THROUGH THE YEARS
I was bicycling the traffic-free streets of Montreal in the Tour de L’isle with thousands of smiling cyclists ~ it’s the world’s largest bike ride with 45,000 participants ~ when the thought arrived: We could do this in Saint Paul! The parks and parkways are prettier, we’ll have fresh coffee at the start, local baked goods and live music at every rest stop. We’ll invite a few friends and off we go!
Ideas come easy, but closing off several miles of city streets to traffic, not so much. The Classic has been a group effort since day one. The Saint Paul Bicycle Advisory Board voted to help out. Randy Schubring and United Hospital stepped up with cash and marketing expertise. I recruited my friend Anne Hunt and the Neighborhood Energy Consortium to be the fiscal agent and co-present the ride.
I also talked with three ride directors; Scott Nelson with the KARE 11 Bike Tour, Michael Doyle who still runs the Tour of Saints and Jon Ridge who ran the Ironman. This is the original Ironman, predating the Hawaiian version by 11 years. It was also the largest bicycle tour in the state and Jon was extraordinarily helpful, lending us the use of his extensive mailing list.
The Classic has always featured two routes: the Saint Paul Grand Round and the Summit Avenue Loop. For 25 years the Classic began at the University of St. Thomas with a short run down Summit before turning left onto Mississippi River Boulevard (MRB). I named the Grand Round in homage to the Minneapolis Grand Rounds as both sprang from Cleveland’s penchant for connecting parkways.
The first year we were able to close off almost half the Grand Round to traffic thanks to my buddy George Leiter, the limited access layout of Shepard and Warner roads, and the incredible effort of Greg Reese with the City. Greg, with his wife Pat, spent the night setting up cones and barricades along the route. George recruited 50 or 60 St. Paul Academy students to rise at dawn and patrol the barricades along MRB. We hired six police officers to control the main access points along Shepard and Warner, and all the cyclists took the footbridge just west of Highway 61 into Indian Mounds Park. The rest of the route was on roads open to traffic. There were three rest stops as seen on the pictorial map (which doesn’t show Johnson Parkway).
The Summit Avenue Loop splits from the Grand Round at Eagle Parkway, jogs over to Chestnut and ducks behind United Hospital before tackling Ramsey Hill. We knew the super steep gradient of Ramsey Street would be a challenge. We had three answers. First we’d have a rest stop at Lookout Park atop Ramsey Hill. (This was the first park created by the 19th century park board and shall one day be known as Horace Cleveland Panorama Park ~ inshallah.) We’d have vocal volunteers cheering the riders on. And, they’d give each rider a button. The first two years they crowed, “I conquered Ramsey Hill.” But after two years we toned it down to, “I topped Ramsey Hill.”
September 10, 1995
All’s well that begins well. We had a picture perfect day for bicycling. There were 2,710 registered riders and nearly everyone showed up ~ and had a good time. Sure there were glitches. We ran out of food at Lake Como and Johnson Parkway was a little hairy competing with traffic. But most everyone went home happy. As one rider wrote, Note: The ride cost $15 for adults, $10 for kids and included a T-shirt.
Music line-up ~ University of St.Thomas (UST) ~ Charlie Maguire (CM), the “Singing Ranger” with the National Park Service, MC’d and played, The Twin Cities Recorder Guild with Clea Galhano (TCR) kicked the festivities off., Mississippi River Overlook (MRO) had Mark Stillman (MS), Indian Mounds Park (IMP) feature Johnny Smith and the Red Lake Singers (JS). There may have been music at Ramsey Hill but I’m pretty sure no one played Como Park as we just had a tent off of Gateway Drive. NOTE: Venues are abbreviated and underlined after their first mention (eg. UST is University of Saint Thomas). Musicians playing more than one year are just abbreviated (CM is Charlie Maguire).
September 8, 1996
The second Classic was a reprise of the first but drew over 4,000 riders. This was the first year we started our efforts to establish a permanent Grand Round bikeway. There was a box to donate money on the registration form and records show “over 200 Bike Classic riders have contributed money to this effort.” United Hospital offered free health screenings again this year.
Music ~ UST CM, TCR, Andrew Hoag on bagpipes, Field Day (FD), MRO MS, IMP JS?, Lookout Park atop Ramsey Hill (RH) Dick Rees and Friends (DR), Como Park (CP) Farm Team (FT)
September 7, 1997
This year’s ride featured one of Minnesota’s newest rail-trails ~ the Phalen Creek Regional Trail through Swede Hollow. It also got us off Johnson Parkway. We continued to promote, “The Grand Round ~ today’s featured route, tomorrow’s premier bikeway” and collect donations on the registration form. To spice up the route we started adding Burma Shave signs along the way. One read, “Slow Down Pa… Sakes Alive…Ma Missed Signs… Four…And Five.”
Music ~ UST CM, TCR, Dick Hensold playing Northumbrian pipes, Cafe Accordion (CA), The Warp Seven Ramblers, MRO Bob Barnes, IMP FD, RH DR, CP FT
David Mataya did the beautiful cover art that graced the cover of our expanded 11″ X 17″ eight-page ride guide. The guide included historical highlights along the route and a MNDoT survey on alternative transportation.
September 13, 1998
Work began on a three year project to build an off-road trail along Shepard and Warner Road; a big step towards making the Grand Round a premier bikeway. Most exciting to Classic riders was the debut of Como Lakeside Pavilion (CLP) as a featured rest stop. This year we also began working with Jack Becker and Forecast Public Art to commission art works, bike sculpture and art bikes.
Music ~ UST CM, Illyrian Minstrels (IM), Deadly Nightshade Family Singers, and Accident Clearinghouse (AC) led by Quillan Roe who now leads The Roe Family Singers with his wife Kim., MRO MS, IMP The Blackbirds, RH Laura MacKenzie (LM), CLP Exact Change
September 12, 1999
Melanie Steinborn on her Hoffman Pneumatic safety bike, and Jon Sharratt riding an original 1885 Victor high-wheeler lead the way at the start of the Classic. My friend, volunteer photographer Jerry Hass took the cover photo, and virtually every photo we’ve used for the ride over the last 30 years.He’s also bicycled every Ironman but the first, since it began in 1967.
The Grand Round planning process kicked into high gear. With the Saint Paul Neighborhood Energy Office (NEC) leading the way, over $70,000 was raised by Classic riders plus a who’s who of Saint Paul foundations including McKnight, Beim, Carolyn, Historic Saint Paul and the St. Paul Companies. A Citizen’s advisory committee is convened with the goal of creating a “fully developed Saint Paul Grand Round to include:
> Safe, year-round facilities for bicycling and walking
> Directional and interpretive signage
> Public art and special lighting
> Native plantings and community gardens”
We commissioned public art pieces like a giant bike sculpture by Victor Yepez and solicited Burma Shave slogans from Classic riders. One winning entry: “The Bike Was Old…Like The Park Jurassic…Will It Survive…The Saint Paul Classic.”
While everyone’s partying like it’s 1999, NEC is recycling and composting the after party. This year at the Classic, 66% of the materials collected were composted and 30% recycled, leaving only 4% trash.
Music ~ UST CM, AC, IM, The Clint Hoover, Bobby E. and Jim Chenoweth Jazz Band, MRO MS, IMP Urban Renewal Bluegrass Band led by Jazz88 Saturday Morning Host Phil Nussbaum, RH LM, CLP Dean Magraw with modern dancer Megan Flood (DMM)
September 10, 2000
In the first five years of the Classic over 14,000 people are introduced to the Saint Paul Grand Round. Community support continues to grow. The Saint Paul City Council and many district councils pass resolutions of support. A citizen and technical advisory committee “have met for the past nine months to guide the planning process with phase one of a master plan to be unveiled this summer.”
Ride highlights include the colonnade of colorful plywood trees and dancing skeletons courtesy of the crew at Barebones Productions.This is the first year we use the University of Minnesota Transitway for a traffic-free connection linking Como and Raymond avenues. A splendid panorama of downtown Minneapolis is gained from the overpass. Online registration begins through Active.com. Registration fees are $27 for adults and $12 for children five to 16.
Music ~ UST CM, IM, AC, and local jazz legend Irv Williams with his quartet (IW), MRO MS, IMP Brian Barnes and Clint Hoover (BBC), RH LM, CLP DMM
September 9, 2001
The world was a more innocent place two days before 9/11. This year’s ride attracts over 6,400 registered riders, leaping past the Ironman as Minnesota’s biggest bicycle tour and one of the five largest in America. Ken Avidor’s clever cover art is the first of four designs he will complete. Avidor’s amazing pictorial map of the Saint Paul Grand Round graces the 11″ X 17″ interior spread of the ride guide.
The draft master plan is complete, funded in part by over 1,000 Classic riders. It calls for:
> “Information Kiosks” ~ now built in four locations.
> “Signage to visually identify the Saint Paul Grand Round” ~ handsome circular blue signs are now found along the entire route. Look closely on the street as you’re bicycling along Wheelock and you’ll spot manhole covers cast with the same design.
> Amenities will include “bike racks, benches, decorative lighting, tire pu
mps and drinking fountains.” ~ they can be found here and there.
Salute to Bruce ~ In the ride guide I write, “One of Saint Paul’s environmental heroes, Congressman Bruce Vento, passed away on October 10, 2000. Bruce returned every year to ride the Classic. He would give a short pep talk at St. Thomas before heading out. He was a strong cyclist and finished ahead of the main pack.” After his passing, the Phalen Regional Trail is rededicated the Bruce Vento Regional Trail.
Music ~ UST CM, IM, IW, and contra dance favorites, Pig’s Eye Landing, MRO MS, IMP Trinidad native Cyril Paul and the Calypso Monarchs (CP), RH LM, CLP DMM
September 15, 2002
NEC has been a key to the Classic’s success since they stepped up to co-produce the first ride in 1995. With their expertise and an award-winning recycling program, the Classic has been a waste-free event since the start, perhaps the largest event in the state that can make this claim. This year they launch HOURCAR, the Twin Cities’ first car-sharing program.
Two bicycle clubs join us as sponsors, the Twin Cities Bicycle Club and the Hiawatha Bicycle Club. The off-road trail along Shepard and Warner roads is completed and dedicated as the Samuel Morgan Regional Trail. This is a major step in making the Grand Round a “premier bikeway.”
Music ~ UST CM, IW, Nube (NU), Machinery Hill (MH), MRO MS, IMP CP, RH Kenn Wanaku and Sunplugg’d with Tarloh Quiwonkpa (KW), CLP Middle Spunk Creek Boys
September 7, 2003
Saint Paul Classic ridership surges above 7,000 with 7,418 registered riders. For the next couple years there will be more registered riders for the Classic than finishers in the Twin Cities Marathon. Twin Cities Sports magazine reported the 22nd annual race had a record 7,084 finishers.
The Classic Advisory Committee convened by the Saint Paul Neighborhood Energy Consortium (NEC) in 1999 culminates in the production of a Master Plan for the Saint Paul Grand Round. The 120-page report was submitted to the City Council on September 17, 2003. SRF Consulting Group and NEC with the financial support of the McKnight, Beim, Carolyn and Historic Saint Paul foundations, plus the St. Paul Companies and hundreds of Classic donors, lays the groundwork for Completing Cleveland’s Vision, as the plan was subtitled. The plan calls for “the full development of the Saint Paul Grand Round, a 30-mile recreational greenway for biking, walking, and in-line skating that connects neighborhoods, regional parks and the Mississippi River by boulevards and trail facilities.”
Music ~ UST This is Charlie Maguire’s last year with the Classic as he retires from the National Park Service., NU, KW, IW, MRO MS, IMP MH, RH The Eddies launch their 20-year residency, CLP Ticket to Brasil with Pavel Jany and Selmara Abreu (TB)
September 12, 2004
The 10th annual Classic draws 7,611 registered riders. This is the largest bike ride ever in Minnesota and will likely never be surpassed. While there are no solid numbers on how many Classic riders participate, I do know that unlike the marathon, lots of people ~ perhaps 10% or more of those who register ~ hop on the route without paying. Chank does the very cool cover.
The 10th anniversary is a great place to salute some special sponsors. Aveda now presents the Classic to the tune of $25,000. They will continue headlining for the next five years. Boehm’s Cycling, still in its original 1950 storefront location, has been a major supporter since the start. Beginning in 2002, and for the next 20 years, our fabulous volunteer party is hosted by Summit Brewery.
Music ~ UST Kevin Barnes (KB) host of String Theory on Jazz88 takes over as the Master of Ceremonies at St. Thomas, Dick Rees (and later Doug Lohman) is our sound technician, The Renato Lombardi Trio, KW,
The Buffalo Girls, MRO MS, IMP MH, RH TE. CLP TB
September 11, 2005
Another year, another ride. This year we print 88,000 ride guides and mail them to 68,000 folks including members of the Twin Cities Natural Food co-ops. Registration is now $30 and $12. Peace Coffee wakes everyone up in the morning.
Music ~ UST KB, Peter Ostoushko, The Owls, KW, MRO MS, IMP Bill Geezy and the Promise Keepers (BG), RH TE, CLP TB
September 10, 2006
Mary Morse decides to break the bank and hire Nachito Herrera (NH) to headline festivities at St. Thomas where a Renewable Energy Fair is held for the first time. Registration is still strong with 6,826 riders and as has always been the case, half are women. Chank did the design again.
Music ~ UST We welcome the world to the St. Thomas stage this year. Besides Cuban pianist Nachito, Cambodian born Bun Loeung & Light of Heaven play the middle set while the 12-member St. Mary’s Balalaika Orchestra serenade cyclists at the start., MRO MS, IMP BG, RH Five Mile Chase CLP KW
September 9, 2007
My friend Stuart Loughridge paints this year’s cover. Lookout Park is undergoing a major facelift so we sneak up the backstreets of Pleasant and Irvine to Nathan Hale Park and Summit Avenue.The Classic now has its own website ~ BikeClassic.org.
Music ~ UST KB, Greg Herriges and Troy Berg (GH), BG, TB, MRO Dan Turpening (DT), IMP Kelly Rossum Quartet, RH TE, CLP Dick and Jane’s Big Brass Band (DJ)
September 7, 2008
The Saint Paul Classic Bike Tour wins the Sustainable Saint Paul Transportation Options Award. Mayor Chris Coleman and Councilmember Russ Stark present the award. Southbound Raymond, Myrtle and Pelham are closed to traffic. The Classic is now car-free except for Summit Avenue where we ban parking on the north side of Summit to allow a buffered bike lane back to St. Thomas.
Music ~ UST KB, Kenn Wanaku Trio (KWT), Alma Brasileira with Joan Griffith, Clea Galhano and Tim O’Keefe, The Front Porch Swinging Liquor Pigs (FP), MRO DT, IMP Doug Little and Seven Steps to Havana (SS), RH TE, CLP (DJ)
September 13, 2009
The 15th annual Saint Paul Classic Bike Tour turns the page to a new chapter. The NEC, now under the leadership of Chris Duffrin, decides the Classic no longer meets their mission. I have two excellent options: The Friends of the Parks and Trails of Saint Paul and Ramsey County, under the leadership of Peggy Lynch, has been around since 1985. I’d been involved with them almost from the beginning. Or, there was the newly minted Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota (BikeMN).
I’d also known Dorian Grilley for years and knew the Classic could rocket launch the fledgling group. The Classic had a massive following and marketing power. Over 70,000 ride guides were distributed throughout the Twin Cities and around the state, including direct mail to 27,500 bicyclists. We’d been registering riders online for ten years and had an email list likely surpassing 10,000. If you were starting a bicycle advocacy group, the Classic couldn’t have been a better fit.
BikeMN’s first year is blessed with good weather and strong attendance ~ including over 1,000 registering on the day of the ride. Profit the first year is around $75,000. This enables Dorian to hire a second full time person. In addition, the budget for the Classic was over $200,000, making BikeMN look like a much larger organization and making it easier to win large grants. Most important to BikeMN’s mission is the instant access to tens of thousands of potential members. To this day, perhaps 90% or more of BikeMN members have ridden the Classic or the Mankato River Ramble (see 2011).
The 2009 ride guide features a full page introduction to the Bicycle Alliance. Members save $5 on the Classic, another enticement to join. The ride guide also features a photo of an unidentified, but unmistakable Classic rider, Alan Page, the Hall of Fame Vikings’ defensive tackle and Minnesota Supreme Court Justice rode the Classic for many years. He is seen here leaving the Como Lakeside Pavilion. Aveda is no longer a sponsor but Everett steps in with FruitShare to provide thousands of dollars of high quality organic fruit ~ including a half-ton of watermelon for ride’s end ~ each year for the next decade.Music ~ UST KB, Peter Ostoushko, Laura MacKenzie and Willow Brae, KWT, MRO DT, IMP SS with Havana native Vivian Pintado, RH TE, CLP The Roe Family Singers with Kim and Quillan Roe (RF) begin their residency as one of our legacy bands.
September 12, 2010
The Classic crosses the Mississippi River! Or, as the ride guide proclaimed, “Yippee! Traffic-free glee crosses the Mississippi!” This is our first foray to visit Lilydale ~ Harriet Island Regional Park, a hidden gem with wooded bluffs, eagle nests and peaceful Pickerel Lake. Rock star graphic artist Adam Turman captures the scene with his cover art. We offer riders limited editio
n, silk screened posters and our first Classic jersey featuring Adam’s art. Registration is now at $38 for adults ($33 for BikeMN members). Children stay at $12.
Music ~ UST KB, Chris Moeller and the Danish group Ballade, MacPhail Guitar Quartet, Papa John Kolstad and the East Lake Street Hot Club, MRO The accordion now passes to Patrick Harison, Pickerel Lake! LM, IMP SS, RH TE, CLP
September 11, 2011
The Lilydale Loop rides again but the biggest news for Classic organizers is the launching of the Mankato River Ramble. I was introduced to the glories of bicycle riding in the Mankato area on a tour led by the Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota. I pitched the idea of doing a Classic-style ride with the BikeMN board. Unbeknownst to me, Tom Engstrom was at the meeting. He went back home and presented the idea to the Greater Mankato Bike and Walk Advocates. They were in, and the Mankato River Ramble was born. Adam Turman did the cover art. We added four 11″ X 17″ pages to the ride guide touting the new event. Piggybacking on the marketing power of the Classic ~ and blessed by good weather on ride day ~ we had over 1,400 registered riders. Tom Engstrom was a key to the Ramble’s success. He’d just retired and seemed to know everyone in town. There were soon more sponsors for the Ramble than the Classic. Another key individual was Ron Arsenault, leader of the renowned band City Mouse. He’s not only played at every Ramble but turned me on to many fine local acts who’ve helped entertain riders over the yearsClassic Music ~ UST KB, To acknowledge the 9/11 tragedy, Katy Taylor sings the songs of 12th century mystic, Hildegard von Bingham as hymns of hope, Connie Evingson & Joan Griffith, Michael Hauser, father of flamenco in the Midwest, MRO John Devine (JD), PL Dan Newton, IMP SS, RH TE, CLP RF
September 9, 2012
Our biggest bicycle tour ever! In mileage anyway. The Big River Loop extends the Saint Paul Grand Round for a fantastic 41-mile tour. Cyclists cross the Mississippi River on the Wabasha Bridge that leads to Concord Street. There’s a rest stop at Simon’s Ravine / Kaposia Park before riders cross Concord and head south on the South Saint Paul Regional Trail, following the river down to the I-494 bridge. Crossing the river, cyclists head north on the Point Douglas Road / Trail and reconnect with the Grand Round at Fish Hatchery Road. Love this year’s art by Nora Wildgen.Music ~ UST This year’s line-up at St. Thomas is billed, “The legendary musical wizards of the West Bank.” Spider John Koerner and Tony Glover play perhaps their earliest gig ever to start the day. The Moonlight Duo of Mary DuShane and Nick Jordan are next while Papa John’s Band closes the day. MRO JD, Simon’s Ravine Jack Klatt and Patrick Harison (JKP), IMP SS, RH TE, CLP RF
September 8, 2013
After thinking about it for years, the Classic King of the Hill Bike Race finally debuts. Ramsey Hill, the most notorious climb in the Twin Cities was ripe for a race. We hired a race director to handle the details and commissioned custom-made trophies. To add to the challenge, racers used Nice Ride bicycles ~ not exactly Tour de France caliber. Three city councilmembers participated and an old neighbor, Donovan McCain, Jr. won one of the heats. While it didn’t generate the media buzz I was anticipating, a good time was had by all. Excellent cover art by my friend David Mataya (whose work also graces the cover of my two books, Twin Cities Bicycling and Twin Cities Winter Recreation).Music ~ UST KB, TE, The Show’d Up Band with Bob Douglas and Joe Kreitzer (BDJ), Nikki and the RueMates (NR), MRO JKP, IMP The High 48s (H48), RH Ellis Drum Shop Drummers, CLP RF
September 7, 2014
Adam Turman stepped up once again ~ at half his usual rate ~ to do the 20th annual Classic artwork. Beautiful! The ride itself was a classic Classic. No Lilydale. no Big River Loop, no King of the Hill Race ~ just the great Grand Round and superior Summit Avenue Loop. Who could ask for anything more?Music ~ UST KB, Michael Ferrier & Ashley Still of Fathom Lane, BDJ, NR, MRO JKP, IMP H48, RH TE, CLP RF
September 13, 2015
The ride guide headline reads, “Coleman Commits Millions to Rejuvenate the Saint Paul Grand Round...Starting with a $2 million planning and engineering process, Mayor Chris Coleman has committed $13.2 million to rebuild major sections of the Grand Round.” Classic organizers have been pushing this for two decades. It’s certainly helped that Mayor Coleman, Council Presidents Russ Stark and Amy Brendmoen have all ridden the Classic. They realized its great potential and its dire needs.
Rebuilding Johnson Parkway, Wheelock Parkway and Como Avenue will take the better part of nine years. It will include off-road paved bicycle trails, separate sidewalks and lush landscaping. The Classic will be rerouted annually but it’s worth it, because post pandemic the big traffic-free Classic will be history.Riders take a lap around Lake Phalen and East Shore Drive is car-free. The Classic has always aimed to be a zero-waste event. Eureka Recycling! reports that this year they composted 1,623 pounds of organic matter and recycled 920 pounds of cardboard, paper, bottles and cans ~ the Classic is 97% waste-free! Cover art by Roberta Avidor captures the combo platter of live music, tasty treats and a scenic bike ride.
Music ~ UST KB, Nona Marie and the Anonymous Choir (NM), BDJ, NR, MRO We really upped the ante this year ~ the 11-member fun factory , the Brass Messengers, are here to start the party! IMP (H48), RH TE, CLP RF
September 11, 2016
Roberta Avidor pictures a classic scene on the Grand Round ~ cyclists cruising under the Roberta Street Bridge, that’s spanned the Mighty Mississippi since 1926. Construction begins on the north half of the Saint Paul Grand Round. The Classic will need to detour around parkway reconstruction for the next several years.
Music ~ UST KB, Siama’s Afrobilly Trio kicks off festivities with traditional Soukous music from the Republic of Congo (SAT), CP, Patty Peterson & Friends cap off the day. MRO BM, IMP Larry McDonough Quartet (LMQ), RH TE, CLP RF
September 10, 2017
Jaime Anderson embraces the ride’s vibe with a panoramic view of downtown Saint Paul and the Mississippi River from the Indian Mounds Park rest stop.
Saint Paul achieves Silver status as a bicycle-friendly city with its signature event, the Classic, a key factor in this rating. A recent article in Finance and Commerce magazine estimates that $60 million will be spent over the next several years to complete the Grand Round. Significant improvements are made; Raymond Avenue has fresh paving and striped bike lanes from Como Avenue south to University Avenue. Saint Paul’s first “protected bikeways” are built on Myrtle Avenue and Pelham Boulevard.Music ~ UST KB, NM, SAT, Maurice Jacox Quartet (MJ), MRO BM, IMP Steam Machine (SM), RH TE, CLP RF
September 9, 2018
Cover art by Violeta Rotstein features three iconic Saint Paul structures. This year we salute our Heritage Sponsors; stalwart supporters since the start: Boehm’s Cycling, Breadsmith, City of Saint Paul Public Works, National Park Service, Saint Paul Great Harvest Bread, Saint Paul Parks and Recreation, University of St. Thomas.
Music ~ UST KB, LMQ, Mercy Danger and Hot Pink Hangover (HP), MJ, MRO BM, IMP SM, RH TE, CLP RFSeptember 8, 2019
“Come celebrate the 25th annual Saint Paul Classic Bike Tour!” proclaims Jaime Anderson’s colorful cover design. We printed and distributed 82,500 ride guides including 49,000 that were mailed to “Our Cycling Friends at…” I wrote an article in the ride guide highlighting the 75 musical acts we’d presented over the years. The Landmark Center had a handsome exhibit in their North Gallery with posters, rare Ramsey Hill buttons, a giant selfie banner and a wall displaying 25 years of Classic T-shirts. We did our usual massive preparation, hiring 95 police officers and a couple hundred course marshals. and Jaime and crew placed thousands of dollars worth of barricades to close off over 30 miles of parkways and roads. The ride, with well over 5,000 bicyclists, went off without a hitch.
Little did we know that this would be the last Saint Paul Classic Bike Tour featuring,”traffic-free glee!” It wasn’t yet the end of the world but six months later it felt like it. Music ~ UST KB, Sprig of That, HP, Dee Miller Band, MRO BM, IMP SM, RH TE, CLP RF
September 13, 2020
COVID was still running amuck and organized events of any scale were nonstarters. Nevertheless, I held the Saint Paul Classic Invitational on a sunny Sunday and a couple dozen bicycling buddies showed up. We started the ride at Como Lakeside Pavilion and it foreshadowed all the Classics yet to come. I bought beverages for anyone who made a donation of $25 or more to BikeMN. Heck, I bought beers for everyone who showed up.
Shortly after the world shut down, April 27, 2020 to be exact, I came up with a proposal for a reimagined Saint Paul Classic Bike Tour. Classic riders would enjoy what we’d first touted in 1996, “the Grand Round ~ today’s featured route, tomorrow’s premier bikeway.” The off-road trails, bicycle lanes and bikeways around the entire 30-mile loop were nearing completion. I laid out my plan for a Limited Edition, Classic 2.0, aiming for all of the fun with a fraction of the riders.Classic 2.0 embraces the same route, but starting at Como Pavilion eliminates the need to set up thousands of dollars of tents, tables and portapotties at St. Thomas. Showcasing the city’s major investment in bicycle infrastructure over the last 25 years ~ instead of closing 30 miles of city streets ~ saves tens of thousands of dollars more. The rest stop at Lake Phalen serves both routes. And the ride guide was history. Another massive savings.
September 12, 2021
By 2021, vaccines were available and the world was opening up. Events were starting to happen, albeit with masks and six-foot spacing. George Floyd had also changed the world. Recruiting 30 police officers, let alone nearly 100, would be a challenge.The days of the big, closed road bike rides were over. Using Classic 2.0 as a template, and realizing the narrower widths of bike lanes and trails, we limited the 2021 ride to 1,850 riders. There would be no day of ride registration. It sold out two weeks in advance.
Long route riders started at Como Lakeside Pavilion and followed the Grand Round. The first rest stop was now at Mississippi River Gorge Scenic Overlook where we set up a tent. At Indian Mounds Regional Park we used the large picnic shelter across from the Indian Mounds. Rather than going down the big hills to reach the Bruce Vento Trail we curled back on Earl and Burns to Johnson Parkway and the new, beautifully landscaped trail. The makeshift rest stop at the intersection of Phalen Drive and Wheelock Parkway was replaced the following year with the Phalen Picnic Pavilion overlooking the lake.
The short route was a Lollipop Loop from Lake Como to Lake Phalen. Riders headed east from Como on Wheelock Parkway to Lake Phalen where they did a lap around the lake before returning to Como. No more Ramsey Hill to conquer!
Post-ride surveys were overwhelmingly positive. Saint Paul Classic 2.0 was a success and we knew how to build on it. I found Chris Schmidt, this year’s artist, on a trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Studio 13 is based in Houghton, Michigan.
Music ~ Como Lakeside Pavilion (CLP2) is now the ride’s staging area and no mere rest stop. KB, Phil Heywood and Tim Sparks, SAT, RF, Mississippi Gorge Overlook (MGO) TE, Indian Mounds Picnic Shelter (IMPS) Richie Serafin and Greg Herriges each play solo sets, Lake Phalen Tent Jarrelle Barton plays a guzheng,
September 11, 2022
Jaime Anderson’s fine artwork reveals the Classic will once again be crossing the Mississippi to explore Lilydale Regional Park. This year’s route, while branching off from the traditional Grand Round, visits all six Saint Paul Regional Parks. It includes two dramatic river crossings (the I-35E bike bridge and the Wabasha Bridge), and four fantastic rest stops, including the stylish new picnic shelter in Lilydale and the sprawling Phalen Picnic Pavilion overlooking the lake. As a bonus, riders relish a brief jaunt on the Gateway State Trail.We bump up the ride capacity to 2,475 and come close to selling out with 2,450 registered riders. We also have two start times (7:30 and 8:30 a.m.) to spread out riders on the course for safety and comfort.
Music ~ CLP2 KB, Renowned Veena artist Nirmala Rajasekar and her trio open., Annie Mack Band, RF, MGO Clawhammer Mike Sawyer, Lilydale Picnic Pavilion (LPP) TE, IMPS Zacc Harris Duo, Phalen Picnic Pavilion (PPP) Tony Randazzo and Better Mistakes (TRB)
September 10, 2023
This is the end, beautiful friendThis is the end, my only friend
The end ~ The Doors, 1967
The Saint Paul Classic Bike Tour was foundational to the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota, but some things just don’t work out. The ride came off fine but there were issues this year from beginning to end; at which point there was a new director. I decided to move on.
The city puts the finishing touches on Wheelock Parkway, completing Horace Cleveland’s 1872 vision of a parkway connecting parks at both Lake Como and Lake Phalen. That is, if he could picture bicycles, cars and scooters 150 years ago, instead of horses.
With one significant tweek ~ eliminating the Indian Mounds Park rest stop ~ the Saint Paul Classic routes and rest stops are now complete. If there’s a more splendid bicycle tour in America, with a more spectacular set of rest stops (each with waterfront views!) ~ I’d love to know about it.
Music ~ CLP2 KB, Zacc Harris Trio, RT, MGO Joan Griffith and Jared Waln, LPP The Eddies, one of the Classic’s legacy acts along with the Roe Family Singers, play what may be their last Classic set. PPP TRB
September 8, 2024 
This year’s ride ~ the 30th annual ~ was a roller coaster from start to finish. After 15 years with BikeMN I recruited Friends of the Parks and Trails of Saint Paul and Ramsey County to be the presenting sponsor. While the Friends are much smaller, they’ve been around since 1985 when Peggy Lynch founded the nonprofit to stop a high-rise development in Crosby Farm Park. The Classic is a perfect match for its mission: To promote public support and appreciation for parks, trails and open space.
With this mission, the Classic could not fail. Over the summer, email blasts were sent out to 16,000 past and future riders touting the glories of the six regional parks visited on the ride. They lauded these parks’ history, geology and scenic splendor.
Ride day dawned cool and clear, perfect weather for a bicycle ride. Nearly 2,000 riders traversed the Saint Paul Grand Round and crossed the Mississippi River to visit Lilydale Regional Park. The Music Festival on Wheels was a grand success. Besides the usual suspects, Dan Turpening played his accordion at the Mississippi Gorge Overlook, the Saint Paul Mudsteppers debuted at Lilydale and Larry McDonough played a solo set to kick things off at Lake Phalen. A swell time was had by all.
Mark your calendars ~ the 31st annual Saint Paul Classic Bike Tour rides again on Sunday, September 7, 2025!