This ride is relatively short at about forty something miles, starting and ending in the small town of Hastings, Minnesota. Route design by JOM of Gravel Cyclist. The route meanders south along rural farm roads, taking in the Minnesota towns of Miesville and Welch along the way.
Don’t be fooled, this is a decently hilly area of Minnesota, and the riding is challenging, especially if a lot of wind is present. A stroke of luck, JOM and his partner LGC had a day of almost no wind along these lovely and scenic farm roads.
Hastings, Minnesota, Ride Experience Video
Alternative Video Link for those reading via email subscription.
Parade Pace?
What is Parade Pace? What happens during a Parade? The participants wave, and Parade Pace is no exception, no matter your riding speed, or number of photos taken during your ride 🙂 Always wave to locals / local motorists you see along the way, and naturally, to any cyclists you may encounter. Remember, making friends with locals goes a long way to being a good steward for cycling.
Hastings, Minnesota
“Hastings is a city mostly in Dakota County, Minnesota, of which it is the county seat, with a portion in Washington County, Minnesota. It is near the confluence of the Mississippi, Vermillion, and St. Croix Rivers. The advantages of Hastings’s location that led to its original growth are that it is well-drained, provides a good riverboat port, and is close to a hydropower resource at the falls of the Vermillion River.” – https://wikipedia.org
Miesville, Minnesota
“Miesville was founded in 1874 by John Mies, and named for him. A post office called Miesville was established in 1884, and remained in operation until 1903. John Mies built a saloon, restaurant and boarding house in Miesville in 1874. The building became a grocery store, saloon and post office in 1888 and became the Kings Restaurant in the 1980’s.”
Welch, Minnesota
“Welch is an unincorporated community in Welch Township, Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States. Welch is along County 7 Boulevard near Highway 61, 36 miles southeast of St. Paul. The Cannon River flows through the community. The Canyon Valley Trail (CVT), which runs from Cannon Falls to Red Wing, goes through the village.”
Additional Minnesota gravel cycling fun can be seen at the MN Gravel Enthusiasts Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/groups/1579219505656201
In a similar vein, if you enjoy true grass roots gravel events at no cost to you, and you happen to be visiting or in North Florida, check out the long-standing North Florida Freeride Gravel Series, going into its 11th year of running in 2022. The official Facebook page for NFFGS – https://www.facebook.com/norflafreeridegravelseries
Additional Photos
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Links of Interest:
- MN Gravel Enthusiasts – https://www.facebook.com/groups/1579219505656201
- North Florida Freeride Gravel Series – https://www.facebook.com/norflafreeridegravelseries/
- All-New 2023 Trek Domane: Gravel Bike AND Endurance Road? (JOM’s bike in this video)
- Chris King GRD23 All-Road Wheelset with FusionFiber! (the wheels on JOM’s bike)
- Tailwind Nutrition (JOM’s choice of on-the-bike hydration) – https://bit.ly/3eVogDT
- Gravel Cyclist’s Route Library
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JOM,
I enjoyed the story about Hastings Minnesota. It reminds me of the days of my youth. While reading the story it was easy to close my eyes and picture where you were. I’ve been riding these roads since the 80’s. Though the house I grew up in is located near the old high school (current middle school), many of my childhood friends lived out in the smaller communities like Miesville, Hampton, Vermillion, New Trier, Ravenna, and etc, or what we commonly call “out in the country”. We would ride our bikes out in the country to go fishing, hunting, or just to hang out with friends. Though I moved to Colorado in the late 80’s, I rarely visit Hastings without a bike. When I drive back to Hastings I take several days so I can stop and ride the endless miles of rural gravel in southeast MN, northeast Iowa, and southwest Wisconsin. I also bring my ride-tripping gear as there are many options for overnighters. During certain times of the year you can find many fruit trees along these roads for natural snacks along the way, nothing quite like a fresh roadside apple right off the branch. I was last back in May ’22, over 12 days I logged 500 miles (80% gravel) worth of day rides in the area. People in Colorado don’t believe me when I say I can do 3000+ ft of vertical in 50 miles in MN. My big ride-trip in 2023 will be a meandering loop “up north” from Pelican Rapids across the iron range to Duluth, MN and back covering many of the areas we travelled to and camped when young. I know for a fact that the vast majority of residents in and around Hastings don’t understand or appreciate the impeccable gravel riding they have right out their front doors. I’m OK with that as I enjoy the lonely old roads “out in the the country” all to myself. My father (may his soul be in peace) called Hastings “God’s country”, if it’s not that, it certainly is something!