"Reviving the heart and soul of fine English cycling one pastry at a time."
May 22 & 23, 2010 in Red Wing Minnesota
An all-English and lycra-free event!
Registration is now open!
This is, without question, the most memorable cycling event you'll find. Why? It's simple: time travel. If you are with us next May, you will be cycling through the Golden Era of English cycle touring: the 1930s.
The Lake Pepin 3-Speed Tour is based on cycle touring in pre-war England. It was a gentlemanly time; few people owned a car and recreation based on automobiles was extremely limited. To get away for the weekend they would pack a few things, mount up and head to the country. Most every farmstead had refreshments or a room to rent, every little village had a family-run restaurant; just look for the “Cyclist Teas” or “CTC Recommended” sign. It’s a romantic image to be sure but firmly based in reality. It’s a reality that is fairly easy to reproduce given the right scenery, equipment and most important: attitude. One cyclist in a thousand will understand what I’m offering and that person, as you, will glaze over and say “I simply must go!”.
To gain a better perspective, here is a list of things we leave behind: derailleurs, lycra, target heart rates, SPD, SIS, STI, HRM, XTR, etc. There will be no sprinting, spinning, drafting nor will there be any carbon fiber, drillium or unobtanium. Please note we are not advocating being a retro-grouch or ridicule those with alloy handlebars but instead we are asking you to strip away all you know modern cycling to be and hop aboard your £5 Thrift Store Raleigh and come with. Leave your lycra and Johnny-Rebel competitive spirit at home and instead, bring your sense of adventure. Wear something appropriate for eagle watching or sitting in a café and bring an honest-to-goodness rain cape because, of course, it rains in England. Be prepared to make new friends and be swept away by the scenery. Be prepared to stop here and there to take a photo or complain about your hard saddle or make an entry in your Tourbook. Be prepared to keep in mind it's not the destination you'll remember but the journey. -STO
"If you do just one Bummel in your lifetime, make it this one." -STO
Touring in the Old English Tradition!
English
cycle touring in the 1930s was punctuated with many stops for food, water, tea
and sometimes a pint at the local brewpub. Scenic overlooks were an invitation
for a brew-up or a nap in the grass and were seldom missed. For weekend tourists, traveling
light was the order of the day and most people simply carried a change of
clothes and rain gear. Devoted club cyclists of the 30s also enjoyed "pass storming" and
"rough stuff" cycling. Fast forward 80 years or so and it still makes sense.
Our judgment may be questioned by modern standards but that doesn't mean we will suffer on this tour. If you choose to camp or if you bring an extra duffel, your gear will be transported in the 3-speed lorry so all will be traveling light.
There are many small villages with bakeries, coffee shops and even the Lord Nelson Cheese Factory. We do our best to hit them all. The Wisconsin side is peppered with scenic overlooks, historic markers and vistas to rival Old Blighty. Again, we intend to hit them all. If one gentle walk up the Bay City Hill isn't enough, we have other highly recommended optional routes that will add more pass storming and a bit of rough stuff to your résumé. The new Lake City Brew-Up will provide a relaxing and fortifying moment. At the end of the day we will gather at the local pub for a pint or two but don't get the wrong impression; we are not bar-bashing but simply enjoying the moment.
"We have all day to arrive at our destination so let's not spoil it by showing up early." -STO
The route begins in Red Wing Minnesota and heads around Lake Pepin clockwise with an overnight in Wabasha. The total is 85 miles for those foolish enough to keep track. Both days have route options with quieter roads and additional pass storming and rough stuff.
See: http://www.mississippi-river.org/index.html for more info on the Lake Pepin area including historic background and maps.
"Enduring the rigors of high adventure creates a bond between rider and steed that is not easily broken." -John Calkins
Another reason to label this ride as a better-than-average-kerfuffle is the pocket-sized Tourbook. It was a last minute surprise for all the 2003 riders and in the end was a big hit. The Tourbook introduction is reprinted below, every rider receives a copy and no, I won't put them on eBay. The 2004 Tourbook had more pages and a bigger map. The 2005 Tourbook had a nice fold-out map, the 2006 Tourbook had more space for notes and the 2007 version had feature illustrations from the 1934 BSA Cycles catalog.
"This little pocket book is meant to be part queue sheet, part tour guide, part map and part memoir. On each page you will find a listing of a town or attraction or a spot to write your notes. In the middle you will find a map of the Lake Pepin area. All the entries are in the same order as you will visit them on the tour. Feel free to write in what you see, what you’ve learned, where you ate and, best of all, what you think about the Bay City Hill. You will also find illustrations from the 1937 Raleigh Cycles catalog. Store this book in a safe spot when you get home and when you come across it ten years from now you’ll stop dead in your tracks and read it again."
"It's cycling as it used to be and it's cycling at its best: pure, simple and spectacular." -STO
Camping: Most riders prefer the hotel-motel-B&B version of camping but tent camping is available in Malone Park. Reservations for tent camping are not required but please let me know so I can give the city a tent count. Showers are now available at the new bath house. Interesting note: Malone park is closer to downtown Wabasha and the Eagles Nest than some of the hotels.
Rooms: You must make your own reservations! Hints: The AmericInn costs more but has a pool. Wabasha Motel & RV (651-565-9932) is clean and economical. Bridgewaters B&B is across the street from the Eagles Nest Coffeehouse (our meeting place for Saturday night and Sunday morning).
See: http://www.mississippi-river.org/wabasha/resources.html#lodging for more Wabasha lodging.
See: http://www.mississippi-river.org/maps/wab.html for a Wabasha city map.
See: http://www.mississippi-river.org/wabasha.html for general Wabasha info.
See: http://www.EaglesOnTheRiver.com for waterfront B&B accommodations.
See: http://www.minnesotabedandbreakfasts.org/Inns/RiverNest.htm for the newest B&B in the region: The RiverNest is located in historic Reads Landing.
"What delightful whimsy!" -Tom Maher
Saturday lunch is where you find it but most everyone ate at Gelly's in Stockholm or the Pickle Factory or Harbor View in Pepin.
Saturday dinner is 7:00 PM at the Eagle's Nest Coffeehouse; cost is $15. Newcastle Brown Ale will be available on a $5 donation basis. Vegan option is available; please let me know.
Sunday breakfast is 8:00 AM at the Eagles Nest. Breakfast will be served buffet style along with buckets of hot tea or coffee. Cost is $10.
Sunday lunch is again on your own. The Chickadee Cottage in Lake City is OK but indoor seating is limited, Rhythm and Brew is a better choice. Our recommendation is to join in the new Brew-Up; brew-your-own tea on a vintage camp stove down by the waterfront. See below.
"There are those that rue the day they were not there." -Kit Spackman
New for 2008 and a smashing success in 2009 is the Lake City Brew-Up. Join the Nutters with your vintage camp stove and enjoy a Nice Cup of Tea and a Sit-Down in Ohuta Park along the waterfront. Be sure to bring your favorite biscuits and/or cake! Ohuta Park is at the end of Chestnut or Walnut Street. Note: Rumour has it, competitive tea brewing will be featured in 2010.
"The 3ST had an unexpected impact on my cycling; it was as though I had been introduced to an entirely new sport. Quite shocking really." -Mike Jenkins
"No need to hurry, unless the bakery is about to close." -Ron Grogg
Registration for Veterans is open immediately. General registration for everyone is open July 1st. By definition, a Veteran is a Nutter who has completed at least 1 Lake Pepin 3-Speed Tour and knows they should not cover their potato bin with an expensive Carradice rain cape.
Registration for 2010 is fixed at $25; this includes your event reservation, bag tag, and Tourbook. Entry fee must be included with registration. Reservations are capped at 110 Nutters of the Realm and are refundable up to 2 weeks before the event and may not be applied to next year.
Veteran Nutters who have lost their job may take advantage of our "Nutters in Need" programme and ride for free.
Payment is acceptable via Paypal or cash, check, money order, Pounds Sterling or, as usual, rusty lumps of iron from your shed.
Paypal address: jon@gentlemancyclist.com
Deadline for refunds is 08 May 2010. If you prefer, your refund may be applied to our new "Nutters in Need" program; your entry fee will be donated to a Nutter who has lost their job or, for other reasons, cannot afford to ride.
Other details: Meet at Bay Point Park in Red Wing Minnesota near the floating boat houses. Park in the dirt lot upon the rise across from the park entrance. Do not park inside Bay Point Park.
Be ready to go at 7:30am Saturday morning. Red Wing is 1.5 hours south of St. Paul. General driving directions to Red Wing are available at Mapquest. Noel has made arrangements with the Red Wing Police to leave our cars in the lot overnight.
See: http://www.mississippi-river.org/maps/rw.html for a Red Wing city map.
See: http://www.mississippi-river.org/redwing.html for more Red Wing info.
Your camping gear may be transported in the 3-speed lorry for the trip to Wabasha. Hence, we may nick you a few quid for Bobbi's petrol.
Please note there are NO organised food stops, rest stations, SAG wagons or mechanic support.
"For those who dream in Whitworth." -Ken Keberle
Contact Jon. I also maintain a mailing list for those who would like regular email updates. All messages guaranteed suitable for bird cage lining or composting.
See the FAQ
"Survival is generally not an issue unless we get bad pastry." -STO
What's it Like?
"3 speeds, 2 days, 1 more reason your spouse will say "What now?" STO
Noel Robinson: 3-Speed Tour Founder.
Jon Sharratt: Shirt-Tail Organiser.
Dave Brierley: Keeper of the Cask.
Ron Grogg: ABCE and 3ST Opportunist.
"In the world of bicycles, perhaps we are now at the hub of the universe. Could it be that the world spins on a Sturmey Archer hub? Sometimes in high and sometimes in low; seldom in normal." -Dave Brierley
Brake cables tensioned: 08 June 2009.
"3-Speed Tour", "ABCE", "All-British Cycling Event" and "Gentleman Cyclist" are trademarked 2003 by Jon Sharratt.
