The 2023 3-Speed Tour had several things missing; rain, clouds, headwinds, heat or cold and, of course, our friend: Sir Noel. Over the course of 20-odd years we battled the adversity of the weather led by our faithful friend Noel. We overcame all the adversity and, in the end, we became stronger spirited and stronger physically. We may have dropped to our knees when we heard that he is gone but he has shown us the way with strength and courage. The recipe is simple, really; we just get up in the morning and go for a ride. The best rides have no destination but in our favourite tour, the destination is known but the route is not.
Our morning was perfect for the opening ceremonies and Memorial. We heard the Message from the King, stories and memories from family members and even bagpipes. Eventually we heard the Blessing of the Bicycles whereby we celebrated St. Dunstan's Day and sang a good rendition of "Chaps on Bikes". Then, "Go forth and ride" was the message from the Vicar and we could not resist.
A few minutes later the flats started and it was a frequent occurrence throughout the day. Crossing the Mississippi at Red Wing is made easier with the new bridge but riding through the lowlands is a bit tedious and the scourge of flats continued. Once we made it to Highway 35 there was a nice alternate route through the countryside or some chose to stay on 35 and enjoy the siren song of the tailwind into Bay City.
A brief rest at the friendly coffee shop and it was then time to face the challenge of Bay City Hill. Up we went and all Nutters rose to the occasion; some on foot, some on the wheel. All were challenged by this bit of Rocky-Mountain-quality climbing and all were rewarded with an eventual view from the summit at Tabor Church. An eye-watering plummet down the backside put us at our new Loch Pepin sign and who was that? Noel was there! Flat Noel of course, but there he was, having his picture taken with anyone and everyone. Andy was the culprit here and he also prepared a nice bulletin board with an electronic slide show where anyone could post photos, stories, notes or watch the photos roll by.
On to the little town of Maiden Rock and the Smiling Pelican Bakery run by Sandra and Dave. This bakery is so popular that they sold out before all could arrive. No matter, a few minutes down the road puts us in Stockholm where you could find a nice sandwich and treats but no baked goods.
Eventually, we moved on to Pepin for another break and a little sit-down at the Depot Museum but the tailwind was hard to resist so off we went to the long crossing of the Chippewa River and the eventual arrival at [Lord] Nelson. A lot has changed in Nelson with the addition of Township 23 Distillery, Beth's Twin Bluffs Cafe, and our favourite; Nelson creamery still going strong. A final river crossing of the day put us into Wabasha.
Brenda at Turning Waters organized another excellent dinner for us and we lingered in the perfect weather with our sore bones and beer that was made in her Hoppy Girl Brewery. All of us lounged and chatted well into the evening. On the walk back to the motel we met a gentleman named Craig Mann who happily played his bagpipes for the slumbering campers across the water at Malone Park.
Sunday morning dawned clear and pleasant with yet another tailwind. Brenda provided another excellent breakfast to get us down the path. We took our time and eventually we rolled out to Reads Landing for another rest at the beautiful overlook. Moving on, we rode through exceptional rolling scenery with long views upriver and stunning bluffs in every direction.
Lake City was the next destination and once we found Ohuta Park, it was time for the Brew-Up. Tartan picnic blankets were the order of the day and Nutters were everywhere lounging in the grass while water for tea was prepared. There were reports of Pimms Cups, wine and stronger waters. The trophy winner was the Vicar's Table with a great assortment of lunch treats, fruit, cheese and crackers. Christine and Mike took the second place Palmer Cup with their show of fine china, fresh tea and other treats.
We stalled as long as possible but eventually, as all cycle tourists do, we had to move on. Still taking advantage of the tailwind, we trundled along the highway to the turnoff to Old Frontenac and the Old Stone Wall. This is one of many favourite spots on this odd tour and, indeed, the Light-Up proves just how odd it really is. We had 3 vintage pipes and 1 new pipe that were lit and many stories suddenly came to life. Many photos were taken of these rebels and many more were taken of the lovely bicycles lined up along the civil war era stone wall.
Eventually, we had to move on to the final leg of the journey; some took Hill Road some took Ski Road and some took County Roads 2,5 and 58 and no-one was disappointed. The vistas were spectacular, the wildflowers were everywhere and the cycling was memorable. The inevitable approached in the form of Colvill Park where all the Nutters could breathe out a sigh of relief and enjoy the feeling of pride that comes with a job well done.
Godspeed Sir Noel.
Date(s): May 20 & 21, 2023. Album by STO. Photos by STO. 1 - 132 of 132 Total. 1713 Visits.
