Arlington Heights Bicycle Club

February 28, 2018 Meeting

Location: Pioneer Park at 500 S Fernandez Ave Arlington Heights, IL 60005

Time: Board meeting 6:30PM, Program 7:30PM

All members are invited to attend the board meeting, Program is open to the public

Riding US Bike Route 41, presented by Gary Gilbert. Gary rode this route in September 2017, which runs 315 miles from Grand Portage, MN near the Canadian border south along the north shore of Lake Superior to Duluth before turning inland to St. Paul. Gary says: The scenery along the route is spectacular and very cyclist friendly. There are many small cities and state parks to visit along the route, with ample hotels and campgrounds as well as restaurants. September weather is cool in Minnesota, perfect for cycling, and near the end of the prime tourist season for Minnesota. The distance is perfect for a week long tour with plenty of time for examining the local beaches, state parks, waterfalls, and pie shops.

USBR41 takes you along the Gitchi-Gami State Trail, the Willard Munger State Trail, Sunset Prarie Trail, Hardwood Trail, Gateway State Trail, and the Bruce Vento Regional Trail which together make up at about 40% of the 315 total miles. The rest of the miles are on city streets and the wide shoulders of US 61. South of Duluth, US 61 parallels Interstate 35 and has low traffic volumes.

Adventure Cycling has been working with the US Department of Transportation and the DOT in all 50 states to establish a country wide cycling network.

.....What if cycling across the country was as easy as following the numbers? The U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS) will give you the ability to ride officially numbered and signed bicycle routes from your backyard to anywhere in the United States.

.....To date, nearly 12,000 miles of U.S. Bicycle Routes have been approved in 25 states. When complete, the USBRS will encompass 50,000 miles of routes and create new opportunities for cross-country travel, regional touring, and commuting by bicycle.

U.S. Bicycle Route 41, also known as the North Star Route , connects St. Paul, Minnesota's State Capitol City, to Canada. USBR 41 opened with a ribbon cutting in St. Paul on May 20, 2017.

.....USBR 41 combines existing roads and mixed-use paths and trails to create a bicycle route that winds its way through some of Minnesotas most beloved and popular locations. Cue sheets for the route are provided by the Minnesota Deparment of Transportation and are free to download.

.....Nearly half the route is on state and regional trails, and it passes through two nationally recognized bicycle-friendly communities: Duluth and Grand Marais, and many other cities with small-town charm. USBR 41 passes through two national parks the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area and Grand Portage National Monument and connects to nine state parks and the Superior National Forest. Roughly half of USBR 41 closely follows the North Shore of Lake Superior.

.....USBR 41 meets USBR 45, the Mississippi River Trail, in St. Paul. When combined, the routes connect two of the nations great water bodies. They continuously link Lake Superior, the worlds largest freshwater lake by volume to the Mississippi River, the worlds fourth longest river all by bicycle.