Minneapolis to Duluth...on a 3-speed
 

Next summer I want to take a trip from Minneapolis to Duluth and an "old" English 3-speed. Granted, I'm goind to build new wheels, put new tires on the thing and possibly new handlebars. I also plan on installing (attaching) an Xtracycle for my gear (overboard probably, but what the heck) and putting as high a gear as reasonably possible.
My question is...what is the best route out of Minneapolis (NE area...or Nord-east) to White Bear Lake (or further if anyone has any suggestions).
Thanks

I wonder what an English roadster bike feels like to ride with an Xtracycle bolted on? Sounds like a stately ride.
What gearing do you have now - 46-18? Maybe a better compromise can be found.
Best of luck, hope you have a blast! Keep us posted.

As of right now, I have the frame & fork (a Raleigh Superbe...locking front fork baby!), seat (Brooks B66), Thousands of fenders and Rear hub. The origional Dyno-hub died a horrible death caused by neglect. The crank is probably going to remain stock...not sure yet.

Have you seen this ride? A friend wanted me to go on this... looks like my kind of ride. It is even in Minnesota... how convenient!

http://www.3speedtour.com/

You have thousands of fenders? The green-gold ones on my Superbe have seen better days.

My Hero! :D I'd love to do something like that on my Schwinn Suburban or Varsity! Good Luck to you!

I have been on the 3 speed tour just south of Minneapolis. It was great and made some new friends. I am from Winnipeg and we have nothing like that here. On the same website is the ABCE and it is also great. You could contact those events for some riders and help on your ride. There is lots of helpful 3 speeders there. Tom

I read a book, The Long Ride, about a guy who rode a Varsity around the world. Took several years as he had to stop and earn money to survive. When I met the author, I got a look at the bike. It looked like he'd gone at least twice that far.

I've never heard of anyone wanting higher gearing on a 3 speed before. (Unless it was on a Moulton.) Everyone I know gears them down by installing a 22t rear cog. If you will be hauling a load requiring an ExtraCycle I hope you have VERY good knees.

If you want the highest practical gears, I have a used 14t cog that you can have.
(I'm in So. Mpls. Call me at 612-824-2372 if you want it.)
I also have a 13t off a Moulton, but it's pretty used up. The ultimate is a modified 12t Shimano cassette cog with all but 3 tangs ground off and those three filed to fit the SA slots with a diamond file.

Gear inches with a standard 46t Raleigh chainring.
14t cog = 64-85-114
13t cog = 69-92-123
12t cog = 75-100-133 (Ouch! I have a high of about 63" on all my SA hubbed bikes.)

BTW if you do change your mind about gearing, I keep 22t Shimano cogs on stock, selling them for $5.

You mentioned building new wheels. Good idea, I wouldn't recommend trying to stop a heavily loaded bike in the rain with the stock steel rims. Very nice 32, 36 and 40 hole Sun CR-18 rims are available in the correct size (ETRTO 590) for 3 speeds. Although I only have 1 each of 40h and 36h in stock right now.

N.E. Mpls to Duluth

Getting from where you are to White Bear is complicated. I haven't done this for a while, but here goes.

East on 37th Ave NE till it becomes Co. Rd D
(As you cross Old Hwy 8 note the location of Barley John's Brew Pub. It's the location of the All British Cycle Event http://abcetour.com An Extracycle'd Raleigh roadster would be a welcome addition to our gathering. While I rode a quite fancy Jack Taylor on the Saturday ride this year, I used a recumbent cobbled together from old 3 speed on Sunday.)

East on Co Rd D to Lake Johanna Blvd then north, becoming east around Lake Johanna, to Co Rd E.

East on Co Rd E to Victoria then S. about ½ mile to Arbogast.

East on Arbogast to Lake Owasso Blvd then left. Road curves to East again to Rice.

N. on Rice over I 694 to E. on Vadnais Blvd. Vadnais becomes Centerville Rd.

Right before I 35E, leave Centerville Rd and take Goose Lake Rd, under the freeway to North on Otter lake Rd.

If you don't need to go into White Bear, continue north on Otter Lake several miles till it ends just east of the Centerville Exit of 35E. Then east on Main St. (AKA Frenchmen RD, AKA 14, AKA #8) to Hwy 61.

From there "I think it can very easily done. Just head north to Forest Lake out on Highway 61."

Sunrise Trail from Forest Lake to North Branch.

Good paved shoulder on 61 from North Branch till the Pine County line, a few miles south of Pine City. You just have to live with some traffic till you get to Pine City.

North of Pine City, 61 can be a pain when traffic is heavy (unless they have repaved, including shoulders. A few years ago it looked like a good candidate for a repaving) If it's still bad, go East a few miles on 11, then North on 13 to 23.
Then NE, turning N on 23 (paved shoulder) to Hinkley.

At Hinkley, get on the Munger Trail all the way to Duluth. The 1st few miles of the trail are not "Rails to Trails, and are a bit hilly for a high geared 3 speed.

Some people find parts of the trail boring. If so, they are unobservant.

Hiway 23 from Sandstone to Duluth is more interesting, but probably way too hilly for what you'll be riding.

Mark Stonich
http://bikesmithdesign.com

it's not that i'll be hauling a load requiring the use of the Xtracycle, but it's a 3-speed I'm going to use for the Xtracycle when I get it (the Xtracycle). I think the SA hub I have is a 20t, and I was thinking about an 18t (the 12t would probably cause my legs to fall off...LITERALLY fall off :eek: ). After getting the bike ready (read: built/put together) I plan on trying different cogs to see what works best for the load I actually will haul.
Thanks for the directions, also!

It should be a cool trip. There are many before you who travelled and vacationed via English 3-speeds. For many years around the world, the three-speed was considered deluxe bicycle travel.

With just a bit of internet searching, you can find many great adventures written by people who did just that especially throughout Europe.

I rode a three speed around the perimeter of Chiba province in Japan. It took me about five days. The bike was way to small for me, so it was a chore, to be honest.

I think for you, the challenge will be the hills because you will be travelling in glacial till country. The final climb to Duluth should make you a hero or kill you or both.

<<I've never heard of anyone wanting higher gearing on a 3 speed before. (Unless it was on a Moulton.) Everyone I know gears them down by installing a 22t rear cog. >>

Just wondering Mark, can I put that 22t on my '51 Raleigh? It has a chaincase, I'm not sure if it would fit or if have the chain hit the inside of the chaincase? What about using a 24t cog is this an option?

Thanks!

sounds good! Maybe install a small motor...

...or at least a winch.

update...so the Raleigh is being replaced with a Robin Hood and my origional SA AW 3-speed won't work (the spacing on the Xtracycle is 135mm, the 1960s SA is much less). I may need to purchase a new (or newer) 3-speed. I don't know what I was thinking. I took the Robin Hood to my LBS (Behind Bars in NE) and had the rear widened to just under 135mm.

The Munger trail is quite nice. There is only a very short stretch with some small hills where it wanders off the rail bed. (It's marked on the trail map.)

Best way to plan routes in MN is right here: http://www.dot.state.mn.us/sti/bikemaps.html

You can order the paper versions too.

Isn't this how a Sven and Ollie joke starts?

Ohhh-Yaa, doncha know...