Day 26

Bikeability Assessment

We traveled a total of 60 miles today from La Crescent, MN to Wabasha, MN. Overall, my fellow riders and I felt that these were some of the best roads of the trip thus far. A quick summary of our route is as follows: a four-lane highway with moderate to high volume of traffic, good road conditions, and above adequate vehicle to rider spacing with approximately an 8-10 foot wide shoulder. It was really quite an enjoyable ride as bicyclists could ride two abreast with comfort and relax without checking our mirrors for approaching vehicles every 5 seconds. There was the occasional bit of debris (tires, animals, wood, etc), but the level of sight and size of the shoulder allowed ample time and space to adjust the bicycle’s path appropriately. Our route was so pleasant that some of us actually arrived to town prior to 1 PM. The only negative of the day, in my opinion, was that my camera took a little spill after taking a photograph of a bike path outside of La Crescent. Following the picture, I stowed my camera in my handlebar bag where it soon tumbled out from the force of a large bump. With no signs of life besides a report of a lens malfunction, I must repair/replace it when we arrive in Minneapolis in two days (sorry Alice!). Thus, pictures will be limited until this problem is addressed. On the brighter side, I am looking forward to the rest, relaxation, and meetings with Minnesota DOT personnel and hopefully some corner store experts in the Twin Cities.

Bike Path 1 mile outside of La Crescent, MN, 7:45 AM

1. 5 (no traffic)
2. 3 (bumps and overgrown vegetation on/near path)
3. 5
4. 3
5. 6 foot bike lane present

Highway 14 West/Highway 61 North (approximately 16 miles outside of La Crescent) 9 AM
1. 3
2. 3 (glass present)
3. 4
4. 3
5. 8-10 foot shoulder present

Highway 61 North (intersection with 44th Avenue, Goodview, MN) 10:45 AM
1. 3
2. 4
3. 5
4. 4
5. 10 foot shoulder present

Highway 61 North (intersection with Wabasha County Road 29) 11:45 AM
1. 4
2. 4
3. 5
4. 4
5. 10 foot shoulder present

Highway 61 North (3 miles south of Wabasha) 12:30 PM
1. 4
2. 4
3. 5
4. 4
5. 8-10 foot shoulder present