381: NoDak Northern Tier Adventure Preview

381: NoDak Northern Tier Adventure Preview

Author: Tim Mooney October 24, 2024 Duration: 21:38

I'm going to North Dakota and I am unreasonably excited about it! For years I have been stuck at 48 states visited (and for real, not just airport states) BUT the final two were ND and Alaska, and no disrespect to North Dakota but Alaska needs to be my 50th. But the opportunity to get there was shattered ten years ago when my original ride on the Northern Tier route was scuttled by a heat wave I wasn't interested in riding through. But now… I'm doing it. With a bike. And buffaloes.

 

The Adventure

 

Heavily car aided. Very heavily. Like, mostly.

Starting and ending in MSP (there for a work thing)

All camping

Brompton riding daily

Crossing the state TWICE

Urban camping in Fargo!

Theodore Roosevelt NP! Buffalo! Camping! Riding!

Finally getting wheels down on the Northern Tier bicycle route!

Rest stop car camping in the very friendly sleep-in rest stops of ND!

Did I mention the 49th state visit?

 

Itinerary 

 

Day 1 

Car rental 

Camping in Fargo and Lindenwood Campground

Biking into town for dinner and all the Fargo nightlife I can handle

 

Day 2

Pre dawn departure 

Gain an hour driving across the state into MT

Camping at TR NP at Cottonwood Campground

Buffalo herds nearby and sometimes they saunter into camp?

 

Day 3

Half day at TR NP to cycle a bit

Drive back across the state

Lose an hour coming back into CT

Rest area about halfway to MSP

 

Day 4

Pre dawn departure 

Get back to MSP and fly home

 

Gear

Rental car

Brompton

Camping gear that fits in a checked suitcase - going with basics and adding "luxuries" if I can since this is car camping

Stove a must - likely buying fuel in MN or ND

 

Weather

Not as cold as you'd think for fall

Hoping for dry, preparing for not

 

How much biking?

It really depends. The idea here is to get a sample, not make miles.

Seeing TR NP at the speed of bike

Experiencing Fargo and its… bike infrastructure?


There’s a particular kind of freedom that comes from traveling by bicycle, where the journey itself becomes the destination. The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures, hosted by Tim Mooney, delves into that experience through a mix of personal stories, practical advice, and wide-ranging conversations. Rather than just a how-to guide, this podcast feels like sitting down with a knowledgeable friend after a long day on the road. You’ll hear firsthand accounts from fellow bike tourists, each with their own unique tales from the pavement and gravel, alongside Tim’s own reflections and experiments in bicycle touring. The discussions naturally cover the logistical tips and tricks that make trips smoother, but they also explore the cultural and educational aspects of moving through the world at a human pace. It’s about more than gear and routes; it’s about the connections made and the perspectives gained when you embrace a slower, more engaged form of travel. This audio companion to Pedalshift.net aims to demystify bicycle adventure, making it feel accessible and deeply rewarding. By sharing these stories and ideas, the hope is to inspire your own two-wheeled explorations, proving that a bicycle can indeed shrink the world in the most wonderful way. Tune in for a thoughtful, grounded take on seeing the world from the saddle.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures
Podcast Episodes
Pedalshift's New Basecamp [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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It used to be that a bike adventure meant taking paid time off or quitting your job. Now that remote work is a reality for many of us, there's a new option. But is bike travel while working remotely right for you? Origin…
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A chat with Sylva Florence, an experienced bicycle tourist and author of many things (including her blog The Sylva Lining) on touring as a solo woman, how people who want to be allies to solo women touring can do that wi…
The Ultralight Challenge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:51
What if you could tour with just what fits in a single dry bag? No panniers. Just the essentials. On this episode, we take this as a challenge - borrowing from the ultralight backpacking folks, we cut off our toothbrush…
A Game of Chance Revisited [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:37
We're bringing back one of the wackiest ideas in Pedalshift history — the Game of Chance! Using random number generators and the excellent Adventure Cycling Association routes, it's an unpredictable coast-to-coast bike t…
Best of Pedalshift 295: Making Your Tent Stealthier [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:37
Stealth camping is a great skill to develop and a fantastic option to have for emergencies or maybe even your main overnight plan on a bike tour. But what if your tent is so bright it can be seen from miles away? On this…
Mysterious Oregon Coast 2025 Takeaways [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:31
The Mysterious Oregon Coast adventure is in the rearview mirror, but we always like to peek back before moving on. On this edition we marvel at the fun we had on a fairly cursed tour of some of our favorite parts of the…