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
Spring Break: Clean-Up Tour Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:44
I'd ridden an ok amount that year, but to be honest, as the year was winding down I realized there were two spots I always hit that I haven't been to yet. So I needed to play a little clean up and get wheels down on thos…
Spring Break: Clean-Up Tour Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:27
I'd ridden an ok amount that year, but to be honest, as the year was winding down I realized there were two spots I always hit that I haven't been to yet. So I needed to play a little clean up and get wheels down on thos…
Spring Break: A Game of Chance - Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:22
As I said last time… sometimes bad ideas go good, and good ideas go bad. And then there's the latest bonkers idea of a tour I had… a game of chance. In the final installment, we learn preparation can sometimes be the key…
Spring Break: A Game of Chance - Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:48
Sometimes bad ideas go good, and good ideas go bad. And then there's the bonkers idea of a tour I had… a game of chance. In the first of two parts, let's see how random selection of route, direction and more makes for a…
400: Celebrating 400 Episodes [Live] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:57
Four hundred episodes into this project, we gathered together on April 11, 2025 for a live show to celebrate the occasion. On this edition I revealed a new tour, announced a short spring break (with episodes, never fear!…
399: Cycling US National Parks in 2025 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:56
It's planning season for spring and summer tours! But if you're in the US or planning a bike adventure here, there's some real question marks about our national park system. From budget cuts to layoffs and reinstatements…
Best of Pedalshift 287: Gifts Ideas for a Person on a Bike Tour [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:38
We're often asked what you should get someone into bike touring… but what about a gift for a friend or loved one who is literally in the middle of a bike tour? Inspired by a Reddit thread, but not one of *those* Reddit t…
398: Florida Coast Takeaways [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:30
The Florida adventure is in the rear view mirror but I have so many lessons learned from this trip… and I'll share a bunch of them with you here on the takeaways edition to close out the trip. Hold the date… Pedalshift 4…
397: Florida Coast Part 4 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:43
The previous day's winds having ebbed, it was time to ride a full day again. And with grayer skies and the winds more at my back than my face, day 3 got things back on track. Would last year's free campsite be as welcomi…
396: Florida Coast Part 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:06
The previous day's winds having ebbed, it was time to ride a full day again. And with grayer skies and the winds more at my back than my face, day 3 got things back on track. Would last year's free campsite be as welcomi…