For most people, traveling cross country on anything more than a three-hour flight sounds like a nightmare (and even that’s pretty bad). Never mind the thought of trying to do it on a bicycle.
Plymouth resident Scott Endorf, 56, is not most people. This risk manager and co-owner of a Wayzata insurance agency rode his bicycle across the United States. Literally. In 2006, he and his son Michael, now 30, made a coast-to-coast trip from California to Florida. They loaded up everything they needed (everything they could carry while biking, that is) and spent six weeks exploring the country.
They camped, met colorful folk and came back with plenty of stories to share.
“At one point we needed to cross a river,” Endorf says. “To circumvent the river would’ve added 75-80 miles so we sat there trying to decide what to do and this guy comes up in his crawfish boat. He asked us what the problem was and after we explained, he gave us a ride across the river. I offered him some money, and he was genuinely offended by that. ‘Southern hospitality’ isn’t just a buzzword.”
This story might lead you to believe Endorf is a hardcore cyclist who takes part in multiple races throughout the year. He isn’t. He simply began riding, like most kids do, and is still going to this day. Endorf has been biking since he was a child for recreation, but has never gotten into racing. He says everyone learns how to bike as a kid, and it’s a great way to get outdoors and enjoy the Minnesota weather.
Peter Dyrud, a surgeon at Park Nicollet, is another Plymouth resident who loves to hop on the seat of his bike and go for a ride. Like Endorf, he has cycled recreationally for years, but doesn’t consider himself a serious competitor.
“I was at a dormitory in mission school growing up, and my bicycle was my prized possession,” Dyrud says. (Dyrud’s parents were missionaries in Madagascar when he was a child.)
As Plymouth residents, both Endorf and Dyrud love biking their local streets. Plymouth is a vibrant community that offers great routes, and the people are very supportive and aware of folks on their bikes.
“The trails in Plymouth are great,” Dyrud says. “But I prefer the open road.”
That’s why for him and the hundreds of thousands of other bikers in the Midwest, one of the first (and biggest) events of the year is the Ironman Bicycle Ride in the St. Croix River valley. This year’s ride–celebrating its 48th anniversary –takes place April 27 and features routes of 15, 25, 50, 75 and 100 miles. It is open to participants of all ages.
“It’s a family-friendly event,” Ryan McEnaney, director of public relations for Ironman, says. “We have world class cyclists to families with 5-year-olds taking part.”
Both Endorf and Dyrud have been riding in the Ironman for years. In fact, it is the only organized event that Endorf makes a ritual (he’s been doing ir for 25 years); Dyrud has been taking part in the Ironman for about 15 years, but also enjoys other rides throughout the year, such as the MS 150 ride, a two-day 75 mile/day excursion from outside Duluth to White Bear Lake, Minn. The Ironman offers the first opportunity for Dyrud to get out in the spring as, unlike Endorf, he does not bike during the winter.
Although the Ironman—not to be confused with triathlons of the same name—and rides of similar magnitude sound daunting, with distances of 100 miles or more, neither Endorf nor Dyrud thinks this should dissuade people from taking part. Many of the recreational rides in Minnesota offer shorter routes, and neither of the two veteran bikers have crazy training rituals or routines. If you get out and ride your bike regularly, you’ll be ready to take on some of the bigger events, they agree.
In fact, for someone new to biking, Endorf has some pretty straightforward advice, “Just find something that rolls, get on, and pedal.”
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Ironman Bike Ride
6 a.m.–6 p.m.
April 27
Washington County Fairgrounds, StillwaterRoutes:
Scandia Loop (50 miles), Afton Loop (25 miles), Gateway Loop (25 miles), Afton Cut-off Loop (15 miles).
Combine routes to complete the full 100 miles.
Adults$40–$50; Youth $15
ironmanbikeride.org
