Riding on

Despite the horrendous weather on June 22, over 60 bikers out of the nearly 150 registered braved wet roads, mist and rain to complete five different distance rides in the eighteenth annual Superior Vistas Bike Tour. Covering routes of 13, 19, 34, 40, 52, 70 or 100 miles, the riders would not be deterred from start to finish according to Melissa Martinez, Washburn Area Chamber of Commerce Director, one of the two presenters of the ride along with North Coast Cycling Association.

“This is just a fun ride, not a race,” Martinez said. “People had to drive up the day of because they could not find rooms available; they did so knowing the weather could shorten or put their rides to a halt.” Vistas newbie Gary Foster, or Corcoran, Minn., trekked nearly 250 miles four hours to make the tour. He was satisfied, he remarked.

“Even though the weather wasn’t the best,” he said, “we still had a great ride and we really enjoyed exploring (your) part of the world. Can’t wait for next year’s ride.” The event experienced a setback in participation during the pandemic, but numbers are on the rise, and the economic boost is real, Martinez noted.

“People who come tour the ,” she said, “and enjoyed the events that were happening like Dandelion Days. Many ate at the restaurants throughout the (weekend). We had riders from as far away as Colorado who flew in to ride and many from the Twin Cities too. We saw a lot of people from Eau Claire as well. People are already asking about next year’s dates to book rooms.”

The Washburn Chamber of Commerce contributed to this article