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St. Cloud, MN (320) 251-2453 (BIKE) We've got your new bike!

Look for our booth at the Tour Chance to win Rudy eyewear!

The body, stronger.
The mind, sharper.
The air, cleaner.
The grass, greener.

The pretzels, crisper.
The beer, colder.
The weekday, shorter.
The weekend, longer.

The sun, brighter.
The sky, bluer.
Life is better when you ride bikes.
- Gary Fisher

29th Annual
Tour of Saints
Not a race.  A heavenly little ride.
35 and 50 miles

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Click here to visit the registration page

Registration is also open at the Tour!

Check-in times 6:30 to 8:30 a.m.
You may start riding as soon as you are checked in.
For directions to the Tour start, visit the registration page
or click the Directions link on the left of this page.

Each summer from 200 cities across Minnesota,
cyclists gather in St. Joseph to pedal quiet byways,
churn uphill and sail downhill, relish the summer-rich morning
and savor fresh treats along the way.

Become a part of the tradition.
Make this the year you ride Tour of Saints.

About the ride...

Check-in runs from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
After checking in, you may begin riding any time between 6:30 and 8:30.  Our rest stops and finish are geared to this schedule, so please plan to start no later than 8:30 a.m.

Start at the College of Saint Benedict
(Coming far? Stay overnight at the Tour start!  See below)
The tour starts and ends at the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota.  The course traces 35 undulating miles of scenic byways, with a 50-mile option you can choose along the way.  Riders enjoy rest stops with food and drink spaced along the scenic course.

Sinful treats at the rest stops
Cold Spring, the first stop at 12 miles, is home to the popular Cold Spring Bakery.  Their crew offers fresh pastries, fruit, cool water and energy drinks.  The second stop at 27 miles is at Collegeville Orchards near Saint John's Abbey and University, set at the edge of woodlands and lakes.  Cyclists enjoy fresh fruit, drinks and sinfully good Cold Spring Bakery cookies.

Stop to smell the flowers
Look for native wildflowers as you pass the Saint John's Arboretum -- oak savanna, wetland and a prairie that hosts 4,800 plants and flowers.  The staff manages 2,500 acres of land stewarded by the Benedictine monks of Saint John's Abbey.

Feeling strong?  Go for 50!
At 31 miles, riders choose the short course to the finish for a 35-mile day or follow the 50-mile course.  At Avon's city park next to the Lake Wobegon Trail, 50-mile cyclists are welcomed with fresh fruit, candy bars and cool drinks at the last rest stop.

Help along the way
If you and your bike need a lift, flag down one of the Gilleland Chevrolet support trucks roving the course.  Bike shop mechanics offer help at the food and rest stops.  Sheriff's deputies control traffic as needed.

Ah!  A fine finish!
Reunite with friends and family at the finish in cool comfort at the College of Saint Benedict, where you can slurp on watermelon and sip lemonade.  Showers are available (bring a towel).  Pamper your muscles with a chair massage.  Or indulge in a full sports massage! 

Join us!  Here's how...

Register online or download a brochure with entry form
Click on the Registration link here or at the top of this page to register.

Get the shirt to celebrate your Tour
The Tour of Saints shirt features a "cycling saints" image popular with riders.  Order shirts for $12 in advance and pick them up at the Tour.  On Tour day, shirts sell for $15 as available.  Shirts are printed in advance based on projected demand and may sell out on Tour day.

You can also order a Tour of Saints sweatshirt for $35 in advance or buy one for $40 on Tour day (2XL add $2)

Driving far?  Come on Saturday!
Avoid that pre-dawn car trip -- stay right at the Tour start!  Each year more riders discover this option to enjoy their Tour experience.  Learn more below.

Book a room or apartment at the Tour
You can be a guest of the College of Saint Benedict, and wake up at the Tour of Saints start on Sunday morning.  The college offers pleasant, private guest rooms exclusively for Tour of Saints participants.  Check in Saturday, explore the town and Lake Wobegon Trail (starting in St. Joseph) and enjoy a pasta dinner on Saturday evening.  Breakfast is available Sunday morning before the ride, and you don't need to check out Sunday until after you finish Tour of Saints!

To reserve a guest room or apartment online, click below.

Tour of Saints - Room Reservations

Pasta Dinner prices

Adult to age 13       $10.47
Child 3-12                $6.26
Age 2 & under          Free 

Please make your dinner reservations in advance.  You can reserve Saturday dinner whether or not you reserve a room.
(A limited number of meals can be purchased on site.  All are welcome to enjoy the cash bar.)

To make your pasta dinner reservations, click below.

Saturday - Pasta Dinner Reservations

In town for the weekend?
From the Welcome Center in St. Joseph, explore the Lake Wobegon Trail by bicycle on Saturday!  Click here to learn more.

Join Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota - get $35 of perks!
Join in this unified voice to make Minnesota even more bicycle friendly, so
more people choose to ride bicycles more often.

Join by Tour day at $35 and get the $25 Big Blue Book of Bike Repair, courtesy of Park Tool Company.

Then pick your favorite Tour of Saints design from the $10 Collector Shirts sold at the Tour. To learn more about the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota and join, just click here.

Ride with Erik (and score a free Ride with Erik T-shirt)
Erik the Bikeman (of Erik’s Bike Shop) not only enjoys helping people find their right bike, he enjoys riding his bike for exercise, relaxation and fun.
Join Erik on Tour of Saints this year -- he invites you to join him at the start. Start with the group, then ride at your own pace. Erik plans a 7:30 a.m. start. Check in first, then gather near the Erik’s red tent.
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