Grand Forks North Dakota to Winnipeg

Rental Drop Off, Time to Ride

Our first day (Monday 7/20/2026) out on the bikes required a short 25 mile ride to Oslo Minnesota. The ride was going to be flat and on VERY rural gravel roads. That’s the good news! In reality the roads were dirt, closed, and the gravel was thick and loose and we had sustained headwinds or cross winds of 20 to 25 miles an hour from the West Northwest the entire ride. It also rained but only for a few miles.

Well at least it’s smooth here
State Lines Are Always a Good Place to Take a Break

Got to camp about 8 o’clock in the city park in Oslo, Minnesota. It did not get dark until about 9:30. Made dinner and went to sleep.

Oslo City Park

The 2nd day (Tuesday 7/21/2026) out on the bikes required a chance for us to light the fires and kick the tires. The plan called for us to bike from Oslo Minnesota to Lancaster Minnesota, about 63 miles only a few hundred feet of climbing and the weather forecast was for a high of only 70. Perfect right? Well that headwind from yesterday was still hanging around, it had diminished but continued all day at about 15 mph, that made the ride difficult and very slow. We averaged only 7.8 mph for the entire ride. We thought we should have had an average around 11.5 mph ☹️

Today’s voyage was though a beautiful agricultural region. We saw endless fields of Wheat, Sugar Beets, Corn, Sunflower, Rapeseed, & Soybeans.

Beautiful Endless Agricultural

Highlight of the day was dinner at W’s Diner on main street in Lancaster, burgers with green beans and fresh baked cherry turnovers. For you who followed me on my 2023 “adventure of a lifetime” you’ll understand when I say I walked out of W’s with “2nd dinner”!

Beautiful! Willie, today did border on boring 😑

One more “sleep” and 2 more days of riding before we get on the train to Jasper. Temps are going up today but a breeze to our backs!


Comments

4 responses to “Grand Forks North Dakota to Winnipeg”

  1. Joe G Thomas Avatar
    Joe G Thomas

    Another Great Adventure. Can’t wait for retirement.

    How’s your arm? I went to lunch with Bobby S and he told me about this, UGH

    Talk to ya soon.

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  2. Super neat to see what you are up to already! Sounds like a very good decision to bike into Canada, and a nice way to start the adventure.

    Wyn says, “Are we allowed to walk up your giant hill and camp there?” I assume the great divide trail is what he means. Her is very interested and confused why it is flat, but I’m explaining best I can.

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  3. Gravel/ dirt so soon!

    Wishing for tailwinds today and tomorrow.

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  4. Rob Alpern Avatar
    Rob Alpern

    Best wishes for some tailwinds! Cara and I spent two days in Winnipeg a few years ago and enjoyed it. If you have time, be sure to ride across the special pedestrian bridge and over to the old French neighborhood and it’s unique (damaged, rebuilt) cathedral.

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