Routes

Planner

Features

Updates

App

Login or Signup

Get the App

Login or Signup

Robert Hanson

I am a retyred* professor at St. Olaf College (as of Sept. 2023) living in Northfield, Minnesota, and an intermediate level cyclist who likes a challenge wherever I find myself, including at right here at home in southeastern Minnesota.

My bicycle is a 2022 "hybrid fitness class" KHS Vitamin C. The 50/34T crank set and 9-speed 11-36T Shimano CS-HG200-9 is loads of fun, primarily due to the huge ranges on both ends.

Some of my favorite rides have included a ride along a short section of the Camino de Santiago (Basque Country, Spain) from San Sebastian to Irún and a ride along the coast of the Bay of Biscay from Plenzia to Bermeo and several rides around Bilbao (all in Basque country) some nice day rides near Basel, Geneva, and Lausanne (Switzerland), Cambridge (UK) Montevideo (Uruguay) and a more challenging than expected loop out of Heidelberg, Germany.

Aug 2023 brought me to Australia for a professional conference and a three-day loop from Melbourne west and around the Great Ocean Road. A good challenge! At one point I was side-by-side with a curious kangaroo that slowed down to hop with me and then took off and left me in the dust. All I got was a blurry picture of his butt.

But the rides out of Northfield through the beautiful Minnesota rolling hills and farmlands are peaceful joys as well. The hills south of Northfield and northwest of Faribault are terrific. They are basically the bluffs from the Mississippi River extended westward. Not particularly steep nor high, but they definitely have fun ups and downs. Sort of like doing reps on a bicycle.

When not bicycling, I also enjoy piloting gliders out of Stanton Airfield (near Northfield; Minnesota Soaring Association member since 1994) and playing the violin in quartets. I am principal second violin in the Cannon Valley Regional Orchestra.

You will find here over 350 tours I have completed starting mostly at Central Park in Northfield, covering about 5000 miles.

My KHS odometer hit 6001 miles May 5, 2025.

*Not a typo. :)
stolaf.edu/people/hansonr

Followers

0

Following

0

Follow

Timeline

went running

Yesterday at 14:50

Kentucky run Trent Ridge Road

Beautiful hills

Time

1h36m

Distance

9.00km

Pace

9:11/km

Ascent

90m

Descent

110m

likes this.

went for a bike ride

August 31, 2026 at 13:59

Northfield Central Park to Tostrud via Webster

Time

2h22m

Distance

44.9km

Speed

20.3km/h

Ascent

280m

Descent

270m

likes this.

went for a hike

August 30, 2026 at 20:19

Nerstrand Woods hike

Time

1h03m

Distance

3.23km

Speed

3.1km/h

Ascent

40m

Descent

40m

likes this.

August 30, 2026

Family walk in the park on a hot summer day

went for a bike ride

August 28, 2026 at 21:36

Northfield Central Park to Waterford Bridge Mill Towns State Trail RT

Time

0h57m

Distance

10.2km

Speed

13.9km/h

Ascent

80m

Descent

80m

likes this.

went for a bike ride

August 24, 2026 at 16:11

Northfield Central Park to Raven's Nest Cafe via Dundas Cannon City Kenyon Cannon Falls Randolph

Time

6h07m

Distance

94.1km

Speed

19.9km/h

Ascent

640m

Descent

650m

, and like this.

went for a bike ride

August 22, 2026 at 16:02

Northfield Central Park to Raven's Nest Cafe via hwy 19 Dundas Cannon City Nerstrand

Includes a relaxed lunch in the park from Martha's Eats and Treats. This is a hard ride with two 7-8% climbs See https://www.komoot.com/tour/3226968451?ref=aso&share_token=afpTBxFrQ1YJJQHNeNBLCqJ0rc0wIjFRglrVmNVWSl53QLBqAz&t_s=referral&t_cid=route_share for a better route.

Time

5h58m

Distance

84.1km

Speed

20.0km/h

Ascent

580m

Descent

590m

and like this.

August 24, 2026

All was well until the final stage down from Nerstrand into a 14 mph gusty wind from the NW. Just could not get any speed at all on the final slide down to Northfield. Missed my goal of Raven's Nest Cafe by 5 pm by two minutes.

went for a bike ride

August 21, 2026 at 16:43

Northfield Central Park to Tostrud via Farmstead Bikes

Time

0h25m

Distance

4.15km

Speed

18.0km/h

Ascent

40m

Descent

20m

likes this.

went for a bike ride

August 19, 2026 at 22:42

Calgary LRT to Ridley's to return the Trek FX AL3

Time

0h07m

Distance

1.03km

Speed

13.8km/h

Ascent

0m

Descent

0m

likes this.

went for a bike ride

August 19, 2026 at 16:39

Calgary LRT terminus to Bragg Creek Provincial Park RT

This carefully planned route starts at the western terminus of the blue line LRT avoiding much unnecessary urban riding. It is just a mile to the country roads

Time

5h45m

Distance

81.7km

Speed

21.1km/h

Ascent

540m

Descent

540m

, and like this.

August 20, 2026

Woo hoo! Great planning to start at the last stop of the Calgary transit blue line. The stop is on 17 St, which is perfect is perfect. Since that is the best cycling road out of town to the west. This removed about an hour from the original plan starting at the hotel.



Absolutely perfect day. Blue skies

went for a bike ride

August 19, 2026 at 15:55

Calgary downtown ride to bypass LRT construction

Time

0h16m

Distance

1.73km

Speed

16.7km/h

Ascent

10m

Descent

10m

and like this.

went for a bike ride

August 18, 2026 at 22:51

Ridley's Bike Shop to south Calgary via Gillmore Reservoir

Time

2h28m

Distance

32.7km

Speed

17.8km/h

Ascent

180m

Descent

180m

, and like this.

August 22, 2026

@vince_kelly thanks for the like. Very much enjoyed the opportunity to get a couple of rides out of Calgary. You should try that route to Bragg Creek sometime. Maybe you have. Just gorgeous.

went for a bike ride

August 18, 2026 at 22:15

OOPS. Ride to retrieve backpack left at Ridley's!

This is a great route. The is a well isolated two-way bike path all along 5 st. Straight through bumper to bumper traffic

Time

0h27m

Distance

5.14km

Speed

23.0km/h

Ascent

10m

Descent

10m

likes this.

went for a bike ride

August 18, 2026 at 21:41

Ridley's Bike Shop to south Calgary

Time

0h32m

Distance

6.24km

Speed

20.4km/h

Ascent

20m

Descent

10m

and like this.

went for a hike

August 16, 2026 at 00:39

Calgary evening walk to dinner and street festival in Chinatown.

Time

0h49m

Distance

944m

Speed

1.5km/h

Ascent

0m

Descent

0m

likes this.

went running

August 15, 2026 at 15:43

Calgary Run

Time

0h27m

Distance

2.88km

Pace

6:42/km

Ascent

10m

Descent

10m

likes this.

Loading