MS 150 Bike Ride

The MS 150 bike ride is CBC Riders largest event and biggest fund raiser each year.

What is it?
It is a 150 mile bicycle ride (done over 2 days) from the Duluth area of Minnesota to the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul). More specifically it starts from Proctor, MN (right outside Duluth) and ends in White Bear Lake, MN (near St. Paul). Each day is roughly 75 miles of biking with several official rest stops on both days, as well as lunch provided. This is a bike ride, NOT a bike race and there are no timers or winners named at the end. All participants do get a medal at the finish line.

Each participant must register with the MS Society and raise a minimum of $300 prior to the race. This money goes to the MS Society, a non-profit with a goal to find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

When is it?
It is typically the first or second weekend in June each year. In 2024 it is Saturday June 8th and Sunday June 9th.

How does it work?
Friday
Participants will typically travel to the Duluth area on Friday (June 7th). If you are a member of the CBC Riders, we will transport your bike, helmet, and any gear/luggage for you, provided you drop it off on Friday morning at the Cargill Office Center in Wayzata, MN. Click here to see a useful gear checklist.

For yourself, there is free transportation on air conditioned charter buses (with bathrooms) leaving throughout the day on Friday starting around 1pm from Century College in White Bear Lake. You can park your car at Century College, it is typically free if you car pool, or $20 for the weekend if you arrive alone.

The bus journey is typically 2 to 3 hours depending on traffic. The buses all arrive at Proctor High School near Duluth, which is the start of the bike ride the next morning. There is also a team dinner in Duluth on Friday evening for no additional cost to CBC Riders. There are free shuttles from Proctor High School to downtown Duluth throughout the evening so you are not “stuck” at the high school and you should not need to use Uber.

On Friday night participants will either stay at a local Duluth hotel, or they will camp at Proctor High School. Camping options include setting up a tent inside the high school gymnasium, or setting it up on an athletic field just outside the high school. There are bathrooms at the high school as well as porta-johns near the field. For those camping outside, the field starts to get quiet around 9:30 - 10:00pm.

Saturday
There is a free pancake breakfast inside of the high school starting around 6am and going until 8 or 9am.

Most people will start biking on Saturday morning anytime between 7am and 9am from the official start line at Proctor High School. You do not want to leave later than that as you will potentially not reach the rest stops before they close down.

CBC Riders will pack up their gear and tents (if they camped) and bring them to our truck. At that area your bike which was transported for you and secured overnight will be waiting for you, as well as bike pumps (if needed to top off). Once you grab your bike (and helmet) and turn in the rest of your gear, it is time to head to the start line and start biking!

There are 5 rest stops on Saturday before you get to Hinkley, MN which is the end of day 1.

The rest stops are as follows:
Carlton - after 13.3 miles
Mahtowa - after 12.2 miles (25.5 total)
Moose Lake - after 11.3 miles (36.8 total)
Willow River (lunch stop) - after 10.2 miles (47.0 total)
Finlayson - after 9.2 miles (56.2 total)
Hinckley - after 18.0 miles (74.2 total)

Each stop has light food, water, gatorade, and bathrooms as well as bike mechanics. The food is free but the mechanics will charge you depending on the service you bike needs. The Willow River stop is the “lunch” stop and in previous years sandwiches and Dominos pizza are offered as well as drinks. Most people spend 10 to 15 minutes at each rest stop to stretch, use the bathroom, fill up water bottle, etc. At the lunch stop they will spend more time (~30 min). You do not have to stop at a particular stop, you can choose to keep biking, however a quick stop/stretch is never a bad idea.

Hinckley is the end of day 1, you will ride into the finish line at Grand Casino Hinckley. There will be an area nearby to turn your bike back into the CBC Riders to be secured overnight. At this point you will be able to head to the Cargill hospitality tent where your luggage/camping gear will be waiting as well as food (taco buffet), refreshments, beverages (including adult beverages), and optional massage service. The food and beverages are free, the optional massages are paid directly to the providers.

On Saturday you have a few lodging options. You can pay to stay at a nearby Hinckley hotel, or right onsite at the Grand Casino Hotel, or you can camp outdoors for free in a mowed grass field at Grand Casino Hinckley. In that field there are porta-johns. There are also free hot “shower trucks” you can use to take a shower after the biking. Throughout the rest of the evening you can hang out in the Cargill hospitality tent or head into Grand Casino Hinckley to walk around and/or gamble. There are bars and restaurants in the casino as well. We typically take a team picture around 5pm.

Similar to the previous night, the camping “field” starts to get quiet around 10pm as most people are exhausted and know they have another 75 miles to go the following day!

Sunday
On Sunday morning there will be refreshments/coffee/muffins/bagels in the Cargill tent for breakfast. You again will drop your gear off and then pick up your bike which was secured overnight. There again will be bike pumps if needed. You will then start biking to officially start day 2 which ends in White Bear Lake at the finish line.

Similar to Saturday, you will want to start your biking journey sometime between 7am and 9am.

Day 2 is 72.9 miles of biking and again has 5 stops including a lunch stop.

The rest stops are as follows:
Pine City - after 15.0 miles
Rush City - after 10.3 miles (25.3 total)
North Branch (lunch stop) - after 12.4 miles (37.7 total)
Wyoming - after 12.2 miles (49.9 total)
Hugo - after 15.6 miles (65.5 total)
White Bear Lake Century College - after 7.4 miles (72.9 total)

The largest and one of the only major hills of the entire ride is in the final 2 miles of the race in White Bear Lake. Use your adrenaline as the finish line is near!

Once you approach the finish line you will be given a medal. There will be a smaller Cargill tent at Century College with some final refreshments! Your gear will be waiting for you here as well and you can load it into your vehicle. Hopefully you had a great time and are already thinking of doing it again the following year!