2026 BBH 500 ride overview

Day 1, Sakatah Trail, Wednesday 15th of July 2026
               The first ride utilizes the Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail, an old railroad line converted to a bike trail.  With no steep grades and simple out and back route, it will allow riders to ease into the event and measure their endurance levels to choose the right ride distances for the remainder of the event.  There are 3 different distances to choose from; (S)40 miles, (M)63 miles and (L)84 miles.  The ride includes passing through Southern Minnesota Lake towns of Madison Lake and Elysian for the (S) ride, stretches to Waterville for the (M) ride, and allows the (L) ride to reach the eastern trailhead in Faribault.  Along the route riders will pass through remnants of the “Big Woods” and prairie lands, ride adjacent to numerous lakes that are part of the Cannon River chain, and plenty of farm fields filling the landscape.


Day 2, Lake Route and Build Day, Thursday 16th of July 2026
               The second ride will take you through the same region from Day 1, but will take you off the beaten trail to venture through Southern MN’s lake country, pockets left from the Glaciers that shaped the region.  It will bring all the riders back through Eagle Lake, MN to visit the sponsored Build site for South Central Habitat for Humanity.  Most of the route utilizes 2 lane county roads with no shoulders, that are used to access the many lake cabins in the region, which have the bonus of minimal elevation changes.  There are 3 different distances to choose from; (S)53 miles, (M)70 miles, (L)94 miles.  The ride passes numerous lakes, 15 on (S), 18 on (M) which also passes the Waterville MN Fish Hatchery, and 21 on (L).


Day 3, New Ulm and Waterfalls ride, Friday 17th of July 2026
               The third ride will venture West to provide access to the regions waterfalls, flat expansive farmland and Germans if you select the (L) ride.  On the way out of town is a small creek 42 ft tall waterfall, Minnemishinona Falls, that has a bike bridge span over the falls. This ride does include multiple hills thanks to the Glaciers that helped form the Minnesota River valley.  The return leg passes Minneopa State Park, which includes a 40 ft waterfall and a herd of over 20 Bison on a 325 acre range.  There are two route options, a (S)52 mile and a (L)96 mile.  Both routes will go through Lake Crystal MN, but only the (L) route will take the journey through Hanska and up to New Ulm to see what’s brewing.


Day 4, Saint Peter and Le Sueur ride, Saturday 18th of July 2026
               The fourth ride will head North and go through early Minnesota River settlement towns and the market towns that sprang up above the river valley.  The ride will include a mix of river valley hills, county roads winding between farm fields and a return to Mankato in the Minnesota River valley.   There are three different distances to choose from; (S)45 miles, (M)70 miles, (L)86 miles.  The (M) route brings you into St Peter on the Old Fort Road before crossing the MN river to pass through Kasota on the way back.  The (M) route will take you all the north to Le Sueur before crossing the MN river to pass through Ottawa on the way back.  The (L) route will split off the (M) in Le Sueur to add a loop with small rolling hill farm fields, through Le Center and Cleveland, before meeting back at Kasota to turn back to Mankato.


Day 5, MN River Tributaries ride, Sunday 19th of July 2026
               The final ride will allow riders to finish earlier before heading home, but not before biking over the many smaller rivers that eventually flow to the “Bend of the River” that is Mankato.  River valley hills vary drastically from the high MN River valley to the barely noticeable.  The Maple, Watonwan, Le Sueur, Cobb, Little Cobb, Blue Earth all drain this region to the confluence of the Blue Earth River to the Minnesota River at Sibley Park.  The Ride will pass the Rapidan Dam that failed in 2024 and ride through Sibley Park before returning to Bethany College.  There are two different routes to choose from; (S)33 miles, and (M)52 miles.  Only the (M) route goes through Rapidan.