Tour de Tonka with Tim Litfin

Our Program on July 29th was a presentation about Tour de Tonka, the bicycle ride sponsored by Minnetonka Community Education. This is the 9th tour, and the number of riders has steadily increased each year. Some of the riders come to the area from out-of-state to participate. The day includes riders who start their ride at 7:30 AM, and ride for one of six measured courses, from 16 to 100 miles.

          The routes are carefully selected, marked, and monitored by the  tour, and a number of rests stops are set up. There are bike mechanics stationed along the route in case of mechanical failure. The riders use trails and roads to complete their distance, and they are reminded again and again that this is a ride not a race. The routes are all in the western area, and the local police monitor the riders to keep the routes safe. Tim makes a last minute check on the routes because road repair crews will block a road without warning, and the riders hit an unexpected detour.

          Fees for joining the ride start at $42.00, and any excess monies are donated to the ICA. Over the past eight rides (Tim initiated the tour 9 years ago), the Tour de Tonka has donated over $30,000 to our local food shelf.