No spandex needed for perfect day touring Minneapolis on bicycle

My most memorable summer Saturdays resemble a Tour de Minneapolis, since my boyfriend and I enjoy hunting on our bikes for outdoor events in all corners of the city. This is casual, utilitarian biking, meaning I'm not wearing spandex and my bike has two rear metal baskets for hauling various junk. Having sold my car, it's my primary method of transportation in the warmer months (following a winter of busing and walking).

10 a.m. Most weekend breakfasts are simple pancakes at home, but otherwise my favorite morning spot is Eli's Food and Cocktails (1225 Hennepin Av., Mpls.). The vibe here is more relaxed than the hectic brunch scene in Uptown, replete with a Nina Simone soundtrack and massive photo prints celebrating the history of Harmon Place.

11:30 a.m. If you don't already own a copy, purchase Larry Millett's AIA Guide to the Twin Cities at Barnes and Noble (801 Nicollet Mall, Mpls.). A colleague once lent me this book and I've become so enamored of it that I hope she never asks for it to be returned. It's a must-have for anyone interested in the history of Minneapolis.

Noon. Bike across the Stone Arch Bridge to St. Anthony Main and find a place to lock up. Use your new book as a guide to the oldest commercial strip in Minneapolis, then follow its pages to explore the abandoned tunnels and caves hidden in the adjacent park by the river.

1 p.m. Visit at least one festival or similar outdoor event. It's a great opportunity to discover a neighborhood that's outside your daily travels. Some 2014 memories include strolling down a makeshift sod greenway in the Folwell neighborhood, attending the punk, absurdist bike-and-beer themed Tour de Fat in Loring Park, and admiring the elaborate floats and costumes of the annual May Day parade in Powderhorn Park.

3 p.m. Find one of the many small taco trucks that pepper central Lake Street for lunch. Some offer a delicious corncob doused in butter and sprinkled with chili and powdered cheese.

5 p.m. Time to relax. Hop on the Midtown Greenway and head to the Chain of Lakes. Lock up at the 32nd Street Beach of Lake Calhoun (3200 E. Calhoun Parkway, Mpls.), find a place to lie down and take in the cacophony of conversations, laughter and occasional shrieks from beachgoers.

7 p.m. For dinner, head over to Eat Street — my neighborhood since December. At Quang (2719 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls.), which serves up some of the best Vietnamese food in town, try out a Bun noodle salad — officially Bun Bo Xao. The perfect mix of grilled meat, vermicelli noodles, sliced vegetables, peanuts and fish sauce is simultaneously refreshing, filling and cheap. What more could you ask for?

9 p.m. After all this biking, my ideal night activity would be talking around a fire in someone's back yard. But sometimes we are beckoned by a film at the Trylon Microcinema (3258 Minnehaha Av., Mpls.), one of the best kept secrets in south Minneapolis. It's cash-only, has 50 seats and plays classic films on the weekends. Ask a question of your seatmate and there's a good chance someone else in the audience will chime in to respond.

Eric Roper • 612-673-1732

Twitter: @StribRoper