Tour of Minnesota, aka 'Jaunt with Jim,' rolls June 17

The Tour of Minnesota bike ride heads into its 42nd installment in mid-June, with a few changes to the long-standing roll.

The tour was for years known as the "Jaunt with Jim," after its creator, former Star Tribune columnist Jim Klobuchar.

"Jim started a really unique thing. One thing that still is the coolest about our ride is that we all stay together. We camp together. We eat together. We ride together at every leg," said tour director Bob Lincoln. "… It wasn't a race. It's never been a race. It's a fun ride, and the people are amazing. Literally, amazing people."

The Jaunts rolled for 39 years, beginning in 1974. Klobuchar wrote along the way, rolling town to town with his band of riders. In 2014, Lincoln took over the annual bike ride and renamed it. This year's tour, which begins and ends in Brainerd (June 17-24), is mainly on paved trails and will cover more than 300 miles through northern Minnesota. And there are a few changes this year: Some daily distances are shorter, and there is a layover day scheduled at Itasca State Park.

Lincoln is hoping to inject the tour with more youth to keep the event thriving, while maintaining the "community on wheels."

The tour is capped at 150 riders, and registration closes May 13.

Learn more and register at tourofminnesota.com.