TOMRV

05/29/2026

On the ride, watch for these fun signs that all rest up get your picture taken and brag about your achievements!

05/28/2026

Friends - We are starting to dot the i's and cross the T's.

Sag Stop information (more information coming soon to registered riders e-mail)

Stop City Building / Location Mileage
Saturday
Stop #1 Princeton Fire Station 17.5 miles
Stop #2 Elvira Zion Lutheran Church 30.7 miles
Stop #3 Miles City Park 45.5 miles (9.3 miles short route)
Stop #4 Green Island Gravert Apple Orchard 63.8 miles (27.6 miles short route)
Stop #5 Bellevue Riverview Park (Lunch) 73.5 miles (37.3 miles short route)
Stop #6 La Motte Center of Town Park 87.9 miles (51.7 miles short route)
Stop #7 Dubuque Mines of Spain 102.4 miles (66.2 miles short route)
Sunday
Stop #1 St. Donatus Gehlen House 16.7 miles
Stop #2 Bellevue Riverview Park 26.6 miles
Stop #3 Spragueville Community Center 44.2 miles
Stop #4 Goose Lake Northeast High School 53.4 miles
Stop #5 McCausland Baseball Diamond 74.4 miles
Stop # Bettendorf Isle of Capri 26 miles
100
Not registered and still want to ride. Click this link and join us.

Tour of the Mississippi River Valley, "TOMRV" June 6-7, 2026 registration form at GetMeRegistered.com

04/26/2026

On the fence about TOMRV 2026! This weeks JustGoBike podcast will hopefully inspire you to signup.

Podcast Episode · JustGoBike · April 24 · 42m

04/24/2026

Take a peak at bikeriding in the Quad Cities! https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1B9EmGF5ij/

3 likes. "Why We Ride | Stories from the Quad Cities Cycling Community"

04/13/2026

Training Tips from Co-pilot.

There is still time to get ready for TOMRV!

🚴‍♀️ Core Training Priorities (What Actually Moves the Needle)
1. Build Weekly Volume Gradually
Aim for 120–180 miles/week by peak training.

Increase weekly mileage by 10–15% at a time.

Include one long ride every week (60–90 miles).

2. Add Back‑to‑Back Long Rides
This is the single most important prep for a two‑day century.

Examples:

Week 4: 60 miles Saturday + 40 miles Sunday

Week 6: 75 + 50

Week 8: 90 + 70

Peak: 100 + 60–80 (3–4 weeks before the event)

This trains:

Fatigue resistance

Mental endurance

Nutrition strategy

Saddle comfort

Recovery between days

3. Hill Training (Essential for TOMRV‑style riding)
Eastern Iowa and the Driftless edge demand hill legs.

Weekly hill session:

6–10 repeats of 3–6 minute climbs at a hard but sustainable pace

Recover on the descent

Keep cadence 70–85 rpm to build strength

Bonus: Add low‑cadence strength intervals on flat roads

10 minutes at 60–70 rpm, Zone 3

Builds climbing power without needing a hill every time

4. Mid‑Week Quality Work
To build speed and efficiency:

Tempo ride (Zone 3): 45–75 minutes steady

Sweet spot intervals: 3×12 minutes at 88–94% FTP

Endurance ride: 1.5–2 hours conversational pace

These make your long rides feel easier.

🍌 Fueling & Hydration (The Make‑or‑Break Factor)
Before the ride
Eat 300–500 calories 2–3 hours before

Hydrate early (but taper 1–2 hours before to avoid bathroom stops)

During the ride
60–90g carbs per hour (mix of drink mix, gels, bars, bananas)

One bottle per hour minimum

Add electrolytes on warm days

After Day 1
This is where people blow Day 2.

Eat 20–30g protein + 60–90g carbs within 30 minutes

Keep eating every 2–3 hours

Hydrate aggressively

Light stretching or a 10‑minute walk

Avoid alcohol until after Day 2

🧘 Recovery Between Days
Feet up for 20–30 minutes

Compression socks if you like them

Light spin (10–15 minutes) in the evening or morning

Prioritize sleep

🚴‍♀️ Equipment & Comfort Prep
Get your bike fit dialed

Use chamois cream

Rotate two pairs of shorts

Check tires, drivetrain, and brake pads before long weekends

Practice riding with the gear you’ll use on event day

📅 8‑Week Sample Training Structure
Weeks 1–2
100–120 miles/week

One long ride (50–60)

One hill day

One tempo day

Weeks 3–4
120–140 miles/week

Long ride (60–75)

First back‑to‑back weekend (60 + 40)

More structured hills

Weeks 5–6
140–160 miles/week

Long ride (75–90)

Back‑to‑back (75 + 50)

Add sweet spot intervals

Weeks 7–8 (Peak)
160–180 miles/week

Back‑to‑back (100 + 60–80)

Maintain hill work

Taper the final week

🎯 What You Should Feel When You’re Ready
You can ride 5–6 hours without falling apart

You recover overnight from a long ride

Hills feel “manageable,” not crushing

You know exactly what to eat and drink

Your saddle and hands feel fine after long days

04/05/2026

03/30/2026

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53939774 Day 2 (Sunday) follows the usual highly scenic route along the Mississippi River with climbs, downhills and scenic ridges with views of the river, hills and bluffs. There is a rest stop at the Gehlen House bed and breakfast in St. Donatus. More scenic hills and ridges along the river and then a long downhill into Bellevue with a rest stop at Riverside Park next to the lock and dam. The country side then becomes rolling for the ride to Spragueville, Goose Lake and more gently rolling back into Bettendorf.

53.4 mi, +2849 ft. Bike ride in Dubuque, IA

03/30/2026

Day 2 (Sunday) follows the usual highly scenic route along the Mississippi River with climbs, downhills and scenic ridges with views of the river, hills and bluffs. There is a rest stop at the Gehlen House bed and breakfast in St. Donatus. More scenic hills and ridges along the river and then a long downhill into Bellevue with a rest stop at Riverside Park next to the lock and dam. The country side then becomes rolling for the ride to Spragueville, Goose Lake and more gently rolling back into Bettendorf.

96.6 mi, +4123 ft. Bike ride in Dubuque, IA

03/30/2026

Day 1 (Saturday) is all-Iowa this year due to bridge construction in Dubuque. It is as scenic and as challenging as our usual Day 1 route that goes through Iowa and Illinios. Day 1 all-Iowa has essentially the same distance and climb as our usual route ( 0.6 mile shorter and 120 feet of extra climb).

The all-Iowa route has allowed us to add some new and exciting features to the Saturday route:
- Ride the lightly traveled and highly scenic Highway 52 northwest out of Sabula to Bellevue.
- A scenic rest stop at Graverts Orchard near Green Island
- A stop in Bellevue, Iowa, a charming Mississippi River town with several bars, restaurants and ice cream options
- Lunch stop at Riverside Park in Bellevue, next to Lock and Dam #12, where you can have lunch while viewing barge traffic navigate the locks
-A rest stop in La Motte Iowa at their City Park. La Motte is excited to host the ride for the first time ever!
-A rest stop in Mines of Spain Park just outside of Dubuque. Park your bike and take a short hike to the Julien Dubuque monument with spectacular views of the Mississippi River.

72.4 mi, +3678 ft. Bike ride in Goose Lake, IA

03/30/2026

For Day 1, we have added an Alternate Route for those who enjoy the challenge of hills and want a little extra. Instead of heading north out of La Motte along a scenic ridge towards Dubuque (along the old Davenport Road), this route heads east and down into the Mississippi River valley. This route adds 4.9 miles and 302 feet of climb including an exhilarating downhill into St. Donatus with a big climb out. The 400 foot downhill into St. Donatus is not as steep as the well known Black Jack Mountain Road on the Illinois side, but is one of the best downhills along the Great River Road.

The all-Iowa route has allowed us to add some new and exciting features to the Saturday route:
- Ride the lightly traveled and highly scenic Highway 52 northwest out of Sabula to Bellevue.
- A scenic rest stop at Graverts Orchard near Green Island
- A stop in Bellevue, Iowa, a charming Mississippi River town with several bars, restaurants and ice cream options
- Lunch stop at Riverside Park in Bellevue, next to Lock and Dam #12, where you can have lunch while viewing barge traffic navigate the locks
-A rest stop in La Motte Iowa at their City Park. La Motte is excited to host the ride for the first time ever!
-A rest stop in Mines of Spain Park just outside of Dubuque. Park your bike and take a short hike to the Julien Dubuque monument with spectacular views of the Mississippi River

113.8 mi, +4826 ft. Bike ride in Bettendorf, IA