For the second year, the Minnesota Ironman Bicycle Ride will take to the roads of the St. Croix Valley. The annual event, in its 48th overall year, kicks off the summer biking season on April 27th.

River fans in this year’s ride can get a special bike jersey celebrating the St. Croix. The custom jersey features a sturgeon on the front and a river scene complete with cliffs, a canoe and white pines on the back. It’s available for $85 from the St. Croix River Association here.

The event includes four routes ranging from 15 to 100 miles. All routes start and end at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Lake Elmo. The longest route travels north to Scandia for a 58-mile trip. A map of routes is available here (PDF).

When the ride relocated to the St. Croix Valley last year, race organizer Jon Ridge told me for a Minnesota Trails article, “The St. Croix River Valley was an easy choice. Picturesque, friendly, challenging, and new. Washington County seems to know how to build roads. Many of our routes include wide paved shoulders perfectly suited for cycling. The hills are not huge but they add to the excitement of the ride.”

More information and registration is available on the Ironman website.