Formerly known as the Klobuchar Ride (or “Jaunt with Jim”), this bike tour was started in 1974 by Jim Klobuchar, the well-known columnist for the Star Tribune newspaper in Minneapolis. After 39 years of organizing the ride, Klobuchar asked longtime rider Bob Lincoln to serve as the leader of the ride in 2014, and it was renamed the Tour of Minnesota (aka TOM.) In 2021, assistant director Doobie Kurus transitioned into the lead director role, supervising a team of 20+ volunteer staff. In 2o24, we celebrated our 50th Anniversary! The Tour of Minnesota has 3 goals, set forth by Jim Klobuchar himself:
Visit out of the way small towns and vistas
Enjoy the heritage and culture of those towns
Bring economic development to the local businesses