BRAINERD — Why walk or drive when you can ride?

The annual Tour of Lakes bicycling event returns Saturday, June 4, following two years of cancellations related to the coronavirus pandemic.

“You can still participate that same day without registering in advance,” said Ed Shaw, a tour organizer with the Paul Bunyan Cyclists bicycle club. “As long as you pay the registration fee, you’ll be rolling down the road.”

The noncompetitive recreational ride begins and ends in downtown Brainerd near Sage on Laurel on Laurel Street. Participants can choose a 13-, 41- or 71-mile route.

“We haven’t run it the last two years because of COVID, so it’s coming back from a hiatus,” Shaw explained about the nonprofit tour of the Brainerd lakes area. “It’s very similar to what we did in 2019.”

The Paul Bunyan Cyclists canceled the 2020 Tour of Lakes because the group said then it could not ensure the safety of the riders and the volunteers; it also did not have the tour the year after.

“Everyone's had the opportunity to be vaccinated now, so that’s a big difference,” Shaw explained about the decision to resume the annual event. “There’s certainly less of a COVID risk now than in previous years. Obviously, some people are still unvaccinated, but now everybody who wants to be vaccinated has had the opportunity to be vaccinated.”

The Tour of Lakes is billed as a “COVID-safe time in the great outdoors (with) great routes, great scenery, great food and great company.”

There were almost 400 people who registered for the 2022 Tour of Lakes as of Tuesday afternoon, according to Shaw, who is a local attorney and bicycling enthusiast.

“It’s fewer than the last time we did it, but given the chaos of the last couple of years, I think over 300 is not bad at all,” Shaw said.

All rest stops will have bathrooms, food and water. Vehicles will patrol the course and assist riders with mechanical problems.

“If you run into major problems, they will help you on the course,” Shaw said. “Those are all things you don't get riding on your own.”

They will also help those who are unable to finish the route, in which case riders and bikes are picked up and brought back to the starting point if needed.

“Probably the biggest difference this year is there is a short route, which is about 12 miles and designed for people with younger kids or who don’t want to ride too far,” Shaw said. “That’s a new thing we haven’t done before.”

Riders of all abilities are welcome and are encouraged to carry a spare tube in case of a flat tire, and bring a helmet as they are required.

“It’s a lovely route, it's a fun area and it's a social event and you get to meet other people,” Shaw said. “There'll be a music performance at the end of it, and people doing root beer floats at the end of it, so it's a fun social event.”

The ride will start between 6-8 a.m. Saturday. Registration is $55 for adults and $27.50 for those ages 7-17 before Saturday, and $60 and $30, respectively, on the day of the tour.

“The cost is a little more to register on the same day as the tour. But if someone wants to make sure the weather's good before going on the tour, they can do it that way,” Shaw said.

Visit paulbunyancyclists.com/tour-of-lakes.html to register or call 218-839-7945 for more information.

“Biking is a great way to stay in shape, see some scenery and have a lot of fun, so if someone hasn't done much biking, I highly recommend getting into it,” Shaw said.

FRANK LEE may be reached at 218-855-5863 or at frank.lee@brainerddispatch.com . Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchFL .