The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

The bicycle has long been a primary mode of transportation in countries around the world, but in the U.S., we’ve tended to view this vehicle as a child’s toy (one destined to gather dust in the garage once the child receives a driver’s license) or a specialized implement meant only for aerobic sport junkies. But all kinds of signs indicate that the humble two-wheeler is poised for something much bigger on our shores.

Guthrie, Minnesota, is not much more than a sleepy little huddle of buildings nestled between Lake Itasca and Leech Lake. It’s classic lake country, where tourists have been coming to summer resorts for generations. Cabin season is short and the impact of tourism can be dramatic, especially since logging and mining have ebbed. The locals have quietly tried to adapt. Here, the famous Paul Bunyan Trail, which runs one hundred miles from Brainerd to Bemidji, is still unpaved.