Flat tires. Fallen trees. Dogs. And of course, the wind.

Every year, riders of the annual Habitat 500 Bike Ride face their share of challenges as they bike across the state to raise money for Habitat for Humanity of Minnesota.

While these challenges aren’t easy, the riders say it’s the cause of the ride and the friendships formed that make it all worthwhile.

“It’s a fabulous ride, it’s well supported and we’re raising money for a good cause,” said one rider, Kay Schwebke, of St. Paul.

On Thursday, Schwebke and more than 100 other riders stopped at Albert Lea High School during what was the 17th year of the seven-day, 500-mile bike ride.

This year, the ride began in Faribault and went through Rochester, Rushford, Grand Meadow, Albert Lea, Lake Crystal and then back to Faribault.

“Everybody deserves safe, affordable housing,” Schwebke said, after she arrived in Albert Lea. The goal of the ride this year was to raise more than $330,000 to support the Habitat for Humanity mission.

Schwebke said her first Habitat ride was in 1999; prior to that she had participated in the AIDS ride in Chicago.

17th annual Habitat 500 quick facts

There were 120 registered riders and 40 volunteers participating in the trip.

Riders came from 15 states.

The youngest rider was 13 and the oldest rider was 77.

The average rider was 49.

Sixty-six percent of riders were male and 34 percent were female.

Ninety-six cents out of every dollar raised during the ride will go directly to building homes.

She now participates in the Habitat 500 every other year.

LeAllan Estrem, of St. Paul, who is the nephew of Albert Lean Lilah Aas, who also participates, said he rides in memory of his brother who was killed in a climbing accident. His brother would work one day each week for Habitat for Humanity.

“He really believed what Habitat did — that people should have affordable, safe housing,” Estrem said.

This is his 11th year participating in the Habitat 500.

“It’s becoming like an extended family,” he said. “This is our time to be ourselves.”

Estrem said he even met his wife, Beth Alexander, during the bike ride seven years ago.

Though many of the people in the ride only see each other once a year at the time of the ride, their friendships are renewed each time they ride, he said.

This year, 72 percent of the riders are repeat riders, and 28 percent are new registered riders. Participants come from as far away as Colorado, Florida, Georgia and New York, though many are from the Midwestern states.

Estrem noted he likes that 96 percent of all funds raised during the ride go directly back into housing projects. A lot of other rides generate a lot of money, but there’s a lot of overhead involved, too, he said.

In the past 17 years, the ride has raised more than $3.5 million for Habitat home construction in Minnesota, the United States and around the world.

Before arriving in Albert Lea Thursday, the bikers rode from Grand Meadow to LeRoy and then to Austin, where they stopped at the Spam Museum. Then they biked up through Oakland, Moscow and Hollandale.

Coming into Albert Lea, they took Freeborn County roads 26, 25, 45 and then Hammer Road before arriving at Albert Lea High School.

Jenni Ebert, special programs manager for Habitat for Humanity of Minnesota, said the group rode 70 miles Thursday. They encountered more wind than anticipated.

When the group arrived in Albert Lea, they were served smoothies by the Albert Lea Rotary Club. They had dinner at First Lutheran Church, and on Friday breakfast was served by Grace Lutheran Church members.

After breakfast, the group went to Freeborn, then to Minnesota Lake, Vernon Center and Lake Crystal, where they stopped for the night.

They ended the week in Faribault.