Welcome. We're your premier source for fun places to explore by bicycle or on foot. Offering guides, maps and articles on road and trail riding for the novice to seasoned cyclist - helping you find your #NextBikeAdventure
Its actual faster if only one cyclists is changing or repairing the flat tire, in most cases. But in Minnesota we are super bike-friendly and enjoy sharing our different procedures and/or worldwide opinions to prolong the task at hand. HaveFun!
What better way to start your Summer and your #NextBikeAdventure, view all the ideas in the latest Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide.
Thanks for Viewing Another Flat Tire Pic of the Day
We are now rolling into our 10th year as a bike tourism media. As we pedal forward our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike and have fun while we highlight all the unforgettable places for you to ride. As we continue to showcase more places to have fun, we hope the photos we shoot are worth a grin. Enjoy the information and stories we have posted as you scroll through.
Do you have a fun bicycle related photo of yourself or someone you may know that we should post? If so, please send your picture(s) to: [email protected]. Include a brief caption (for each) of who is in the photo (if you know) and where the picture was taken. Photo(s) should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide or larger to be considered. If we use your photo, you will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.
As we continue to encourage more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your #NextBikeAdventure – Also, check out the MN Bike Guide, now mobile friendly, as we enter into our 8th year of producing this hand information booklet full of maps.
Remember, bookmark HaveFunBiking.com on your cell phone and find your next adventure at your fingertips! Please share our pics with your friends and don’t forget to smile. We may be around the corner with one of our cameras ready to document your next cameo apperance while you are riding and having fun. You could be in one of our next Pic’s of the Day.
Not all trails are smooth and flat. Many time’s we encounter large rocks, roots, ledges, and logs. The bunny hop and wheelie hop are simple moves that you can learn to traverse these obstacles with speed. Below, we have spelled out a step by step process to learn to hop.
Bunny hop
The Bunny hop has been around forever. While there are a few ways to pull one off, the basic motion of the bunny hop is to lift the bike without pedaling. Specifically, a bunny hop motion is to lift the front wheel, lift your legs and weight, and roll your wrists (and by extension the bicycle) over an object. The bunny hop is great move to clear obstacles at speed and while heading downhill.
Wheelie hop
The wheelie hop is similar to the bunny hop, except, rather than using your body motion to lift the front wheel, you use the pedals. Once that front wheel is up, the wheelie hop uses all the same motions as the bunny hop. The wheelie hop a is great move to use on uphill obstacles and low speed situations.
Pull up
The first motion in the bunny hop is to lift the front wheel above the height of the obstacle. To start this, stand up on the pedals, bend your knees and elbows, and lower your center of gravity. Next, spring your arms and knees, propelling your weight up and slightly backward. As your weight is traveling up and back, your front wheel should begin lifting off the ground. The basic concept is to rotate your weight and use the point where your rear wheel touches the ground as a fulcrum.
Prepare to spring up by bending your knees, elbows, and lowering your weight
Pedal up
The pedal up is slightly different from the pull up, but, still ends up with your front wheel in the air. Start in a seated position with your arms locked. Make sure you are in a relatively easy gear and jab your pedal through the pedal stroke as you pull the bars into your body. In about one pedal stroke your front wheel should be off the ground. Your weight should be centered over the rear wheel, your arms should have a good bent to them, preparing to spring your weight up.
Wheelie hops start by pedaling the front wheel up.
Lift your feet and weight
Although the first part of the Bunny hop and Wheelie hop are different, the rest of the motions are the same. Once you have the front wheel in the air, begin lifting your own weight up and off the bike. To do this, focus your weight on the rear wheel and move your body up, unweighting the bike.
Spring your weight up.
Roll your wrists
Once, both your front wheel and your weight are moving up it’s time to get your rear wheel off the ground. This is done when you roll your wrists and bars forward while your momentum is moving upward. Basically, your weight is moving up with the front wheel leading the way. Rolling your wrists forward redirects that upward momentum forward, leveling out the bike, and clearing the object in your path
Roll your wrists forward, leveling out the bike.
Practice on a curb
A great place to practice these hops is on a curb. Approach the curb at a slow speed, pop the front wheel up and onto the curb, then complete the motion and try to get the rear wheel up without hitting the square edge of the curb. Begin with a very low curb then work your way up to something higher. Once you are comfortable with the motion, try moving faster.
On the trail
There is a new variable that gets introduced when you use your bunny hop on the trail. That variable is the landing. While practicing on pavement, you can be confident that your landing will be onto a flat surface. On the trail, landings can be rocky and rough, couple that with your weight moving around the bike and you can get bucked off the bike rather easily. Therefore, try to keep your weight back on the bike while landing on the trail to resists getting bucked.
Slab Jab
So, while a slab jab is not technically a bunny hop, it does use a similar movement. Basically, a slab jab involves getting your front wheel up onto a tall object (like a rock or log) then pivoting the rest of the bike up onto the object using your front wheel as the fulcrum. Just like a bunny hop or wheelie hop, get your front wheel into the air, but unlike a hop, plant that front wheel onto an object. Next, while lifting your weight and rolling your wrists aggressively jab the bars forward. If done right, the jab motion will force your front wheel over the object and lift your rear wheel up onto it. With the front wheel over the object and your rear wheel on it, let off the brakes and simply roll on.
Like learning to descend, ride rocks, or any other riding skills, the bunny hop is a skill you should slowly build. Start on small objects and work within your comfort zone, maintaining control all the time. After a few months of practice, you will find that you can bounce around the trail like a bunny.
While we wait for the rain to pass there is still time to sign-up for the Root River Bluff & Valley Bike Tour, in Southeast Minnesota. Scheduled for for July 7, 8 & 9, register today here.
What better way to start your Summer and your #NextBikeAdventure. View more in the latest Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide.
Thanks for Viewing Another Root River Pic of the Day
We are now rolling into our 10th year as a bike tourism media. As we pedal forward our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike and have fun while we highlight all the unforgettable places for you to ride. As we continue to showcase more places to have fun, we hope the photos we shoot are worth a grin. Enjoy the information and stories we have posted as you scroll through.
Do you have a fun bicycle related photo of yourself or someone you may know that we should post? If so, please send your picture(s) to: [email protected]. Include a brief caption (for each) of who is in the photo (if you know) and where the picture was taken. Photo(s) should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide or larger to be considered. If we use your photo, you will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.
As we continue to encourage more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your #NextBikeAdventure – Also, check out the MN Bike Guide, now mobile friendly, as we enter into our 8th year of producing this hand information booklet full of maps.
Remember, bookmark HaveFunBiking.com on your cell phone and find your next adventure at your fingertips! Please share our pics with your friends and don’t forget to smile. We may be around the corner with one of our cameras ready to document your next cameo apperance while you are riding and having fun. You could be in one of our next Pic’s of the Day.
The National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) adds staff to get more kids on bikes. Two new staff positions were filled to help meet exponential growth demands and expand core services and programs of the NICA.
Interscholastic Cycling Association Plans to Get #morekidsonbikes
Austin McInerny, NICA President, reports: “NICA’s rapid growth across America is creating an unprecedented explosion in youth cycling. We continue to have significant growth of over 40% year after year. Currently, NICA operates in 18 states serving nearly 12,000 student-athletes and 4,500 licensed coaches. We have made incredible strides towards of providing all teens across America the opportunity to grow strong body, mind, and character through participation in school-based cycling clubs.”
To meet the demand of such expansive growth, NICA, plans to expand and broaden it development and partnership areas for better funding. This will help to build a sustainable mix of revenues from a diverse pool of funders and donors. Investment in development staff will ensure the continuation of innovative youth mountain bike programs; the ability to continue to scale through supporting new leagues; and creates long-term sustainability for the organization.
NICA is thrilled to add the following development professionals to their team:
Kristine Urrutia joins Interscholastic Cycling Association as V.P. Development and Partnerships
Kristine is an entrepreneurial professional with nearly 20 years of experience in global, community and foundation development. She has held executive positions at Teachers2Teachers-Global, MiracleFeet, Charley Girl Designs and the University of Wisconsin School Of Business. In addition to her new role at NICA National, she is involved with NICA as a parent and as a member of the North Carolina Interscholastic Cycling League volunteer management team. Kristine has the following to say about joining the NICA team, “I have personally experienced the power of the NICA effect from seeing the pride of the first time student-athlete participant, to the sportsmanship of the competitive racer, to the powerful impact NICA has on families and communities. To be a part of this growing effort is a particular honor for me because it encompasses so much that I care about including youth development for all student-athletes, supporting healthy outdoor lifestyles, fostering an appreciation for the environment and building strong supportive communities. It doesn’t get much better than raising funds to get #morekidsonbikes!” At the heart of all Kristine’s efforts is a relentless drive to lead, seek, design, or create ways for people to collaborate with purpose. Kristine can be reached at [email protected]
Nic Sims Joins Interscholastic Cycling Association as Development Manager
After being introduced to cycling by his father the fun and games began and the rest is history. After a 23 year career at Specialized, he moved on to Alpinestars to work in the motorsports industry. In 2013, he returned to the cycling industry to work for SCOTT Sports. Nic states, “I have had the distinct pleasure of turning hobbies into jobs. I have worked with some great companies that I can say have all made a difference in their sports and now with NICA the trend continues. I was involved with NICA’s Utah League while working with SCOTT and seeing first hand how NICA affects the lives of kids and gets them outside enjoying the sport of cycling is amazing. I now have the chance to use my connections, to help take NICA to the next level. NICA is an organization that our industry needs to support and I’m excited to help get the industry involved, however they can.” Nic can be reached at [email protected]
About The National Interscholastic Cycling Association
A Minnesota High School Bicycle League competition is a part of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association.
Founded in 2009 as a 501(c)3 non-profit, the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) develops interscholastic mountain biking programs for student-athletes and coaches across the United States. NICA provides leadership, services and governance for local leagues to produce quality mountain bike events, and supports every student-athlete in the development of strong body, strong mind and strong character through their efforts on the bike. As of 2017, NICA has 19 state and regional leagues, and 4,000 coaches who are working with over 12,000 student-athletes from over 700 high schools in the USA.
National Interscholastic Cycling Association Sponsors
NICA exists by virtue of generous sponsors, donors and partners, including our Lead sponsor Trek Bicycles; Platinum level sponsors SRAM and Shimano; Gold level sponsors Bicycling, Clif Bar & Company, Giro, Podiumwear, Specialized Bicycles and Quality Bicycle Products; and major sponsors CamelBak, Yakima, Maxxis, REI Co-Op, GU Energy Labs, Athletic Event Supply, Feedback Sports, and People for Bikes.
By Andrew Ellis and Hayley Spalding, HaveFunBiking.com
Blaine is a city in the Twin Cities Gateway known for its sports. It’s home to the National Sports Center, the largest amateur sports complex in the world. The city has a hockey rink and many soccer fields. Plus, miles of trails and bike-friendly roads to all the other wonders of this north Twin City Metro Area.
You can also find Minnesota’s own velodrome, which regularly hosts bicycle races on Thursday evenings. You can also test out your skills and speed at designated times.
Test your Olympian skills in Blaine on Minnesota’s only Velodrome track.
There’s even more for the Olympian in you to try. From curling to disc golf, to miles of bike trails and road routes, there is no better way to explore all Blaine has to offer than riding your bike when visiting.
Four Seasons Curling Club in Blaine
You can’t experience the city like an Olympian without paying a visit to Four Seasons Curling Club. Many have caught the sport on TV and may be wondering if this sport is for them. At Four Seasons Curling, there are scheduled events throughout the year where you can learn the game of curling. There’s instruction followed by practice and friendly games to put your newly developed skill to the test. It’s an official Olympic training center so you’ll have the chance to catch professional games and learn more. If you can’t make it to one of the scheduled learning days, you can always call ahead for another time. Once you’re done, there’s a restaurant that overlooks the ice to share your experience with friends.
Disc Golf in Blaine
Once you have tried curling, head on over to Lochness Park to play around on the new disc golf course. It’s known as the longest nine-hole (baskets) course in the area. All of the holes have at least two tees and six of the holes have three tees. The natural scenery built around the course is superb.
The different colored tees are for different levels of difficulty. Blue is for professionals, red is for intermediate, and green for the novice and beginner.
Carol’s Restaurant Brings The Home Town Atmosphere To Blaine
At some point, you’re going to need to eat and replenish your body for the rest of the day. Carol’s Restaurant is an independently owned, old-fashioned diner-style eatery. It’s got a nice small town vibe with homemade bread and pies perfect for any meal. They even have a quaint gift shop that you can browse as well.
Blaine Festival Is A Special Event Worth Considering
You won’t want to miss the annual-toe tapping Blaine Parade, fun for the entire family!
If you decide to explore Blaine in June, you’ll be in the midst of a celebration over the weekend of the 23rd, 24th & 25th. It’s the annual Blaine Festival. Aquatore Park (corner of highways 65 & 10), showcases a wide variety of entertainment with something for everyone. It’ll be a great time for the family as it includes a carnival full of rides the kids will beg to go on, live music to tap your feet to, and more.
Blaine’s Trails and Road Routes
In the Twin Cities Gateway Community of Blaine, you will find paved trails and many bike-friendly roads with ample shoulders. Thanks to its spacious layout, the roads offer plenty of room for pedaling around the many streets that have sidewalks run along with them. If you feel like going a little further, the Bunker Hills Regional Park and Rice Lake Trail systems are easy to connect to.
So check out all of Blaine’s Olympian opportunities available in the Twin Cities Gateway.
Oh relief! It looks like the humidly level is going to be a little more pleasant as we we enter another fun bike tour weekend.
What better way to start your Summer and your #NextBikeAdventure. View more in the latest Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide.
Thanks for Viewing Another Fun Bike Tour Weekend Pic of the Day
We are now rolling into our 10th year as a bike tourism media. As we pedal forward our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike and have fun while we highlight all the unforgettable places for you to ride. As we continue to showcase more places to have fun, we hope the photos we shoot are worth a grin. Enjoy the information and stories we have posted as you scroll through.
Do you have a fun bicycle related photo of yourself or someone you may know that we should post? If so, please send your picture(s) to: [email protected]. Include a brief caption (for each) of who is in the photo (if you know) and where the picture was taken. Photo(s) should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide or larger to be considered. If we use your photo, you will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.
As we continue to encourage more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your #NextBikeAdventure – Also, check out the MN Bike Guide, now mobile friendly, as we enter into our 8th year of producing this hand information booklet full of maps.
Remember, bookmark HaveFunBiking.com on your cell phone and find your next adventure at your fingertips! Please share our pics with your friends and don’t forget to smile. We may be around the corner with one of our cameras ready to document your next cameo apperance while you are riding and having fun. You could be in one of our next Pic’s of the Day.
What better way to start your Summer and #NextBikeAdventure. View more in the latest Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide.
Thanks for Viewing Another Root River Bluff & Valley Pic of the Day
We are now rolling into our 10th year as a bike tourism media. As we pedal forward our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike and have fun while we highlight all the unforgettable places for you to ride. As we continue to showcase more places to have fun, we hope the photos we shoot are worth a grin. Enjoy the information and stories we have posted as you scroll through.
Do you have a fun bicycle related photo of yourself or someone you may know that we should post? If so, please send your picture(s) to: [email protected]. Include a brief caption (for each) of who is in the photo (if you know) and where the picture was taken. Photo(s) should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide or larger to be considered. If we use your photo, you will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.
As we continue to encourage more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your #NextBikeAdventure – Also, check out the MN Bike Guide, now mobile friendly, as we enter into our 8th year of producing this hand information booklet full of maps.
Remember, bookmark HaveFunBiking.com on your cell phone and find your next adventure at your fingertips! Please share our pics with your friends and don’t forget to smile. We may be around the corner with one of our cameras ready to document your next cameo apperance while you are riding and having fun. You could be in one of our next Pic’s of the Day.
Now that school is out everyone is heading to the Safety Safari to help keep you safe along life’s road. A great family experience at the Como Zoo, tomorrow June 13, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., in St Paul, MN.
What better way to start your Summer and #NextBikeAdventure. With warm, sunny summer weather ahead you will be glad you did.
Thanks for Viewing Another Safety Safari Bicycle Pic of the Day
We are now rolling into our 10th year as a bike tourism media. As we pedal forward our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike and have fun while we highlight all the unforgettable places for you to ride. As we continue to showcase more places to have fun, we hope the photos we shoot are worth a grin. Enjoy the information and stories we have posted as you scroll through.
Do you have a fun bicycle related photo of yourself or someone you may know that we should post? If so, please send your picture(s) to: [email protected]. Include a brief caption (for each) of who is in the photo (if you know) and where the picture was taken. Photo(s) should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide or larger to be considered. If we use your photo, you will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.
As we continue to encourage more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your #NextBikeAdventure – Also, check out the MN Bike Guide, now mobile friendly, as we enter into our 8th year of producing this hand information booklet full of maps.
Remember, bookmark HaveFunBiking.com on your cell phone and find your next adventure at your fingertips! Please share our pics with your friends and don’t forget to smile. We may be around the corner with one of our cameras ready to document your next cameo apperance while you are riding and having fun. You could be in one of our next Pic’s of the Day.
Happy 200th birthday, bikes! The bicycle was first made in Germany, on June 12, 1817, conquering the world and saving the Earth.
The simple two-wheeler, first invented in Germany has evolved into a fast, fun and green machine. As the bicycle continues to evolve, cities welcome their eco-benefits, while riders appreciate their convenience.
The first means of two-wheeled transport was an invention by Germany’s Karl von Drais in 1817. Drais used his Draisine to help himself get around faster. In the pre-pedal era, the protobike was propelled by shuffling the rider’s feet against the ground. The Draisine was eventually perfected to make the modern-day bicycle – a term coined in France in the 1860s.
Thanks for Viewing A HaveFunBiking Birthday Bicycle Pic
We are now rolling into our 10th year as a bike tourism media. As we pedal forward our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike and have fun while we highlight all the unforgettable places for you to ride. As we continue to showcase more places to have fun, we hope the photos we shoot are worth a grin. Enjoy the information and stories we have posted as you scroll through.
Do you have a fun bicycle related photo of yourself or someone you may know that we should post? If so, please send your picture(s) to: [email protected]. Include a brief caption (for each) of who is in the photo (if you know) and where the picture was taken. Photo(s) should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide or larger to be considered. If we use your photo, you will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.
As we continue to encourage more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your #NextBikeAdventure – Also, check out the MN Bike Guide, now mobile friendly, as we enter into our 8th year of producing this hand information booklet full of maps.
Remember, bookmark HaveFunBiking.com on your cell phone and find your next adventure at your fingertips! Please share our pics with your friends and don’t forget to smile. We may be around the corner with one of our cameras ready to document your next cameo apperance while you are riding and having fun. You could be in one of our next Pic’s of the Day.
You’re outside your hotel, maybe the new WoodSpring Suites, and ready to ride your bike around Fridley. It’s got a great balance of big chain stores and the beauty of the natural world. With the area’s bike friendly attributes, you’ll be able to travel to a place where you have the chance to be up close with various birds, get a great taste of history, and view art all in the same place. You could ride the Mississippi River Trail (MRT) or try out your go-cart skills down the road. Don’t forget 49er Days this coming weekend. It’ll be an adventure you’ll never forget.
Fridley’s Springbrooke Nature Center
There are two parts to Springbrooke. The inside contains information about the center, and interactive section in the back. You can learn about the different kinds of trees, see live snakes, frogs, turtles, wild turkey, and more. It’s a great place to prepare for a hike on the Nature Trail.
After walking through Springbrooke’s Interpretative Center take a stroll down one of the many trails there.
Once you get outside there are a couple access points to the trail – and this is where the real adventure begins. Everywhere you go you will be surrounded by nature. You’ve got trees of different kinds everywhere, small and large bridges that will take you across all kinds of creeks and wetlands. There’s even a large walkway that takes you across a semi-large pond were you’ll have the best chance to catch some bird sighting.
Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts
This former Inn for soldiers and traders on the Red River Trail is now a place for developing and established artists. It’s an old house, in a calm and peaceful setting. Inside you will find wooden flooring that creeks every now and then. Paintings from the different exhibits line the walls, with studios and an art library upstairs. You will find special events here, like a reading at 7 p.m. on the second Friday of each month. By the parking lot there is sculpture named Homegrown, made entirely out of litter found in Minnesota’s public water, since 1929.
The center is also right by Mahnoman County Park and has a paved trail that ventures further into the park. Just down the road is a Park and Ride, for the North Star Commuter Rail Line. This trail also connects to the MRT for more exploring.
Fridley’s MB2 Go-Cart Racing
The MB2 Raceway is an indoor go-cart racing facility for all skill levels.
Those downhill trails connecting to the MRT can give you a great rush on you bike, but what about trying out some four-wheel fun at the recently-opened MB2 Raceway. This is an indoor go-cart racing facility for all skill levels. It’s the perfect break from biking, and is sure bring out some friendly competition. There are different packages to choose from and it also hosts parties as well.
Fridley’s Annual 49er Days
Come for the 49er Parade, stay for all the fun activities and food scheduled throughout the day.
If you’re in town on July 17th then steer your bike on over to Commons Park for 49er Days. There’s a parade along with games, food, a martial arts demonstration, live music, and more.
