Category Archives: News

Bike Pic Oct 25, Touring by Homes With Halloween Decorations

Another colorful day to get on your bike and explore the neighborhood searching for those homes with Halloween Decorations spread out in the yard to spook those who pass by.

With the leaves turning and perfect biking weather, we hope you get out on your bike and enjoy all the fall riding possibilities and Halloween Decorations in Minnesota. See many more bike friendly places to explore in the new Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide.

Thanks for viewing the Fun Halloween Decorations Pic of the Day.

Now rolling into our 10th year as a bike tourism media, our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike and have fun. While showcasing all the unforgettable places for you to ride. As we continue to showcase more place to have fun we hope the photos we shoot are worth a grin. As you scroll through the information and stories we have posted, enjoy.

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 do use your photo, you will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As we continues to encourage more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your next bike adventure – Also, check out the MN Bike Guide, now mobile friendly, as we enter into our 8th year of producing the guide.

So bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure. And don’t forget to smile, while you are riding and having fun. We may capture you in one of our next photos that we post daily.

Have a great day!

Bike Pic Oct 22, A Top Ten Weather Day on a Colorful Fall Weekend

A colorful fall weekend and another #top-ten-weather-day to get out on the bike and make some new autumn memories while the leaves are at there peak. Here, in this photo, a couple, on a tandem bike is retracing some of the Minnesota Ironman Bike Ride routes from this last spring, near Stillwater, MN. The 51st MN Iroman bike ride is April 30th, 2017. Rumor has it there will be new routes. Where will they be?

With the leaves turning and perfect biking weather, we hope you get out on your bike and enjoy all the fall riding possibilities in Minnesota. See many more bike-friendly places to explore in the new Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide.

Thanks for viewing the Fun Colorful Fall Weekend Pic of the Day.

So bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure. And don’t forget to smile, while you are riding and having fun. We may capture you in one of our next photos that we post daily.

Have a great day!

Folding Bike Being Launched with Leading Electric Drivetrain Technology

The folding bike market has been offering a great combination of collapsible bikes for both the commuting and touring cyclist over the past several years. And now, Tern Bicycle Company is launching a new electric bike on Kickstarter that combines best-in-class folding technology with the world’s leading electric drivetrain, the Vektron*. Watch the Vektron launch video here.

The Tern Vektron*, a folding bike on Kickstarter, is great for packing in a car or storage unit.

Two Companies Team Up to Make This New e-Folding Bike

The Vektron* is designed by Tern in collaboration with Bosch. Together these two companies have been pushing the envelope of electric bike design by solving three critical shortcomings of conventional electric bikes: portability, storage, and theft. The Vektron is a Bosch-powered electric bike that you can take anywhere. Additionally, it folds in under 10 seconds and easily rolls aboard buses, subways, and trains. It goes into elevators, so you can easily park it under your desk at work. Plus, a pair of these folding bikes easily are convenient to stash in the trunk of a car for weekend getaways.

“Electric bikes are fundamentally transforming the way people get around in cities,” stated Josh Hon, Founder and Team Captain of Tern. “They flatten hills, make headwinds disappear, and shorten commute times. That is why people love e-bikes. The problem is that most e-bikes are really hard to put in a car or take on public transport. And most e-bikes are difficult to store in downtown apartments leaving them vulnerable to theft. The Vektron solves these issues.”

A Folding Bike with Low-Step Frame

With a low-step frame and a patented adjustable stem, the Vektron is great to share among family and friends. That is, as long as it’s anyone from 4’10″ – 6’5″. Adjusting the bike for a custom fit takes only seconds, so a single bike can serve many people. Thanks to the rear rack and an optional child seat, it’s perfect for smaller passengers.

A Folding Bike That Flaunts Small Wheels and More Distance

While small wheels flaunt conventional bike design, they’re a game-changer with an electric drivetrain. With every Bosch motor calibrated to a bike’s wheel size, the 20″ wheel Vektron cruises at the same 20 mph speed and accelerates even faster. The exceptionally low center of gravity makes the bike extremely stable and easy to ride. And thanks to Bosch’s best-in-class power efficiency, riders can expect a remarkable range of between 40 and 80 miles on a single charge.

“There’s a reason a Vespa motor scooter is designed with small wheels,” says Joakim Uimonen, Design Director of Tern. “With small wheels you get punchy acceleration, a more maneuverable ride in traffic, and plenty of space between the wheels and rider for cargo-carrying. The Vektron brings together all of those benefits, plus it folds, so it fits anywhere. Try putting a Vespa under your desk.”

The Tern Vektron*, a folding bike on Kickstarter is great for multi modal commuting and touring.

The Tern Vektron*, a folding bike, with a Bosch Electric Drivetrain is ideal for multi modal commuting and touring.

The Vektron Folding Bike Kickstarter Campaign

With the help of Kickstarter, the Vektron is available for customers throughout the U.S. at a special backer price from October 19th until mid-November. For many Kickstarter campaigns they usually deliver the bike un-assembled in a box to consumers. Not Tern. Tern will be fulfilling orders through its network of more than 125 dealers across the United States. That means bikes can be picked up from the shop, tuned-up and ready to go. Most importantly, they’re covered by Tern Care. Tern care is a 10-year warranty and rider-support program, so buyers have the assurance of a decade of reliable service. Additionally, service for the drivetrain can be provided by Bosch’s extensive service network. Because this network consists of highly certified electric bike technicians throughout North America, you don’t need to worry.

Side Note To Kickstarter Folding e-Bike Campaign

Looking at the 100% fulfillment rate of last year’s Kickstarter’s Cargo Node bike, there’s no hint of vaporware in Tern’s campaign. Final stage prototypes were tested in the field for more than three months. Tern recently debuted prototypes at Eurobike, the world’s largest bicycle trade-show. More than 500 bike dealers and designers from around the world test-rode this bike.

Information for this Kickstarter Campaign provided by Tern Bicycles.

Ice Cream Smiles Friday Can Help Take the Edge Off a Crazy Week

Participating in Ice Cream Smiles this Friday may help you take the edge off some of this week’s crazy and scary happenings. Photo was taken at the La Crosse Bicycle Festival that is held each year over Labor Day Weekend.

With the leaves turning and perfect biking weather, we hope you get out on your bike and enjoy all the fall riding possibilities in Minnesota. See many more bike friendly places to explore in the new Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide.

Thanks for viewing the Ice Cream Smiles Pic of the Day.

As we continues to encourage more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your next bike adventure. Also, check out the MN Bike Guide, now mobile friendly, as we enter into our 8th year of producing the guide.

So bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure. And don’t forget to smile, while you are riding and having fun. We may capture you in one of our next photos that we post daily.

Have a great day!

Bic Pic Oct 19, Wise Wednesdays Shows Helmet Brims Block the Sun

This Wise Wednesdays Pic of the week shows a cyclist on the Mississippi River Trail, near the Twin Cities Gateway, with an attachable brim for her bicycle helmet to help protect from the sun’s UV rays. We are noticing more and more helmet brim accessories now on the market that can be fun and some…well you be the judge. Are any of these accessories ones that you like or have tried that we would be able to share?

With the leaves turning and perfect fall biking weather, we hope you get out on your bike and enjoy all the colorful riding possibilities in Minnesota. See many more bike-friendly places to explore in the new Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide.

Thanks for viewing the Wise Wednesdays Pic of the Day.

So bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure. And don’t forget to smile, while you are riding and having fun. We may capture you in one of our next photos that we post daily.

Have a great day!

Bic Pic Oct 18, Thursday Night Mountain Biking Fun at Buck Hill

With Minnesota’s Fall colors now offering a kaleidoscope of scenery, we want to reflect back to this summer and the fun had by many mountain biking. This photo was taken at one of the the Penn Cycle Thursday Night Mountain Biking Races at Buck Hill, near Lakeville, this summer.

Thanks for viewing the Mountain Biking Fun Pic of the Day.

So bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure. And don’t forget to smile, while you are riding and having fun. We may capture you in one of our next photos that we post daily.

Have a great day!

Bike Pic Oct 15, Enjoy Fall on a Nice Ride Trail Tour

Here, as Minnesota’s landscape around the Twin Cities comes into its prime with fall foliage, we caught this cyclist enjoying the trail on a Nice Ride bike. You can find these bikes available for rent at many locations throughout Minneapolis/St. Paul, Bemidji, and Rochester in the state.

With the leaves turning and perfect biking weather we hope you get out on your bike and enjoy all the fall riding possibilities in Minnesota. See many more bike friendly places to explore in the new Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide.

Thanks for viewing the Fun Nice Ride Pic of the Day.

So bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure. And don’t forget to smile, while you are riding and having fun. We may capture you in one of our next photos that we post daily.

Have a great day!

Ice Cream Smiles Friday Salutes Open Streets Minneapolis

Ice Cream Smiles Friday, with this HFB photo, congratulates the success the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition had with Open Streets Minneapolis this year. The picture was taken at the Open Streets community event in the Dinkytown Area.

Open Streets Minneapolis is a Twin City community activity in its sixth year, the event covered eight Minneapolis locations throughout the 2016 summer season bringing together community groups and local businesses. Plans are underway for the 2017 events and locations.

With the leaves turning and perfect weather biking we hope you get out on your bike this weekend and enjoy all the fall riding possibilities in Minnesota. See many more bike friendly places to explore in the new Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide.

Thanks for viewing the Ice Cream Smiles Friday Pic of the Day and HaveFun!

So bookmark HaveFunBiking.com and find your next adventure. And don’t forget to smile, while you are riding and having fun. We may capture you in one of our next photos that we post daily.

Have a great day!

Choose Your Bike-Friendly Halloween Costumes Carefully

What to Consider When Choosing, or Making, Your Bike-Friendly Halloween Costumes

by Jess Leong, HaveFunBiking.com

No clowning around! Halloween is just about here…!

But not for another 2 weeks and 4 days (who’s counting, anyway?). That is a blessing to those of us who still need to figure out what our bike-friendly will be for this upcoming Hollow’s Eve. We still have 18 days! (okay, so maybe we’re counting).

Here are some bike-friendly Halloween costumes to consider.

That leaves many of us with just enough time to find a costume for you, a friend, child, and even your pet.

This year October 31^st lands on a Monday which means that many people will be working. If you work in a place that allows costumes and you bike to work, or plan on biking that evening when trick-or-treating has commenced, then what you need is a bike-friendly Halloween costume.

When choosing a bike friendly Halloween costumes make sure excess fabric doesn't dangle down to low to get caught in a wheel or gear.

When choosing a bike-friendly Halloween costume, make sure excess fabric doesn’t dangle down to low to get caught in a wheel or gear.

If children are biking for Hollow’s Eve, then they’ll need bike-friendly Halloween costumes as well.

Want to get your costume ready and start early? Help Anoka, MN, the Halloween Capitol of the World, celebrate its 96th year of fun in their Forever Halloween festivities.

Bike-Friendly Halloween Costumes?

Why bike-friendly Halloween costumes you ask? It’s safer for you and for those near you.

Choosing a bike-friendly Halloween costume can make your #nextbikeadventure memorable.

Bike-friendly costumes take some extra creative thinking to put together. With many different considerations to be taken into account, it means some costumes, unfortunately, should not be used while biking. Costumes and clothing can cause problems by getting caught in, or on, different parts of a bike like the wheel spokes or the chain and gears. They can even get caught on the seat or the handlebars when riding.

If a costume fails and gets caught, besides hurting yourself, you might also hurt others who are riding or walking near you. Plus, no one wants to spend their Halloween in the ER.

Considerations:

Allowance for Arm Movement

The costume of your choice should allow for adequate arm movement. Your reaction time determines how well you control your bike. If you aren’t able to move your arms easily before you get on the bike, reconsider your costume design.

Besides, if you can’t move your arms well it will be hard to use them when signaling to other cyclists and auto traffic behind you.

Allowance for Leg Movement

Your legs are the engine you need to get you to wherever you’re headed. If your legs are encumbered in any way it or if there’s excess cloth, it can become entangled in the moving parts of the bike. Excess material can get caught in the spokes, tires, or gears while riding. Even if your able to stop your bike, some parts of a costume can still get caught while getting off your seat!

Let your legs be free and without loose fabric so you can pedal freely and easily without the fear of anything getting into a place it shouldn’t.

Allowance for a Helmet

Helmets tend to fall on the wayside during Halloween, but instead of leaving it at home try to incorporate it somehow – even if it might look a little silly! Being a tad bit silly is better than getting into a crash or falling without a helmet!

Sometimes you can cleverly disguise a helmet within a costume, or decorate the helmet to fit your costume. Once you’re off that bike, you can take off the helmet and resume your character, but until then? Please consider portraying your character as being smart and safe.

Full Face Masks

Face Paint is a good option for when coming up with a bike-friendly Halloween costume.

Full face masks are definitely cool – especially now that there’s Kylo Ren! However, save the face mask for when you’re off your bike. Face masks limit, if not block, your peripheral vision and even some of your vision directly in front of you. Being on wheels, you need to be aware of your surroundings and be able to see people or kids who might just ‘appear’ in front of you.

Because of the lack of peripheral vision, full face masks are a hazard. Plus, if anything knocks the face mask from its optimal position, then your vision is completely blocked – or severely limited at best. Rather than paying attention to riding, you’ll be preoccupied on trying to fix it so you can regain your vision.

If possible, opt to wear face paint or keep your mask in your backpack or carrier pouch until you get to your destination.

Bulky Costumes

We all love the super creative costumes that can definitely fill a room – literally. We’ve seen plenty of people wearing boxes to be a couch, a living room table, a tardis, or any other creative thing you can think of. While this is okay, just make sure that you’re prepared for what comes with it.

Wearing a big, bulky costume, or a costume that has a lot of volume, can be tiring. Sometimes they are heavier, and while wearing them, you’re certainly prone to more wind resistance as you’re pedaling along!

If you’re sure you want to wear those types of costumes then make sure to check the following:

It has enough room for arm movement. Cut out more of the sides for arm holes if you need to.
It has enough movement for the legs to go up and down for riding the bike. The costume should stop halfway down the waist so you’re not jostling it while riding – which can be distracting.
The costume doesn’t limit your head from moving. You need to be able to turn your head to see and limiting your head movement can be dangerous. You wouldn’t be able to see around you and know what’s going on.

Capes or Draping

We won’t lie to you. Capes or cloaks billowing behind you look awesome – you look like you’re flying! A natural superhero, witch/wizard, or whatever you may be! However, while it looks cool and can make you feel invincible, costumes with draping and capes can also get caught in the spokes, tires, gears, and be distracting to you.

As stated above, if these things get caught, it can be dangerous and end up with you on the ground – which is a lot less fun. Let’s fly through the air while staying on our wheels rather than flying over them.

Temperature Regulation

This is commonly overlooked, but important to consider. Halloween weather and temperatures tend to be unpredictable. Some years have been really warm, while other years it’s downright chilly! When choosing your biking costume, make sure that you’re choosing a costume that will work with the temperature and keep you comfortable.

Remember, pedaling will generate heat, and if you’re costume tends to make you warm make sure you’re making that adjustment for when you bike. It isn’t so fun when you’re sweating up a storm in your amazing costume as you travel to your destination. Showcasing sweat stains on your costume at a party is probably not what you have in mind.

Dr. Seuss say "Leave the clowns to the hounds this Halloween when choosing a bike friendly costumes."

Dr. Seuss says, “Leave the clowns to the hounds this Halloween when choosing a bike-friendly costumes.”

On the other hand, you don’t want to be cold either. While riding your bike there will be wind blowing at you. If you’re prone to getting chilled, it might be better to wear a costume with that in mind.

No matter what you decide when dressing up for Halloween or any themed bike parade, dress safe and have fun!

Jess Leong is a writer for HaveFunBiking.com.

Editor’s Note: Don’t forget that you can send us your creative and fun bike-friendly Halloween costumes! If you send them in, we can feature your photo as our next bike pic! We’d love to see what you’re wearing. (And perhaps it’ll inspire some of our own costumes for next year’s Hollow’s Eve!) Send your pictures to [email protected] or reply below! If you’re into Twitter and Facebook, tweet or share it with us @HaveFunBiking.

Minnesota’s Peak Riding Time Is Fall: Part Two

Autumn Is Minnesota’s Peak Riding Time: Central Minnesota

With the summer season officially off the calendar, fall is a great time to extend your bike riding adventures here in Minnesota. As the trees change colors along the miles of paved and mountain bike trails, cyclists will find a kaleidoscope of colors along the way. With the abundant rainfall this year, colors are predicted to be spectacular. If the weather remains mostly sunny during the day and cool at night, conditions will favor a stunning ride while exploring Minnesota. It’s no surprise that Minnesota’s peak riding time is in the fall and now.

Each year the fall color peak normally arrives in the northern one-third of the state in mid-September to early October. This year the peak cycle, statewide, is running a week or so later than normal due to ideal summer conditions – so enjoy!

To get a more accurate gauge to the change in colors in areas of Minnesota that you would like to visit, a color report is available online or through a weekly e-newsletter from Explore Minnesota Tourism each Thursday afternoon during the fall season.

This section is part two of a three part series.

Trails to Enjoy in Minnesota’s Peak Riding Season

Central Lakes: This trail offers 55 miles of pedaling opportunities through rolling landscapes. It provides cyclists with views of the many lakes and countryside from Fergus Falls to Osakis. Then, it is at Osakis where it connects with the Lake Wobegon Trail. See more information on the Central Lakes Trail here.

Glacial Lakes: This scenic trail through the Little Crow Lakes region starts at the Civic Center at the northeast edge of Willmar and winds 22 miles northeast, passing the big, festive beach on Green Lake in Spicer, then New London and Hawick. Then, from New London, cyclists can ride three miles west to Sibley State Park. See more information at: Willmar Tourism.

Lake Wobegon: Offers 46 miles between St. Joseph (just west of St Cloud), up to Osakis where the trail connects to the Central Lakes Trail. Along the way, the main section of the Lake Wobegon passes a series of picturesque old churches. These churches are in the towns that inspired the stories of Garrison Keillor. Then, in Albany, a spur extension allows cyclists the option to travel north up through Holdingford. Then, cyclists can go across the Mississippi River to U.S. Hwy 10 just below Little Falls. See more information on visiting the Wobegon Trail at: Granite County Tourism. For the north spur section see: Little Falls Tourism.

Luce Line State Trail is a 63 mile long former rails to trail route that starts in the Plymouth and for 30 miles west it is a limestone surfaced trail that runs out to Winsted. From Winsted to Hutchinson the trail is paved, See more at: Hutchinson Tourism.

Still More Trails

Prairie Waters: In this area, in the Upper Minnesota River Valley, there are miles of quiet country roads to see the fall colors. Also, taking these trails allows spectacular wildlife viewing opportunities. Plan a bike trip around Lac qui Parle Lake, or travel on the Minnesota River Valley National Scenic Byway roads. Here, in this four county area, many of the route loops allow you to ride past wildlife refuges and parks for bird viewing and historic points of interest. Additionally, several of the Prairie Water cities also offer paved trails for family fun, in addition to trails for mountain biking. See more at: Prairie Waters Tourism.

Twin City Trails

Gateway/Brown’s Creek: This trail is a recreational jewel of the East Metro Area of the Twin Cities. The Gateway section runs 18 miles from Lower Downtown St. Paul to Pine Point Park. The recently acquired 5.9 mile Brown’s Creek Trail connects before Pine Point Park on the Gateway Trail. This enables trail users to go to the scenic St. Croix River Valley, in downtown Stillwater. See more about this area at: Stillwater Tourism.

Grand Rounds: This national scenic byway through Minneapolis includes 51 miles of bicycle trails. Since these trails go around the lakes and along Minnehaha Creek and the Mississippi River, they can be extra fun. See more at: Minneapolis Tourism.

Lakeville Trails: On the southern edge and close to many Twin Cities attractions, Lakeville is a family friendly mecca for bicycling trails. And, it’s also great for fall color scenery. With more than a 100 miles of paved trails, many parks and several great road routes, both visitors and residents alike will find plenty of safe riding opportunities here. See more information at: Lakeville Tourism.

Still More Trails

Minneapolis Northwest: At the northwest corner of the Twin City Metro Area is Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park and Maple Grove offer a huge number of trails that connect to other metropolitan communities, Elm Creek Regional Park and the Mississippi River Trail, See more information at: Minneapolis Northwest Tourism.

Twin Cities Gateway: Situated on the north side of the Mississippi River from Downtown Minneapolis, the Anoka County Gateway Trails offers families and touring cyclists hundreds of miles of paved trail to grasp all the river valley colors at their peak. See more at: Twin Cities Gateway Tourism.

Staying safe in Minnesota’s peak riding season:

Even on off-road trails, bicyclists need to wear helmets. Since you are much more likely to fall on your head by locking wheels with another bike or by stopping suddenly than you are to be hit by a vehicle, keep on those helmets!

Also, don’t forget to stop at stop signs on the trail, even if it’s just a driveway or gravel road.

Have Fun and check back this Thursday for part three of Minnesota’s Peak Riding Time!