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
It looks like a cool and wet bike pic Monday here in the upper Midwest as cyclocross races prepare for the fall season. Here in this photo, we dug up a picture of a couple of biker chicks enduring the wet weather and a muddy racecourse last year.
What better way to continue your summer fun and your #NextBikeAdventure. View all the great ideas and bike destinations in the latest Iowa or Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide. Then plan your next outing with family and friends in one of Minnesota’s HaveFunBiking Destinations.
Thanks for Viewing Our ‘Cyclocross’ bike pic
We are now rolling into our 15th 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 appearance while you are riding and having fun. You could be in one of our next Pics of the Day.
Taking your bicycle with you when you travel is not always possible, but don’t give up on the idea of riding altogether. Renting a bicycle is an easy way to experience new places. Plus, it gives you a chance to try a new bike out that you may want to buy when you get home. Before you travel, here are a few tips to get you going.
Here in the photo above a visitor to the Twin Cities is being helped by the staff at One Ten Cycles in Mendota Heights, a couple of miles south of the MSP Airport.
Renting a Bicycle At One of Many Bike Shops
As bike trails and paths are becoming more commonplace, more bike shops are entering the rental market. Before you travel, find a few area bike shops and call about renting a bicycle. Be sure to ask about both rental fleets (typically made up of basic mountain bikes, cruisers or hybrids) as well as “Demo” bikes. Many shops that don’t rent bikes have demo units used to let potential buyers try before they buy. The fee for a demo is usually higher than that of a standard rental, but the bicycle quality is also typically higher.
Renting a bicycle outside a bike shop
Renting a Bicycle Consider Rental Companies
In most major cities or tourist destinations, there are businesses that only rent bikes. Finding one of these companies is as easy as a google search or ask the hotel you are staying in. Many rental companies have services in place to deliver a rental bike to the hotel. If you are going to the rental shop understand They usually operate on a first come first serve basis, so be sure to get there early if you are trying to ride on a busy weekend.
Rental fleet
Or Bike Share Programs
Bike shares are becoming very popular throughout the US and abroad. Companies like BCycle, Zagster, and Citi bike offer options to rent “as you go” with tons of locations around the US. Bike shares are a great option if you are touring a city because you can pick up a bike in one location, explore, and then drop the bike off at a docking station any time of day or night.
Citi Bike docking station
Renting a Bicycle Touring Companies Also A Option
Many bike tour companies have bike fleets. Tour companies such as Trek Travel and Backroads offer tours around the globe and supply bikes as part of the cost. The benefit of taking a dedicated tour is support. Lodging, Equipment, route, food, and guides are all included in the cost of the trip.
Getting Comfortable
The most important trick to make sure you have a great bike rental experience is to make sure the bicycle is comfortable. Your own pedals, saddle, and the right size bike are a great way to start.
-Size
If you don’t have a bike, ask for the brand and model of the bike from the rental company. Then, try to find a local bike shop that sells that model. If you stop into the shop and explain your situation, they can typically let you know what size you ride. As a side benefit, If you like the bike you rented, that local bike shop would be a great place to buy one to keep at home.
-Pedals
If you use clipless pedals, remove them from your bike, drop them in a ziplock bag, store them in your riding shoes, and bring them with you. Once you get your rental bike, have your pedals installed. Having a familiar pedal can go a long way to make a new bike feel like your bike at home.
-Position
Measure your saddle height. Do this by rotating your pedals until a crank arm is in line with the seat tube of your bicycle. Use a tape measure to measure from the top of the saddle to the middle of the pedal (in line with the seat tube). Also, measure the distance from the tip of your saddle to the handlebars and the height of your handlebars. Once you get your rental, ask to have it adjusted to be as close to your own bike’s measurements as possible. Keep in mind that one bike will never fit exactly like another, so close is great.
Key measurements
-Saddle
After measuring the height of your saddle, remove it from your bike and bring it with you. Having the rental company install your saddle on the rental is a nice way to make an unfamiliar bicycle comfortable.
If you enjoy our content and want access to exclusive content from our members only, please sign up for our free, weekly, E-Magazine
