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With below normal temps snow is sticking throughout the upper half of Minnesota making it perfect for some fat bike fun as this biker chick demonstrates.
What better way to continue your fall fun and your #NextBikeAdventure. View all the fun ideas and bike destinations in the latest Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide. Then plan your next outing with family and friends in one of Minnesota’s HaveFunBiking Destinations.
Thanks for viewing our ‘Yeah Fat Bike Fun’ 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.
Is mountain biking in the snow season really here to stay in the upper Midwest? With temps hovering in the low 30’s, including rain and snow over the next several day. it maybe time to get the fatty out and prepare for some winter riding fun.
What better way to continue your fall fun and your #NextBikeAdventure. View all the fun ideas and bike destinations in the latest Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide. Then plan your next outing with family and friends in one of our HaveFunBiking Destinations.
Thanks for Viewing Our ‘Mountain Biking’ 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.
Based on our quick MTB review at Interbike’s Dirt Demo, we have been extended a Marin mountain bike demo for a long term review. This week, a big brown box showed up at our office. What was inside was a Marin B-17, a full suspension trail bike just waiting for me to put together and ride. However, before I ride it and give you a full MTB review let me share with you what is actually coming out of that box.
The Marin B-17 MTB review out of the box
The first thing I have to note about this bike, is that it isn’t a brand new bike. While it’s new to me, It has been to a few demos before. That being said, I have to note the immaculate condition this bike it arrived in. Whereas the tires show signs of wear the frame and components were cleaned to a level I have never seen before. Overall, the bike built up quickly and easily for a quick spin around the block.
The Marin B-17 2 in all its glory. It won’t be so clean soon.
The Frame
The B-17 is an aluminum trail bike that uses Marin’s MultiTrac suspension system for 120mm of travel. The MultiTrac system is tuned to absorb large and small hits equally, while still maintaining pedaling efficiency. It accepts both 27.5” x 2.8” wheels as well as standard 29” wheels. On first inspection, the frame design is clean, with the cables running internally within the frame. The rear shock is tucked neatly in line with the seat tube allowing for the use of a normal water bottle cage. For additional stand over clearance, the Top tube is welded low on the seat tube and uses a jack brace for strength. Overall, the B-17 frame looks like someone sweat all the details.
Here you can clearly see the cables enter the frame. Also, take a look at how each tube is shaped specifically shaped to its intended purpose.
The Parts
The version of the B-17 I am riding is an early production demo unit. For that reason, the parts are slightly different from the final retail bike. Most notably, my demo unit uses a Rockshox Pike rather than the Rockshox Revalation suspension fork. For the most part the two forks will ride similarly, with the Pike being a bit smoother in operation. The rest of the bike uses Shimano parts for shifting (SLX) and brakes, which ensures great shifting and stopping. This model B-17 also uses a dropper seatpost, to let me get my weight back and low on the trail.
Throughout the rest of the bike, Marin uses house brand components for the rims, bar and stem. While this may have been an area of concern in the past, most brands are sourcing some exceptional parts. Any remarks of the house brand components would be incomplete if I didn’t remark on how well Marin has tied these products into the rest of the bike. The same graphic touches that make the frame look classy are carried through to the parts. The graphic are clean and understated, without overstating the bicycles brand name.
Some Classy details as seen on the Marin B-17
What I am looking forward to
I really want to see if this bike handles as well on my home trails as it did in Las Vegas. Our parks have limited climbing and smooth features, so it will be interesting to see if the plus sized tires have the same dominance on these trails as they did in the steep, rocky terrain of Nevada. Finally, I can’t wait to really tune the suspension and see what it is capable of. Stay tuned for the long term review in the next few weeks.
For many, fall and the beginning of the winter signals the end of bike riding, especially kids. But why should the fun stop just because the mercury drops? Instead of ending the rides, get your kids excited to ride through the fall foliage. Here are some tips for encouraging kids to keep the fun rolling.
The Right Clothes for Fall Riding
There are some easy ways to keep your kids comfortable while riding but none as important as clothing. It’s easy to make the mistake of just bundling them up in heavy pants and hoodies, but that will only lead to them being cold in the long run. It’s better to reach for synthetic fabrics that wick moisture while insulating. Cotton will insulate, however it also absorbs sweat and will quickly leave your kids wet and cold. With a synthetic material, sweat is carried off the skin and allowed to evaporate quickly.
This ride might get cut short thanks to a cotton t-shirt and a lack of gloves. Keep warm and dry for fun fall rides.
Once you have your kids dressed well, take a moment to consider their hands and feet. Even if there is no wind, riding a bike at any speed will create a wind chill for the rider. Take special note of fingers and toes by wearing gloves and socks that are a bit heavier than the weather would normally call for.
The Right Trail Conditions
I know how tempting it is to try and squeeze every last moment of riding time out in the fall months. With that said, no kid will have fun if they are wet and cold. It’s best to avoid the trails if you have recently had rain. For one, the trails are more susceptible to damage and all that water is sure to find it’s place on your kids. A better idea is to enjoy the local bike paths that are paved and dry out quickly.
Wet pavement dries far faster than wet trails. Keep your kids happy and dry, by staying off wet trails.
The Reward
I found the best way to encourage riding in less than perfect conditions is to shamelessly bribe my kids. If you can plan a destination, like a favorite burger joint or ice cream shop, your kids will usually be really excited to head out. If a destination isn’t possible, I like to put together a reward like hot chocolate once they get home. You will see that the Pavlovian effect takes hold after just a few tries.
These young bikers stops along the canal route to enjoy a creamy cool treat before resuming her bicycle ride.
The best reasons
Finally, the best reason to enjoy the cooler months is that most others won’t. Having trails and paths to yourself is safer and allows everyone to focus more on each other. So whether you are heading into the woods, onto the roads, or just around the block, the fall is a perfect time to be with your family.
Recently, we reviewed a light from the wizards over at MagicShine, the MJ-900B. Along with the light they also included an amazing Geniehelmet. The Genie is a revolutionary helmet that boasts a headlight and tail light as well as remote activated turn signals. Read on to see some more detail.
Genie Helmet out of the box
The Helmet is packaged in a relatively sturdy cardboard box with a foam liner to keep things stable. Within the box is the helmet, remote, instructions, screwdriver, battery cell, and a wedge shaped device. Once I read through the instructions, I saw that I needed to install the battery cell. In order to install the cell, I had to remove the battery cover on the top of the helmet. Removing the cover is done by loosening a single Philips head bolt and using the wedge device to pry the cover off. With the battery cell installed, activating the light is as simple as pressing the power button once.
The MagicShine Genie out of the box
Genie Helmet functions
You can tell the helmets system is activated by looking at the rear blinker. Once the system is on, the rear blinker will be lit. In order to power the headlight or turn signals you simply press the corresponding remote button once. To change mode, you press the button again. Here is the only tricky part, In order to turn off the headlight or blinkers, you need to hold the button down for between 2-3 seconds.
Front light and turn signals with inset of remote
The Genie Helmet fit
The helmet is a one size fits all variety with a dial type retention device. The overall fit is a bit round for my head, so I felt a bit more pressure on the front of the helmet than I would prefer. That being said, I run into the same problem with Giro brand helmets, so I think it’s more an issue with my head than the helmet. It has ample padding throughout so the feel of the helmet is soft.
Ample, soft padding in the Genie helmet
How it feels
With so much going on within the Genie helmet, there is some added weight. Wearing the helmet feels just like when I attach a GoPro to my standard helmet. That weight can be a little strange at first, but like the camera, you will get used to it.
More to Come
Because there are many different head shapes, there will be more than one person trying out this helmet. We want to give the fit a thorough review. For the function of the helmet, I am really excited to see if cars respect the turn signals, how warm the headlight gets, and how long the battery lasts. Stay tuned for more info.
As the winter winds begin to shift and blow into our office, here in Minnesota, thoughts turn toward the snow covered trails. We are lucky here to enjoy a massive amount of trails that are designed for winter riding. But if you are like me and new to the whole fatbiking thing, how do you get into it and what should you expect?
The fatbike
Fatbikes are more like normal mountain bikes than you may think. As an example, the only parts unique to most fat tired bikes are the crank, tires and wheels. Other than those things, all the other parts are interchangeable with you normal mountain bike. That being said, the parts that make a fat tired bike different are responsible for their namesake. The large wheels and tires give these fatbikes their flotation on soft surfaces like snow and sand. There are now several brands available at most price points so getting into the sport has never been easier. Plus many bike shops offer rental programs.
The Surface Boar is as versatile as it is cool fatbike
The fatbike ride
The best part about a fatbike is that it extends your season with an all new cycling experience. For the most part, when snow was falling, people were kept from riding. Now, with so many fat tired bike options, a thick layer of the white stuff simply means more riding for all! With 4”-5” wide tires and pressures as low as 4psi, a fatbike can easily navigate deep snow. The only issue you will run into is ice. An icy surface doesn’t really care how wide the tire is, it’s still slippery. Once a trail gets slick it’s best to either change your tires to studded versions, or install studs in your existing tires. With studs below you, the game is back on.
Studded (left) and standard (right) fatbike tires
The Gear
I find the hardest part of fatbiking is dressing properly. I am no stranger to winter riding, but most of that has been commuting. Once I got off road, I found that I was chronically overdressed. Off road riding is slower than commuting, so there is less wind chill to contend with. Additionally, I find it is a higher effort (more calories spent) to fatbike than to commute. When winter riding make sure your feet and hands are warm with good gloves and winter shoes. I also find you should wear warm cycling clothes that will wick the moisture away and resist the urge to wear too much clothing.
While we cant stop the cold from hitting soon, get out and discover how fun it is to fatbike.
Having Fun
The most fun part of riding a fatbike is experiencing an existing trail you may have used before, in a new way. With a fresh coat of snow on the ground, features that may normally be difficult get smoothed out and sections that are typically easy, can become difficult. That change in perspective gives all new life to trails that may have become old and commonplace to you. So get out there and try fatbiking this winter.
Having fun preparing for the Minnesota High School Cycling Leagues, State Championship, that will be held on Mt. Kato, in Mankato, MN, October 28-29. Volunteer with the Minnesota chapter of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association or find out more how your school can participate in 2018.
What better way to continue your fall fun and your #NextBikeAdventure. View all the fun ideas and bike destinations in the latest Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide. Then plan your next outing with family and friends in one of our HaveFunBiking Destinations.
Thanks for Viewing Our ‘Fun Mountain Bike’ 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.
While strolling the isles of Interbike, there were many brands offering headwear to keep you comfortable, but none as interesting as Headsweats. Beyond the great construction and performance, there are also conservational reasons to choose a brand like this.
Headsweats the product
What sets Headsweats apart from other caps is their primary material, Eventure fabric. Eventure can be manipulated to make a textile that can be warm in one configuration or cool in another. Additionally, they can have the material feel very soft on your skin or be incredibly durable. So thanks to that fabric, Headsweats can make all sorts of caps.
Headsweats’ offers a wide range of caps
The fit
Fit for their caps is easy. They have versions that tie, flex fit versions and Velcro style closures. Once on, you will notice the sweatband (included on all caps) is soft and comfortable against your skin. Once you start sweating, these caps show why they are so popular. Within the band there is a sweat absorption ring that pulls sweat away from your eyes, then allows that sweat to evaporate three-times faster than cotton.
A Headsweat cause
Headsweats started a National Parks program in order to give back to the national parks we all enjoy. 20% of the sale of every national park hat gets donated to the parks. This season they have Katmai, Golden Gate, Rockies, Yellowstone, Yosemite and Glacier national parks. Additionally, at Interbike they were showing an International Mountain Bike Association cap and donated proceeds to IMBA.
Glacier, Golden Gate, and Grand Canyon Hats
Why should you buy one?
With about a million different styles, there is no situation Headsweats doesn’t have covered. On top of the expansive line, they also have all sorts of colors and patterns available to match your personal style. Even if none of their designs tickle your fancy, Headsweats can produce custom caps for you and your team.
There was a consistent buzz throughout the week of Interbike and part of the high was the hum of some of the best e-Bikes out there. E-bikes have become big business in the biking world and for good reason. With the baby boomer generation aging, but refusing to slow down, there is a real need for motor assisted bicycles. E-Bikes offer extended range by giving the rider a boost of power when things get tough. Keep in mind, most of these bicycles don’t have a throttle as a standard feature and only activate a motor when the going gets tough. Take a look at some of the best e-bikes at the show.
Surface 604 was one of the best e-bikes
A welcome surprise at Dirt Demo was Surface E-Bikes. I spoke with Sam (the founder) for a while before testing out the bikes. Sam was a designer for a major bicycle company in Canada for years before having the impetus to start Surface 604. He knew that E-Bikes would soon sweep the nation, but saw a gap in the market where high quality/low cost bikes should be. Using his design and manufacturing experience he set out to fill that need. I’m happy to say I think he did it. The Rook is a trekking style bike (think hybrid with lights, fenders and a rack) designed to be comfortable and utilitarian. The bike rides well without the pedal assist and absolutely hums when the motor kicks in. The fit and finish of the Rook is every bit as nice as it’s more expensive counterparts and offers additional features that many overlook.
Surface Colt with detail of included headlight and tail light
In addition to the rook, Surface also produces the eye-catching Boar fatbike. It’s camouflage paint scheme and ability to go almost anywhere make it an ideal bike for any hunter or sportsperson.
The Boar is as versatile as it is cool
Vintage Electric Bikes
Where Surface focused on the cost conscious, Vintage Electric Bicycles went to satiate the most discerning riders. Just one look at their unique model line will have you begging to throw a leg over and fly down the road. These E-Bikes are inspired by the classic style while boasting modern day technology. Great touches like die cast aluminum battery cases, make these bikes look like a custom café racer while elegantly storing the battery in a lightweight shell. Of all the bikes in their booth the Scrambler was the true show stopper. It seemed no detail and no cost was spared in making this modern day classic.
Vintage Scrambler looks like it’s ready to take off!
Focus E-bikes
Focus is a bicycle brand based out of Germany. They are well known for their technologically advanced bicycles. Focus is also known for their bold and progressive paint schemes. When it comes to E-Mountain Bikes, Focus delivers on both technology and appearance. It was impossible to miss the BOLD2 with its clean lines and amazing appearance. Even though this bike wows you with its looks, the real story is in the BOLD2 ‘s function. Focus armed this E-Mountain Bike with Shimano’s new XT motor system that is specifically designed for off road use. Additionally, they use a smart collection of parts to ensure you can tackle any trail and a beautifully hydro-formed frame to help keep the weight low. Best of all is that this bike can use 27+ wheels (that’s a 27.5×3” tire) guaranteeing all the traction you will need.
Great looking, Great power, and awesome function. Focus checks all the boxes with the Bold2
Overall the best e-bikes on the market are still evolving with new brands and parts arriving daily. If these options are any indication of things to come, we are all in luck.
As you begin doing longer rides like the MS150, Minnesota Ironman, or any other charity ride, sports drinks (cycling nutrition) becomes really important. The basic rule is to replace electrolytes and calories after riding for an hour. Considering most of our rides are longer than one hour, there are many nutritional products designed help. The popular cycling nutrition products are sports drinks, gels, and bars.
Sports drinks, the problem and solution
No doubt you are familiar with the stories of Powebar and Gatorade, both companies were born out of a need for in-activity nutrition and electrolyte replacement. Since their development, there has been many amazing advancements in sports nutrition. Read on to see how Tailwind Nutrition is moving the science forward.
The issue with sports nutrition comes from the fact that in many cases sports drinks have replaced soft drinks and nutrition bars have replaced snacks in many people’s diets. This evolution has led to nutrition that is to sweet, too heavy and resistant to quick digestion during activity. Therefore, most readily-available nutrition products force your body to expend too much energy attempting to digest it. Additionally, because they take so long to digest, they often times cause a stomach soreness.
Tailwind Nutrition’s story
That problem of heavy nutrition is a big part of why Tailwind came into being. The Idea for Tailwind came when Jeff (one of the founders) had trouble keeping his breakfast down when he was competing in the Leadville 100 (a one hundred mile mountain bike race in Colorado). He was struggling with the heavy nutrition products, available at the time. In an effort to fix his own nutrition issue, he used himself as a guinea pig. He consulted nutritionists and then developed a sports drink that fulfilled his calorie requirement, adjusted for electrolyte replacement, that had an incredibly light taste.
After sharing it with friends and selling the new product out of the back of his car at events, news spread fast. Soon the story of a customer who finished a 100 mile mountain bike race, for the first time after a decade of trying, solidified the company into being.
Jeff at Tailwind mixing some new cycling nutrition products to test
How it tastes
After my twenty years of drinking different sports drinks, Tailwind is a refreshingly light drink. The taste is a great mix of sweet and savory (my guess is that’s the carbohydrates and salts natural flavor). After the initial taste, I was amazed to find that there was no syrupy aftertaste. The aftertaste is really important because as you exercise and increase your breathing rate, any residual flavor can become overwhelming. It is so light that when I finished the bottle of Tailwind, I then filled that bottle with straight water and didn’t detect any aftertaste.
How it works
The best part of the Tailwind products I feel is its consistency. In my experience most nutritional products do a great job of bringing your endurance level up temporarily, then sadly your energy level drops off drastically as you continue on. What I found with the Tailwind products, they deliver consistent energy with no severe drop. Additionally, as the temperature goes up and electrolytes are more important than calories, this product offers salts that are quickly absorbed into the body.
Why use Tailwind
I know what you’re thinking, why shouldn’t I just grab a Gatorade down at the ole’ Circle K before my weekend ride? Well, the answer is as easy as comfort, results, and cost.
First, I have tried most sports drinks on the market and all of them left me feeling the same way – sick. Those heavy drinks sit in my stomach and sometimes, attempt to come back up again. By contrast, the Tailwind stuff never made a peep in my belly. Additionally, Tailwind offers 200 calories per serving rather than the 150 calories from Gatorade. That’s not only more calories, but I found they were better calories. Typical sports drinks gave me an initial energy boost, but then dropped off severely. By contrast, I found Tailwind to give sustained energy, but no harsh drop off. Finally, Tailwind is way cheaper. Tailwind can be as little as $.75. When compared to Gatorade at more than twice that per bottle. To me Tailwind makes good sense.
All in all, nutrition is a personal preference. While I may like one product, that doesn’t necessarily guarantee it is the right product for you. With that being said, I feel that Tailwind offers a great product for even the most sensitive stomachs. Give it a try, I think you will like how it works.
