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This bike pic Tuesday, get in shape. Spring will soon be here, and the next challenge will be waiting for you.
So, adjust to the above-normal temps and get into the zone when continuing your time outdoors 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, and check out more stories at Let’s Do MN.
Thanks for viewing today’s bike pic
Now rolling through our 20th year as a bike tourism media, enjoy! As we pedal forward, we aim to encourage more people to bike and have fun while highlighting all the unforgettable places you can 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 we should post? If so, please send your picture(s) to [email protected]. Please Include a brief caption for the image, who shot it, and where. Photo(s) sent to us should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide to be considered. If we use your photo, you will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.
As we continue encouraging 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 in our 15th year of producing this handy information booklet full of maps.
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. With one of our cameras ready to document your next cameo appearance while you are riding and having fun, we may be around the corner. You could be in one of our next Pic of the Day.
For bike tip Thursday, make it a habit to have tires properly inflated. You wouldn’t want to end up in an accident along the way from a tire blowout.
Get into the zone when continuing your time outdoors 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. And now, check out more stories at Let’s Do MN.
Thanks for viewing our latest bike pic
Now rolling through our 18th year as a bike tourism media, enjoy! As we pedal forward, our goal is to encourage more people to bike and have fun while highlighting 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 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 pic was shot? 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 13th year of producing this handy 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 Pic of the Day.
Have a great day with a safe, and memorable year ahead!
Winter weather is back and now we’re all itching for that warm weather but based on forecasts it might not be for another week. So make sure to dress appropriately if you’re gonna head out for a ride. Also, make sure you never forget your helmet. Safety first!
Thanks for viewing Today’s Winter Weather is Back Pic
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 highlighting 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. Please share all our picks with your friends and don’t forget to smile. We may be around the next corner with one of our camera’s ready to document your next move while you are riding and having fun. We may capture you in one of our next Pic of the Day posts.
Sometimes life is a race like the riders in this pic, but life itself should not be. It’s better to slow down and enjoy it then to speed by and miss all the beautiful things the surroundings around you has to offer. You only have one life, so make the most of it!
Thanks for viewing Today’s Life Is Not A Race Bike Pic
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 highlighting 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. Please share all our picks with your friends and don’t forget to smile. We may be around the next corner with one of our camera’s ready to document your next move while you are riding and having fun. We may capture you in one of our next Pic of the Day posts.
John Barrow once said, “If you never try, you’ll never know what you’re capable of.” This Tuesday we challenge you to get out there and try something new. You never know, you might discover your next passion or something you’re really good at.
Cylecross photo here was taken last summer a at Aquila Park, in St Louis Park, MN.
Thanks for viewing Today’s Try Something new this Tuesday Bike Pic
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 highlighting 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. Please share all our picks with your friends and don’t forget to smile. We may be around the next corner with one of our camera’s ready to document your next move while you are riding and having fun. We may capture you in one of our next Pic of the Day posts.
As the mercury hovers below freezing this is the perfect time for bike maintenance to prepare your bicycle for sunnier days. There are many benefits to bringing your bike into the shop during the ‘down’ winter months rather than waiting for the spring season to come around.
Here in the photo above these bike maintenance shop mechanic’s at Penn Cycle are waiting for your bike. While waiting they are putting bicycles together for Free Bikes 4 Kidz,
1. Bike Maintenance at the Shop
Most shops operate on a “first in / first out” repair schedule. This means during the busy months there may be weeks of bicycles ahead of yours in line to be repaired. Bring your bicycle in during the winter to be repaired. The repair time will be the same, but the waiting list will be shorter.
2. Discounts, Deals, and More!
The fall and winter weather may discourage riders from going out, but bike shops still need to do business. In order to draw customers, bike shops sometimes offer special pricing on different services, bikes, or parts. Additionally, lots of shops offer free clinics, demos, and presentations as well!
3. Employees can Offer their Expertise and Undivided Attention
It’s no secret that winter in a bike shop is slow. What better time to talk with sales people and mechanics? Need to know what bike type might work best for you? Is a fat bike right for you? Is that biking glove really better than the one you already have? If it’s a question about the service or adjustments to your bike, they are likely to spend more time with you and not be rushed.
The spring and summer packs the mechanics’ schedules, and their focus needs to be on completing repairs. During the winter they have much more time to spend with customers, educating them on how their bike functions.
Spring and summer for the sales staff is similar. They tend to be busy trying to attend to every customer in the shop. But in the fall and winter less people come in, so they can focus on one thing – you.
Fat Bike Season: Fat Bikes are “In” for This Winter Season
by Jess Leong, HaveFunBiking
Been to a bike shop recently and noticed the Fat Bikes? If so you are aware that these bikes look a little different from the normal bikes you’re used to seeing. What makes these weird bikes stand out are their large tires that make them look like a bike version of a monster truck! You know, except most of the frame designs are normal looking and everyone I have interviewed say “they are a blast to ride.”
These seemingly unusual fat-tired bikes – many prefer ‘badass’ or are also known as “fat bikes.” They also are known as “wide-tired bikes,” “balloon-tired bikes,” “winter bikes,” and my favorite “fatties.” Don’t let the term “winter bikes” deter you though. These bikes are great year-round since they were originally invented to tackle sand and snow.
Why Fat Tires?
Fat bikes are not replacing mountain bikes they are just adding adding another dimension to the sport of cycling.
Fat tires were developed so that bikes could become all-terrain compatible. The fat tires allow the bikes to have more stability and traction to diverse surfaces. This includes surfaces such as snow, mud, sand, pavement, and more. This works because the tires have more area that touch the ground at any given point. Having that contact, the bike tires are able to keep some sort of grip on solid ground.
Additionally, the fat tires allow bikers to enjoy mountain biking or other biking activities in the winter. They ride a bike that can keep them safer due to the tire’s gripping ability and weight dispersal. Plus, the tire pressures aren’t something to worry about. Due to the design of the fat bike tires, the rider doesn’t have to worry about air pressure within the tires as they ride (at least for the most part)!
Fat Bikes, a Brief History
The Beginning Origins
Fat bikes are becoming popular on mountain bike trails throughout the year.
Fat bikes have been around since the early 1900’s. However, it wasn’t until the 1970’s to 1980’s that the modern-looking fat bikes came to life. Before this, there were bikes that had 2-3 wheels that were cleverly put together side by side to try to increase that surface area contact to the ground.
It wasn’t until bike frame builders in Alaska began looking at and experimenting with the different parts of the bike and tires to make the bike safe for the winter months. They began putting together multiple bike rims so it could hold multiple tires on a bike’s front and back. While someone would roll their eyes and say that it was ‘of course’ the Alaskans that took it to the next level, there were people in Mexico also working on a project. It was in the late 1990’s, 1999’s Interbike convention, where the two designers met to discuss what they had produced. It was around this time when a builder named Mark Gronewald, an Alaskan frame designer, coined the name “Fat Bike” in 2001 for his bikes. In 2011 he was able to build a bike that had a full range of gearing that riders could use.
Making it Commercial
In 2005, the company Surly Bikes – located in Bloomington, Minnesota – went on to release their specialized frame. They called it the Pugsley which had an offset wheel and frame build.
Fat bikes are great year-round, here is a Surly bike at a race in the Minnesota River bottoms in Bloomington, MN.
Their design was the one that moved into local bike shops around the world. The pugsley made fat bikes commercially available for bikers. Since then, many other bike companies have gotten in on the action and produced their own designs for fat bike riders.
Ten years ago fat bikes seemed like a novelty and were considered an oddity and weird. Today, however, it’s more accepted, common, and even affordable for the average Joe. I mean, as far as bike prices go.
Fat bikes have expanded around the world due to the versatility aspect of the wheels. With the ability to ride on snow and mud, they can be used year-round. So now biking season is all season long!
What is riding a fat bike like? Learn more in our article highlighting how fat bikes can make winter riding more fun!
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.
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 Mountain Biking Fun 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.
Here in this Great Biking Day photo we caught a Penn Cycle team member making tracks on Buckhill, near Lakeville, MN, at the last Thursday Evening mountain bike event there for 2016.
Each year, since 2011, the Buckhill Thursday Night at the Races brings together beginner, intermediate and advanced mountain bikers for some fun times. This family friendly event is also a great opportunity to get the younger ones into mountain biking with a free kid’s race after the adult races.
Thanks for viewing the Great Biking Day Pic of the Day here at HaveFunBiking.
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.
