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
Things not to do while biking on this Bike Pic #Wise Wednesday or any other day of the week. In this photo, we caught a young lad facing the wrong direction on his seat doing everything he shouldn’t, making his bicycle ride unsafe (P.S. – the rider is OK; he did miss the car!).
Otherwise, enjoy another day of perfect September riding temps, drink lots of water, and get into the zone while continuing your time outdoors on that #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.
As we pedal forward in our 21st year as an outdoor media, enjoy!We aim to encourage more people to bike and have fun while highlighting all the unforgettable places you can ride. While continuing 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.
Thanks for viewing our latest Bike Pic
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. To be considered, the photo(s) sent to us should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide. You will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram if we use your photo.
As we continue encouraging more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your #NextBikeAdventure. Also, check our 15th annual mobile-friendly MN Bike Guide, a handy booklet full of maps of fun places to bike and hike.
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 Pic of the Day stars.
Have fun as we pedal through a summer of fond memories!
Finding a Local Bike Shop with a Good Vibe to Fit Your Style
by Jess Leong, HaveFunBiking.com
Trying to find a local bike shop can seem daunting and more work than it’s worth. However, a great local shop that fits your needs can be invaluable as time goes on. When trying to find the right shop you need to consider what you value most. Is it a knowledgeable staff person, a great selection, great or quick service, or etc?
Friendly bike shop store front, showing accessibility and community involvement, is like a welcome mat inviting you in.
Everyone, from beginners to experienced cyclists, can find that choosing a bike shop can be a tough decision, especially with many shops in a given area. While confident and knowledgeable staff members are important – we all want advice from experts who know what they are talking about. But other factors should also be considered.
Stepping into a bike shop can be overwhelming, but it is a necessity to find the right fit for you.
Key Factors to Consider When Checking Out a Bike Shop:
Knowledgeable Staff
Knowledgeable staff members that can give reliable advice and speak in a way that you can understand is key. If they are using words that may be unfamiliar to you or are not willing to clearly explain it, this might not be the shop for you. They should know what they’re talking about. If they don’t know the answer, they should be willing to find the answer out for you. Even experts can get stumped on good questions!
Friendly and Reliable Staff
Knowledgeable bike shop staff, not afraid to do a little research for you, is the key to a great experience.
Expect friendly and reliable staff members at the shop you visit. You should feel comfortable approaching and asking all of your biking questions – no matter how stupid you might think a question is. (There is no such thing as a ‘stupid question.’ So, feel free to ask away!) Additionally, these staff members should be people you can rely on for your biking needs. If they aren’t focused on what you’re there for and are pushing products at you that you don’t really need, then this can be a deal breaker. You want people – at least a mechanic – who love and understand bikes. After all, you need to feel comfortable in entrusting them with your wheels.
Product Options
A decent range of products should be within the shop, unless they are a specialty shop. You want to have options and be able to look at different items and products within the shop so you can find the best fit for you – if you need it.
Most bike shops have a large assortment of accessories and essentials to make your #nextbikeadventure memorable.
A good bike shop will have a large assortment of cycling accessories and other essentials to make your #nextbikeadventure memorable.
Quick or Reasonable Repair Timeline
Having a bike shop mechanic who is knowledgeable and enjoys his work is an added plus.
When a problem arises with your bike, you want it repaired in a quick manner so we could get out riding again, as soon as possible. No one wants to wait weeks for their bike to be repaired. A quick, or at least reasonable, repair time might be what’s most important for you.
Shop Hours that Work for You
Reasonable hours that work for your schedule is something you can easily find out without ever going to the store. Today, you can look up stores online to find their hours and see if it will work for you.
Some bike shops are open only on the weekend, others are open from early morning and close by 5 p.m. or earlier, and yet others might be open late into the evening. Depending on what works for your schedule, this can help eliminate potential bike shops. If you have a job from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, a bike shop that is only open during the weekday during that period of time might not be the best fit.
Customer Satisfaction
A good shop will check in with the rider and ask them asking how they are. If a relationship is built they will ask about a product the rider might have bought. If a mistake occurs, the shop will work with the rider to try to correct it, or apologize.
It is important to note that while a bike shop might be perfect for one person, it may not be the ideal bike shop for another. While many bike shops have knowledge of different types of biking styles, some will have more specific knowledge of a particular type. In other words, every bike stop has different vibe and it just depends whether or not it suits you.
Tip: To save time, many riders would suggest checking on websites that rate bike shops to find ratings of their service, what they may offer, and if they are worth looking into.
Don’t lose heart, if after researching the first bike shop you discover it isn’t ideal for you, visit the next one. Many times, riders need to visit several shops, and sometimes go through a service or two, before finding the perfect fit for them.
Finding the shop that is best suited for you might take some time, and that’s okay. It’s worth it because if you ever have questions or your bike needs repair, they got your back. Plus, it ensures good service and fewer problems in the future.
Did your favorite bike shop make America’s Best Bike Shop list?
The National Bicycle Dealers Association has recently published its 2016 list of America’s Best Bike Shops. Retailers who made the cut this year not only offer great shopping experiences and expert staff, but are also rated on dedication to their communities and support for bicycle advocacy locally and nationally. See here if your bike shop made the cut.
In Review
Less hassle, better vibes is something we can all get behind. Happy shopping!
Wise Bike Wednesdays has a reminder,“Before You Go,” always remember your ABC’s:
A is for Air
B is for Brakes
C is for Cranks, Chain, and Cassette
Quick = is for quick release lever – make sure it’s tight!
Check = take a quick ride to check it all before you go on your next bike adventure!
With many students heading back to school this week biking is a great way to get some exercise, be green, and avoid the traffic and congestion of a long bus ride to school.
Whether you’re a parent getting your kids on their bike to get to school or someone who will be responsible for your own bike and adventure, it’s important to remember the key safety rules for biking.
You can check these basics in the HaveFunBiking digital Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide on page 60-61. If you have our print copy, check it out on page 30.
Help with a Wise Bike Wednesdays bike rodeo training course, lead by instructors of BikeMN, so biking to school is fun.
Thanks for viewing Wise Bike Wednesdays, 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 ride to and have fun we hope the photos we shoot are worth a grin.
Learning to use hand signals at a Wise Bike Wednesdays rodeo training course, lead by instructors of BikeMN,
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.
