Do you want to make 2020 a great cycling year? I have compiled a list of things you can do to to put on your biggest annual mileage yet. Some of these ideas may be familiar and others new to you. Either way, they will get you to #bikemorein2020.
Join a Facebook group rides group
One of the best ways to ride more in 2020 is to ride with others. There are several Facebook groups that you can join to find group rides or post up your own ride to get others interested in. For fatbikers looking to connect with others of the well-endowed tire crowd there is the MN Fatbike Group Rides. Other disciplines like road, gravel or mountain biking group rides can be found on MN Group Bike Rides. The south metro area of the Twin Cities in Dakota, Goodhue, and Rice counties has a lot of great riding opportunities to be had. Join the private group South Metro Group Rides to ride with others that know this area well. These Facebook groups make it easy to get in plenty of miles with others that share your style of riding.
Join a weekly group ride
Get in some consistent mileage by joining a weekly group ride. These rides happen throughout the year giving you a chance to establish a riding routine on specific days of the week that will work with your schedule. Right now there are winter fatbike rides being held just about every day of the week throughout the state. For a complete list of them visit my post Winter '19-'20 Weekly Fatbike Group Rides. As the weather warms this spring get ready for weekly road, gravel and mountain bike rides to start popping up. MN Bike Trail Navigator and Facebook are great places to find these bike shop, club and cyclist organized rides to get you on a weekly ride schedule.
Make the 30 Days of Biking pledge
A great way to kick off the spring riding season is to make the 30 Days of Biking pledge to ride your bike every day in April. Whether it's a ride around the block or a century ride, it all counts as long as you got on your bike and went for a ride. Biking in April in Minnesota can present some challenges but these can be overcome. To quote 30 Days of Biking, "Weather’s bad? Biking indoors counts, too, but give riding in that rainstorm or blizzard a shot. You never know how much you’ll love it! Missed a day? Just keep going! We're all in this together." The first year I made the pledge I learned a lot about myself, my gear and my bike. This made me a better cyclist, not to mention I got a big jump on getting in some base miles for the year. Join people worldwide that make the pledge and share your ride experiences on social media with the hashtag #30daysofbiking.
Try a new discipline
Are you tired of the same old rides? Trying a different ride discipline will open up a whole new experience for you on two wheels. Are you a roadie or paved trail rider that is looking for some new scenery? Give gravel a try, the sites and sounds of the country and low traffic roads have made gravel very popular over the last few years. For gravel discussion, Q&A, group rides and routes, join the MN Gravel Enthusiasts Facebook group to help get you started. Take up mountain biking if you've never tried it before. You may find you really enjoy being out in the woods and taking on the challenge of riding singletrack. MN Mountain Bike Enthusiasts is the place to go for all things mtb. Extend your ride season into the winter months on a fatbike. Fatbikes can take you places you can't go with traditional bikes opening up new ride opportunities you would have never thought of. Facebook groups with fatbike discussion include MN Fatbike Enthusiasts, MN Fatbike Bushwhackers, Fat Bikes and Fatbike Republic.
Take up bike commuting
I took up commuting to work by bike about three years ago and immediately fell in love with it. It became my morning workout and one of the best ways I know to unwind after a stressful day at work. I would look forward to finishing my shift just so I could ride my bike home. 2019 was the first time I surpassed the 4,000 mile mark for the year and commuting to work was more than half of those miles. With my hectic work schedule in the foodservice industry I found bike commuting to be the best way to fit in ride time and it sure beats being stuck in traffic in an automobile. Give bike commuting a try and if you're not sure where to start there are a lot of experienced commuters on Facebook that can answer your questions and give advice. Visit Twin Cities/MN Bicycle Advice & Discussion or Twin Cities Bike Commuters to strike up an informative conversation.
Buy a new bike
That's what I did and I loved my new bike so much I was riding way more than usual. I upgraded from my old road bike and got my dream bike, a Trek Checkpoint SL 6 with full Ultegra and what an amazing difference. I would make excuses to just get out and ride. My new bike not only inspired confidence in my riding but also was lighter, faster and an all-together better ride than I was used to on my old bike. "You can’t buy happiness but you can buy a bike and that’s pretty close!" -Unknown.
Get apparel for all types of weather
There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing choices. Over the years I have ridden my bikes in every type of weather including blizzards, sub-zero temperatures, thunderstorms and the blazing heat of summer. Riding year round presents weather challenges but they can be overcome with the right riding apparel. I have built up my cycling wardrobe to include everything I need to ride my bikes in ANY weather and I no longer have an excuse to skip because conditions aren't ideal. Through trial and error I have learned what clothing selections work best for the weather I will be riding in and that makes for a much more enjoyable experience in the saddle.
Join Strava
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| Image Credit: Strava |
I joined Strava years ago because it's a great tool to track my progress and weekly/yearly mileage. I also use it to find new places to ride by following my friends and other cyclists. This helps me create new routes that I can load onto my gps bike computer for easy navigation. If you don't have a gps enabled bike computer linked to Strava, use the Strava app on your phone (available for both Android and IOS) to track rides, create and follow routes and tally your mileage. Strava is a free app with basic features and more advanced function can be unlocked by joining Strava Summit. With Strava Summit you can pick the features you need for training, analysis and safety to reach your goals and help you bike more in 2020.
Plan out your ride calendar
Bookmark my 2020 Minnesota Bike Tours, Rides, Races & Events Schedule on MN Bike Trail Navigator for the best listing of cycling events in Minnesota on the web. I update this post almost daily as new events are popping up all the time. Start planning out your ride calendar now and don't miss out on events that may have rider caps, registration deadlines or were announced close to the event date. Each listing has links to more information so you can decide if the event is right for you. The more events you participate in the more miles you'll rack up for 2020.
Take up bikecamping/bikepacking
One thing I've always wanted to do on the bike was to go camping and bikepacking. Last year I invested in the necessary equipment to get me started and went on my first bikecamping trip. I really enjoyed it and plan on doing several outings in 2020. I have multiple destinations in mind that I can travel to from my home eliminating the need for a car on these trips. Through some trial and error test rides last summer I found out what works for me and how to fit everything on the bike that is needed for an outing.
Bikepacking/bikecamping opens up a whole new avenue of bike adventures that I wouldn't have even thought about before. If this is something that sounds of interest to you but you're not sure where to start, visit your local bike shop and they can help you with any questions you may have and point you in the right direction for the bags and gear needed for a successful outing. Farmstead Bike Shop in Minneapolis hosts several group bikecamping outings during the late spring and early summer that are a good place to start if you are a beginner.
Find new places to ride
Get away from the same old boring rides by riding some place new. By doing this I have discovered some of my favorite new areas to explore. I'm a mountain biker at heart and I wanted to seek out new challenges other than singletrack to ride my fatbike. I enjoy bushwhacking ventures off the beaten path to explore nature where there are no trails. Some of these spots include beaches, woods and frozen lakes/swamps. Besides bushwhacking, new places to ride may also include gravel roads out in the country, that mountain bike trail you've never been to or a tour on one of Minnesota's many scenic rail trails. With so many riding opportunities in our state there are limitless places to take you on your next bike adventure. Visit my pages Twin Cities Area Map Links, Southern MN Map Links, Central MN Map Links and Northern MN Map Links to discover new places near you to ride.
