Essentia Fitness: Prep Before Hitting Those Bike Trails!

What steps should be taken before exploring nature on two wheels in this week’s Essentia Fitness.

Summer is in full swing and many people are hitting the bike trails.
 
The F-M area has a lot of bike trails going through it.
 
What are some things that people need to do before we actually get on a bike?
 
“One of the first things is that you got to make sure that your bike fits you. Your local sporting good store will have staff available to help you pick the right size. You want it to be appropriate for your height and appropriate for what you plan on doing. A road bike is different from a trail bike and from a hybrid bike. So you just want it to fit your needs, is the biggest thing,” says Essentia Health Athletic Trainer Kate Ihle.
 
Do we need to check on the brakes?
 
Ihle adds, “Yes, you can have the bike shops do tune ups for you when you bring them out from storage from the winter time. They’re usually a little rusty, and you got to get them going. Tune ups will be good to check your tires. Make sure they’re up. Make sure the brakes are working. A little W-D 40 to make sure everything is rolling for you. That’s kind of the biggest thing to check for when you bring it out of winter storage.”
 
Lastly, what should we know or wear before hitting the trails?
 
“The biggest thing is, that you need to be wearing a helmet. Helmets are so important either road biking or trail biking. Your head, you always need to protect it. So an appropriate bike helmet for your size of head and activity level is very important. Again, that sporting goods store will be able to assist you in picking the correct one,” says Ihle.