Biking to Beat the Heat as Summer-like Temps Continue

Those over at Ski Hut on Fourth Street remind people just breaking out their bike to get a tune-up first.

DULUTH, Minn.- As cyclists across the Northland get out on the trails to take advantage of the summer-like weather, local bike shops want to remind people to get their bikes tuned up and looked over first.

“Today on a bike it doesn’t feel all that hot here,” said biker Brian Mallory. That may be the case for bikers like Mallory, who ride all year round.

“Biking doesn’t have the banging on your body like running does. And as you get older you wanna think about those things. If I want I do go walking,” he said.

But those over at Ski Hut on Fourth Street remind people just breaking out the bike for the season to get it checked out first.

Manager Brent Stoen said they’re pretty busy with repairs, but working fast.”We see a lot of tires that are cracked, weather checked tires. Bikes that don’t have very adequate brakes for our trails, shifting where the shifting may be off on the bike.”

Sometimes, he said, a bit of a wait for your bike is better than waiting for a bigger accident later on.

“It can hurt the rider, right off the bat. It can damage the bike in a manner of feet,” said Stoen.

And that’s important, as bikers seem to be covering a lot of ground already. The Lakewalk over By Leif Erickson Park was filled Monday, despite the warmer weather.

Each rider still does what they can to beat the heat. “Definitely hydrate,” Hannah Figgins said. “Hydrate, jump in the lake.”

Stoen says while hydrating is definitely necessary, sometimes it’s the gear that can making you sweat in the summertime, too.

“Lot of customers lately have been coming in with older helmets that are just not good,” he said. “Some of the newer helmets as the heat rises they can cool your head down a lot faster, and they are a lot safer.”

But for the bikers who waited through snow and sleet for summer, the heat is nothing when it’s just you, the trail, and your bike.

“The drive is to get moving,” said Figgins. “Summertime makes you want to get outside as much as possible especially living in Duluth.”

If you’re wondering where you should get out, you can get real time updates on trail conditions and weather on the COGGS Twitter page.