GO: Bike Preparations

Bikers Get Ready For The Season

With several trails running across the city, Duluth is a popular destination for Mountain Bikers, and now with spring fever setting in, bike shops are getting busier

“Usually when you’re getting your bike ready for the season, the main thing you’re going to want to do is inflate the tires, cause over winter all of your air is going to come out of them,” said Kraig Decker of Continental Ski and Bike. 

Cyclists say tuning the bike, either yourself or at a shop, is also a good idea

“Tuning is anything from adjusting cables to make sure it’s shifting and breaking properly, to lubing the chain and stuff of that nature, just making sure it’s operational.” said Decker. 

and bike upkeep after a long off season is crucial

“With mountain bikes we have so much clay in our soil it takes a while for the trails to properly dry out,” said Decker.

Groups like Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores who build biking trails ask that bikers stay off them, to help with preservation.

“They’re the main ones who are saying hey please avoid the trails when they’re wet, cause you’re going to cause all that damage on these trails that they’re spending millions of dollars to build,” said Decker. 

Cyclists say they’re looking forward to get out on the current trails, but that they’re also excited for the even larger potential that Duluth’s biking scene holds

“Our trials just continue to get better and better and COGGS continues to build more and more trails each year so it’s always fun to ride on the new trails,” he said. 

The Duluth traverse, a multi-use, singletrack trail that completely traverses the 26 mile long city of Duluth, is expected to be completed in 2017.