Equipment Guide

Basic Bicycle Safety Equipment

The beautiful thing about biking with your family is that it doesn’t take much equipment to enjoy the ride. Minnesota offers so many great bike shops that will help you find the right bikes for you and your family. Here are the basics:

• A good bike: The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommends the following, “Make certain the bicycle is the proper size for the rider. Appropriately sized frames, handlebar and seat heights will improve your ability to control the bike, and reduce the risk for overuse injuries. If you ride regularly, consider a professional fit from a bike shop.”
• Bike lamp and reflectors for nighttime and low light riding (Minnesota Bicycle Law)
• A well-fitting helmet – Check out our Helmet Fit recommendations
• A water bottle – Watch our video on the benefits of Sports Drinks vs. Water
• Closed-toed shoes
• Comfortable snug clothing, preferably reflective, that doesn’t hang down near the tires or chain

Additional Items to Bring

Once you have the basics, you are ready for a ride. As you become more familiar with family biking you might want to consider some of the optional items listed below:

• Your cell phone
• A light backpack
• Easy to use tire repair kits
• Trail map
• Sunglasses
• Biking gloves

Bike shops are filled with interesting and useful things to help you enjoy biking. Stop in to your local shop to see all the options.

More Safety Tips