#ne mpls

[illustrated-process]

PLUS DOG + YOUR FRIENDS @ ART-A-WHIRL 2017

Are you in Minneapolis?

Do you like art, prints, comix, zines, buttons and more?

Come visit 1101 Stinson Blvd NE this Art-A-Whirl weekend! I’ll be selling prints and artwork alongside my friends from Plus Dog Collective and Your Friends!

Stop on by for a spell and support local artists, we’ll see you there!

[muraltour]

Submission

@dirtypantsforlife

— NE Minneapolis

[skworl]

pretty pumped on how this wall ride of chass turned out!  its rare that he is doing something other than a double peg!  

[peach-heathen]

the cornerstone of life

[morethanabicycle-blog]

5 Easy Rides for 30 Days of Biking!

Have you made the 30 Days of Biking pledge to ride your bike every day in April? Are you having trouble thinking of places to ride? We totally get that.

For lots of folks riding your bike every day can be a challenge, but that’s what we find so exciting about 30 Days of Biking! It’s all about finding new ways to enjoy your bike! And for some folks that could mean going on a fast-paced group ride for the first time. For others that could mean your first bicycle grocery trip. We’re in love with 30DOB, and so we’re CRANKING (sorry) out a couple of ideas to help get your gears turning (sorry again)!

1) Go on a Group Ride!

Group rides are a great place to meet new friends, and go new places. Looking for a slow paced ride to a bakery? Our friends at Calhoun Cycle have got you covered. What if you’re more into Yoga? Well then have we got the ride for YOU.

What if you’re more into fast paced riding? Or, if you’d like to try it out? Check out some rides on the Twin Cities Bicycling Club calendar!

However you want to group ride, there are people out there with the same idea - and, like you, they’ll be out there every day in April!

2) Bike to the Coffee Shop 

Biking every day doesn't have to be A Big Deal. If you don’t have the time for a longer ride, try biking a few blocks to grab a cup of caffeinated goodness from your favorite local coffee shop. Don’t worry if it doesn’t feel long enough, because it’s about having fun on your bike, not SWEATING the details. (See what we did?) 

Sometimes it’s the little things that make life wonderful - like biking to your coffee shop of choice! We’re partial to Anelace Coffee just down the block from Recovery Bike Shop, and if you happen to head over there, tell em’ who sent ya!

3) Bike to a Bike Shop

Bike shops are often more than just what they sell - the employees can give you fantastic tips on places to ride, people to meet, and things to do on your bike. They can also tune up your bike, help you pick out a lock, or any number of other things to help you get the most out of your 30 Days pledge. 

At Recovery Bike Shop, we’re really invested in making Minneapolis a better place to ride your bike - so even if you don’t need anything, feel free to stop in and chat us up. We’re great listeners. Promise.

4) Bike to the Park

The Minneapolis Parks system is ranked #1 in the nation, and there’s no better way to get there than your bicycle!

Bring your tennis rackets and serve up a good time. Or head to one of the city’s many basketball courts and play a game of pick-up. 

Looking for a good way to bike with kids? Stop in to Recovery Bike Shop to check out our selection of bicycle trailers. Then have fun visiting one of the many playgrounds, soccer fields, lakes, and bike trails boasted by our parks.

5) Bike The River Parkway

Most of our suggestions focus on destination rides, but sometimes the journey is the destination, and there’s nothing like a ride on the Mississippi River to help you appreciate the journey. 

See you on the trails, and happy 30 Days of Biking!

[morethanabicycle-blog]

Soak up the Snow

We all knew it was coming. The late Spring snowfall. 

And every year we pretend like it doesn’t exist, like the sunny weather is here to stay for good. Like the past twenty years of Spring were just some silly fluke, an anomaly, a goof. 

So when the inevitable snow does come down, it can feel like a personal attack - although it’s hard to say who we’re fighting, exactly. The Midwest? Climate Change? Ourselves? Whatever it is, it’s not worth getting upset. Anger doesn’t melt snow. But what else can we do?

We say - embrace the snow! 

This is your last chance to enjoy winter until next year! Embrace the thrill when you hit a patch of loose snow and your rear tire slips out just a little. Build a fire, eat some soup!

Soon this will all be a distant, melted memory. But the cold rush of air in your lungs at the top of a hill, and the smiling friends who rode there with you? Those are winter moments worth remembering. So embrace it! Seek out those last fleeting winter moments. 

Oh, and don’t forget your gloves. 

[morethanabicycle-blog]

Five Tips for Spring Bike Commuting in Minneapolis

Spring is an exciting time of year at Recovery Bike Shop. 

The weather jumps from 0 to 60 like a sports car (see above) and makes finding the right clothes challenging. Bike lanes are flooded with road debris formerly pacified under many months of ice. Mud and ice and water run together in potholes, making them more hidden and dangerous than ever.

And despite those challenges, spring is still the perfect time to ride your bike to work. 

And whether you've been bike commuting all winter long, or if you're starting up with the spring, we've got five tips to help you get the most out of your spring bike commute. 

Coast through the break to find out what they are.

1) Embrace The Rain

Rain storms are a unique and beautiful part of spring weather, at least in the Midwest. They remind us of nourishment, and rebirth, and innocence - but without the right mindset rain can also be a huge deterrent on your bike commute.

Riding your bike through rain storms looks different for everyone. Some people use specific rain gear, designed to breathe and repel water. Other people pack a spare set of clothes in a garbage bag and change at work. It takes all kinds, and none of those methods is the right method. 

If you're someone with a short commute rain gear can make a lot of sense - because if you're not riding for a long time, changing clothing can be a disproportionate use of your time. If you've got a longer commute, maybe you're more interested in having the rain keep your body temperature down. 

Again, there is no right way to do this.

But however you choose to deal with it, accepting rainstorms into your heart is the first step to a happy spring bike commute. 

2) Balance Your Time

As you transition into bike commuting, don't feel like there's any correct number of days to ride per week. People tend to over-categorize things, separating the Real Commuters from the Fake Commuters with lines in the sand. 

Bike commuting takes time, and that can be a limiting factor for some of us. Not everyone is privileged enough to live close to work, and not everyone feels comfortable with an hour long commute. And if that's you, we hear ya. 

So if you feel like bike commuting every day is out of reach, balance your time accordingly. Do you only have time to bike commute once or twice a week? Well then you do you, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise. 

3) Ride Together

Does anyone else at your office bike commute? In Minneapolis about 5% of the population commutes by bike - higher than almost any other American city - so the chances are high that you're in good company. 

When you ride together, everything from the office disappears. Titles, responsibilities, deadlines -  and instead of being X from department Y, you're YOU, and they're THEM, and both of you love to ride bikes. 

It's a beautiful thing.

4) Plan A Safe Route

As you get ready to ride to work, it's helpful to think about your route beforehand. Minneapolis has a diverse system of bikeways that can safely connect you to where you're going, so you may find bike commuting possible even if you're uncomfortable riding on busy roads.

One idea that helps make bike commuting less daunting is to take some time on a day off to scope out your potential routes ahead of time. Oftentimes our city bikeways are hard to find without a bit of foresight - so by checking out some of those routes in person, without time constraints to make you nervous, you might end up with a more enjoyable ride into work the next day.

5) Have Fun

If this one seems easy, that's because it is!

Riding your bike to work can often seem challenging, but once you get past all the advice and questions, you'll find that bike commuting is just good old fashioned fun. 

And you're gonna love it!

[morethanabicycle-blog]

Spinning Stories II

We're less than a week away from the next installment of Spinning Stories, our storytelling series that happens to take place on bikes, and it's time to go over some details!

Date and Time: Saturday July 19 at high noon (roll-out around 12:30 or 12:45)

Place: Meet at Recovery (2504 Central Ave NE), ride around the city.

Distance: 10-ish miles

Pace: Muppet

Bring: Snacks and water

Cost: Your Saturday afternoon

This month, our featured storytellers are Ifrah Mansour, Anna Kunin, and Paul Canada, all of whom are incredible in their own ways. You can see their full artist biographies on the Facebook event page. 

This month's edition of Spinning Stories is a part of the social bike ride festival Pedalopolis. Check it out for more free events like this one!