Bikers Rule!

Remember that feeling of hitting the open road with the wind in your hair? It’s not too late to feel that way again. Biking is great exercise, an economical and environmentally-friendly way to get around and a whole lot of fun at any age.

Biking (meaning pedaling on a bicycle, not firing up the Harley!) is becoming more popular than ever for seniors. According to the US Department of Transportation, 37% of all bike trips between 1995-2009 were taken by people ages 60-79 years old. One look around at the people on Milwaukee’s local bike trails tells us that number hasn’t stopped growing in the past 9 years.

Biking sounds great but if you’re not sure where to get started, check out this article in Momentum Magazine on how to add biking to your list of activities. Step one is to find a bike. There are several great bike shops here in Milwaukee that specialize in comprehensive customer service. From fitting you for the right style and size bike, to connecting you with biking groups, these shops offer a little something extra to make it fun and easy to hit the trails.

Before you start exploring the bike stores, find out what the experts say you should look for in a bike in this AARP article on the best bike for your life.

Wheel and Sprocket has four locations including stores in Fox Point and Brookfield. Their trained sales and service staff can show you bikes from a variety of brands, including Trek, one of the top bikes in the world, made right here in Wisconsin.

Erik’s Bike Shop has a location here on Milwaukee’s East Side, other Erik’s Bike locations include Whitefish Bay and Grafton. The trained professionals who work at Erik’s will help find the perfect bike for your unique riding needs.

You’ll feel like a 10-year-old on Christmas morning when you get yourself a new bike! But then what? What are the most interesting and smoothest places to ride? Lucky for us our area is filled with really nice bike trails. This article from the Journal Sentinel on Milwaukee’s six paved bike trails is a great guide to some of the most picturesque and popular places to ride.

The most important aspect of any activity is, of course, safety, and the crucial element is the helmet. Consumer Reports article on picking a bike helmet is a must-read for any budding bike enthusiasts.

Now that you’ve picked out the bike, the trail and the helmet, it’s time to connect with other bikers because the more the merrier applies to biking too. Have Fun Biking is a guide to local bike groups, where you can find bikers who share your experience level and are looking to connect for group rides.

If it’s been years or even decades since you’ve been on a bike, don’t worry. Remember that the expression: “it’s like riding a bicycle” can also refer to…riding a bicycle!

Don’t forget to include your Eastcastle Place friends in your plans. Life is fun and busy and we have our own enthusiastic and slightly-famous biking duo, John and Susan living here!