7/26/12

Fort the Love of Cycling

Spreading the Fort Love with an ongoing series about my favorites things to do and places to eat in good ol' Fort Wayne.

It's no secret that I'm a triathlete. I completed my first triathlon over 4 years ago, and have been hooked ever since.




And while, I totally get that triathlons aren't for everyone... running, swimming, and biking on their own are three great, inexpensive, ways to get your fitness on in the Fort.

Today, I'll be discussing biking (or, as the cool kids call it... cycling). Fort Wayne is really an amazing place for bike enthusiasts... or the casual cyclist in us all. Check out my recommendations...

Local Bike Shops

When I think of Fort Wayne bike shops, the big three come to mind... Summit City Bicycles & Fitness, RediBike, and Fort Wayne Outfitters & Bike Depot. While they're all awesome in their own way, each has specialties that surpass all else.

RediBike is number one in my book for bike repairs and tune-ups. Their staff is friendly and informative on what needs to be done. You won't have to get on a waiting list for a tune-up. And best of all, their prices are blow-your-mind reasonable.


Details:
RediBike, 4830 Illinois Road, Fort Wayne
260-387-6185 or 1-877-852-1573
M-S 10am-7pm, Closed Sun
Website


Summit City Bicycles & Fitness is definitely the place to go for equipment. I've bought water bottles, bike pumps, saddle bags, bike shoes, pedals, tubes, and more here... and been thrilled with every single purchase. Their staff is super helpful at assisting you in finding what you're looking for.

Details:
Summit City Bicycles & Fitness, 3801 Lima Road, Fort Wayne
260-484-0182
M-F 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Closed Sun
Website


Fort Wayne Outfitters & Bike Depot is top pick for bike rentals. You can rent 6-speed cruisers, hybrids, commuters, road, or mountain bikes by the hour, half-day, or full day at totally reasonable prices. Their location is perfect for bike rentals being that they are literally just steps away from the RiverGreenway.


Details:
Fort Wayne Outfitters & Bike Depot, 1004 Cass Street, Fort Wayne
260-420-3962
M-W 10am-6pm, T-S 10am-7pm, Closed Sun
Website


Local Cycling Events

The Fort 4 Fitness Spring Cycle is the recent expansion of the much-adored Fort 4 Fitness fall foot races. This new event includes a 3-mile tour of downtown Fort Wayne along with 20-, 35-, and 45-mile courses around the greater Fort Wayne area. They had over 1,000 people attend this year's inaugural event, and I suspect next year will be even larger!

Details:
Fort 4 Fitness Spring Cycle
Next Event: TBA Saturday in May, 2013
Website


The Parkview Cycling Festival has been going on for 4 years in downtown Fort Wayne. Established by the Men of Steel Racing Club, this USA Cycling sanctioned event is one of the largest of its kind of the area. The race has already passed this summer, but it's the perfect time to start training for next year's race!

Details:
Parkview Cycling Festival
Next Event: TBA Sunday in July, 2013
Website


Other Helpful Links

Fort Wayne Trails: A great resource for navigating the 68 miles of trails in Fort Wayne. http://fwtrails.org/

Three Rivers Velo Sport Inc: A local cycling club. They meet the first Thursday of every month. http://3rvs.com/joomla25/

Fort Wayne Bike Commuters: A blog about bike commuting in Fort Wayne. It seems to be on a temporary hiatus, but it still has some great information and links to interesting and helpful articles. http://fwbikecommuter.blogspot.com/

Peleton Cycling Center: Train indoors against other cyclists using CompuTrain technology. They also do bike fittings. http://www.pelotoncyclingcenter.com/

Leave a comment below about where you like to go cycling in Fort Wayne!

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