For the ladies who want to look cute as they bike to work or out for the evening, keeping a dress or skirt in check can be a real bummer. This bike hack can help.

When bike riding is a part of your daily routine you get a built in work out, you don’t have to park, you don’t have to deal with a car, and you get to feel the breeze blowing through your hair.

Every morning, I ride my vintage sage beach cruiser to the coffee shop. It couldn’t be a more gorgeous ride–the marsh on either side of the path, an elegant bridge over the Intercoastal Waterway. But whenever there’s a breeze, it becomes a strip show–my skirt flies this way and that. Enter penny in yo pants. It’s a #bikehack video that seems almost too simple to work.

All you need is a rubber band and a coin. Put them together and you’re safe from a peep show. Three ladies from Glasgow demonstrate the trick. Push the penny from the back of the skirt to the front of the skirt, gathering both layers of fabric. Form a fabric button and then hold it in place with a rubber band. Your skirt or dress becomes homemade shorts without the frump factor. When you get to your destination, simply remove your handy dandy penny (or whatever coin you use). Biking in a skirt just got way easier.

Here’s How to Wear a Skirt Without Flashing

I couldn’t wait to see if the bike hack worked. Sure enough I gave it a try myself and it was success. Finally, I can steer with both hands again and not need one hand to hold my skirt in place.

Related on EcoSalon

Plan a Biking Vacation: See the World on Bike

In Celebration of Bike to Work Day

17 Reasons We Should All Be Riding Bicycles

Imagine: Comrade Foot

The post Bike Hack: Here’s How to Wear a Skirt on a Bike Without Flashing Everyone appeared first on EcoSalon.

Riding bicycles: A life on two-wheels is a life well lived, not only for personal health reasons, but for your community and the environment.

With longer and warmer days, you have no excuse not to get on a bike. Need some inspiration? Here are 17 reasons riding bicycles is oh so good for you.

1. You don’t need a bicycle

Ok, so this one isn’t true for everyone, but if you live in a city with a bike share program than it is.

2. If you do need a bicycle, you get the joy of choosing a beautiful one

From vintage to new, there are a whole lot of gorgeous bikes out there. Consider this your excuse to do some good window bike shopping.

3. You get to work out without actually having to go work out

Cycling is essentially a daily dose of exercise for lazy people. Bored with the gym? Just start biking to work everyday. That daily action of pedaling is quite good for you, and you’re going somewhere in the process.

4. Bicycles make you look good

Seriously, is there anything more attractive than someone on a bicycle?

5. The government will pay you

Commute to work? You can get up to $20 a month for your bike-related expenses.

6. Riding bicycles will save you money

A daily round-trip commute of 10 miles saves you about $10… per day. And trading your car for a bicycle can save you up to $8,000 a year. Think of all the organic smoothies you could buy.

7. You actually inhale more bad air in your car than on your bike

So forget the “I don’t want to inhale exhaust” argument, because as it turns out drivers are more susceptible to all the bad things in the air than those on their bicycles.

8. You’ll immediately go up three levels in your “cool factor”

“I rode here” sounds so much better than “I sat in traffic for half an hour to get here.”

9. It gives you a new way to explore new places

Bikes and travel go hand in hand. In most major metropolises you can track down a bike tour; the perfect way to get to know a new city.

10. Cycling alleviates stress

Think of cycling as a daily form of meditation.

11. You don’t have to commit to biking far

40 percent of all trips by car are under 3 miles. That is totally bike-able.

12. Farmers market vegetables look better in a bike basket than in the trunk of your car

They were grown outside, don’t they at least deserve an invigorating ride home back to your kitchen? Consider yourself a culinary cyclist.

13. You lower your risk of breast cancer

It’s true, women who bike 30 minutes or more a day actually have a lower risk of breast cancer.

14. Cycling is an act of female empowerment

As Susan B. Anthony once said, “Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood.”

15. Riding helps improve cycling infrastructure

If more people ride, more cities will be motivated to put in bike lanes and other infrastructure that helps support bike culture, so be a part of the solution.

16. Driving makes you fat

No really, it does. Cycling however, does not. But you will get stronger thighs and calves, and that’s nice.

17. It makes you smile

Get on a bicycle and see what I am talking about.

Related on EcoSalon

Plan a Great Biking Vacation: See the World on a Bike

Bikes Geared at Women – A Brooklyn Cycle Shop with Flair

10 Infographics on Bikes and Biking

Image: Anna Brones

The post 17 Reasons We Should All be Riding Bicycles appeared first on EcoSalon.

All over the world, bike powered energy is being used to burn calories and produce clean wattage.

Cycling is a massively popular pastime, means of transport, and sporting activity. Millions of people use two wheels to get around, have fun, and get a carbon-neutral adrenalin rush. Now, in places and spaces all the world, energy generated by pedaling is being turned into electricity to power leisure and entertainment equipment.

In the UK, pop-up carbon-free movie theaters are being powered by the audience. Open-air cycle-in cinemas are appearing at British festivals and art spaces promoting a “celluloid kills cellulite” type experience. One of the organizers of these cycle-led events is Magnificent Revolution, a collective of artists, musicians, designers, engineers and ecologists that run workshops about renewable technology and micro-power generation.

We all love to relax in front of the TV, but some places want you to pedal to earn your entertainment. The Cottage Lodge in New Forest, England, has introduced a bike-powered television for guests. Built from a reclaimed ship from the 17th century, the Cottage Lodge fuses sustainability and media very creatively.

At the other end of the “leisure time” scale, a prison in Phoenix, Arizona uses Pedal Vision, which is also a pedal-powered TV system. But there’s no choice for these guests: to watch their favorite shows, inmates have to cycle while positioned in front of the TV set. Some see it as unfair making the inmates cycle to watch the box, but the box-watching prisoners are undeniably fitter and healthier. If they slack off, the TV shuts down.

So, thinking logically, when you’re cycling for the sake of it, can’t that energy be harnessed too? Of course it can. While you’re pedalling at the gym – or running, or on the cross-trainer – the kinetic energy that was used can be re-used for a constructive, emission-cutting purpose. Florida company ReRev retro-fits workout equipment to generate electricity: 30 minutes’ exercise produces 50 watt-hours of clean electricity. The Universities of Arkansas, Florida, Montana, North Texas, and Oregon all use its system.

The trailblazer for pedal-powered exercise systems was the super-environmentally-friendly Green Microgym in Portland, Oregon, which was the U.S.’s first human-powered gym. The gym offers further incentives for using its electricity-generating machines, some of which are fitted with iPads: each half-hour workout earns you a voucher to use at local businesses. Encouraging support for neighborhood stores, as well as being carbon-neutral (they also use solar power): we like.

Photos: Mon Labiaga Ferrer, Magnificent Revolution, Cottage Lodge, Green Microgym

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

The post Places & Spaces: Where Pedal Power Is The HVAC appeared first on EcoSalon.

10 bike-friendly infographics.

More and more, conscious women are embracing bikes as an energizing, empowering, and environmentally-friendly mode of transport. These ten infographics make even more of a case for the two-wheeler, providing statistics, routes, tools, and tips for life on the open road. Just don’t forget your helmet.

How Bikes Can Save Us: According to this infographic, cars are killing us, so we should all move to Portland and ride bikes.

Benefits of a Bicycle: In case you needed a visualization of how awesome bikes are, this cute graphic from C.I.C.L.E. provides one.

Biking + Walking in the Twin Cities: Minneapolis-St. Paul is doing an awesome job at encouraging biking and walking, even in the winter.

Which City Is Best for Biking?: A look at which cities have the highest percentage of bike commuters… and hey, there’s Portland again.

Biking By The Numbers: A quick round-up of biking statistics from the folks at Nau Clothing.

Mountain Biking in America: An overview of America’s best off-road trails.

Biking Safety & Courtesy Tips: A road map for cyclists, drivers, and walkers on ways to safely co-exist, from Bike Arlington.

Biking in San Francisco: A case for cycling in San Francisco, in animated graphics.

Bike Commuter Map: This infographic maps out the state of biking in the U.S., incorporating statistics on bike safety, bike spending, and urban commuters in major cities.

America Bikes: More than 80 percent of Americans want to either maintain or increase funding for sidewalks and bike lanes, says this survey.

ALSO CHECK OUT:

10 Earth Day Infographics

10 Food Infographics That Have Us Consciously Consuming

10 Travel Infographics To Spark Your Wanderlust

Check out more infographics here.

Image: Steve McDonald

The post 10 Infographics on Biking appeared first on EcoSalon.

Get out of the gym and breathe some fresh air.

No one is trying to deny that yoga and pilates can dramatically improve your general level of fitness, increase your strength and flexibility, and enhance your quality of life. But for all the benefits, there are a number of things that a rigorous daily practice can’t give you – variety. The opportunity to escape four stifling walls.

In the middle of all of summer’s glories, getting in your daily workout shouldn’t mean that you have to trudge reluctantly inside. Weight-bearing activities, like running and lifting, help fend off bone thinning and osteoporosis which is an unfortunate side effect of growing older as a woman. Vitamin D can lift your mood, and social activities like boxing – yes, talking to your sparring partner counts as socializing – can make working out so much more enjoyable.

Here are ten activities that you can rotate into your workout routine to switch it up and sweat it out this summer. Playlist not included.

Long Distance Running

Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run was published in 2009 and instantly became a landmark text for everyone looking to hit the trail (or road). Among many of the interesting points that McDougall brought up was the fact that over long distances, women perform just as well or better than men. But you don’t have to go out and run fifty miles a day to reap some of the benefits described by McDougall. Even a few miles a week to your local park is a great start.

Rock Climbing

It’s an old truism around your local crag: If you’re a male climber who wants to improve, try climbing like a woman. Contrary to popular belief, upper body strength isn’t sufficient to win the day. Minor improvements in technique help you become a better climber much faster than doing pull-ups and eating your Wheaties. Plus, women generally have a lot less weight to haul upward than most men do.

Surfing

Gone are the days of bros hanging out at the pier, the Point Break crowd daring each other onto bigger and bigger waves. Women now have their own surf clubs, world pro tours and big wave idols (hello, Layne Beachley). Besides promoting upper body and core strength, wave-hunting brings you to some of the most beautiful places in the world and – some say – is as great a way to meditate as burning incense and humming “Om.”

Golfing

Okay, so Mark Twain famously said that golf was a good walk spoiled. And maybe golf is inextricably linked with “old people” and “sweater vests” in your mind. But if you don’t hire a prepubescent caddy, swinging your club and hauling your irons from hole to hole is surprisingly strenuous upper-body workout. Not to mention all the communing with wildlife that you’ll get to do while searching for your ball in the shrubbery around the sixth hole.

Boxing

Women’s boxing gained a final veneer of authenticity when it was accepted as an event at this year’s Summer Olympics in London. Not only that, American Quanitta Underwood stands a good chance of picking up a medal. Boxing is a mentally engaging, social, full-body workout that is also an impromptu course in self-defense—as is any combative sport.

Kayaking

Like climbing, kayaking is a male-dominated hobby that is actually much better suited for women. A woman’s center of gravity is usually much lower than a man’s, and on average, women are lighter. Moreover, technique plays a far bigger role in being a proficient kayaker than mere upper-body strength. Kayaking offers an approach for everyone, from exploring the hidden corners of quiet lakes to navigating treacherous whitewater rapids. We’ll take both, with a healthy helping of independence and beautiful vistas on the side.

Expedition Racing

This team sport combines two or three adventure sports with the additional challenge of packing your own supplies and navigating your own way through the course, which could last hours, days or weeks. While many races require that a woman be part of each team, many races are for women only. The varied challenges give each person specific ways to contribute, many of which not related to physical strength at all. You don’t need to be brawny in order to read a map.

Weight-Lifting

Weight-lifting has had its critics in the past few years, who say that the practice isolates muscles that would never be isolated naturally, causing imbalance and injury. But lifting weights also produces lean muscle mass, which helps you lose weight and improve at virtually every sport. Just be sure to weight-lift in ways that combine muscle groups. Swinging around kettle bells and medicine balls are more useful than doing bicep curls with a set of dumbbells.

Swimming

Triathletes have long known that many harbors, rivers and lakes set aside dedicated areas for open water swimming. As triathlons become an ever more popular event, it’s important to set aside some time to train for this part of the competition—as well as literally soak in beautiful scenery. Just be sure to bring a partner, be aware of rip tides and currents, and know your limits.

Tennis

Racquet sports, like tennis or badminton, are phenomenal ways to build upper body strength and strength around your hips, quads and core. If you’ve got the choice, play singles—you’ll run around the court way more, but still have the chance to socialize with your partner.

Images: Brian Sawyer, Caroline Treadway, Chrissy Ferguson, Horizon League, West Point Public Affairs, Deanna Keahey, Rick McCharles, jjorogen, hockadilly, bourgol, 666ismoney

The post 10 Sports To Get You Out of the Locker Room appeared first on EcoSalon.

Ride to support women on two wheels.

Want to honor the favorite women in your life this Mother’s Day? Get on a bike.

On Sunday May 13, 2012 Cyclofemme, presented by Girl Bike Love, is bringing together women, children and men around the world for a global day to support women’s cycling.

Created to “Honor the Past, Celebrate the Present, Empower the Future of Women in Cycling” Cyclofemme invites women, children, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and friends join together to celebrate the bike and the possibilities it brings.

A proven tool for change, pairing cycling with women’s empowerment makes sense. As Susan B. Anthony once famously said, “Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood.”

That sentiment holds true for CycloFemme founder Sarai Snyder who says, “Women have had very strong ties with the bike since its inception. For women in the 1890s the bicycle was a form of independence, which helped lead to the emancipation of women and the opportunity to wear pants. Today, women’s cycling is gaining momentum worldwide, with more emphasis on women’s racing and encouragement to get more women and youth riding bikes.”

To learn more about why we should be promoting women cycling, we caught up with Snyder, who is also the woman behind cycling website, Girl Bike Love.

EcoSalon: What first got you on a bicycle?

Growing up in the hills of Kentucky, my sister and I rode our bikes on country roads and farmland. At 19 I moved to the city and decided a bike would be a fun way to get around. A couple of guys I worked with were mountain bikers and promised to show me the local trails if I opted for knobby tires over slicks. The first ride I was hot on their heals and completely hooked. I literally couldn’t think about anything else for months. We rode together twice a week for years. A few years later I started working at a bike shop and it was all down hill from there.

Why do we as women need to support other women on bikes?

First, I believe that women are the future of a healthier cycling culture in the country. Not only are women the most targeted demographic since men’s cycling trips outnumber women’s 2 to 1, but also because women are change makers. When women rally behind an issue or a movement, things happen. Women are also the greatest influencers of future generations. If a woman is a cyclist, she is much more likely to encourage her children to ride to school. If she sees it isn’t safe for her kids to ride to school, she will do something about it.
The culture of cycling in this country can be very hard, fast and aggressive. This isn’t the message that typically gets a woman out riding for the first time. As nurturers, teachers and mothers, sharing cycling with other women is the best way to see it grow. Besides, its so much more fun to share a ride with a good friend.

Can bikes change the world?

I can’t think of any other thing that has as much potential for change as the bicycle does. Riding a bike keeps kids and adults healthy, it helps us stay connected to our communities and saves money. Riding a bike has much less environmental impact than driving a car. These are just the simple, obvious ways that bikes are better. Riding a bike changes lives. But a bike is just a tool, we still need the engines to keep them rolling. It is people that have to pedal for change.

Who’s your own female cycling hero?

I have so many. Annie Londonderry maybe. Honestly, every woman who chooses to ride a bike is a hero to me. It’s not hard to ride a bike, its fun and it puts a smile on your face, but making the choice to get on and pedal can be a challenge, no matter how far you have to go.

***

Over 130 rides in 11 countries will help make CycloFemme a reality. And if there’s not one happening close to you, you can register your own. Can’t ride? Sport one of CycloFemme’s temporary tattoos to show your support. Tattoos are $10 and proceeds benefit Mountain 2 Mountain.

Image: CycloFemme

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CicLAvia reminds us what city streets would look like without all the cars.

In early October, 10 miles of roads in East Hollywood, Downtown L.A., East L.A. and in between were closed down for regular traffic. Instead of cars and SUVs, cyclists, skateboarders and pedestrians took over the streets for a day of clean, fossil fuel-free fun. An estimated 130,000 people hit the streets for this third edition of CicLAvia, which has become a day of celebration for Angelenos from all walks of life. Even the city’s Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, put on his helmet and pedaled along, calling the event a good break for a city that’s “addicted to the single-passenger automobile.” All along the now-expanded course was music, food and games, like dodge ball and street chess. That certainly sounds like more fun than being stuck in traffic behind an angry SUV driver, don’t you think?

In a city so dependent on its ever-growing web of freeways CicLAvia serves as an important reminder what a future without cars may look like. Participants ranged from avid cyclists happy to be able to ride through their city without fearing for their lives to families who see it as an opportunity to have some fun-time together while getting some exercise. “This is so fun for us, being able to get out here on our bikes and enjoy the streets of our city without having to constantly be on the watch for cars and buses. The kids love it, and I feel good knowing that they’re safe,” said one father who was riding with his two kids.

I asked Joe Linton, Organizer for CicLAvia, why an event like this is important for the people of LA? “There are quite a few reasons,” he says. “Generally, CicLAvia is seen as promoting greener transportation choices and promoting public health through physical activity. It also promotes local business. The biggest reason is just getting folks to experience public space — bringing people together, where we can all look each other in the eye and interact with each other, all in the same egalitarian public realm.”

Joe also shared his best tip for Angelenos who are looking to use their bikes for transportation rather than pleasure: “Bicycling and walking, do both at once — it’s pleasure and transportation. I’d encourage beginner bicyclists to start small. Most of our trips are fairly short and very easy to bike — try biking a couple miles to get to a restaurant, a video store, or a movie theater.”

Speaking of walking, this event also marked the launch of CicLAvia Walks, a new initiative intended to “provide participants with opportunities to slow down and discover the many architectural, cultural, and culinary gems along the route.” Including walkers is a good step in the right direction, since it also involves people who may not have access to or be able to ride a bike. From the looks of the crowds yesterday, CicLAvia Walks seems like a welcome addition to the festivities.

So, were the streets being shut down or were they actually being opened up? That’s the big question here. I think we can guess what the 130,000 people who attended will say. Giving people access to the streets of their city is important not only to promote alternative forms of exhaust-free transportation, it also provides residents with a sense of community — well-needed in a city where most people spend a large part of their day alone in cars. What if every major city center was transformed into a car-free zone on weekends? “It’s already happening,” says Joe Linton. “Bogota, Quito, Guadalajara, Mexico City and others all do weekly events. Lots of cities in the U.S. and Canada are following suit.”

So what can we do to make that happen locally? “Get involved in your local open streets event — donate, volunteer, organize,” says Linton.

CicLAvia was inspired by the ciclovía (which means “bike path” in Spanish) movement in Bogota, Colombia, which began nearly 30 years ago and is now a weekly event with 80 miles of car-free streets. Los Angeles launched its first CicLAvia, which attracted an estimated 100,000 participants, exactly one year ago today. This third edition of the event was successfully crowd-funded through Kickstarter, which tells us that people are behind the car-free cities movement in a big way.

Bummed to miss it? The next CicLAvia event will be on April 15, 2012. Keep a look-out on CicLAvia’s events page for details and get those bikes ready.

Participant photos courtesty of CicLAvia’s Facebook page.

The post CicLAvia Gives Bikes & People the Right of Way for a Day appeared first on EcoSalon.

Take Your Trips Outside the Car

I’m starting to think there really is no place like home. In his wonderful book, The Circumference of Home, Kurt Hoelting takes one year off planes, trains and automobiles in order to act on behalf of the planet, curbing his travel emissions and roaming-by foot, bike and kayak-his native turf. He writes: “The more I explore my home ground, the more it comes alive, and I have to put to rest the illusion that I am limiting myself by doing so. Everything we need to be happy really is near at hand.”

With that in mind, we at YDT have been thinking about how to stick close to home in eco-style this summer. Or, if we do trek farther, how to ditch the car once we’re in that new place, to wander without four wheels.

Here’s some inspiration:

Embody summer at home

At Make Grow Gather, Kelly Wilkinson has a “Lazy Summer Project” and attendant to do list. She doesn’t want to miss eating a ripe peach or star gazing this time around. She’s also featuring one post a week from someone describing their perfect summer day. With two so far, there is no mention of far-flung travels or automotives – more like homemade lemonade, hammocks and a morning spent reading in an NYC park (via new urban habitat).

Take a hike, don’t take the car

Escape Hatch at Readymade has clever resources for getting to hiking trails from a few major cities, without driving! Car-free Hiking feels like the perfect solution for enjoying the great outdoors and not smogging them up on your way there. If you’re in L.A. or otherwise not on the list, check metro or Google Maps’ transit option. And TrailLink might help you find a new knoll to trek.

For more car free travel options, check out the full-length article at Your Daily Thread.

Editor’s note: Article by Danielle Davis. Originally published by our friends at Your Daily Thread. Your Daily Thread has simple, everyday updates on living a green, active lifestyle. Be sure to visit them and say hi, and follow Your Daily Thread on Twitter, too!

Image: mikebaird

The post Get Outta Your Car and Into the Outdoors appeared first on EcoSalon.

Green travel isn’t just about buying carbon offsets and choosing resorts that serve local, organic fare, it’s about crafting an itinerary that’s built around more sustainable options. That’s especially true when it comes to transportation. Buzzing around a city and racking up cab fare certainly isn’t the most environmentally friendly option, but it also doesn’t allow you the ability to truly explore a place.

Conscious travel is about respecting the places that you’re venturing, and that means taking the time to truly enjoy them. That doesn’t mean you need to commit to three-week long stints in an Italian villa a la Slow Travel, but thinking about how you can better connect with a place on your next extended weekend is a great place to start. And what better way to explore a place than by bike?

Plenty of cosmopolitan cities offer excellent bike share programs, and with them, the opportunity to get to know a city just like a local while at the same time opting for a smarter, more sustainable method of travel.

Here’s a short list of cities with great bike share programs to get you started:

Montreal

The French Canadian metropolis is home to the much loved Bixi, a cutting-edge bike share system that incorporates a bunch of cool technologies including solar power and wifi-enabled stations. You can get everything from a 24-hour to a year-long pass, and the Bixi website helps you easily navigate between the many stations located around the city.

Paris

Maybe the most well-known of bike share systems, Vélib has been putting cyclists on the streets of Paris since 2007. And let’s be honest, what’s more French than a leisurely bike ride along the Seine with a baguette and round of Camembert in your basket all set for an afternoon picnic?

Washington D.C.

A couple of years ago, the U.S. capital unveiled the country’s first fully automated touch-and-go rental program. SmartBike DC has been so popular that now the city is planning to expand, replacing the program with a bigger and better version based on Montreal’s Bixi system. The new system will have 1,100 bikes at 114 different stations.

Copenhagen

The ultimate of cycling capitals, it’s no surprise that Copenhagen offers up its city bikes practically for free. Through the ByCyklen program you can get a bike for a mere 20 DKK deposit, approximately $3.30. The city has 2,000 bikes and 110 city bike racks, meaning you can pretty much explore just about any part of this Scandinavian capital on two wheels.

Melbourne

Melbourne just recently launched its bike-share program, and so far so good for the Australian city. A daily subscription will only cost you $2.50 (plus a little extra depending on how long you use the bike), and if you’re unsure of your cycling skills, you can even take brush up course offered specifically for bike share riders by the local program Bikes@Work. In conjunction with the program’s launch, a third party site, bikeshare.tel, was also set up, letting you identify station locations from your mobile phone.

Taipei

European capitals aren’t the only ones boasting bike share programs. In Taipei you can take advantage of U-Bike, which rolled out in 2009.

Big on bike sharing? Check out the Bike-sharing Blog which has a wealth of content and information on cities around the world that are incorporating programs like these.

Happy travels and safe riding!

Images: solylunafamilia, LWY, M. V. Jantzen, umebike, jon_lin, davidreid

The post Bike Share Programs You Don’t Want to Miss Out On appeared first on EcoSalon.

Whether you’re hopping on a bike to pedal for a good cause, or hoping to unwind with some fresh air and boost your mental health, bicycling is an all around great activity that the whole family can enjoy together. Below I’ve included some handy resources which highlight bike trails and family friendly cycling trips that will send you down happy trails while creating many a picturesque memory. So hop on your bikes and strap on your helmets, and go forth into the great wide open as a family!

Bike Riders Tours offers family biking excursions in worldwide locales from New England to Ireland, Italy, South Africa, Croatia, and many more destinations. Bikes, gear, snacks and juices are provided, and tour guides accompany each group to ensure safety and fun along the way.

We previously reported that Google maps now provides cycling directions in 150 American cities via their online mapping service. Turn everyday outings to the store or park into an entirely new experience for your kids. Perched on a bike, they’ll see their city in an entirely different light than they would from the backseat of a car.

Trails.com features a list of the best road bike trips across the United States, ranking the trails with regard to level of difficulty and offering a five-star rating system in which online members may rank paths and provide firsthand insight regarding their experience with a trail.

If you live in or are traveling to the Wild West this summer, Tucson, AZ boasts an array of biking day trips with the serene desert as a backdrop. These excursions will only apply to early risers, because Tucson temperatures rise to over 100 degrees by mid-day during the summer months – so you may want to wait until fall or winter to pedal these paths!

Bicycling Magazine is a great resource for the best bike rides in America and a selection of America’s top 50 bike-friendly cities. Thorough descriptions of bike trails enable cyclists to plan an accurate, successful excursion.

Santa Barbara is arguably one of the most breathtakingly beautiful cities in the world. The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition suggests a list of bike rides throughout the dreamy beach town and surrounding areas that are sure to leave the entire family awestruck and inspired.

Image: eyeliam

The post Happy Trails to You: A Family Biking Guide appeared first on EcoSalon.