Route choice is one of the most important aspects in making your ride enjoyable. While you can legally ride on any road (except prohibited highways and freeways) taking time to research routes that utilize bicycle facilities and low-volume streets can greatly enhance your experience. Often, the best route for riding your bike differs from the best route when walking or driving and may even require going partially out of your way. 

There are many digital and physical bike maps for the Twin Cities area produced by public agencies and private companies. Each has their advantages. Only you can determine which works best for you.

As the Twin Cities becomes more bicycle friendly and more bicycle facilities are added, you may encounter different bicycle infrastructure, including bike lanes, protected bike lanes, bicycle boulevards and others. Check out the bicycle road markings and signs section of the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota’s Minnesota Bicycling Handbook.

Transit is a great tool to pair with biking. To learn about how to travel on a bus or train with your bike, check out Metro Transit’s website. You can also find information on bike lockers in the Twin Cities.