Miles of Yellow Lines

We do a lot of running as part of our regular workouts, but we do like to mix it up and get out on some bike rides. We’ve also really enjoyed taking them along on trips over the last few years. Biking is a great way to see the sights at a slower pace than in a vehicle but a faster pace than on foot. Some of our favorite road trip biking memories are at Mackinac Island in Michigan, Cade’s Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and in Yellowstone National Park.

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Bikes

Several years ago, we decided to take the plunge and upgrade our bikes. We wanted something that could handle well on rougher roads (gravel/dirt) but wasn’t a mountain bike. We were looking for more of a hybrid. After trying out several different bikes, we settled on Giant Roam. These have been great bikes! We’ve brought them along on many adventures.

Bike Accessories

We were already set with helmets, lights, and bike locks from our old bikes, but we did add a few accessories to our new bikes. One of the first items we added were water bottle holders that attaches to the main frame. We use these all the time!

Seat Bag

We have a small repair kit that we bought along with the bikes. We bring with us on rides stored away in this bike seat bag. Having this gear with us while we’re out and about has come in handy several times. We also have a small portable pump that clips on to the bike. We have two different seat bag styles and we like them both!

Aero Bars

These bike bars allow you to ride a little lower to improve aerodynamics. These are a new addition, but they’ve been working out great so far. (They don’t fit under the handlebar covers.)

Covers

We use these covers to protect our bike seats while we’re traveling. Occasionally, we’ve been driving through rain prior to arriving at our destination and our seats have gotten wet before we want to ride. Since adding these seat covers, we haven’t had any issues with wet seats.

Our bike handlebars have gotten covered with bugs as we drive down the road. We’d often wipe them down before riding. With these handlebar covers, we can keep them clean and protected while we transport them.

Lights

We recently upgraded to rechargeable bike lights, and we really like them! Like most light sets, they come with a front light and a rear light. They can be set to stay on or flash at different speeds. When you’re ready to recharge, simply plug them in!

Bike Light Set (Amazon link)

Phone Holder

Another recent addition is this phone holder. It attaches to the handlebars and holds your phone upright and secure. Since adding these to the bikes, we’ve started using our phones more for biking directions on Google Maps. It’s been a great addition!

Handlebar Phone Holder (Amazon link)

Bike Racks

We’ve toted our bikes around in a variety of ways over the years: in the back of a pickup truck, on a hitch mount bike rack, and bike rack for our travel trailer.

One thing I really like about the hitch mount bike rack is that it locks into place keeping the bikes secure. You need to use the key to unlock it and remove the bikes. The travel trailer bike rack has been a game-changer for our camping trips. It frees up our truck bed and still allows us to bring our bikes along.

We also purchased a “Bump It” adapter for the travel trailer bike rack. This allows us to move the bike rack from our travel trailer to our truck’s hitch receiver. If we set up camp and we know we want to bike in another location, it’s great to be able to move the bike rack to the truck.

Until we got the travel trailer bike carrier, we would put our bikes in the back of the truck on longer trips. To keep the bikes upright in the back of the truck, we got this small bike rack.

If you’re interested in reading about our paddle gear and accessories, check out the blog post: Our Favorite Paddle Gear and Accessories – Miles of Yellow Lines.