Kramarczuk said group rides can be helpful even when a participant isn’t pedaling, because watching others and hearing feedback have value.
There is also the positive energy of learning something fun together, she added.
Private lessons are customizable, where a rider can learn at their own pace. Some experienced riders go to private lessons to refresh their skills or build new ones.
Understand trail ratings
Most Minnesota trail systems mark paths with colors that signify their difficulty: green (easy), blue (more difficult), black (very difficult) and double-black or red (extremely difficult).
More difficult trails are sometimes narrower than green trails and also can include rocks and bridges — examples of “technical” riding.
Martha Wittrock of Minneapolis rides at a Stoke MTB mountain bike skills session. (Rebecca Villagracia/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Where to comfortably ride
Metro area
Lebanon Hills Regional Park: The green (easy) trails are reliably fun to do on repeat. The terrain is fairly smooth and flat except for one climb in the upper section, Kramarczuk said. Riders can even do a “low-commitment” section — that’s just more than a half-mile — and still find it worthwhile, she added. “It is one of the most fun, flowy stretches of trail in the metro.”
Northeastern Minnesota
Mission Creek, near Duluth: Kivisto suggests the 4-mile Upper Cathedral and the 2-mile St. Louis River trails in the Mission Creek system, which connects to the Duluth Traverse. The paths are flowy — trail lingo for a smooth and consistent ride — making them good for less experienced riders.
Northwestern Minnesota
Gooseberry Mound Park, Moorhead: While rated easy to intermediate, the 3 ½-mile trail is considered a fun loop for beginners, weaving along the banks of the Red River, according to the Fargo Moorhead Trailbuilders.
Central Minnesota
Lake Brophy County Park, Alexandria: Granny Gear is a fun, entry-level loop, said Jeff Brand, a member of the Big Ole Bike Club and a middle-school mountain bike team coach. Granny Gear’s banked corners, or berms, are smaller and easier to ride through than others in the park’s network.
Southwestern Minnesota
Belmont Park, Jackson County: Three trails in the system pay homage to the Lakota lands they are built on, near the Des Moines River, said county parks and trails supervisor Jeremy Bartosh. The Wowahwa (which means peace in Lakota) is a fun, flat starter trail. Bartosh said the trails have caught on since they opened in 2021. “[The system] is a smaller one but people driving through should stop and check it out. It has been a joy to have in our local area.”
Southeastern Minnesota
Northern Heights Park Trail, Rochester: The new, closed-loop trail opened in May— a collaborative effort between the Rochester Active Sports Community and the city of Rochester. The path has been an immediate hit with hikers and mountain bikers, who ride in opposite directions on mostly flat terrain, said club board member Alec Tackmann. There even are a few benches to take breaks.
“The trail is a cool success, and we want to run with it,” said Tackmann, who added that they are planning to build more trail.
Stay up to date on trail conditions
Any veteran rider will say it’s important to know conditions. Some systems are closed when wet, and some wet trails are easily damaged by tire and foot traffic. The Trailbot app (available on iPhone and Android) has condition reports for 77 systems across Minnesota and includes trail update notifications and maps.