Spring has arrived in Winnipeg and that means it's time to dust the bike off and go for a ride. Before heading out, CEO of Prairie Velo, Brian Szklarczuk has a couple reminders for residents before heading out. 

"If you pinch your bike tire and you can touch your fingers flat, you'll want to put some air in them. You should feel a little bit of the tire tension but it shouldn't be rock hard or flat," Szklarczuk says.

He says that if the bike has been sitting in a shed or a garage, "Use a little bit of chain lube and stay off the lawn engine oil. Then wiping the bike down is the biggest thing."

Szklarczuk also reminds the importance of wearing a helmet that fits. "The roads are a little bit greasier from all the grit because of the earlier spring, so we want to make sure that folks are being more diligent when they get out for their first ride."

As Szklarczuk talks about the different bike paths around Winnipeg, "Prairie Velo is on a bike path that runs from Wellington Crescent to Wolseley. It's a pretty neighbourhood, we've got a great bakery and coffee shop. Then you can get to Assiniboine Park or if you live out of Winnipeg, Bird's Hill is an amazing place this time of year."

No matter where, Szklarczuk says, "Just trying to get everyone out. The more we get out, the safer the streets are, the more mindful the communities are. Any community can be an awesome biking place, from Niverville to Steinbach to Selkirk to Winnipeg. Everywhere's good for biking." 

You can check out Prairie Velo at 967 Wolseley Avenue in Wolseley here.