Start a New Cycle

It's time to take up biking

The weather has cooled down, and the leaves are about to change colors. What better time to get outdoors and see the state’s scenic parks?

Take a bike and you can add to that a challenging cardio workout, a low-impact fat-burning exercise and a calorie-busting activity (cycling burns about 550 calories per hour). Do it alone and push yourself to set and beat goals, or bring a friend or join a biking group to add a social experience to your workout.

But before you get started, heed these safety tips:

Adjust your bike: Your leg should be slightly bent when the pedal is down, and the handlebars should be positioned just below the saddle.

Take tools: You wouldn’t drive without a spare tire—the same preparedness makes sense for biking. Bring a tire tube, a pump and a patch kit (all available at biking stores).

Follow safety rules: When on the road, always ride with, not against, traffic.

Where to go

Cheesequake State Park in Old Bridge offers a 3.5-mile unpaved (dirt) trail.

Johnson Park in Piscataway features a 2.5-mile paved biking trail.

Visit Keeping Middlesex Moving (kmm.org), a website promoting ecofriendly commuting, to download a map of other Middlesex biking routes as well as brochures on biking safety.

Related Read: Garden State Adventures