Passeios de bicicleta a partir de portos de cruzeiros em Portugal et la France

By Richard Fox January 2024

My husband Steve and I enjoyed 19 wonderful bike tours from the 30 ports we visited on four mostly consecutive cruises during September – November 2023. The rides took place in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Turkey. All but 3 of the tours were on e-bikes, and 7 were self-guided. I did extensive research to decide which ports had good cycling opportunities, and read hundreds of reviews to get a feel for which ones to select. Tours were mostly booked via the apps GetYourGuide or Viator, which made it convenient to keep track of. Walking tours were booked through them as well, such as Pompeii, Ephesus and Florence. They both had liberal pay-later and 24 hour cancellation policies. Rentals and some tours were booked directly through the bike shops or tour agencies, and many times they were significantly cheaper than the app’s prices. And of course all were many times cheaper than the cruise ships’ excursions. Although the cruise ship excursions guaranteed a return to the ship in time, I made sure to arrange the excursions so that wouldn’t be an issue, and it never came even close.

In the next series of posts I describe the bike tours with links to the outfits that operated them, and the cost. The groups are 1) Portugal and France 2) Spain 3) Italy and 4) Greece and Turkey. Croatia and Albania unfortunately had no biking opportunities that worked for us at the ports.

We only had two stops each in Portugal and France, and we did bike tours in all of them: Ponta Delgada (Azores) and Lisboa in Portugal, and Ajaccio (Corsica) and Cannes in France. I wish there had been more stops in these countries.

PONTA DELGADA, AZORES, PORTUGAL

View from the Carnival Freedom of Ponta Delgada in late September. We picked up two local specialties: Queijada da Dona Amelia sweet tarts and Sao Miguel cheese.

Frequently visited on the transatlantic crossings, the Azores port of call is the lovely city of Ponta Delgada on the largest of the islands, São Miguel. The main attractions of the island besides the port city area are the Furnas Valley with its geothermal features and hot springs, and two large volcanic crater lakes with sparkling blue and green waters from the extinct Sete Cicades volcano on the western end of the island. Paths around the lakes at various levels of difficulty are popular for mountain biking and rentals can be found there. From port you may be able to find a tour that includes transportation and a bike tour, even if the tour is self guided. This would be the most scenic and unique biking excursion on the island. Unfortunately this area is frequently socked in with clouds, making the lakes’ water color a shade of gray if you can even see them at all. A webcam is available to evaluate the conditions before you go, although if arriving on a cruise ship it is probably too late to cancel at that point. The day we were at port there were no options to explore that area by bike, so we decided to rent a bike and ride the seaside promenade of Ponta Delgada.

Azores Bike Shop downtown had a good variety of bikes including e-bikes, but too pricey because they only charged by the day. We reserved a couple of nice acoustic bikes at Open Door Rentals for only 5€ per hour. The shop was about a 20 minute walk from the cruise terminal through the lovely 1500’s old town with its narrow streets lined with simple whitewashed buildings striped with black basalt. Marcos at Open Door was extremely helpful and enthusiastic, telling us about the area and the biking options. The bike path starts a few blocks from his shop near Forte de São Brás (the fort) and descends to the cruise terminal area, then back up to boulevard level. It follows the scenic waterfront adjacent to a pedestrian path, with some detours onto low traffic streets. It eventually passes three beaches before ending about 10 km (6 miles) from the start. Marcos explained that the most thrilling riding is beyond that point, into hilly coastal territory, that sounded like it would be better with an e-bike. But we were happy with our excursion, a very scenic easy bike ride with the weather cooperating nicely. Based on Marcos’ recommendations we wandered the town after the ride and found some local delicacies. Cost: 10€ each for a ~2 hour ride.

LISBOA, PORTUGAL

Lisboa (Lisbon) climbs up onto several hills on both sides of the wide tidal Tagus River. On its north bank a series of pedestrian promenades run along the river out of downtown where the cruise port is conveniently situated. Paths extend to the historic port of Belém, where Portuguese explorers and conquistadors would set off from. The Old Lisboa district extends up the hill from the cruise port on cobblestone streets to Castelo de São Jorge (Castle), where Tram 28 and a funicular climb. Several e-bike tours are offered here, mostly through Boost downtown. The well reviewed seven hills of Lisbon tour is as it seems, a very hilly ride. Not a fan of cycling on steep cobblestone streets we opted for the flat river cruise to Belém. It was a Sunday so the river paths were crowded, but still doable. Our guide, Oriana, provided ample historical facts en route, including the monuments in Belém, and treated us to pastéis de nata, a local tart made from her favorite recipe supplied by a food truck along the path. The Belém portion consisted of the impressive riverside monuments Torre de Belém (Belém Tower) and Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument of the Discoveries), but no historic town. It was an enjoyable excursion. After the tour we had time to hike through Old Lisboa all the way up to the castle. Cost: 40€ each

Our cruise ships did not dock in Porto, but several e-bike tours are also available there.

Praça do Comércio (plaza) in Lisboa was built on the site of the old Royal Palace that was destroyed by the earthquake of 1755.

Oriana offered her favorite pastéis de nata to the group

Torre (Tower) de Belém aka Torre de São Vicente

Padrão dos Descobrimentos; Monument of the Discoveries

Oriana with our group, 3 from the USA and 4 from The Netherlands

AJACCIO, CORSICA, FRANCE

The cruise terminal in Ajaccio, where our Celebrity Edge docked, is conveniently situated next to the interesting Old Town, known for being the birthplace of Napoléon Bonaparte. We were enticed by appebike’s advertised excursion on GetYourGuide of a self-guided “E-Bike tour along turquoise waters,” with promises of passing a long list of historical points of interest downtown. That ended up meaning that they let us take a photo of a free tourist map without giving us a copy, or app for the phone, gave us some direction, and set us on our way, with no customer toilet available. The walk to the shop took about 25 minutes; the advertised “200 meters from cruise port” was actually around 1.3 km. And, my agreed upon order for a large frame bike for tall Steve did not occur, he was given a regular bike with the seat raised to the max. The Peugeot bikes were good quality for rentals otherwise, except for very uncomfortable seats.

The route began on a short stretch of waterfront path in the harbor area, followed by riding inland with cars through busy city streets, at low speed limits; annoying but not a terrible experience for experienced cyclists. We reached the stretch of shoreline lined with beaches and views of those famous turquoise waters, which was indeed spectacular on this perfect sunny mild October day. After a bit of road riding a bike/ped path appeared on the sea side of the coastal road. When setting out, appebike had warned us against actually taking this path because of pedestrian traffic, but on this weekday morning in shoulder season it wasn’t crowded at all. A junction appeared with a road going uphill, equipped with a bike lane on its right side. This is the route to take for a return loop through the hills, which we didn’t attempt. Eventually the bike/ped path ended and we were back on the road, with light traffic as the coastal road here is a dead end. Steve’s bike was so uncomfortable that he just stopped at this point and waited for me. I continued to the end of the road, which was the highlight of the ride. A beautiful park with scenic hiking paths leads to the ancient Tour de la Parata (tower) atop a hill surrounded by the sea on three sides, and overlooking the four islands of the Sanguinaires archipelago.

The return ride to the shop was better, because we were able to ride the one way road around the scenic coastal perimeter of the Old Town past Citadelle d’Ajaccio, and not battle as much downtown traffic. We didn’t ride the bikes to visit the other Old Town sites; that was much better done with a walk that we did after returning the bikes. Biking distance round trip was about 28 km (18 miles). It was a beautiful ride, worth doing, but I would recommend trying E-bike Corsica for more comfortable bikes first. They did not confirm my rental requests, so I stuck with the appebike reservation made through GetYourGuide to be assured of some bike to ride here. Cost: €41 each.

The Celebrity Edge has an awesome 14th floor outdoor dining deck. This is a view of Old Town Ajaccio from breakfast.

We had to have a napolean in Ajaccio, and the Edge had French day at the buffet with awesome desserts like these. The docking location was so convenient that we just went back on board for lunch in between our biking and walking outings. We surprisingly didn’t see any napoleans advertised in the cafes.

CANNES, FRANCE

And the winner is… biking around Cannes! We were lucky to actually get here since it’s a tender port that’s notorious for cancellations due to wind, which was the fate suffered by the ship the day before us in mid November. We once again had perfect weather and did a city e-bike tour with Yourent Cannes, located a few minutes walk from the port. They had a perfect upright large bike for Steve I had requested. Mine was a runty fat tired marginal bike but it had a fun throttle. We posed on the film festival red carpet, rode coastal paths to scenic viewpoints, then through town on a crowded street and up Suquet Hill to the Cannes Castle with an awesome vista, all in about 2 hours. Our friendly fun French guide, Louis, did a good job leading us and describing Cannes and its history, but this is one place where just renting an e-bike may be preferable, which Yourent also offers on the apps or direct. The shop had a walking tour map showing the route that was easy to follow. The coastal path extended longer than our tour route took, and it would’ve been nice to be able to hop on and off over a longer period, grab a bite, and keep the bikes all day versus trudging around on foot before and after the tour as we did. One pet peeve, Yourent did not have a toilet to offer (is that a French thing?) and they sent our friends on a wild goose chase to find one such that they missed lunch, while Steve and I enjoyed crepes in a nearby cafe. Cost: 59€ each. (~ 20€ more via the apps).

Our excellent local French guide, Louis.

bicycling, bike rides, bike trails, brunch, Cycling, dining out, easy bike rides, scenic bike rides, Uncategorized

Bicycle Tours From Mediterranean Cruise Ports – Part 4: Greece & Türkiye

January 3, 2024 cyclerich Leave a comment

Ποδηλατικές εκδρομές από Λιμενικές πόλεις της Ελλάδας ve Türkiye By Richard Fox January 2024

Our Fall 2023 cruising adventures continued to the northeast Mediterranean region on Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam. We were in heaven, with beautiful ports to explore, pickleball fun back at the ship, great weather, and of course all of the delicious food. A smaller percentage of ports were conducive to cycling in this region, but the ones that were became great adventures. In Croatia, all of the tour guides had split from Split by November and Dubrovnik was all about the walking tour, no bikes allowed. No bike facilities were available in Sarande, Albania, and we were better served by walking around to explore Santorini (Oia, our favorite place), Mykonos, and Napflio, Greece. Kusadasi, Turkey was our portal to get to Ephesus, but also fun to walk around and eat Turkish food. The cruise started in Athens, and we did a marvelous morning e-bike tour of that city before boarding. On Crete, Chania was a lovely historic town to explore by bike and Corfu town turned out to be a very enjoyable place to ride a rented e-bike. Our wildest adventure was a two-continent bike tour of Istanbul, Turkey. We booked Athens in advance through GetYourGuide and the others direct from the shops.

Cruise ships off Santorini require a tender and calm winds to be able to get ashore at Fira. We preferred to spend all of our time walking around the amazing town of Oia (photo), which is not bikable. An epic scenic 10k hike from Fira to Oia is another option, with a public bus in one direction. Bike tours in other areas are available that are more appropriate for longer stays. Beware that the return to the Fira dock in the afternoon can be a time consuming nightmare.

ATHENS, GREECE

A few e-bike tours were available to explore Athens, but we were glad to have chosen Athens By Bike. One of the many features we rode by was the modern Olympic stadium, and they deserve a gold medal for finding such safe and scenic routes through this mostly bike unfriendly city. We just followed our excellent guide, Maria, like baby ducks, I couldn’t tell you the route if I tried. We enjoyed many views of the Acropolis and other historic ruins sites and cathedrals, plus iconic neighborhoods like the Plaka and some hip areas we wouldn’t know about otherwise. Maria, was thoroughly versed on historic and contemporary trends and attitudes. The only downside of the route were the many uneven cobblestone streets, some on hills, which were pretty and uncrowded, but I imagine could be dicey when wet. The wide city bike tires helped navigate them. There were a few hills, making us glad to have e-bikes, which were comfortable and worked well. It was a great way to see the highlights of Athens, and we had a wonderful outing on this sunny Greek Sunday morning.

We stayed overnight near the Acropolis and the tour started close by the Acropolis metro station. If you are here on a port day mid-cruise you could take the train in from Piraeus but most likely will need to take a taxi to make the start time. We dashed to the port after the tour in a taxi (20€ ) to catch our Holland America 25-day cruise. Cost: ~50€ each through GetYourGuide, perhaps less if booking direct.

Loukanikos (which means sausage), the famous revolutionary dog from modern protests, as explained by Maria.

CORFU, GREECE

In the BBC series the Durrells, the Isle of Corfu seems like an idyllic paradise, and it was for us to bike around. Large cruise ships can dock at Corfu town (Kerkyra), the main town on the island. A free shuttle takes passengers to a terminal building, although it is also walkable. The main attraction is the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site about 30 minutes walking from the port exit, or via city bus or cruise ship shuttle. No bike tours were available from near the port, but Corfu Port Bicycles was just a 10 minute walk from the terminal exit. We had reserved, then rented two solid comfortable e-bikes there. The proprietor, George, outlined an optimal route for us on a Corfu tourist map I had picked up. It was mostly on roads with traffic, first past the newer 1600’s Venetian fortress, then around to the impressive Byzantine Era old fortress topped by the 14th century Venetian Palaio Frourio, situated on an island east of town. Bikes are allowed all through the narrow winding streets of Old Town between the two fortresses, which is always fun, as long as crowds are not too thick, hence earlier the better.

After exploring all over town we followed the coastal route south. A brick bike path parallels part of the Leof. Dimokratias coastal road, which was a nice relief from riding on streets for a while. An attraction en route is Mon Repos Estate, birthplace of QE2’s husband Prince Phillip. A car-free lane leads up to it, through a wooded nature park. The property contains a small palace now housing an archeological museum, next to an Adriatic Sea viewpoint. Beyond is a dirt path that leads to the ruins of the ancient Doric temple of Kardaki. Back on the road we followed signs to the small town of Kanoni, and found an outdoor cafe that had tables overlooking Holy Monastery of Panagia Vlacherna, on an island, as well as the end of Corfu airport’s (Ioannis Kapodistrias) runway. We rode back to Corfu town, choosing some different streets this time, stopping for gelato and some shopping.

The speed of vehicles on our route was not fast, and we never felt in danger, although others may not feel comfortable with this type of riding. We gave the plethora of tour buses a wide berth in the most touristy areas. It was a beautiful day, and we thoroughly enjoyed riding around for 4 hours. Corfu is a large hilly island, and there are opportunities to bike elsewhere, where other rental companies and even tours may be available, although that would be trickier to coordinate with your time at port. Cost: 25€ each for the day.

Riding into Old Town past the new fortress

Several cruise ships in port on November 1, 2023

Cafe overlooking Holy Monastery of Panagia Vlacherna, on the island

Mon Repos Estate, birthplace of QE2’s husband Prince Phillip

CHANIA, CRETE, GREECE

Crete is the largest of the Greek islands and offers some spectacular biking along the coast or in its interior mountain ranges. The two major cruise ports are Heraklion and Souda port near Chania, where our ship docked. An easy 20 minute city shuttle bus (3€ round trip) from the port drops passengers off in the center of Chania. Unfortunately, no tour companies offered adventurous coastal e-bike adventures to cruise passengers from Chania.

I chose to tour Chania with Ride Around Chania, whose shop is a 10-minute walk from the shuttle stop. They only offered regular city bikes but that was fine for this locale. Our local Greek guide, Dimitre, was passionate in his thorough depiction of the area’s rich history and description of more current events and controversies. This was exactly what I was hoping for, an immersion into the local culture, combined with a very scenic bike ride. Chania’s touristic area extends from the stunning crescent shaped Venetian waterfront harbor promenade, with a fort and city walls, several blocks into the old city with its narrow streets and alleys. Dimitre showed us all the highlights including the houses of worship, fortifications, and cultural points of interest including explanations of some significant graffiti. Being on bikes was the best way to get from place to place and cover the most ground. The route varied from crowded alleys and seaside promenades to wider streets and less crowds, with a couple of hills that were manageable without e-assist. We had a nice stop at an overlook of the harbor where Dimitre provided a special iced tea and nutrition bars. I really enjoyed this ride and thorough immersion into the heart of Chania thanks to Dimitre’s guidance. Cost: 40€ booked directly, also available through apps. Steve skipped this ride after recovering from a 24-hour bug, but met up for gelato in town afterwards, the important part.

ISTANBUL, TüRKIYE – TWO CONTINENT RIDE

Cruise ships dock at the new Galataport complex on the European side of Istanbul, where we had fabulous views of the city right from the ship. No shuttles are required but it was an epic walk to get out of there, right into the city, then about 25 minutes walk to the main attractions of the Golden Horn across Galata Bridge.

Istanbul spans two continents, and the prospect of a Eurasia ride could not be passed up, despite there being no e-bikes available for a fairly hefty 30 km tour. Since our ship was staying overnight, there was no issue with making it back in time, although the promised 2PM ending time would usually be sufficient. Getting to provider Istanbul On Bike in the Balat neighborhood from the port is not difficult if you can figure out the trams, but since we had a time constraint to meet the tour we took a cab from the taxi line at the port for 15€ to a meeting point with employees who escorted us up a hill to their shop. The city bikes provided were adequate with multi gears and comfort positions.

Our local guides Ramo and Ceyda led us through back streets to a ferry terminal, and we enjoyed a 30 minute uncrowded ferry ride to Üsküdar on the Asian side, taking in views of Galata Bridge, Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Maiden Tower, Süleymaniye Mosque, and the Bosphorus Bridge en route. In Asia we were greeted by very scenic waterfront promenades and bike paths as we rode generally south along the water. One detour involved riding over a small hill to connect to the next section of path. Bike paths continued around an inlet, past Kalamış Park and Yacht Marina, and then to Fenerbahce Park, where friendly feral cats climbed all over us and purred as the group sat on park benches. We stopped for lunch and Turkish tea (not included in tour price) at the waterfront Romantica Cafe in the park, which overlooks the Princes’ islands, a popular bicycling location.

On the return route we rode on sidewalks and city streets to a Kadıköy pier for a crowded ferry ride to Karakoy back on the European side. From there a waterfront bike path led to the Atatürk Bridge over Golden Horn Bay that offered stellar vistas from its wide bike/ped path of the Golden Horn sites described above. Escalators and elevators were available to transport the bikes to bridge level. We then rode through a matrix of interesting narrow streets in Balat back to the shop.

Our guides were very informative, welcoming and fun; we felt like we really experienced Istanbul with the locals. It was a wonderful exhilarating, fascinating 5+ hour outing on a beautiful October day. The trams were so packed in the late afternoon we just took another 15€ cab ride back to Galataport. Cost: 60€ each direct, cash only. (Both apps charged ~85€).

Our Europe to Asia ferry on this Saturday morning was uncrowded.

From path, view of Maidens Tower (Kız Kulesi), a former political prison, now small restaurant and museum. Our ship, Nieuw Statendam beyond at Galataport.

En route towards Kalamış Park and Yacht Marina

Steve, Ramo, and some of the many cats of Fenerbahce Park

View from Romantica Cafe at Fenerbahce Park

Back in Europe from ferry dock, bike path to Atatürk Bridge

Our group, R to L, guide Ceyda, UK dad & teen daughters, guide Ramo, and us.

bicycling, bicycling equipment, bike rides, bike trails, brunch, Cycling, easy bike rides, Environment, scenic bike rides, Uncategorized

Bicycle Tours From Mediterranean Cruise Ports – Part 3: Italy

December 30, 2023 cyclerich Leave a comment

Tour in bicicletta dalle città portuali italiane

By Richard Fox, December 2023

There’s nothing like bicycling in Italy. Most bike tourists experience extended tours of places like the Tuscany region, but we cruise ship travelers also had our fair share of Italian cycling bliss. Three of our four cruises stopped at a total of nine Italian ports, and some ports were visited more than once. We enjoyed five bike tours from the Italian ports.

Starting from the northwest, our Celebrity Edge stopped in the beautiful town of Portofino. There were no biking opportunities there, but it is better seen on foot anyway, especially walking around the town and out to the fort and lighthouse. The Edge also stopped in La Spezia, where we accessed a spectacular bike tour in the hills and coast outside of Cinque Terre National Park. Livorno, a stop on Norwegian Breakaway, was the gateway for a bus excursion to Firenza (Florence). Between the required shuttle to downtown Livorno to catch the next phase of travel, and uncertainty of the timing of getting to Firenza it was near impossible to coordinate a bike tour, and none were offered by the ship. Walking is the best way to see Firenza as we did, but if you have the time, it is also a lovely city and surrounding Tuscany area to explore on a bike tour.

The situation is similar in Roma, where passengers first have to take a shuttle to downtown Civitivecchia, and then figure out how to get to Roma from there, making the timing of a tour difficult. We had a few days in Roma between two cruises, and were able to take advantage of a fabulous bike tour there. The Napoli (Naples) port is adjacent to downtown, so when our Norwegian ship docked there it was easy to meet our guides nearby and do a great bike tour to a vineyard. We spent three days in Salerno from Holland America, but that was our jumping off point to tour Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast, so we didn’t bike there. Our stop in lovely Sorrento was from a surprise last minute change, so we didn’t have the chance to look into cycling there, although it seems walking was the perfect way to explore the town in the time allotted. Bike tours are offered in the surrounding countryside, better suited for longer stays there.

Holland America stopped twice in Messina on the island of Sicily, and we did a nice coastal self-guided ride there. Finally, in the Puglia region on the southeast coast we experienced a delightful bike tour of the city of Bari.

The four guided tours were led by wonderfully knowledgable and affable locals that made the already beautiful and interesting routes even more enjoyable. The spectacular scenery always thrilled the senses, and the local cuisine we sampled delighted the palate, especially the pasta, focaccia, and gelato. Like most of the Mediterranean ports, these areas combined scenic waterfront paths with fascinating and welcoming ancient cities to cycle through. The tours were booked either through the apps GetYourGuide or Viator, or directly from the shops.

Our 2nd of four cruise ships, Celebrity Edge anchored off of Portofino (banner photo) on the Italian Riviera, showing a tender heading towards the ship.

LEVANTO – LA SPEZIA: Cinque Terre Area, Liguria

Cinque Terre National Park is all about the hiking between the five charming seaside villages, although in fall 2023 some of the main trail sections were still closed due to landslide damage. The Cinque Terre train runs between the two main access cities, La Spezia to the south and Levanto to the north. Unfortunately the train mostly runs through tunnels with a paucity of vistas. The more scenic transport option if you have time is the ferry that accesses the villages. La Spezia Centrale train station is about 3 km uphill from the port, where our Celebrity Edge ship was docked. After the free shuttle from the ship to port entrance we took a cab for 15€ to get to the station for the 25 minute trip to Levanto to meet our bike tour. We later walked back to the port through pleasant pedestrian promenades through town and along the shore. I noticed bikes on La Spezia streets and the waterfront promenade, so if you stay in town you can look into a rental to explore there.
EBikeInCinqueTerre in Levanto offers e-bike adventures into the National Park, way up in the hills on back roads, then dropping down into one of the villages. Though Cinque Terre is their calling card, EBikeIn also offers an alternate route, which is outside of the park boundary but with similar views, and without the Cinque Terre crowds. Our group of four opted for this less crowded version. We climbed, and climbed, and climbed from Levanto into the Ligurian hills of Framura, our Class I e-bikes giving us plenty of assistance, with some exertion still required. Our wonderful guide, Sara, provided lots of interesting information about the region. The scenery was stunning as promised on this beautiful sunny day, with vistas of the sea and far off villages. We stopped for coffee in a small charming hamlet then back down to sea level. We passed the village of Bonassola and at a 400-year old chapel overlooking Bonassola Bay, Sara brought out local wine and delicious focaccias. We took the Mare e Monti rail trail back toward Levanto. It was mostly in lit tunnels, with some breaks for sea vistas. This was a fabulously satisfying bike ride, a home run, the best ride of our trip. No surprise that EBikeIn gets all 5* reviews. Distance: 24 km (18 miles); Elevation gain: of 500 m (1600 ft). Cost: 70-80€ each if booked directly with EBikeIn, more via the apps.
After the tour, on our return train ride to La Spezia, we stopped at Vernazza since we wanted to experience at least one of the Cinque Terre villages. As expected it was a beautiful village in a stunning setting, though overflowing with tourists. We had our traditional gelato while gazing at the village from the harbor. The Cinque Terre train is 5€ per trip, or 18€ for a daily Cinque Terre Trento Pass that includes unlimited train rides, admission to a couple of park hiking trails that require an entry fee, and other perks.

ROMA

To get into Rome from its port requires a free shuttle to downtown Civitavecchia, and then taking a train, bus or taxi into Rome that can take 1 to 2 hours. Doing a ship-sponsored tour is expensive but ensures you get back and forth in time, however they rarely offer bike tours. On our port day during our Holland America cruise we just did a walkabout around Civitavecchia, which was enjoyable. Many cruises start or end in Rome, and thankfully in our case we had three days in Rome between our Holland America and Norwegian cruises, so were able to do what we wanted without time constraints.

On our arrival day in Rome, thanks to a helpful AirBnB host who let us check in early, we did a very memorable afternoon e-bike tour, led by Mario of Landimensiontravel.it. We were the only ones on the tour, but he was just as enthusiastic and fun as if it was a big group. He gave us the option of a route to see the major sites, or an alternate tour with hidden gems with less crowds, which we took, since we had other days to see the sites like the Coliseum on foot. The shop was an easy walk from our AirBnB near Piazza Navona, versus others that started near the Coliseum. We explored his trendy Trastevere neighborhood, and swung by St Peter’s Square and way up Janiculum Hill for pano city views. We sampled some local sweet treats as we wandered mostly along narrow cobblestone back streets, with minimal exposure to crazy Rome traffic, stopping to see some lesser known but fascinating points of interest. It was the highlight of our Rome stay, and one of our favorite e-bike tours. Cost: ~65€, directly or via Viator, as we did.

There’s a wide variety of bike tours available in Rome, as well as along the Appian Way past Roman aqueducts. Many rave about that route but it can be bumpy and muddy so check conditions before taking a tour or renting a bike to do that. There is also a paved bike path along the Tiber River through Rome.

Riding towards Castel Sant’Angelo, also known as Hadrian’s mausoleum, a cylindrical fortress that lies on the banks of the Tiber River near Vatican City.

Mario showed us how to use Rome’s famous and drinkable water fountains

Church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. Saint Cecilia, a Roman virgin martyr, is the patron Saint of musicians.

Famous Biscottificio Artigiano. Mario had arranged to get us cookie samples. Deliziosa!

Mario treated us to fabulous granitas in a Trastevere cafe.

NAPOLI - Campi Flegrei Region

The port of Naples is adjacent to the city, with no shuttle or tender required. We wanted to dive right in and get the feel of this historic city with a famed Margherita pizza in our cartoon balloon. We were willing to brave its crazy streets to do a city e-bike tour that included sampling of pizza. Alas our tour with Mavin BikeRent via Viator was cancelled last minute because of an ill guide. We were offered a substitute, a tour to a local vineyard north of the city, so we did that instead. All participants were picked up from near the port and driven about 20 minutes north to the outskirts of Naples to their shop and provided with good, solid e-bikes.

The route was on city bike paths and streets leaving the shop, emerging to a low traffic street along the stunning Pozzuoli seafront with views across to Capris. Our guide discussed the volcanic origins of the area that is still active and concerning. After riding through a historic district, a small industrial area and the ruins of the central market of the ancient Roman city of Pozzuoli, we reached the volcanic crater lake, Avernus (Lago d’Averno), “gateway to Hades .” Across were ruins of Roman baths and a vineyard. We rode through the vineyard on a dirt path and were treated to red and white Campi Flegrei region wine made there, along with a delicious spread of local focaccia, olives, cheese and sandwiches. We had a good visit with the other participants, a nice feature when a tour includes a meal.

The ride back started nicely around the lake, but soon went to a hilly busy road with no bike lanes, with just a couple of panoramic views out to sea from the hilltops. Our one stop was to view the impressive Roman theatre site, Anfiteatro Flavio di Pozzuoli, circa 1AD, the third largest amphitheater built by the Romans. It was closed for renovations so we just peered in from the street. I would have preferred to return via the scenic uncrowded coastal route instead of the busy inland route, even if it meant missing this one stop, although Steve enjoyed the faster inland route. Our guide exclaimed “if Napoli drivers honk at you, they’re just saying hello!” When we returned to port it was too late to go into town for pizza, alas we will just have to return. All in all It turned out to be yet another fantastic exhilarating biking day from a port city. Cost: ~85€, directly or via Viator, as we did.

Our guide explains the volcanic origins of and current threats to this region

MESSINA – Sicily

Messina has a compact and beautiful old town with the giant Piazza del Duomo facing the impressive Cathedral of Messina (Basilica Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta). Its bell tower contains the biggest and most complex mechanical and astronomical clock in the world. At noon crowds gather to watch its gilded bronze statues move and emit sounds for 12 minutes related to Messina’s civil and religious tradition .

Downtown Messina can be easily explored by bike, or on foot, just a couple of blocks from the cruise port with no shuttles required. Other interesting historic parts of town are up in the hills. The signature easy scenic bike ride here is 32 km (20 miles) up and back from downtown Messina to the northeast tip of Sicily at Torre Faro where there is a quaint village, beautiful beaches, a fort, and a giant tower, Pilone di Torre Faro, once used for high tension lines. The Riserva Naturale Orientata Laguna di Capo Peloro – Pantano Piccolo o Lago di Torre Faro (nature preserve) is also in this area.

We rented e-bikes from MediterraneaBike, about 10 minutes walk from the port. The first km of cycling from downtown was dicey riding amongst impatient Sicilian drivers, but a welcome seaside bike path then appeared, providing stunning views of the sea across to the Italian mainland. Unfortunately the bike path does not continue to Torre Faro and in a few km we were once again thrown into the mix with the speedy little cars. Traffic thinned as the route led to a community along a lake, Lago di Ganzirri, and then to Torre Faro and the features described above. A loop route wound around the other side of the lake and back the same way we came. I found this route on the Komoot app from MediterraneaBike’s web page, and it provided turn by turn instructions, which was very helpful for the Torre Faro loop portion at the end. Cost: 50€, daily e-bike rental fee, no hourly. Since it is a flat route you may consider a regular bike instead for 25€ .

Cathedral of Messina at noon, and this is shoulder season

BARI – Puglia Region

Bari is the principal city of the Puglia region of southeast Italy. Bari’s cruise port is located within a 10 to 15 minute walk of the old town district, Bari Vecchia, where bikes are allowed on the narrow streets when feasible to ride. Interesting features abound, such as ladies making and selling their pasta along the ancient streets, while on another street vendors fry and sell polenta, called Sgagliozze. At the harbor fishermen sort and sell their catch including octopus. Of the several historic churches, the main one is 12th Century San Nicola (Saint Nicolas) Basilica. Bari’s fortress, Castello Normanno-Svevo or Norman-Swabian Castle was first completed in 1132. A waterfront promenade makes for a nice scenic cycle for over a kilometer. Otherwise biking outside Bari Vecchia is on a few bike paths or with traffic in the newer sections, some streets having bike lanes or sharrows markings. Topography is fairly flat, so e-bikes while nice to have are not mandatory for an easy ride.

When planning I had seen several bike tours on the usual sites. One included a pasta making session. We did the basic 2.5 hour Highlights of Bari e-bike tour operated by ToursPuglia. Our guide, Rocco, was fun, enthusiastic and proud of his city and that made us appreciate it even more. We enjoyed the thorough introduction to Bari and the Puglia region, saw all the key sights, and had a great time. The e-bikes were the most comfortable of any on our trip, especially important for tall Steve, who had suffered in Messina. We would’ve liked even more actual riding with such nice bikes. After leaving Rocco we walked around Bari Vecchia until we were pooped. I can recommend doing a bike tour here, especially with Rocco of ToursPuglia, then walking around as we did. Cost: ~59€, booked directly or via an app.

Rocco tells Steve about Castello Normanno-Svevo circa 1132.

Statua di San Nicola (Saint Nicolas) donated by Russia in 2003

The Basilica di San Nicola (circa 1197) holds religious significance to many and contains the tomb of St Nicolas. Rocco relayed the story of how St. Nicolas dropped a bag of money down the chimney of the family home of a woman with no dowry (in Ancient Greece), thus allowing her to marry and avoid a life of servitude.

Some real personality by the maker of Sgagliozze

Bari is situated between two modern harbors

Bari Cathedral or The Church of St Sabinus (Duomo di Bari or Cattedrale di San Sabino)

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Bicycle Tours From Mediterranean Cruise Ports – Part 2: Spain

December 23, 2023 cyclerich Leave a comment

Rutas en bicicleta desde ciudades portuarias de España

By Richard Fox December 2023

Beautiful port cities along the Spanish coast are a delight to cycle in, with some of the best bicycling infrastructure found in the Mediterranean region. Each has scenic beach promenades, wonderful interesting ancient old towns, and other features to round out a great ride. On a cruise ship trip in fall 2023, Steve and I enjoyed fabulous e-bike tours in Cadiz, Malaga, Valencia, Barcelona, and the Costa Brava region north of there. Where guided tours were available we opted for them, to get the authentic flavor of a place and be assured of the best bike routes in an unfamiliar city. Most of our tours were booked through the apps GetYourGuide and Viator, but the bike rentals were directly from the shops. The one port visited that we did not bike in was Ibiza town, choosing to walk around instead.

Norwegian Breakaway docked in Barcelona. A shuttle takes passengers to the edge of the historic district.

CADIZ

Cádiz, located west of Gibraltar on Spain’s southwest Atlantic Ocean coast, is Europe’s second oldest city after Athens with a rich history dating back thousands of years including the embarkation point for Christopher Columbus’s voyages. It is situated on a peninsula surrounded by the Atlantic, with a bike path running around its waterfront with stunning views, and through the city. The cruise port is conveniently located adjacent to the old city. Topography is mainly flat, so an e-bike is not necessary to have an enjoyable bike ride here. We joined a 2.5 hour bike tour by Cadizfornia Tours. Our guide did a great job showing us the highlights and providing a thorough understanding of the history of Cádiz as we cycled on its coastal bike paths and some charming cobblestone side streets. We stopped in and toured a couple of beautiful parks en route. We loved this tour, although it would be easy to navigate the coastal paths on your own. Being able to keep the bikes for an hour or two after the tour would have been ideal. Cost: 35€ + 15€ e-bike supplement, booked directly. Also available on the apps.

MALAGA

Málaga is located on Spain’s southeast coast in the Mediterranean Sea. It has a beautiful port district and its old town is in a lovely setting backed by hills close in. We booked a tour by E-Bike Malaga, located a few minutes walk from the port entrance, although we took a shuttle bus in to save the 20 minute walk from our pier. Our guide was a fun animated architecture student and made the tour informative and enjoyable, providing a great introduction to the history and culture of Málaga. We toured the medieval old city and then were led up a beautiful wide paved path that climbed gradually, passing a mini Moorish Alhambra (Alcazaba), to a spectacular viewpoint across the city, port, and out to sea. We descended to town and rode around the port area, onto a nice greenbelt path, and to the lovely ample waterfront bike path. The beach near city center is very scenic, and the bike path leads to neighborhoods known for local, non touristy restaurants. Málaga is a gem of a city and a bike tour is recommended to get the most out of the bike ride since there are not a lot of bike paths per se. Cost: 50€ included keeping the e-bikes afterward to explore on our own. Booked via GetYourGuide.

VALENCIA

Valencia is Spain’s 3rd largest city with a busy port, and a cruise-affiliated shuttle is required to get from the cruise dock area to the edge of town. Unfortunately the medieval old city and other major attractions are quite a distance from this point. A city bus can take you to these areas, where there are also bike rental places. We didn’t find a convenient e-bike tour, so we rented e-bikes from well-reviewed Beach Bikes, about a 25 minute walk from the port. Afterwards we grabbed a taxi for 9€ that took us all the way back to the ship.

Valencia has a very impressive system of bike paths all over the city. Beach Bikes provided an on line pdf map that contained its recommended routes. A nice path follows the beach promenade, and a river drainage through the city was converted to a linear park with a bike path through it, while paths extend out from it. It was a treat to cycle through the narrow streets of the old city. The modern Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (City of Arts and Sciences) next to L’Oceanogràfic, the largest aquarium in Europe, is a highlight attraction, and accessible via bike path. The paths are well used by locals and drivers were patient and appeared to have respect for bikes when paths crossed roadways. All in all this is one of the most bike friendly cities we’ve experienced. Terrain is mostly flat, so an e-bike is not a necessity, except that you may cover a good distance if you explore many of the bike paths. Cost: 25€ booked direct.

City of Arts and Sciences museums (Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias)

BARCELONA

In early October we had a three day stay in between our Carnival and Celebrity cruises. On arrival day we did a Gaudi Highlights E-Bike Tour conducted by Barcelona E-Bikes. The port shuttle bus dropped us off near the start of Las Ramblas, but we walked along the river path and cut across to the ornate Gothic Quarter to get to the shop in a scenic 25 minutes, timed perfectly for the 11:00 ride start. Barcelona is a large vibrant city, and a guided bike tour is highly recommended to find your way and see the sights. Our guide was well versed in history and everything Gaudi, and led us on the extensive system of Class IV cycletracks and pedestrian promenades all over the city to and from their shop, mostly staying off of the crazy roadways. On this beautiful day we felt like we gained a good overview of the city, especially the Gaudi sites, beyond the famed Sagrada Familia. There are many e-bike tours to choose from, and most of them are well reviewed. Cost 37€ , booked through Get Your Guide.

Riding through the very pleasant Eixample district

In mid November we returned to Barcelona for a port of call on Norwegian on our return home, and were lucky with great weather. We decided to just rent this time and Barcelona E-Bike Rent accommodated us well with comfortable e-bikes. They gave us directions to climb Montjuic, site of the 1992 Olympics. Steve navigated on Google Maps and we had a scenic ride up there for the pano views, then across town mostly on separated Class IV bike lanes to Sagrada Familia and Arc de Triomf. It was a fun scenic ride but I can still recommend a guided tour to optimize your route and your appreciation of Barcelona. Choose an e-bike tour that goes up Montjuic for the views and sights up there. Cost: 32€ for half day, booked direct

Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys circa 1927, renovated for 1992 Olympics, now home to FC Barcelona football (soccer) team.

COSTA BRAVA REGION NORTH OF BARCELONA

While not a viable option for a day trip from the Barcelona port, many cruises start or end in Barcelona, allowing for excursions farther afield on those extra days you may have. We rented a car in Barcelona and drove 90 minutes to the Costa Brava region to the north, known as Spain’s biking capital. We had arranged in advance to rent e-bikes and do a self guided tour selected by BikeOn of Palafrugell based on my criteria of beautiful countryside, not too many big hills, away from traffic, and past medieval villages. BikeOn has loaded a bunch of rides onto the Komoot app and set us up on this one, about a 30 mile (48 km) loop from their shop. The app worked brilliantly, giving verbal turn-by-turn directions. The e-mountain bikes were great on the varied terrain of pavement, gravel, and dirt. It was an intricate route down obscure lanes through the countryside, and actually went through the heart of medieval villages, which were quite impressive and had cafes where cyclists could stop for a beverage or tapas in beautiful squares. Much of the route was even signed as the Pirinexus regional bike route. Our batteries gave out a couple of km before the end, but the bikes were still OK to pedal. It was a fantastic ride and a great experience. Historic Girona to the northwest of Palafrugell has several bike rental options and tours available as well. Cost: 50€ booked direct.

Old Bridge over the river Daró, Gualta, Baix Empordà

Part of the Pirinexus regional trail system.

IBIZA

Finally, truth be told we didn’t cycle on the isle of Ibiza, but did observe what was there. The best cycling is known to be in the more remote portions of the island, not reasonable for a time-limited cruise ship excursion. Cruise ships dock across the bay from Ibiza Town, aka Eivissa. A scenic 2 mile (3 km) bike/ped path runs around the bay from the cruise port to and past the town. However, there are no bike rentals at the port, so one needs to walk or take a shuttle bus or City Boat (as we did) to get there. The old town is a delight to walk through, with plenty of restaurants and shops to explore. Above the old town is a much older ancient town, Dalt Vila, with its fortress and cathedral, accessible via steep cobblestone streets. Bamboo Bike Tours offers a well reviewed tour that gives participants a nice history of the town, with some hills to tackle to get to Dalt Vila on regular bikes only. An e-bike concession is also located downtown. We were satisfied doing a self guided walking tour, a good workout to climb up to Dalt Vila, and relaxing time browsing the shops near the waterfront.

Ped/bike walkway along waterfront at Ibiza town

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San Diego Bike Paths in Bloom!

April 24, 2023 cyclerich Leave a comment

By Richard Fox

My two favorite bike paths in San Diego County are the San Luis Rey River Trail in Oceanside, north county, and the Silver Strand portion of the Bayshore Bikeway between Coronado and Imperial Beach in the south. The 2023 much needed winter rains not only filled reservoirs but created fantastic bursts of spring flowers. Some are genuine rare wildflowers while others are more of the invasive weed variety, but regardless the visual spectacle was a delight to the senses. Here are some views along the paths. If you want to see them in person, hurry up because they won’t last too far into May.

“Man and beast” enjoying the colors along the south end of the Silver Strand/Bayshore Bikeway near Imperial Beach.

Silver Strand/Bayshore Bikeway at Imperial Beach.

**Colors along the south end of San Diego Bay from bike path**

Wildflowers along San Diego Bay in Silver Strand State Beach

Least Tern Preserve from bike path. Naval shipyards in the distance.

Cyclist midway on the San Luis Rey River Trail, Oceanside

Daisies with green/yellow hills backdrop. Taken from dirt path below San Luis Rey River Trail, midway.

A sea of yellow along San Luis Rey River Trail

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CYCLING LA’S ISLAND PARADISE – AVALON ON CATALINA ISLAND

March 24, 2023 cyclerich Leave a comment

by Richard Fox

enCYCLEpedia ride #CAT1. See the book for a map and more detail.

Do you have the urge to visit a Mediterranean Island? If you can choose a warm sunny day, which can happen any time of year, a visit to Santa Catalina Island can be a sublime experience. There is no car ferry to the island so the only vehicles are from the residents of the village of Avalon. Most get around on golf carts. You can bring your own bike, or rent from a couple of concessions including Brown’s Bikes. It’s a great way to get around, combining a bike ride with the other activities that range from mini golf to zip line to scuba diving. There is no shortage of shops to engage you and plenty of restaurants to savor. Accommodations range from high end B&B’s and inns to a campground. The 20+mile ferry crossing takes about 1- 1.5 hours from several ports in Orange and LA Counties, and bikes are allowed for a fee. Check for particulars on transporting e-bikes on the ferries.

The easiest cycling is around the quaint village and on ultra scenic waterfront roads north and south of town. A gradual hill through a canyon leads up to the must-see Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden. But for the most scenic roads and vistas, some substantial hill climbing north and south of town is required. You’ll need a multi-geared bike or better yet an e-bike to tackle those. Adventurous mountain bikers can get a permit or take a guided tour to cycle farther south, above Avalon, on Catalina Conservancy land, home of the bison herd. Or try cycling the length of the rugged 22-mile island.

Short waterfront road north of the historic Casino.

Vista including historic Casino from road to Mt Ada, south of town.

Scenic riding on hilly roads north of the village.

Breathtaking vista from the hilly north roadways.

Dramatic but hilly roads north of the village.

Allow a lot of extra time to gaze at and photograph the vistas.

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Scenic Bike Rides in the Big Apple

January 13, 2023 cyclerich Leave a comment

By Richard Fox

You love to bike. You’re visiting Manhattan. Fahgettaboudit, start spreading the news, biking is a great way to see the sights, and work off all that NY pizza. Here are my picks for the best bikeways to take in the most iconic scenery, all of which can be connected.

Author on a Citi Bike e-bike that actually worked, on Governors Island

RENTALS

Check on line for the most up to date info on bike rental shops. Citi Bike bikeshare has stands all over Manhattan, but is geared more to get from points A to B rather than keeping it for a period of time for touring, where fees add up quickly, especially for their e-bikes. It’s your best bet if you want to stop and see various attractions on foot so you can dock the bike and not worry about theft. A day pass is more economical than starting your contract over each time. You can typically find their clunky cruisers at most of the stands. However, based on my recent experience, don’t count on finding a working e-bike when and where you want it, regardless of what their app indicates. The more riders in your group the less likelihood of e-bike success.

Although this view of the Empire State Building is from the walk-only High Line path, it can be seen from many vantage points around the city.

CENTRAL PARK

How iconic can it get? My favorite time to ride around Central Park is during the fall foliage season, usually mid November, if you can luck into a mild sunny day. The perimeter roadways form a roughly 6 mile loop and are closed to traffic, offering a great opportunity for sightseeing while getting a good workout. Download a map of the route to find all of the access points.

Cycling is one-way, counter-clockwise around the park, with no cycling allowed on pedestrian paths except where marked as a shared path such as the cross-over path above 95th Street. Bikes must observe a 20 mph speed limit, give peds the right of way, and obey traffic controls. When you see cyclists ignoring annoyances like red lights or speed limits they are probably New York area locals. Watch for speeding cyclists that pass on the right without warning who are avoiding pedestrians to your left.

You’ll mostly encounter the lovely horse drawn carriages below 72nd St, especially in the southeast corner of the park, but beware on dry days when horse dung can turn to dust and form an annoying cloud.

Pass some of the familiar landmarks like The Lake, The Reservoir, The Great Lawn, and Wollman Skating Rink. Museum Mile along 5th Avenue, centered around the East 90th Street park entrance, contains the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met), the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Guggenheim Museum, the Cooper Hewitt Museum, the Jewish Museum, the Museum of the City of New York, and El Museo del Barrio. Along the bike route behind The Met on the left (west) is Cleopatra’s Needle (an ancient obelisk) and an Alexander Hamilton statue. The formal and lush Conservatory Garden is accessed via a ped path to the east at 106th Street. With all that there is to explore in the park you may want to bike a non-stop loop or two and then take the time to see the highlights on foot. Download the Bloomberg Connects app for free guided tours of Central Park provided by the Central Park Conservancy, and other New York highlights. For pickleball players there’s friendly play at the handball courts, and the city even provides the balls. And brand new for 2023, the expansive CityPickle is set up at Wollman Rink for half the year, but it costs.

The North Woods section at the north end with its steep hills can be bypassed by a 2-way crossover route at 104th/105th Streets in the east to 102nd Street in the west. The upper west side area is also fairly hilly.

Connect from Central Park to the Hudson River Greenway Path described below on several designated bike routes along 77th/78th Streets, 90/91st Streets, 106th Street and 110th Street.

MANHATTAN WATERFRONT GREENWAY

The Manhattan Waterfront Greenway is a 31 mile bicycle route around Manhattan Island, running mainly next to the Hudson, East and Harlem Rivers. Download the map here. I have only cycled on the Hudson River Greenway that passes the Grecian Temple, the mighty George Washington Bridge, and the historic Little Red Lighthouse in its north end. The path is mostly level and next to the river except for the section north of the bridge that climbs to around 160 feet at Inspiration Point. In this area Fort Tyron Park has beautiful plantings, great vistas and the Cloisters art museum, accessed via a short steep hill from the bridge to the 181st Street crossover, then north on Cabrini Blvd.

The Greenway extends from Dyckman Street in the north to Battery Park in the south, mostly through Hudson River Park and Riverside Park. This path is used by commuters and recreation seekers and is one of the most heavily used bikeways in the country. Beware of speeding cyclists.

Historic Little Red Lighthouse next to the path under GW Bridge

Farther south it passes the Chelsea Piers athletic complex, Pier 57 Rooftop Park (“Roof Deck”) with awesome views, and the new (2021) Little Island park built in the river, a fascinating place to check out (and it has great new restrooms). The main path heads inland, skirting the 9/11 Memorial. An alternate more scenic but also more ped-challenged route follows the waterfront along Battery Park City, branching off north of Chambers Street, with a walk-bike section around the yacht basin. Both lead to Battery Park, with views of the Statue of Liberty and ferries to it, Staten Island and Governors Island.

A break from non stop cyclists on the Hudson River Greenway

Hudson path looking toward Freedom Tower. Note the sign that says “no e-bikes” in this section. I wonder if it’s enforced ? Every other bike was an e-bike. *Bollards will hopefully prevent another terror attack like in 2017.*

Author at the new Little Island park along the west side pathway

View of Little Island and south Manhattan skyline from Pier 57 Rooftop Park (Photo courtesy of Lew F)

For an interesting side trip walk the 1.45-mile long High Line linear park, built on an abandoned elevated railway (no bikes). It is a popular and typically crowded public park lined with interesting landscaping with vistas of unique architecture. Dock your Citi Bike nearby or if you have your own or rented bike lock it like “Fort Knox.” High Line starts at Gansevoort St, inland and just south of Little Island near the Whitney Museum, and heads north to 34th Street.

High Line park pathway , typical section

The Hudson pathway continues around the south tip of Manhattan to the East River Greenway along the East Side from The Battery, northeast past South Street Seaport and the famed Brooklyn Bridge. The bike path across the bridge was moved to its center with minimal vistas, so it’s not a scenic ride. Best to dock your bike nearby and walk across it on the upper ped promenade, which has ultra scenic vistas from the Empire State Building to the Statue of Liberty. Chinatown and Little Italy are accessible to the north from the west end of the bridge. A gap from 34th to 59th Streets in Midtown around United Nations Headquarters necessitates cyclists to use bike lanes on busy boulevards. In Harlem low traffic street connectors bridge another gap between 120th and 155th Streets.

Walkers have a much better view now than bikers on the Brooklyn Bridge.

Harlem River Greenway then extends uninterrupted between 155th Street in Central Harlem north to Dyckman Street at the north end of the island. About 30 blocks of this Greenway are along the Harlem River, while the rest are inland. A bike lane on Dykman Street connects to the Hudson River Greenway at Inwood Hill Park.

GOVERNORS ISLAND

Cycling around the perimeter of historic Governors Island in New York Harbor is a visual treat. View the Manhattan skyline, Statue of Liberty, the Verrazano Narrows and Brooklyn Bridges, and the fabled QE2. A public ped/bike ferry leaves seasonally from next to the Staten Island ferry in The Battery at the southern tip of Manhattan. It can easily be added to your Waterfront Greenway ride.

The biking distance around the island is short, about 2 miles each loop, plus some exploration in the island interior, so it’s easy to add this on to a riverside cycle if you have your own bike. Bike share users may want to drop off a bike in Manhattan and pick up another one on the island. Governors Island offers both Blazing Saddles and Citi Bike rentals.

Statue of liberty seen from Governors island

The island played a role in military defense for many years, but was sold in 2003 to the National Park Service and Governors Island Trust, and has been open to the public seasonally since, with plans on tap to develop more features for the public to enjoy. Download the map. The island has some food concessions and restrooms available.

View of Staten Island Ferry, a cruise ship, and Jersey City, NJ

Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, East River

EXTRAS

For more adventures combine your outing with rides on the New York City Ferries. The $4 fare includes your bike, or you can dock it and pick up another one at the various locales. See the route map for the many options.

And finally, what about biking the GW? The bike path along the George Washington Bridge is heavily used and narrow, with plans to improve it afoot. I’ve walked it in the past, but never biked it. It is the only way to bike across the Hudson in the NYC area and affords great vistas of the city to the south. Here’s a link for bridge access info and construction schedules. Once in Fort Lee cyclists have several options, including eating at one of the many Asian restaurants there. Fort Lee Historic Park with rich Revolutionary War history is just to the south of the bridge on Hudson Terrace. From this park Henry Hudson Drive (aka River Road) is a low speed limit park road open to cars and bikes that heads north, under the bridge, and extends over 8 miles through scenic but very hilly Palisades Park. The round trip is about 1,700 ft of climbing. Road route 9W north to Piermont is popular with local bikers.

Many thanks to locals Lew F & Elaine G for so much info, guidance and tips on NYC biking!

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Cycling Cathedral City Civic Center & Cove

May 14, 2022 cyclerich Leave a comment

Cathedral City reportedly got its name from Colonel Henry Washington, who during a survey of the Colorado Desert in 1855 stood in Cathedral Canyon and observed that certain rock formations resembled cathedrals. It’s not a name that resonates with tourists as one of the must see places of the Coachella Valley, but its Civic Center Plaza in its Arts and Entertainment District is one of the most unique spots in the area, definitely worth a visit. The centerpiece is the expansive Fountain of Life in Town Square Park, a unique, fun, and whimsical piece, popular on hot days with people splashing around in its “sprayground.” The park is a good place to meet up for a ride around the area, with shaded benches and public art such as sculptures of musicians.

The fountain is surrounded by the interesting Spanish architecture of City Hall, the Mary Pickford movie theatre (our personal area favorite), and the Bell Tower. Also in this downtown district are the Coachella Valley Repertory theatre, several restaurants, and the expansive new Agua Caliente Casino. Across Hwy 111 is the new Jurassic Wonders, a vacant lot filled with metal life size dinosaur sculptures by Ricardo Breceda. The Civic Center’s large festival lawn hosts November’s Hot Air Balloon Festival featuring a Saturday evening food truck corral and Balloon Glow event, where the balloons are lit up, set to music. The Taste of Jalisco festival, a celebration of its sister city in Jalisco, Mexico is in February, and March brings LGBT Days, California’s earliest Pride event.

November’s Balloon Glow during Balloon Fest

Except during the festivals, the district is enjoyable to pedal around and explore. It’s not a long enough ride on its own, but can be a destination via a detour from other rides featured in enCYCLEpedia, like Palm Springs’ Tahquitz Creek Loop via the Jenkins Trail, and sidepaths along Hwy 111 or Gerald Ford from the Rancho Mirage/Palm Desert rides.

Eduardo “Lalo” Guerrero, father of Chicano music and former Cat City resident.

Rainbow crosswalk indicative of the LGBT-friendly city.

You can also add to the ride with a hilly excursion in the Cathedral City Cove neighborhood across Hwy 111 to the south. The Cove is another of the Valley’s un-gated communities that makes for a nice place to ride without being on sidewalks or busy boulevards. However, it is very hilly so probably of most interest to the e-bikers in the easy cycling realm. Acoustic bikers enjoy the workout from the 400-foot elevation gain within 1.75 miles. You can get in several miles of enjoyable biking by making your own way around or enCYCLEpedia readers can follow the suggested route map on its website. Properties tend to get nicer farther up into the Cove. The Cove is surrounded by Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument land, and two trailheads are located at the top of the Cove as indicated. The one to the east starts as wide double track, while the one to the west is narrow sandy singletrack.

From top of the Cove enjoy vistas back down across the Valley.

Scenic section of the Jenkins Trail that connects to Tahquitz Creek Loop in Palm Springs

Most of the Jenkins Trail leaves something to be desired, but it beats riding on the highways.

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Touring the Best of San Diego With Its New Cycle Tracks

March 21, 2022 cyclerich Leave a comment

SANDAG’s Go By Bike initiative continues to expand bikeways throughout San Diego. An interactive map depicts current and future bike lanes, protected Cycle Tracks and bike paths in the region.

Some of the most interesting places to bike in downtown San Diego are along the vibrant waterfront path and up in Balboa Park. Previously, to connect the two areas, cyclists had to contend with on-street bike routes, commingling with traffic. Now cyclists can get between these areas on Class IV Cycle Tracks. Cycle Tracks are bike lanes adjacent to streets with physical barriers from traffic and can be one-way or two-way. SANDAG also went the extra mile by installing bike traffic signals and where appropriate red no-turn arrows for vehicles when the bike signals are green to prevent hook type crashes.

The new 5th Ave one-way northbound Cycle Track features bike signals. There are no crossing buttons for cyclists, but appear to be cameras to sense their presence.

The multi-use paths along the San Diego waterfront are visually spectacular, although portions tend to get crowded with tourists, best visited at off-peak times. The interesting vistas and points of interest make it worthwhile though, including the Maritime Museum, Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum, cruise ships, and many other highlights.

Update, as of 2024 the Port has put up “No E-Bikes” signs on its harbor paths.

Maritime Museum and cruise ship in port.

The “Victory Kiss” statue in front of the Midway museum.

Cyclists need to detour around, or walk bikes through the popular Seaport Village complex, and in the future expect a major redevelopment project there. The harbor bike tour can be staged in many places. We’ve used Shelter and Harbor Islands in the past, but now prefer the new diverse massive Liberty Station complex (parks, restaurants, museums, grocery, etc) located up an inlet of San Diego Bay. A bike path goes under Harbor Drive and connects with the harborfont path. The harbor tour ride is described in enCYCLEpedia as ride SD4.

Waterfront path along a bay inlet, along the Liberty Station complex, a good staging spot.

San Diego view from the harborfront pathway.

Currently, protected Cycle Tracks cut across downtown San Diego east-west on Beech and J streets. You can get to Beech St from the harbor path by crossing at the light at Ash St and cutting through the park to the left.

Start of the two-way Beech St E-W Cycle Track just past Kettner Blvd

After the Cycle Track starts past Kettner Blvd the next block is India St (one-way north). The main part of the Little Italy district is to the left (north) here where you can find lots of sidewalk dining and the ped-only Piazza della Famiglia at Date St (below). We walked our bikes through here to get to Columbia St, which is one-way south, back to Beech. Grape St is another option.

On another occasion we biked here for “slices” and enjoyed some at Mr. Moto’s Pizza across from the Piazza:

The Beech St Cycle Track intersects the Cycle Track on 4th Ave (one way south) which extends south to B St but just ends there, so is not recommended from here. Next, the 5th Ave Track that starts at B St a few blocks south of here heads one way to the north. The Beech Track ends at 6th Ave, where a 2-way Track heads to the south only.

To do a loop up to Balboa Park/Zoo and the hip Hillcrest district, take the new 5th Ave Cycle Track north (1st photo, above). E-bikes have an edge here since it is an uphill journey. Once you near the top of the hill, next to Balboa Park, you’ll cross under the San Diego airport landing pattern, close overhead. To visit Balboa Park, take Laurel St to the right. It becomes El Prado past 6th Ave and crosses over a tall concrete bridge with the 163 freeway far below.

Tour around on the park roads. Our favorite route around the park is described in enCYCLEpedia’s ride SD6. The San Diego Zoo is adjacent to the north. If you’re a local, consider becoming a zoo member so you can just pop in whenever you want and visit your favorite animals.

Exit the park the same way, but look for a bike path to the right before reaching Balboa Dr and 6th Ave. It ends at Upas St. Cross 6th Ave and return to the 5th Ave Cycle Track heading north if you want to explore or dine in Hillcrest, or else go to 4th Ave and head south in its Cycle Track. There certainly are plenty of great dining options in Hillcrest, many along the Cycle Tracks.

We stopped for brunch along the 5th Ave path at Snooze, and although no tables were available on the patio, they let us bring our expensive e-bikes inside so we could be seated immediately.

The 5th Ave Cycle Track ends at Washington. The connection along Washington to the 4th Ave Cycle Track to head south was awkward, it needs work. You may want to cross over before Washington. The one-way southbound 4th Ave route is part Cycle Track and part buffered bike lane. Warning, you may want to stop at Babycakes bakery en route. We encountered a one-block detour onto the roadway in March 2022.

Returning to Beech St, head left on the Track to 6th Ave, then cross it and turn right onto the 2-way Cycle Track.

This is a busy section of downtown, so expect lots of stops at lights, but thankfully they are all equipped with bike signals coordinated with “no turn” signals for vehicles. This Cycle Track skirts the Gaslamp Quarter, passes the east-west track on J St (an option to return to the waterfront) and ends at L Street. Cross L and make your way to a plaza to the right to reach 5th Ave. Use the 5th Ave signal to cross the tracks, the MLK rail trail, and Harbor Dr. Go left in the Harbor Dr bike lane to the first light at Park Blvd. Cross Park and take the sidewalk on the right that leads to the waterfront path next to the Hilton San Diego Bayfront.

Wind sculptures next to the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, Petco Park (Padres) beyond, Convention Center to the left.

From here complete the loop along the harborfront paths (~20 miles staged from Liberty Station). Check out the new state of the art Rady Shell venue at Jacobs Park, Embarcadero Marina Park South across from the Convention Center. Bike to the summer concert series by the San Diego Philharmonic, and others.

The passenger/bike ferry to Coronado also leaves from this area (next to Joe’s Crab Shack) but that’s the subject of another post (and enCYCLEpedia Ride SD7). Either take the ferry and ride over there, then take the ferry back, or do a ~24 mile loop around the bay via Imperial Beach and other cities.

Harbor pedestrian ferry allows bikes for no extra$. Boats leave to Coronado Ferry Landing from the Convention Center area or for a longer ride on a larger boat for the same price, the downtown waterfront.

bicycling, bike rides, bike trails, brunch, Cycling, easy bike rides, scenic bike rides

VANCOUVER BC – THE ULTIMATE URBAN WATERFRONT CYCLE

May 25, 2021 cyclerich 1 Comment

By Richard Fox

When the weather cooperates, this urban ride is virtually unsurpassed. Paved flat trails meander around and through beautiful Stanley Park and along the Vancouver waterfront along seawalls that surround the downtown core on three sides. On a clear day, mountains tower over the Vancouver skyline. Pleasure boats, freighters, cruise ships, water taxis and float planes plow the waterways, while pedestrians stroll, and beachcombers frolic. The Vancouver skyline is ever present from many angles as the bike trails curve hither and thither, each time offering a different spectacular vista. Make sure your camera’s battery is charged up for this ride, as you may spend a lot of time clicking photos, especially if it is your first time. Besides Stanley Park, many of Vancouver’s attractions are along this route. Most people will concentrate on Granville Island, however, one of the prime dining and shopping locales in the city. There are three parts to the ride; the 9-km one-way (counter-clockwise) Stanley Park loop, the 19 km False Creek ride using a bridge or water taxi, and the 4km excursion to Canada Place along the seawall. Of these, the actual trail is most scenic around Stanley Park, but some of our favorite vistas are from the south side of the False Creek trails looking north toward Vancouver and the mountains. Ultra novice cyclists should stick with the Stanley Park section. Those wanting some extra kilometers may want to cycle all the way out to the University of British Columbia at Point Grey. Needless to say, options for a Bike n’ Brunch abound, including numerous cafés along the bike trails.