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.
Igreja de São Roque
Forte de São Brás
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
View in Old Town
Tram 28 in Old Town
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.
Citadelle d’Ajaccio circa 1492
Tour de la Parata
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).
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.
Sara at Madonnina della Punta
Bonassola Bay
Bonassola
Mare e Monti rail trail
A small hamlet in Framura
Vernazza
Vernazza
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.
A hidden gem on a Roma backstreet
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.
St Peters Square
View from Janiculum Hill
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.
Pozzuoli seafront path
Our guide explains the volcanic origins of and current threats to this region
Ruins of Roman Pozzuoli marketplace
Lago d’Averno and ruins of Roman baths
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
Parrocchia S. Maria delle Grazie
Lago di Ganzirri
Torre Faro
Torre Faro and the Pilone di Torre
Faro di Capo Peloro (lighthouse)
Torre Faro area seen from cruise ship
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.
Arriving into Bari’s port.
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)
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.
Avalon’s downtown waterfront.
Avalon, the village.
Short waterfront road north of the historic Casino.
Waterfront road south of the village.
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.
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.
The Lake in Central Park
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 areaFort 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.
Path along Hudson in November
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 parkbuilt 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.
Hudson River Greenway section
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.
Brooklyn Bridge
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.
Ferry landing on Governors Island
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.
Verrazano Narrows Bridge
QE2
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!
by Richard Fox, Author, enCYCLEpedia Southern California– The Best Easy Scenic Bike Rides (2021)
Last Updated March 2024
While bike lanes are always welcome on roadways, they don’t guarantee cyclists’ safety, especially on high-speed boulevards where they are not sufficiently separated from traffic lanes. All too often distracted or impaired motorists swerve into the lanes and collide with cyclists with disastrous consequences. The chances of an individual on a particular ride being hit is extremely low, but the 3-5 incidents per year in the Coachella Valley of the Southern California desert is enough to give pause. Cyclists that have the need for speed have no good off road bike trail options in this region compared to other metro areas, and are relegated to ride on these sometimes dangerous byways. The CV Link regional path, when completed in the next few years, will improve that situation somewhat in Palm Springs-Cathedral City and La Quinta-Indio-Coachella, but the gap caused by its banning in Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells wrecked the potential for a valley-wide path that could have enticed more cyclists off of the high speed boulevards.
Too many ghost bikes have been installed around the valley, like this one for William Campbell.
More casual cyclists, like those who follow our enCYCLEpedia offerings, and are content to travel at 15 mph or less, can enjoy a much safer alternative in the Coachella Valley. Many of the valley’s sidewalks have been designated as bike paths and are a delight to ride on, with beautiful landscaping, and in the areas with large gated communities, long uninterrupted stretches. I call them “sidepaths.” Many sidepaths are not signed as bike paths but still provide an ample alternative. There’s no reason for a casual cyclist to risk being hit by a speeding car on the 55-mph boulevards when there’s a perfectly good sidepath adjacent. However, sidepaths do come with their own set of hazards, and cyclists must ride defensively, using extreme care at every crossing of a road or driveway. Attention to obstacles is also important, especially in unfamiliar territory, and although sprinklers can be refreshing on a hot day, they can also make the path slippery in places. Slow way down around pedestrians and other cyclists, announcing your approach if from behind. Helmets are highly recommended on any bike path, since you can fall over and hit your head on the concrete. What I appreciate about riding on sidepaths in this area is that my safety is more under my own control. As long as I take the appropriate precautions, I am unlikely to be severely injured, versus riding on the busy roadways where I am always wondering whether a speeding vehicle will swerve into the bike lane or do a “right hook” and hit me. In addition to sidepaths, many un-gated neighborhoods with low speed limits are enjoyable to ride through, the best of which is Old Las Palmas in Palm Springs.
For enCYCLE’s 3rd Edition (2021) I added a new ride, RM3, comprised of 10+ miles of beautifully landscaped sidepath loops around the Mission Hills Country Club area of north Rancho Mirage. Along that route alone there have been 3 fatal bicycle accidents on the adjacent roadways in recent years. That inspired me to research other fatal bike accidents to see whether there were alternate off-road paths adjacent or safer routes nearby. Not to say that the victims would have selected to ride on sidepaths versus the roadways, but it illustrates that for the casual cyclist, safer options are available. Country Club Drive centered around Cook St in Palm Desert is another nexus of fatal accidents with 3 occurring in less than a 2 mile stretch where alternate sidepaths are available.
For every fatal accident there are numerous accidents resulting in injury, but there was not enough information available to report on those incidents. Following are some of the reported fatal accidents since 2007 where safer enCYCLEpedia alternatives exist:
PALM DESERT – COUNTRY CLUB DR at COOK, at ELDORADO, and at MARRIOTT DESERT SPRINGS: Sadly, three fatalities have occurred within a 1.3 mile stretch of Country Club Drive, centered around Cook St. Both are main busy multi-lane boulevards with Class II bike lanes.
On March 12, 2024 at 7:30 pm, 62 year old Jay Groth of Indio was hit and killed by a driver who stayed and cooperated with authorities at the corner of Country Club and Cook. A ghost bike was installed there soon after to memorialize the five cyclists killed by cars in Palm Desert in recent years (photo below). On Oct 10, 2023 33-year old Christopher Thomas was hit and killed at 3:40 AM on Country Club near Eldorado by an on-duty Riverside County Sheriff’s Department deputy. On May 14, 2018 Diana Lynn Young, 61, was struck and killed mid-day in the bike lane of Country Club Drive in front of the Marriott Desert Springs resort in Palm Desert where she worked.
Ghost bike at Cook & Country Club installed March 2024. Photo courtesy Coachella Valley Cycling Communities
enCYCLE rides RM1, RM2 and PD1 all use the beautifully landscaped sidepaths available on both sides of Country Club and Cook through there. They continue for miles in both directions. I sometimes rode in the bike lanes through here to get a good sprint going, until the first incident occurred. Be extra careful to avoid right hooks when crossing at Cook & Country Club if riding on the sidepaths..
This is the approximate area of the 2018 incident. The bike lane width is reduced by the concrete apron forcing cyclists closer to vehicles. The south sidepath along the Marriott property shown here is wide but with some curves, and is lightly used. The preferred sidepath on the north side along Desert Willow Golf Resort has more gradual curves, interesting desert landscaping and is lit at night.
The beautiful sidewalk paths surrounding and into Desert Willow Golf Course (shown here) make a safer more scenic alternative to riding along Country Club.
INDIO – AVE 48 NEAR JEFFERSON: On March 28, 2021, 73 year old lndio resident William Mohan was struck on Avenue 48 about a quarter mile east of Jefferson, around noon. No details were published regarding where on the road this happened. Ave 48 has both ample bike lanes and sidepaths as shown on the latest enCYCLEpedia maps, all the way from Washington to Monroe and beyond. Casual cyclists will more likely be safer sticking to those sidepaths and crossing very carefully with traffic signals at intersections, than riding with traffic, even in bike lanes. Mr. Mohan may have been trying to make a left turn into the unsignaled Outdoor Resorts property.
Ave 48 looking east, east of Jefferson. Note ample bike lane and sidepath. No details were available as to how the crash occurred.
PALM SPRINGS – GENE AUTRY TRAIL NEAR VISTA CHINO: On April 14, 2020, William Camp, 62, of Palm Springs, was killed at 4:05 p.m. on North Gene Autry Trail near Vista Chino, after being struck by a big rig. No details were available as to where he was on the roadway when he was struck. On rides across Palm Springs, we use bike-friendly Via Escuela, then transition to the wide sidepaths along Gene Autry rather than riding on that busy road. To head south on the Gene Autry bike path along the airport stick to the west side, or to connect to the CV Link, carefully cross with the Via Escuela light to the east sidepath, then to the south sidepath along Vista Chino, to the east (left) to reach CV Link (enCYCLE ride PS4). In 2020 there were several other bicycle fatalities in the valley, but enCYCLE does not have alternate paths at those locations in Coachella, Desert Hot Springs and Thousand Palms. The same holds true for other years.
The completed 3-mile section of CV Link in Palm Springs/Cathedral City between Vista Chino and Ramon, east of Gene Autry, is a sample of things to come in the future after the Ramon bridge is rebuilt.
PALM SPRINGS – S PALM CANYON NEAR MESQUITE: On October 21, 2019 at 9:20 pm, 30-year-old Raymundo Jaime of Desert Hot Springs was killed in a hit-and-run crash on South Palm Canyon Dr near Mesquite Ave and Morongo Rd in Palm Springs, leaving a widow and young daughter. This road is dangerous enough during the day and is not recommended at night. Take alternate routes like Belardo or through the Deepwell district if possible (PS1, 2).
PALM DESERT – HWY 74 NEAR HAYSTACKAND AT MESA VIEW: On September 9, 2019 65-year old Thereseem Smith of Palm Desert was cycling north on the west sidewalk of Hwy 74 south of Haystack at 7:45 a.m. when a car from the opposite direction veered across lanes and jumped the west sidewalk to strike her in a freak accident. This shows that although sidewalks are safer from high-impact collisions with vehicles than roadways, it’s not a guarantee. On January 6, 2015 Rose Peters, 73, a cycling enthusiast who’d ridden cross country several times and was using a hand-cycle because of hip replacements, was broadsided while riding in the Hwy 74 bike lane in Palm Desert by a vehicle turning left onto Mesa View, which is one of the routes to The Living Desert. enCYCLE’s ride in that area (RM2) uses Hwy 74’s frontage road and corresponding sidepaths rather than busy Hwy 74, but that still involves side street crossings that require extra caution because of turning vehicles.
There are a lot of less-busy options than Hwy 74 to ride to Palm Desert’s Living Desert, a great cycling destination.
RANCHO MIRAGE – BOB HOPE AT CASINO WAY: On April 5, 2019 Palm Springs resident Jack Peterson, 77, was struck by a northbound vehicle while riding his bike east across Bob Hope in the crosswalk on Casino Way toward Agua Caliente Casino at 1:30 pm. It is not known if the vehicle blew through a red light there. enCYCLEpedia doesn’t recommend riding along busy Bob Hope in that area. There is a so-so all-sidewalk route using Varner and Monterey connecting to rides RM1, 2 or 3 (see Bonus Map RM3 on enCYCLEpedia.net.)
INDIAN WELLS – HWY 111 NEAR COOK: OnMarch 25, 2019, Alberta snowbird Paul Jackson, 67, riding along the Hwy 111 shoulder near Cook in Indian Wells, crashed into a parked minivan. What resembles a bike lane is actually just a wide shoulder with parking allowed, although since vehicles are rarely parked along there it seems like a Class II lane. Sidepaths run along both sides of Hwy 111 (enCYCLE ride IW1). I have been told that bike riding on the sidewalk paths are “functionally allowed” in Indian wells (i.e. cops will not hassle well behaved cyclists). The city removed the Bike Route signs along the south sidepath a few years ago, most likely for liability reasons (Photo, below). Extending the CV Link regional path through Indian Wells would get a lot of cyclists off both the roads and sidepaths, but the city has banned CV Link within its boundaries.
Indian Wells Hwy 111 south sidepath was formerly a signed bike trail, as shown below, but the city un-designated it. The shoulder along Hwy 111 is not a designated Class II bike lane and parking is allowed.
RIVERSIDE – VICTORIA AVEMarch 23, 2019: This is not in the Coachella Valley, but is a nearby Riverside County enCYCLE ride used as illustration: Family man and outdoorsman Brian Sabel, 52, was the victim of an early morning hit-and-run in an ample bike lane along beautiful and historic Victoria Avenue in Riverside. This road is very popular with road cyclists and seems like a safe place to ride. However, enCYCLE ride R2 uses the adjacent paved Class I Rosanna Scott Bike Trail instead, which is much safer.
The bike lanes along Riverside’s historic Victoria Ave are very popular with cyclists. The lesser-used Rosanna Scott Bike Trail adjacent is a safer alternative.
RANCHO MIRAGE – RAMON RD NEAR RATTLER: On December 13, 2018, William Campbell, 32, a local avid cyclist, was struck in the Ramon Road bike lane near Rattler in Rancho Mirage by an alleged street racer traveling close to 95 mph who fled the scene. New enCYCLE ride RM3 is along a wide sidepath adjacent to the bike lane, although the path does not continue east past Los Alamos.
William’s memorial is adjacent to the Ramon Rd bike lane he was hit in. A nice sidepath makes a safer alternative through here.
RANCHO MIRAGE – BOB HOPE NEAR GINGER ROGERS: On April 2, 2018, BC Snowbird Peter Harvey, 74, was hit in the bike lane on Bob Hope Drive near Ginger Rogers in Rancho Mirage. New enCYCLE ride RM3 is along the pretty designated bike/golf cart path along the west side of Bob Hope between Gerald Ford and Dinah Shore.
A typical sidepath in this area. This is actually around the corner on Gerald Ford.
LA QUINTA COVE: On June 26, 2017, Larry Lee Ortner, 81, hit a parked landscaping truck when gliding down the Avenida Bermudas hill in La Quinta Cove. While this seems to be a safe road to ride on, always watch out for what is in front of you, even in a bike lane. We prefer to ride both up and down the paved Class I Bear Creek Trail (enCYCLE ride LQ1) in The Cove instead when not crowded with peds to avoid vehicular traffic and enjoy the great scenery in both directions.
Scenic Bear Creek Trail in La Quinta Cove.
PALM DESERT – HOVLEY LANE: On February 7, 2015, Todd Barajas, 52, was struck while riding late at night on Hovley Lane near Corporate Way, where there is no bike lane. However, there is an ample sidepath along the north side of the road. This is an alternate route to Country Club when riding enCYCLE ride RM2.
PALM SPRINGS – S PALM CANYON AT PALMERA: On November 30, 2012, Corey Holley, 38, was struck along South Palm Canyon at Palmera (near Stein Mart). This road is not safe. Much better alternatives now exist along South Belardo Rd to the west between downtown and South Palm Springs, or through the Deepwell District (enCYCLE rides PS1, PS2).
Paths like the new CV Linker near Demuth Park and other new infrastructure provide more and more options to stay off dangerous roadways in Palm Springs.
INDIAN WELLS – FRED WARING NEAR ELDORADO: On June 2, 2012, Gerald Weiss, 52, a well respected physician and family man, was hit on very dangerous Fred Waring Drive west of Eldorado, in traffic lanes after dark. Indian Wells lost a lawsuit because the road was determined to be unsafe, and as a result erected signs banning bikes along there. It’s not an enCYCLE recommended stretch because the sidewalk alongside Fred Waring between Eldorado and Cook is narrow, though it still is rideable. We detour south, down Class II Eldorado to the 111 sidewalk paths, and back up on the Cook sidewalk path to avoid this stretch that CV Link would otherwise bridge if not banned in Indian Wells (rides IW1, RM2).
From the Eldorado Bridge, showing where CV Link would be an alternative to the dangerous stretch of Fred Waring Dr where bikes are banned, in the background.
RANCHO MIRAGE – DA VALL AT RAMON: On April 8, 2012, Donald McCluskey, 49, was on Da Vall waiting at the red light to cross south past Ramon in Rancho Mirage when a minivan heading north blew through the red light, was hit by a westbound vehicle on Ramon, and overturned onto McCluskey and the vehicle next to him. Our new ride RM3 uses the east sidewalk of Da Vall at that location on both sides of Ramon, which would have been out of the line of fire in this case. However, in situations with sudden catastrophic vehicle crashes, cars can just as easily end up on a sidewalk or bike path, so vigilance at all times can’t hurt.
Da Vall sidewalk path near Ramon.
LA QUINTA – 54TH NEAR JEFFERSON: On December 4, 2010, Joseph P. Szymanski, 56, was the victim of a hit-and-run midday while riding westbound in the bike lane on 54th between Madison and Jefferson in La Quinta. It would seem like a safe road to ride on, but not this time. Since then the bike lanes have been widened (photo) with a little more protection. We use the pretty landscaped sidewalk along the south side of 54th for enCYCLE ride LQ2, and pay careful attention if sprinklers make the sidewalk wet and slippery. La Quinta has since upgraded many of it’s bike lanes to be more separated from the traffic lanes, and we do ride on those, such as along Madison between Ave 54 and Ave 58.
Ave 54, looking east from near Jefferson. The bike lanes have been widened since this incident that occurred in the westbound direction. The south sidepath is fine, but not as good as some others.
Many La Quinta boulevards have ample bike lanes, but we frequently opt for the sidepaths alongside them when riding between Old Town and Lake Cahuilla Regional Park, its RV park shown here.
CATHEDRAL CITY – HWY 111: On March 7, 2007, Athlete Kim Raney, 26, on vacation from Washington, fell off her bike and was hit by a truck while riding on Hwy 111 in Cathedral City. enCYCLE feels Hwy 111 is too dangerous to ride on, although some improvements have been made recently in this area. All of our rides that encounter Hwy 111 are either on sidepaths alongside it, or via alternate routes. This includes PS1 – PS4, CC1, RM1, and RM2. The CV Link path will add some great alternatives to riding along Hwy 111 for all cyclists, although it is hindered by its boycott by the cities of Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells.
Palm Desert opened a 3-mile section of CV Link as a Class IV Cycletrack along existing roadways in 2021 between Cook St and the Bump ‘n Grind trailhead. Someday it will continue east from Cook along and across the Whitewater River channel and up to Hovley Lane at the Indian Wells border. Since Palm Desert is bounded by Indian Wells and Rancho Mirage, its CV Link trail is an isolated segment. Other sections are under construction in Palm Springs and between La Quinta and Coachella. Cathedral City has not yet begun its segments.
Following is a list of known cyclists killed by cars in the Coachella Valley since 2003 compiled by Coachella Valley Cycling Communities. Those where no alternate enCYCLEpedia routes could be offered were not included in this post.
Europe is known for it’s extended bike trail systems like EuroVelo 6 through lovely villages, pastoral countryside, and medieval cities. The routes along pretty rivers such as the Danube attract thousands of cyclists, and easy access to rail enables hopping from place to place. Although Southern California does not offer the same wealth of cycling infrastructure, it does have its fair share of bike trails and pleasant bike routes that are conducive to touring the region on two wheels. Using its bike friendly rail system, cyclists can experience a Euro-style holiday, particularly along its spectacular coastal region that attracts visitors from the world over to its beautiful beaches and charming towns, many with Spanish-influenced architecture. A trip can last a weekend or a month, depending on schedule and budget. If being away from your car is too inconvenient, you can still use the trains to cover more ground on day trips.
My guidebook enCYCLEpedia Southern California – The Best Easy Scenic Bike Rides (3rd Ed, 2021) contains detailed ride descriptions through the most scenic areas, referenced throughout this article. enCYCLEpedia‘s rides are geared for the average cyclist who prefers to stay away from traffic whenever possible, and avoid high speed, dangerous, or very hilly roads.
The goal of this journey is to use the train to access the most desirable areas, and skip over the parts that are overly difficult, dangerous, or uninteresting. Based on our experiences, the zen of taking a bike on the train adds to the excitement of it all. Options are also mentioned for more advanced riders who may prefer to ride through some of those areas anyway rather than taking the train past them.
You’ll find lots of accommodation options in the featured locales, and if you prefer bike camping, many of the coastal State Parks have reservable tent sites, but they fill fast at peak times, so advance planning is required. A few also have non reservable bike-in campsites, although spaces are not guaranteed, especially on summer weekends.
The northern part of our trip (San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles) is serviced primarily by the bike-friendly Amtrak Surfliner line that runs from San Luis Obispo to San Diego, stopping at many of the lovely locales described. To travel on the Surfliner, you will need some advance planning, since a free reservation is required to bring your bike along. The good news is it doesn’t have to be boxed like on other Amtrak lines. From LA’s Union Station and south, lots of options open up for less expensive and more bike-friendly commuter lines.
Amtrak Surfliner on rebuilt “trestles” next to San Clemente’s famous Trestles surf beach (SC3).
Whistlestop 1: San Luis Obispo (SLO)
Taking the Amtrak Surfliner north from Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo, or SLO Town, is a world class spectacular ride, with California coastal scenery on display between Ventura and Pismo Beach, much of which is not even accessible to the public past Santa Barbara. If you arrive in SLO from the north via Amtrak’s Coast Starlight train, it is also scenic but is not along the coast, as that would mean it would be along the Big Sur coast, which can barely handle a roadway. The Coast Starlight (between LA and Seattle) is not as bike friendly, since bikes need to be boxed and incur baggage and box fees.
View of the Santa Barbara County coastline from the Surfliner.
SLO Town is a charming university city about 13 miles inland from the coastal town of Morro Bay. While SLO Town does not have much in the way of bike trails, it does have bike friendly streets and plenty of desirable places to sleep and eat in the vital downtown sector west of the train depot. It is a good place to spend some time to explore, provision and get oriented. You can try a wine country tour, or a popular bike route to the coast at Los Osos/Morro Bay via Los Osos Valley Road.
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, downtown SLO
At the coast you can explore Morro Bay, which offers some delightful coastal riding (enCYCLE Ride MB1), and lots of accommodations (reserve for best selection in summer) and popular waterfront seafood restaurants. To its south is Montana de Oro State Park (Ride MB2), a coastal gem with a couple of great easy rides on packed dirt, some more challenging mountain biking, and spectacular hiking trails. Bike-in or reservable tent camping is available at Morro Bay, Morro Strand, and Montana de Oro State Parks.
Bike path to Morro Rock in Morro Bay (MB1)
Whistlestop 2: Grover Beach/Pismo Beach
Pubic passage south down the coast from Morro Bay is blocked by the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant property, so you’ll need to ride back to SLO. Continuing south from SLO you can either ride along Class II roads adjacent to Hwy 101 (or a steep route over the hills on dirt roads) or take the Surfliner to the next stop in Grover Beach/Pismo Beach. If you cycle, your next destination can be the small, quaint beach community of Avila Beach, with the last few miles along the lovely creekside Bob Jones Trail, that will someday connect to SLO, making that a must-do stretch by bike (Ride AV1). Continue riding south to the Pismo station from Avila Beach. You can also reach Avila Beach on a scenic coastal Class II bike route north from the Pismo station if you choose that option.
Avila Beach Pier (AV1)
Pismo Beach is the southern end of our recommended exploration in SLO County, and the train station is just south of town in Grover Beach. There’s no bike trails in town, yet, so hop on the bike lanes along Hwy 1 and head north into town (Ride PB2), past several public campgrounds, and the spot where the Monarch butterflies congregate in winter. The delightful downtown has a bunch of restaurants and accommodations. At lower tides, you can ride on the compact sands of the wide beautiful beach here, our only recommended SoCal beach ride (Ride PB1). The route north of downtown (Ride PB3) is on Class 2 lanes of a fairly busy roadway, but the ocean vistas are spectacular in places and you can detour to the waterfront and ride on some parkside trails. If you chose to ride all the way south from SLO, you’ll be southbound on that route toward downtown and the Pismo station. And now, back to the Surfliner for our next destination.
Riding the compact sands of Pismo Beach (PB1)
Whistlestop 3: Surf Beach/Lompoc, Santa Barbara County
An optional stop, Surf Beach is the loneliest Amtrak stop along the coast, located in a beach parking lot adjacent to Vandenberg Air Force Base. You can walk for miles along the beautiful beach, but signs warn against swimming here due to two fatal shark attacks. Amtrak doesn’t stop here often, so schedule carefully.
The lonely Surf Amtrak Station, 9 miles west of Lompoc (LOM1)
From here you can easily ride to pretty Ocean Beach County Park at the delta of the Santa Ynez River. For grub and overnight accommodations, including hotels, B&B’s, and camping (River Park), the city of Lompoc awaits (Ride LOM1). The City of Arts and Flowers with murals on its downtown buildings is reached via a flat 9 mile ride along Class II Ocean Ave (55 mph speed), an interesting stretch when the fields of cultivated flowers are in bloom in spring and summer. Lompoc is not as appealing as some of the other coastal towns, but is a good place to restock and refresh.
Those in tip top condition may consider a road trip over substantial and steep hills and windy rural roads, to isolated Jalama County Beach, where there is a beach campground and general store and grill. If you took the Surfliner northbound you would’ve gone right by it. This would make an epic weekend trip on its own from the big city.
Another option, though risky logistically, is to take the Wine Country Express bus from Lompoc to the Danish tourist village of Solvang, and explore the beautiful Santa Barbara Wine Country in Los Olivos and Santa Ynez by bike (Ride SO1). Buses have bike racks, but can take only a couple at a time. You could also leave your bikes at your Lompoc accommodation, take the bus, and rent bikes in Solvang.
Whistlestops 4, 5, 6, 7: Goleta, Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Ventura
The ride between Lompoc and Santa Barbara is very hilly and/or along the 101 Freeway, only for the most advanced riders. So, all aboard the Surfliner at Surf! The corridor between the next stops of Goleta, Santa Barbara, Carpinteria and Ventura is rideable by most cyclists, so you can pick and choose where you’d like to explore, how far to ride, and when to use the Surfliner to help you out.
From the Goleta Station, ride to the coast and explore the beautiful paths along the University of California at Santa Barbara (Ride SB2).
Paths around the UCSB Lagoon (SB2)
Class I and II routes connect to the downtown and waterfront district of Santa Barbara (Ride SB1). A scenic beachfront path passes a multitude of restaurants and accommodations there, although there is no bike camping in town. The Amtrak station is in the center of town, so if you disembark there, you can easily explore the extensive Spanish-influenced downtown and beautiful waterfront.
Cabrillo Beachway, Santa Barbara Waterfront (SB1)
A Class II route, very doable but not the most wonderful, leads through the tony community of Montecito, then Summerland, to the lovely low-key beach town of Carpinteria, and the next Amtrak station (Ride SB1, Option 2). Find lots of great restaurants and choice of accommodations from B&B’s to bike-in and reservable campsites at Carpinteria State Beach.
Someday there will be a bike path connecting Carpinteria to the new path to Ventura, but for now there is only a 3-mile fairly hilly on-road route. If you are willing to tackle that, the reward is the new waterfront bike path adjacent to the 101 Freeway that leads to the north end of Ventura (Ride VE4). You could also access it if you take the train directly to Ventura and ride north.
Rincon Bike Path along US 101 between Carpinteria and Ventura (VE4)
The bike path ends on the Old Rincon Hwy, a popular bike route that leads to the Ventura waterfront trail system (Ride VE1). Via that path you can access the historic downtown center, enjoy the beautiful coastline and pier, and find all sorts of restaurants and accommodations. The depot is downtown between the beach and Main Street. Bike-in and reservable camping are available at McGrath State Beach nearby in Oxnard.
Path through San Buenaventura State Beach near downtown Ventura (VE1)
From Ventura consider riding up a scenic rail trail about 16 miles inland to the lovely spa resort town of Ojai, either as a day trip and lunch stop or an overnight destination (Rides VE2 and 3). Camping is available at two county parks near the route.
Rail trail through the Ojai Valley (VE3)
Ventura is the last stop for the northern part of our adventure. Cycling south from Ventura is only for very experienced cyclists. The subsequent 50-mile coastal route first passes through the city of Oxnard, while the last 35 miles is along the busy, hilly, speedy, Coast Highway to and through Malibu. The reward is that it ends up on the fabulous 22-mile Los Angeles beach trail. But you can also access that path by taking local rail from downtown, along our rail route. So, most of you will want to hop on the Surfliner in Ventura and head to downtown LA. Or, make your way across town to Oxnard and take the more bike friendly Metrolink commuter train from that route’s western terminus (weekdays only).
Whistlestop 8: Los Angeles Union Station
Historic Union Station is an attraction in itself, but riding in downtown LA is not for the faint of heart, except perhaps early on a Sunday morning. However, if you can very securely lock up your bike and belongings, or find an accommodation nearby, it is a worthwhile area to spend some time exploring on foot, with attractions such as the touristy Olvera Street, El Pueblo de Los Angeles, Chinatown, and lots more.
Historic Olvera Street near LA’s Union Station
From Union Station you have a choice, depending on your timing and preferences. Logistically, the easiest thing to do is hop on Metrolink’s Orange County Line, and head south to our next stop, San Juan Capistrano. Or, if you would like to experience LA and Orange County’s best and most fabulous coastal trails, joining up with the train route further south, make the following extra trip using local Metro Rail:
Extra Trip: The Urban LA and OC Coastal Paths
LA County’s world renowned beach trail runs some 22 miles through Santa Monica and Venice, Hermosa, Manhattan and Redondo Beaches (Rides LA1 and 2). Metro Rail’s new Exposition Line can get you there: Take the Red or Purple lines from Union Station to meet the Expo Line, and get off at its terminus in Santa Monica. There’s no tent camping along the coast, so you’ll need hotel accommodations near the beach communities, preferably as close to the beach as possible to avoid some dicey areas and possibly dangerous street riding
North end of LA coastal bike trail aka Martin Braude Trail (LA1)
Believe me you don’t want to ride between the LA beach trail through the industrial districts to Long Beach, so head back to a Metro Rail train, either the Expo Line in Santa Monica or the Green Line accessible further south. Connect to the Blue Line southbound and get off in downtown Long Beach, a bike-friendly city. Explore the world class rejuvenated waterfront area and visit the Queen Mary or Aquarium of the Pacific (Ride LO1). There’s no tent camping but find oodles of accommodations, dining and shopping.
Bike path through Long Beach’s Shoreline Village restaurant area (LO1)
A state of the art bike trail runs along the beach to the Belmont Shore district, a great place to stroll and dine. Explore the canals of Italian-inspired Naples Island (Ride LO2), and ride across the San Gabriel River and into Orange County and the delightful beach community of Seal Beach (Ride SE1). Carefully navigate a couple miles on the Class II Coast Highway into the community of Sunset Beach, taking the parallel residential street when able, that leads to the fabulous 8 mile Huntington Beach coastal trail (Ride HB1). Camping along here is only for self contained RV’s, so find accommodations and restaurants in Sunset Beach or halfway down the trail in the revitalized downtown core near the pier.
Huntington Beach path near the pier (HB1).
From the south end of the beach path connect via residential streets to the Newport Beach coastal trail that runs along the Balboa Peninsula, where you’ll find plenty of accommodations and food (Ride NB1). Take the cute 3-car ferry across to Balboa Island to continue the ride south. An expensive tent-camping option is at Newport Dunes resort in the Back Bay, a great place to get some fun riding in (Ride NB2).
Newport Beach’s oceanfront path.
Only very experienced cyclists should do the through-ride south along the coast from here. It is indeed a scenic journey, however, perhaps warranting an up-and-back ride for the first few miles. It starts with the Corona del Mar waterfront, connecting to the spectacular Crystal Cove State Park with its blufftop oceanview bike path (Ride NB3) and option to stop at the historic Crystal Cove district for lunch on the beach. Mountain bikers may be able to access a primitive campsite in the inland section of the park. The hilly coastal highway into Laguna Beach is a busy 4 lane road. Once in town, alternate routes are available through most of it (Ride LB2), but in South Laguna there are no good options to get off of the highway until you reach Dana Point, where bike lanes widen as you pass beautiful Salt Creek Beach Park, the Ritz Carlton, and the main business district. From Dana Point you can access bike trails to the San Juan Capistrano or San Clemente train stations.
Laguna Beach is the jewel of Orange County, with its rocky coves, sandy beaches, and lovely downtown right on the beach, but it can be a bitch to bike through (LB2).
Those who prefer bike paths to busy roadways should skip the route through Laguna Beach and follow the excellent paths along Newport Back Bay (Ride NB2) connecting to the San Diego Creek path inland through Irvine (Ride IR1) and end up at either the Tustin (Ride TU1) or Irvine train stations. From either station, take the Metrolink train south to San Juan Capistrano, joining those who skipped the urban coastal section and took the train directly there from Union Station, or braved the ride through Laguna Beach.
Whistlestop 9: San Juan Capistrano
The Santa Fe Depot is in the center of the restored historic Spanish downtown that includes the popular and beautiful San Juan Capistrano Mission and the Del Rio district, the oldest neighborhood in California (Ride SJ1). Bike paths lead one way into horse country, and the other way to the sea at Dana Point, another area to explore at its harbor (Ride DP1). A coastal bike trail connects to San Clemente, and coastal tent camping is available in Dana Point at Doheny State Beach and at San Clemente State Beach, atop a bluff at the south end of its lovely beach trail (Ride SC1).
San Juan Capistrano’s historic Los Rios District next to the train depot (SJ1).
Most cyclists will want to hop on the Metrolink at San Clemente’s North Beach Station for the scenic oceanfront trip south to Oceanside. More adventurous cyclists may enjoy the ride past classic surfing beaches like Trestles (Ride SC3) and perhaps ride into San Diego County through Camp Pendleton all the way to Oceanside. However getting an advance permit to ride through the Camp Pendleton roadways has become quite an ordeal. An option is to ride along I-5 for that stretch which is permitted, if you dare. Tent camping is available near the north end of the route at San Onofre State Beach’s inland San Mateo or summer-only coastal Bluffs campgrounds.
Elevated portion of San Clemente’s Beach Trail (SC1).
Whistlestop 10: Oceanside
Oceanside is a transit hub, where LA’s Metrolink ends and San Diego’s Coaster and Sprinter train lines begin. Amtrak’s Surfliner also stops here. You can ride inland on the 9 mile San Luis Rey River Trail, visit California’s largest mission en route, and access camping at Guajome Regional Park at trail’s end. Oceanside’s waterfront has a bike lane along its beach promenade, a pier, and a revitalized downtown core.
Oceanside Harbor, a great place to stop for a meal after the ride through Camp Pendleton from San Clemente (SC3) or just riding around town (OC1).
Those who prefer to stay off of busy roadways should continue on the Coaster train to the San Diego stations. Otherwise, make your way down the very scenic Class II coastal highway through the lovely beach cities of Carlsbad, Encinitas and Solana Beach. We do this ride frequently, it’s one of our exceptions of road riding since it’s so much fun (Ride SDC1). Tent camping is available at South Carlsbad and San Elijo State Beaches. Advance reservations are needed at both, and they do not have bike-in sites.
A typical view heading south along the north San Diego County coastal highway (SDC1).
Whistlestop 11: Solana Beach
I recommend for those who rode down the coast to hop on the southbound Coaster train in Solana Beach. After Solana Beach the train bipasses the next city, Del Mar, then heads inland. If you choose to cycle to San Diego, the route becomes extremely hilly past Del Mar, recommended for experienced and top-shape riders, or those on e-bikes with plenty of battery power left, who can make their way through La Jolla and reach the Mission Bay area.
A Coaster station in north San Diego County
Whistlestop 12: San Diego Old Town
This major transit center is adjacent to San Diego Old Town State Historic Park, a restored settlement and mega tourist attraction with lots of museums and Mexican restaurants in and around it. You’ll need to lock up and walk or wheel your bike through here, but it’s worthwhile to do so. From here, you can connect to the fabulous bike trails around Mission Bay and the boardwalk along Mission Beach/Pacific Beach, and also access Sea World by bike (Ride SD1). Tent camping is available at private Campland-on-the-Bay.
Scenic north end of Ocean Front Walk in Pacific Beach (SD1)
From the Mission Bay area you can ride to ritzy La Jolla (Ride SD2) and laid back Ocean Beach (Ride SD3). A Class II route leads to the stimulating bike trail along San Diego Harbor (Ride SD4). From there, a bike/ped ferry accesses the beautiful bike riding on the Coronado peninsula (Ride SD7: Cover photo – Hotel del Coronado). And, on-road bike routes lead up to the very European Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo (Ride SD6).
The amazing San Diego Zoo (SD6).
Whistlestop 13: Downtown San Diego Santa Fe Depot
The historic downtown depot, just a couple of blocks from the harborfront trail, is our final stop, and the best station to access the harbor ride (SD4), Coronado via the ferry (SD7) and Balboa Park/Zoo (SD6). More advanced riders or e-bikers with battery to spare can continue UP the hill to the spine of the Point Loma Peninsula to visit the spectacular Cabrillo National Monument at its tip (Ride SD5).
A moving bike statue along Coronado’s scenic waterfront path (SD7)
Return to your origin from downtown San Diego, either taking the Coaster, transferring to the Metrolink in Oceanside, or Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner the entire way.
Cape Disappointment State Park is a gem, situated at the southwest corner of Washington State near Long Beach, where the Columbia River empties into the Pacific Ocean. A jetty built in 1917 to aid in shipping navigation resulted in the formation of most of the land comprising the lowlands of the park, including the campgrounds and the beautiful sandy ocean beach. Dramatic Cape Disappointment and North Head lighthouses stand sentinel over the entrance to the Columbia and the region known as “The Graveyard of the Pacific” because of the over 2,000 shipwrecks that have occurred in this area.
This very popular park near the resort area of Long Beach contains a large campground for RV’s with hookups or tents. We explored the park by bike, riding along the firm sands of the beach, then up past “Waikiki Beach” and several installations of the Confluence Project, which features structures replicating those used by Native Americans. The return ride is through the idyllic park road for a total of about 5.5 very scenic and flat miles.
Following is a video of our experience from May 2016.
Those wanting more of a challenge can ride on the hilly roadways to the two lighthouses.
Nearby is the 8.5 mile Discovery bike/hike Trail, that runs mostly behind sand dunes and through forest between Ilwaco and Long Beach, skirting the State Park but not connecting to the park’s flat coastal section. We will be exploring that trail on our next visit to the area. In the meantime, here is a nice description of it: http://outdoorsnw.com/2012/escapes-long-beach-wash/
San Diego Bay curves gracefully around the Coronado peninsula, its entrance guarded by dramatic Point Loma where Portuguese navigator Joao Rodrigues Cabrilho landed in 1542. Along its shores are the downtown San Diego waterfront district, its port and shipyards, Naval installations, lots of private boat marinas, and some important wildlife preserves to compensate for some of the habitat that was taken away during urbanization. The downtown waterfront is a tourist center featuring the Midway aircraft carrier museum, San Diego Maritime Museum, harbor cruises, and shops and dining at Seaport Village. Coronado is famous for its beautiful ocean beaches and the Hotel del Coronado.
The sights and sounds of this area are guaranteed to fill the memory card on your camera, and the incredible choice of restaurants will fill your belly. The 26-mile Bayshore Bikeway loop circumnavigates the east finger of the bay, and is mostly flat as a pancake. The route includes one of the Southland’s only substantial rail trails, waterfront bike trails, and some yet-to-be developed sections in the port area. San Diego Trolley light rail is available to those who want a shorter route and less riding next to traffic through the industrial section. A highlight is a harbor ferry ride that transports you and your bike across the bay to complete the loop. Bikes are not allowed on the Coronado Bridge.
The Bayshore Bikeway project is a stellar example of community cooperation to provide a valuable recreation asset to its residents, neighbors, and visitors. Kudos to the cities of San Diego, Coronado, Imperial Beach, Chula Vista, and National City, and San Diego County.
Map by GObyBikeSD.com and SANDAG
The pedestrian ferry allows bikes for no extra$. From the Coronado Ferry landing boats travel to the Convention Center (next to Joe’s Crab Shack), or for a longer ride on a larger boat for the same price, to the downtown waterfront.
A moving bike statue along Coronado’s scenic waterfront path.
Short but sweet path and beach next to Hotel del Coronado.
A scenic section of the Silver Strand rail trail past a wetlands wildlife refuge that connects Coronado to Chula Vista.
On our latest ride we visited popular Emma’s Pancake House on E Street in Chula Vista near the Trolley station.
San Diego Trolley’s Blue Line travels parallel to the east side of the bay, and if you want to “cheat” a bit you can squeeze on (preferably not during rush hour) and skip as many miles through the industrial zone as you like. Some sections have bike pathways already completed, but others are pending and require an on-street bike route past ship yards. The 12th & Imperial Station is the junction of the Blue and Orange lines, and a good place to hop off to get to the MLK Rail Trail through downtown/Gaslamp Quarter/Convention Center or the waterfront pathways.
Author’s Note: Since enCYCLEpedia focuses on only the most scenic rides, the book’s featured ride SD7 is a very scenic back and forth from the Coronado Ferry Landing along Coronado’s pretty water pathways and the Silver Strand rail trail to the sands of Silver Strand State Beach. Option 1 extends the rail trail journey to its terminus in Imperial Beach/Chula Vista. Option 2 continues on a variety of routes to encircle the bay as presented in this article, with Option 3 an additional jaunt along the Sweetwater Bikeway pathway along a channelized river to the restaurants at Plaza Bonita. Option 4 combines this ride with a full tour of San Diego Harbor (Ride SD4).
Imagine gliding down a perfect winding singletrack mountain bike trail for mile after mile through the Sonoran desert landscape, jagged mountains in the distance, birds flittering in saguaro cactus, a wide smile plastered on your face. You are downhill on the north segment of the Pemberton Trail in McDowell Mountain Regional Park, located in the McDowell Mountains between Scottsdale and Fountain Hills east of Phoenix. You can finish the ride in the comfort of your RV if you’ve secured a precious site at the beautiful and popular Maricopa County campground. An hour to the south is Usery Mountain Regional Park east of Mesa, where you can also camp out and hop on magnificent mountain bike trails. Usery is flatter with more lush vegetation, whereas McDowell is on a gradually sloping alluvial plain with many more miles of trails and more of a wide open feeling because much of the park burned in the 90’s. The adjoining Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve extends the 50 miles of trails even further. Both have fabulous views of the Superstition Mountains and most of the time no civilization is in sight, a different world than the nearby Phoenix metro area. West of Phoenix, White Tank Regional Park is just as beautiful with a smaller set of trails but still very enjoyable. The vast majority of the trails are non-technical, with few rocks or challenging pitches, perfect for the everyday mountain biker who likes to enjoy the outdoors and get a good workout.
Beautiful vistas abound on the Usery park trails, especially looking to the east.The RV campground at Usery Park with Usery Mountain in the background. Set amongst lush Sonoran vegetation with partial hookups, reserve early for this popular Maricopa County Campground ($32) that is about a mile along the park road from the MTB trailheads .Signed trail junctions on the fabulous Usery Park trails.Spacious campsites with electric and water hookups with MTB trailheads all around it make the campground at McDowell full most of the winter.Gliding down the lovely Pemberton Trail at McDowell Park.Cycling near the dramatic granite boulders, top of the hill at McDowell park.Trails continue into the adjacent Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve.
White Tank Regional Park’s Ford Canyon Trail rewards with some awesome vistas.
Comfort bikes are all the rage, especially with those who prefer not to ride hunched over on a traditional bike. Bikes with pedal-forward technology allow the rider to put their feet on the ground while sitting in the site, adding to their stability and feeling of security. It also makes pedaling either and combined with the upright handlebars allows for a relaxing ride while taking in the scenery along the way, rather than staring down at the road. I started my pedal forward years on an Elektra Townie 21D (21 gears) and it was a game changer for me.
Electra Townie 21D in Seattle, WA. 21 gears, pedal forward technology, and a fun ride all in all. Electra is now owned by Trek. We got ours at REI in Oregon to save on sales tax and get our members 10% rebate. List for 2014 is $519. The 2013 model had a suspension front fork and was $545.
And now comfort moves to a new level with the e-Townies that I have graduated to. Can you be in love with an inanimate object? This comes close. I own the TownieGo 8D ($2200). I’m glad they changed the term “women’s bike” to “step through” because with a rear carrier it’s very difficult to lift your leg all the way around to get on or off. The only problem is it’s hard to go back to a regular bike after getting used to an e-bike. Although I vowed to go back and forth when I got the e-bike… I haven’t unless when necessary like when the e-bike was in the shop for a couple of days once.
My beloved E-Townie 8D in Irvine’s Great Park, with the famous balloon decorated for Halloween during the Covid-19 pandemic. In healthier times scenic tethered rides way up high are offered for $10/$5 kids. This is part of the North Irvine ride described in a separate blog post.
The easy scenic cycling adventures of Richard Fox, author of the 2014 (2nd Ed 2017, 3rd Ed 2021) guidebook "enCYCLEpedia Southern California – The Best Easy Scenic Bike Rides."
My guidebook enCYCLEpedia Southern California – The Best Easy Scenic Bike Rides (3rd Ed, 2021) contains detailed ride descriptions through the most scenic areas, 
enCYCLEpedia Bicycling Blog 