Jun 23 2010

Bike-Friendly Cities

A couple months ago, I hosted a survey about which U.S. city was the best city for bicycling.

I didn’t get much of a response. I think one possibility for the apathy is that many people  do not equate “trails” w/ “cities.” There’s an attitude that trails have to be out in the country to be tranquil and scenic.

I’ll admit, I used to think that way too. But it ain’t so, my friends!!

Some of my favorite biking trails go through urban as well as rural areas.

I’m not alone in this assessment. National Geographic Traveler magazine published an article called “Great Bike-Friendly Cities.” In that article, the following cities rated high for their bicycle culture and environment. Some of the cities that rated high included:

Mt. Vernon Bike Trail w/ the Washington
D. C. monuments in the background.
  • Portland, OR
  • New York
  • Chicago
  • San Diego
  • San Francisco
  • Montreal
  • Washington D.C.
Some of those cities may have surprised you, but they owe their place on the list to recent improvements in bicycle trails, bike lanes, and general biking accessibility, safety, and promotion.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/23/bike-friendly-cities/

Jun 22 2010

Segways on the Trail

When I  headed for Glenwood Springs, CO, I had no idea I would discover a whole new mode of trail transportation. All of my previous trail website entries, Twitter tweets, blog posts, and Facebook information covered biking, hiking, inline skating, trail running, and horseback riding. I just assumed this covered it all. With the exception of variations such as recumbent bikes and tandem bikes, I figured I would continue to add posts that covered only the five activities listed above.

But after a beautiful Amtrak train ride to Glenwood Springs, and a brief bike ride on the Rio Grande Trail, I discovered a new form of trail transportation.

We rented Segways from Glenwood Adventure in Glenwood Springs. Then, for two hours, all five of us explored the Glenwood Canyon Trail on these amazing gyroscopic conveyances.

Everyone agreed that the Segway adventure was the highlight of the weekend. And it was a truly magical Father’s Day weekend. We had a nice train ride, enjoyed Glenwood’s Strawberry Days festivities, swam in the Glenwood Hot Springs, and enjoyed some fine meals.

But as I said, the Segway outing was the highlight of a great weekend. If you’re lucky enough to find a place to rent Segways, check to make sure they are legal on the trail you choose. Not all trails allow Segways since they are considered “motorized transportation.”

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/22/segways-on-the-trail/

Jun 19 2010

Amtrak Train delayed by over 8 hours

Train.pngWe were scheduled to leave Denver @ 8:05 am to take an Amtrak train to Glenwood Springs. It has now been moved back to 4:00 pm.

I was hoping to ride the Rio Grande Trail on Sunday.

Yikes!!

How come trains are scheduled to the minute in Europe and are always on time and U.S. trains are notoriously and horrendously late?

Five of us planned a fun weekend enjoying the strawberry festival, riding bikes, and soaking in the hot springs. Now are plans will have to be drastically altered.

My first disappointment was when I found out Amtrak (on the Chicago to California route anyway) doesn’t transport bikes (w/out a big hassle & extra $). Now the late train. How much do you want a bet they won’t be willing to refund our fare?

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/19/amtrak-train-delayed-by-over-8-hours/

Jun 18 2010

Inline Skating Trails

Okay, we’ve discussed biking trails & hiking trails lately. Now it’s time to give equal time to inline skating trails.

Over half the trails listed on trailsnet.com can be used as inline skate trails. If you are planning a trip to Florida, another great site for finding rollerblade trails is, believe it or not, the Southwest Florida Water Management site. Some of the links on the “Inline Skating” page include “urban getaway,” “Cypress Creek Preserve,” and “Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park.”

Speaking of great Florida inline skating trails, one of my favorites is the Withlacoochee State Trail in Central Florida. Another favorite non-Florida trail is the Trail of the Couer d’ alenes in Norhern Idaho.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/18/inline-skating-trails/

Jun 18 2010

Hiking Trails and Clubs

One of the great benefits of trailsnet.com is the wide variety of trails found on it. The trails are often suitable for hikers, bikers, horse riders, inline skaters, & joggers.

If you are enjoy hiking trails, you may want to consider joining a club. Adventure Travel Guides recently devoted a web page to the “exciting benefits of joining hiking clubs.” The article explains what the benefits of joining a hiking club are and why people partake in group hikes.

On the one hand, group hikes may seem contrary to the purpose of hiking, which is often to seek solitude.
However, hiking with others provides companionship, safety, and motivation.

Read the Adventure Travel Guide article, then look for the best hiking trails on trailsnet.com

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/18/hiking-trails-and-clubs/

Jun 16 2010

Bike Blog

I just visited one of the most comprehensive bicycle blogging sites on the internet. It is called bike blogs and is nicely organized. It is a must-visit for hard core bikers.

I’m hoping they will list trailsnet.com in the bicycle touring section of their blog. A better fit would be a section called bike trails, but they don’t have that yet. I’m hoping they consider a trails section for future postings.

By the way, I love their motto/slogan: “ride vicariously”

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/16/bike-blog/