Jun 15 2010

Bikes on Trains

Ever since I rode the Santa Fe Trail in New Mexico, I’ve been psyched to do another “rails with trails” bike journey.

On the Santa Fe trail, I rode the Santa Fe Rail Trail all day, then rode the Railrunner Express train to Albuquerque where I rode a section of the Bosque Bike Trail.

I saw a lot of beautiful scenery on the Native American lands while I rode the commuter train from Santa Fe to Albuquerque. The pueblos were very different than many of the others I’ve seen in New Mexico and other areas of the Southwest.

And of course the bike rides were great too. The bike rides are always great!!!

Now I’ve got the itch to do more bike and rail combined trips. There was a great article in the July-August National Geographic Traveler about “Europe’s 10 Best Rail Rides.” As I read each one, I kept wondering, “Are there any bike trails nearby?” Can you take bikes on those trains?”

Someday I plan to find out the answers to those questions. And when I do, I share them with you on www.trailsnet.com.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/15/bikes-on-trains/

Jun 13 2010

Recumbent Bike Blog

Okay, so the term “recumbent bicycle” isn’t technically correct since many recumbents have three and even four wheels and bicycle means “two wheels.” But I know you’re not that picky and neither am I, so I’ll continue to generically refer to all recumbents as recumbent bicycles.

There, now that I’ve got that off my chest…

I just rediscovered a great website/blog. It’s www.recumbentblog.com and it is one of the most comprehensive recumbent sites on the web. I especially like the fact that it seems pretty unbiased and straight-forward. As far as I could tell, it’s not trying to sell anything or push any particular agenda. It’s just a great clearinghouse for information about the recumbent world.

And I’d love to see more of that. I’ve been a huge fan of recumbents ever since my daughter & I rented a tandem recumbent while riding the Withlacoochee State Trail in Florida. We both had a blast.

Since then, I’ve ridden recumbents on the Silver Comet Trail in Georgia, the Chief Ladiga Trail in Alabama, and the Longleaf Trace Trail in Mississippi. In every case, they were the most comfortable and relaxing rides I’ve ever experienced.

If you haven’t tried the joys of recumbent biking (there I go again), I highly recommend it. They aren’t just for old coots.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/13/recumbent-bike-blog/

Jun 12 2010

Rainy Day Bike Trail

It’s a rainy day on the trail today. It was okay for walking to the coffee shop, but not a great day for biking. Who likes that skunk stripe on their bike from “trail spray?”

I think that’ll be the next poll on the blog page. What do you trail lovers do on a rainy day? Stay home and watch world cup soccer? Ride your bike and get wet? Walk in a heavy duty rain slicker & umbrella? Or jump in every mud puddle you see?

I love the rain… just not so much while I’m on a bike path.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/12/rainy-day-bike-trail/

Jun 11 2010

Cheshire Rail Trail

Just like that crazy disappearing cat in Alice in Wonderland, the trail map for the Cheshire Rail Trail in New Hampshire was quite invisible up until recently. Somehow the trail description, trail information, and trail pictures got posted, but the map was absent.

Well it’s there now thank goodness. The two trails near Keene, NH are both fairly difficult to find even though one of them starts in the middle of the town.

I wish I would have had access to the maps located on trailsnet.com when I was in New England.

All the trails there are great … spring, summer, & fall. They may be difficult to locate, but they’re well worth it.

The Cheshire Trail starts out w/ a bang as you immediately cross a beautiful stone bridge that overlooks the river & valley. And if you’re riding it in the summer, it provides you w/ ample shade and a couple good refreshment stops.

So by all means, visit www.trailsnet.com and check out New Hampshire’s Cheshire Rail Trail.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/11/cheshire-rail-trail/

Jun 09 2010

Rail-Trail Hall of Fame

keith_placing_sign.jpgIf you’re looking for a great, epic trail, I encourage you to visit The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Hall of Fame web page.

On it, you’ll be able to locate one of the world’s best trails just by clicking on a map. So you can find the location where you want to ride bike, hike, etc. and find a classic rail trail.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/09/rail-trail-hall-of-fame/

Jun 08 2010

Andalucia for active travel in June

June is a pretty good month for travel worldwide, but it’s also crowded in most spots, and the weather is starting to get a bit hot and muggy.

One option for your June active travel vacation is Andalucia. It’s great for hiking, biking, & horse riding. The weather is fairly reasonable for most of the month, the costs are relatively low, and Andalucia is less crowded than many other travel destinations.

For information about an active vacation in Andalucia try visiting activeandalucia.com.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/06/08/andalucia-for-active-travel-in-june/