What USA city has the best bicycle trails?



Colorado Bicycler wrote:
> Of course, the map shows only the longer lousy major trails.
> Fortunately, it doesn't show the shorter trails, as that would make it
> too cluttered and would bore one even more.


Dear Brer Rabbit, err CB I mean. Thanks for the warning.

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada
>
> Please don't ride them as we don't want visitors to be disappointed.
> Just drive right your car right through Denver to the mountains where
> you can ride on several hundreds of miles of paved bike paths and mtn
> bike trails.
>
> http://tinyurl.com/9qcue
 
dgk wrote:
> On Thu, 26 Jan 2006 18:36:21 GMT, "Bruce W.1"
>
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> >What city in the USA has the best set of bicycle trails for commuting to
> >work and recreation? I might move there.

>
> >Thanks for your help.

>
> It isn't NYC.


Not Boston either. It's not an ant-bike thing, just that commuting in
Boston (I've used bike, car, train, subway, waking, and bus) all suck.
Commuter train only sucked a little.

Austin (Now in Twin Cities of Minnesota where the winters are usually
colder but the cycling is better)
 
dgk wrote:
> On Thu, 26 Jan 2006 18:36:21 GMT, "Bruce W.1"
>
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> >What city in the USA has the best set of bicycle trails for commuting to
> >work and recreation? I might move there.

>
> >Thanks for your help.

>
> It isn't NYC.


Not Boston either. It's not an ant-bike thing, just that commuting in
Boston (I've used bike, car, train, subway, waking, and bus) all suck.
Commuter train only sucked a little.

Austin (Now in Twin Cities of Minnesota where the winters are usually
colder but the cycling is better)
 
"Colorado Bicycler" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> There are just a very fw, and they are not interconnected at all. Here
> is a map showing the measly, segmented, puny little things. You
> definitely would NOT want to ride them, since they are covered with
> cement, kept up well, and have almost none of those exciting street
> interesections. Very boring as you ride along rivers and streams with
> noisy birds and lousy trees.
>
> www.sandcreekgreenway.org/assets/maps/Postmaplarge.jpg )
>


Thanks for all the links :) I'm always looking for trails to visit on
vacation.

We have several good trails in our area, Southwest Ohio, and they continue
to grow each year.
http://www.miamivalleytrails.org/swot-map.htm

Beverly
 
I picked a nice day last summer to ride around Boulder, since it is
considered so bike friendly. The trails were very nice, but I found it
much easier to get around on the roads. There was much less traffic
than on the trials, and the cars tended to follow the rules of the
road. That being said, there was a lot of nice scenery on the trails...

I think I'll stick to the trails in Denver, and the forest service
roads in Grand County!
 
Bruce W.1 wrote:
> What city in the USA has the best set of bicycle trails for commuting to
> work and recreation? I might move there.
>
> Thanks for your help.



Isn't it obvious that NYC is #1 here? 'Cause there are lots in the
surrounding areas, too!

Think about it...where else can you host 30K+ cyclists every year for a
whole day decade after decade?
 
dgk wrote:
>
>
> It isn't NYC.



Well, we don't have mountains in the background, unfortunately, and
this ain't Holland here (damned redcoats), but it's got to be the best,
all things considered: lots of variety, lots of places; miles and miles
in the City alone, not to mention just outside; rivers and oceans and
you're never too far from help if you break down or catch a flat!

And of course, we have jobs here.
 
"NYC XYZ" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Bruce W.1 wrote:
>> What city in the USA has the best set of bicycle trails for commuting to
>> work and recreation? I might move there.


> Isn't it obvious that NYC is #1 here? 'Cause there are lots in the
> surrounding areas, too!


I thought to ride in NYC you had to ride like this:
http://www.digave.com/videos/red-web.mpg

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
Sponsor me for the Big Climb! See: www.active.com/donate/cpetersky06
See the books I've set free at:
http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky
 
Claire Petersky wrote:
>
>
> I thought to ride in NYC you had to ride like this:
> http://www.digave.com/videos/red-web.mpg


Only if you're being chased -- by a camera.

That was AWESOME!!! Brings back some good memories (though I'm a full
15% less gutsy than those guys, even when I was a messenger myself!
And I always respected pedestrians...).

> --
> Warm Regards,
>
> Claire Petersky


THANKS FOR SHARING. You're my kinda gal! This inspires me to do a
video of the Greenways in NYC and around...hmm....

> http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
> Sponsor me for the Big Climb! See: www.active.com/donate/cpetersky06
> See the books I've set free at:
> http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky
 
landotter wrote:
> I consider Chicago to be the bike friendliest large city in North
> America. Probably not up there when it comes to total dedicated trail
> mileage, but except for the heart of downtown, it's excellent--and
> flat. :D


The suburbs are a different matter, since the subdivisions channel
traffic onto relatively high speed arterials. Traditional grid-pattern
street neighborhoods are much better for cycling.

--
Tom Sherman - Fox River Valley
 
Bruce W.1 wrote:

>What city in the USA has the best set of bicycle trails for commuting to
>work and recreation? I might move there.
>
>Thanks for your help.
>
>

I'm still getting my free editions of Bicycling Magazine (they must be
on a serious subscription drive). They have an article on the 21 best
cities for bicycling in the US. Not sure how valuable it is, though.
They naturally list Boulder, but then say the *must ride* for Boulder is
the Boulder Creek Path, so they have clearly not done any research.
There are a lot of great - even must rides in Boulder, but the creek
path is certainly not one of them. It's for walking your dog, riding
with your kids in tow, taking the baby out in a stroller, jogging,
blading, and walking in circles while talking on your cell phone. It's a
must ride if you like running over dogs and shouting "on your left"
every five seconds. They then list the best bicycle hang out as some
coffee shop (are cyclists supposed to be Starbuck's junkies?). I would
disregard anything they claim to know about Boulder - so the same may be
true about the other places they mention as well.

Once again Bicycling Magazine proves itself to be worthless, unless you
like window shopping.

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO
http://www.CycleTourist.com
Integrity is obvious.
The lack of it is common.
*****************************
 
Chuck Anderson wrote in part:

> I'm still getting my free editions of Bicycling Magazine (they must be
> on a serious subscription drive). They have an article on the 21 best
> cities for bicycling in the US. Not sure how valuable it is, though.
> They naturally list Boulder, but then say the *must ride* for Boulder is
> the Boulder Creek Path, so they have clearly not done any research.
> There are a lot of great - even must rides in Boulder, but the creek
> path is certainly not one of them. It's for walking your dog, riding
> with your kids in tow, taking the baby out in a stroller, jogging,
> blading, and walking in circles while talking on your cell phone. It's a
> must ride if you like running over dogs and shouting "on your left"
> every five seconds.


True but IMO one of the must-rides uses a portion
of the Boulder Creek Path as it leaves town up
Boulder Canyon, on the way to the Four Mile
turnoff. The Boulder Creek Path itself is not a
must-ride, that's for sure, although the scenery
as they say is outstanding.

Robert
 
Chuck Anderson <[email protected]> writes:
>
> I'm still getting my free editions of Bicycling Magazine (they must be
> on a serious subscription drive). They have an article on the 21 best
> cities for bicycling in the US. Not sure how valuable it is,
> though. They naturally list Boulder, but then say the *must ride* for
> Boulder is the Boulder Creek Path, so they have clearly not done any
> research. There are a lot of great - even must rides in Boulder, but
> the creek path is certainly not one of them. It's for walking your
> dog, riding with your kids in tow, taking the baby out in a stroller,
> jogging, blading, and walking in circles while talking on your cell
> phone. It's a must ride if you like running over dogs and shouting "on
> your left" every five seconds.


I dunno--I love the Boulder Creek trail. Whenever my company sends me
up to Boulder, I strap my bike on the back of the car and take it for a
spin after my workday's done, then go to the Walnut Brewery and hang out
for a bit, maybe get in a few more miles on my bikes and then crash at a
buddy's place.

The trail is nice, with wonderful eyecandy and near-constant shade. The
creek babbling alongside the trail sounds beautiful and all-in-all it's
an excellent ride with a nice natural feel. Sure, there are other folks
on it--one just rides around 'em. No, it's not for someone doing race
training, but it's superb for a nice pleasant ride.

Contrasted with the Denver trails, it's superb. I've yet to find a
better one in Boulder, either. Which do you prefer?

--
Robert Uhl <http://public.xdi.org/=ruhl>
It was an indescribably beautiful thing, with the perfection of line and form
that only something designed to be functional can have, lean and graceful and
infinitely menacing, like a man-eating swan.
--Tom Holt, Who's Afraid of Beowulf?
 
I like the direction Bicycling Magazine has been going in lately.

I think the diversity of the stories and articles has greatly
increased.

I like what they have done in organizing and getting manufacturers to
gift significant numbers of bicycles to a variety of cities, then
following up on what ahs happened to individuals and communities as a
result of those gifts.
>Once again Bicycling Magazine proves itself to be worthless, unless you

like window shopping.

They have had an extensive article about a guy in his 90's who bicycles
regularly.

And a bunch of other, to me, interesting stuff.

I don't really like the "27 steps to [whatever - fitness or a better
bike - you name it] but that seems to be the mode in all sorts of
magazines. I.e., 8 steps to a better sex life or 15 foods that improve
your skin.

I think it is most difficult to have a mag that appeals to a wide
variety of interests, levels and abilities.

But, I think they have really improved the past 3-4 years.
 
Personally, I find the Suncoast area to be very bicycle friendly thanks to a
wonderful climate, affordable housing, beautiful beaches, picturesque parks,
as well as a developing network of bicycle routes, lanes, trails and other
ammenities. In fact, our over 40 mile long Pinellas Trail has such a
diversity of sights, shops, restaurants, and wildlife watching to enjoy.
With so many businesses located near the trail, I have been able to commute
by bicycle to work and to run errands for the last 10 years with great ease.
And the local communities are committed to further expanding their bicycle
infrastructure. For more information about the local area, try
www.pinellascounty.org

Best Regards,
Kurt Polakoff
Clearwater, Florida


"Bruce W.1" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> What city in the USA has the best set of bicycle trails for commuting to
> work and recreation? I might move there.
>
> Thanks for your help.
 
On Tue, 31 Jan 2006 20:20:53 -0500, "Kurt Polakoff" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Personally, I find the Suncoast area to be very bicycle friendly thanks to a
>wonderful climate, affordable housing, beautiful beaches, picturesque parks,
>as well as a developing network of bicycle routes, lanes, trails and other
>ammenities. In fact, our over 40 mile long Pinellas Trail has such a
>diversity of sights, shops, restaurants, and wildlife watching to enjoy.
>With so many businesses located near the trail, I have been able to commute
>by bicycle to work and to run errands for the last 10 years with great ease.
>And the local communities are committed to further expanding their bicycle
>infrastructure. For more information about the local area, try
>www.pinellascounty.org
>
>Best Regards,
>Kurt Polakoff
>Clearwater, Florida


Actually, I think we've got it even better on the other side of the bay in
Tampa. Many, many miles of bike friendly trails paved and off-road.

But, please, let's not tell 'em about it. More will move down here.

Ron
 
I spent 9 months in Tampa, and commuted to work the entire time.
Overall it was a nice experience, but I did have my worst wreck of my
career there. I was chugging down a main artery, when a woman pulled
right out in front of me. I had no choice but to ram right into the
side of her car. I was lying on the road, with my totaled bike, when
she opened the door looked right at me, closed the door, and drove off
without saying a word.
But I still like Tampa!
Jim Gagnepain
http://home.comcast.net/~oil_free_and_happy/

Ron Sonic wrote:
>Actually, I think we've got it even better on the other side of the bay in

Tampa. Many, many miles of bike friendly trails paved and off-road.
 
How many cities do you have to know well to be qualified to answer? I've
biked through many of them, but can hardly say I know the best bike riding
routes in them. Still, I've welcomed the comments on this thread, mindful
that comparisons are difficult.

The Milwaukee area I know best isn't famous for biking, but it isn't bad -
good paths along Lake Michigan and several rivers, and the nearby rural
roads are better than in most areas; many of them have extra width, with or
without a formal bike lane. Madison has more bikers, but no better a road
and path system.



"Bruce W.1" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> What city in the USA has the best set of bicycle trails for commuting to
> work and recreation? I might move there.
>
> Thanks for your help.