Top 10 Bike Trails

I love bicycles and I’ve gone through several Life Stages with them. If you read last week’s column, you might remember that I’m on the trailing edge of Stage 9, also known as The Third Golden Age of Bikes.

I rank myself as a solid Type B bike rider. Type B riders might or might not have helmets on, they wear no special clothing, and they sit upright on the padded seats of $150 fat-tired bicycles. They wave at passerby, enjoy the scenery, and stop when they feel like it. Type B riders plug along steadily at 10 or 12 MPH.

I’ve seen at lot of wonderful scenery from the Type B perch on my bike seat – great oceans, dense forests, and giant cities. And the benefits of doing something you like and getting exercise to boot has been well documented. For example, I’ve managed to stay well under 450 pounds, which I can partly attribute to my bike-riding activities.

Before the Top 10 List is revealed, a word about bike riding on public roads: I’ve ridden on a lot of public roads, but since the advent of the official bike trail, I’ve pretty much quit them all, mostly due to safety reasons. I believe that cars should not be forced to share the road with bikes; after all, cars built the roads to start with, and they OWN them in my opinion. However, the convenience of public roads cannot be beat, and if the traffic is not heavy, they can be an excellent source of fun, scenery, exercise, and Vitamin D. Select a lightly-traveled road near you, and carefully hit the ditch when you see a car coming.

The Top 10 list consists of trails that are wide, paved, and designed specifically for biking, walking, running, and/or skating. So, without further adieu, here is my list of the Top 10 Bike Trails, in reverse order:

10. St. George Island, FL. Well, it is on an island, and it is in Florida, but I wouldn’t make a special trip. Light on shade.

9. Tallahassee to St. Marks, Tallahassee, FL. Straight and flat, with a few scenic areas thrown in. The towns on each end of the trail are the highlights. A lot of shade.

8. Tammany Trace, Covington, LA. A good trail built by our Louisiana neighbors. Has an outstanding children’s playground at the Green Caboose Trailhead. Plenty of good places to eat.

7. Nature Coast, Fanning Springs, FL. A long rails–to-trails conversion with 3 branches. Highlights include proximity to the wonderful swim hole of Fanning Springs, a bridge over the Suwannee River, and hordes of gopher turtles.

6. Scenic 98, Destin, FL. A good ride paralleling Highway 98. Safe, until you have to cross the road. The best section is along Scenic 98 between Hutchinson Street and ‘Regular’ 98. Great for ocean views and people watching.

5. Sanibel Island, FL. A bike-friendly island with miles and miles of good trails. The paths are wide, there’s plenty of shade, the pace is slow, and the scenery is tropical. Watch out for alligators.

4. Chicago, IL. Believe it or not, Chicago’s a great bike city. There are stunning views of skyscrapers, Lake Michigan, rich people’s boats, parks, and fountains. Bikes can be rented at the Navy Pier. The trail is smooth and level. Bring a jacket, even in the summer.

3. San Francisco, CA. The star attraction here is the waterfront Golden Gate Promenade, followed by a ride over the Golden Gate Bridge. If you can make it to Sausalito, have a picnic in one of their city parks overlooking San Francisco and the Bay. Be prepared for some steep climbs and hard pedaling.

2. 30-A Timpoochee Trace, Panhandle, FL. Barely missed being no. 1, mostly due to its distance from home. It is a fantastic trail with gentle slopes that parallels Scenic Route 30-A between Destin and Panama City. The scenery is breathtaking, with a good dose of nature’s wonders complemented by some outstanding man-made architecture.

1. Longleaf Trace, Hattiesburg, MS. When you take everything into account, including location, scenery, access, safety, and gentle slopes, The Longleaf Trace wins hands down. Wives or other non-riders can drop riders off on the trail, go shopping, and pick them up later. Or wives can shop until you call them with your cell phone. Thank God for the Longleaf Trace.

I encourage you to go out and ride your bike. What better way to celebrate our nation’s founding than by enjoying our bountiful blessings!

The End.