Posts Tagged ‘Biking’

San Francisco, the all time favorite urban biking experience. Photo: Ty Milford/Aurora Open/Corbis

Route: Fisherman’s Wharf to Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito
Distance: 8 miles (almost 13 km)

In this hilly city, where cyclists use a zigzagging route known as the Wiggle to avoid steep climbs in the city center, the ride from Fisherman’s Wharf on the Embarcadero to Sausalito in Marin County is one of the easiest — and the most spectacular. Start at the Wharf, where $7-per-hour bike rentals are available at Bike and Roll, and pick up the bike path that heads north toward the Golden Gate Bridge.

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Chicago, Illinois. Photo: Richard Bryant/Arcaid/Corbis

Route: Hyde Park loop
Distance: 5 miles (8 km)

Move over, Grant Park; there’s a new bike ride in town: the South Side neighborhood of Hyde Park. Although it’s probably best known as President Obama’s old stomping grounds, it has several other oft-overlooked city treasures. Start at the DuSable Museum of African American History in Washington Park, Hyde Park’s western border, and head northeast through the neighborhood’s quiet, leafy streets. Cycle up to President Obama’s home (5046 South Greenwood Avenue), then wend your way back down to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House (5757 South Woodlawn Avenue), which is the greatest example of the architect’s Prairie style. A few blocks to the east is Jackson Park, which contains the excellent, kid-friendly Museum of Science and Industry and the quiet oasis of the Osaka Japanese Garden. Read the rest of this entry »

Montreal, Canada. Photo: Guillen Photography/Alamy

Route: St. Lawrence River and Lachine Canal loop
Distance: 22 miles (about 35 km)

Montreal makes riding easy, with 300 miles (480 km) of bike paths and 300 self-service BIXI bike-sharing stations (click here for bike availability in real time). There is a beautiful waterfront loop that begins at Atwater Market, a huge indoor/outdoor expanse of local-, organic- and exotic-food stalls.

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Route: Pier 84 to City Island
Distance: 18 miles (29 km)

Bike path, Hudson River Park. Photo: flickr member Seth Holladay

The popular Hudson River Park bike path, which runs along Manhattan’s west side, offers 13 miles (21 km) of continuous city sights on one side and the Hudson River and New Jersey on the other — and is absolutely worth its own ride. But for a more off-the-tourist-track journey, take the bike path north from Manhattan into the Bronx. Start at Pier 84 at West 43rd Street (near the Intrepid Museum), where Bike and Roll offers $10 hourly rentals.

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New Orleans, Lousiana. Photo: Jon Arnold/Alamy

Route: French Quarter to Lower Ninth Ward to City Park
Distance: 9 miles (14.5 km)

New Orleans is home to a bevy of historic neighborhoods — all of them fascinating, all of them topographically flat. Touring by bike is an easy way to take in the details. Start by renting your two-wheeler at Bicycle Michael’s, near the French Quarter. From there, head east to the adjacent bohemian neighborhood of Bywater. Even though you will have just started your ride, stop here for breakfast at Elizabeth’s (don’t miss the praline bacon) or, if it’s lunchtime, try Bacchanal Wine, where the garden is open in the afternoon.

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Bruges, Belgium. Photo: John Van Hasselt/Corbis Sygma

Route: Market Square to Damme loop
Distance: 11 miles (almost 18 km)

The center of this small Belgian port town is a web of winding streets and canals — said to be the best-preserved medieval city in Europe. To see it by bike, rent one at the train station or at the Bauhaus Hotel near the city center for about $12 per day. Every tour of Bruges should start at the leaning bell tower that has loomed over Market Square since 1300. (There are 366 steps up to the top — leave your bike behind, obviously — but the views are worth it.)

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Los Angeles, California. Photo: David McNew/Getty

Route: Canoga Park to Long Beach
Distance: 51 miles (82 km)

A ride along the dry, concrete riverbed of the L.A. River is a truly authentic urban experience — with views of graffitied walls, highway overpasses and a multitude of L.A. communities. (You might recognize the scenery as the backdrop of the pyrotechnic tractor-trailer chase in Terminator 2.) The river begins in Canoga Park, in the San Fernando Valley, and heads south to the Pacific Ocean, passing through 30 neighborhoods, including downtown L.A.

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Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Photo: Jon Arnold/Alamy

Route: Museumplein, Vondelpark, Jordaan and Western canal ring
Distance: 9 miles (14.5 km)

Cyclists rule the roads in Amsterdam, which has a well-deserved reputation as the world’s best — and most beautiful — biking city. Every route is a scenic one, lined with elegant Dutch townhouses and festive street cafés, and the only hills are those over the historic canal bridges. Start by picking up an upright bike, just like the locals, for $14 per day at Mike’s Bike Tours, near Leidseplein in the southwest section of the central city.

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Portland, Oregon. Photo: Jamie Francis/Landov

Portland really knows how to treat its cyclists. Overlaying the city is a grid of well-used bike lanes, many of which lead to beautiful parks and lakes (click here for bike maps). You can rent bikes for $20 per half-day at Citybikes, a workers’ cooperative. The ride from Colonel Summers Park to Rocky Butte offers a look at several residential neighborhoods along with short but strenuous climbs to the tops of two extinct volcanoes — with spectacular city views — while staying within the city limits and on designated bike lanes.

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Verona, Italy. Photo: Massimo Borchi/Atlantide/Phototravel Corbis

The historic center of Verona is almost completely encircled by a sharp curve in the wide Adige River, which makes it easy to pedal around these ancient streets and alleyways without fear of straying too far.

Bikes can be rented at stalls on the corner of Piazza Bra and Via Roma, which should serve as the southern border of this free-form trip. Since cars are prohibited in parts of Verona’s city center — it’s not friendly to traffic at any rate — your ride will be relatively stress-free.

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