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Tuesday, November 03, 2009
San Diego by EZ Pack Folding Bike
Planning to visit San Diego? Want to go cycling? This should help.
The following info was compiled by Jay H., a San Diego resident and new owner of an EZ Pack folding bike.
Pro's & Con's of Bicycling in San Diego:
-Pro's:
Good year round weather!
Bike friendly public transportation.
Lots of bike paths and bike routes.
Relatively safe, relaxed-paced city/county.
-Con's:
Outside of the coastline, San Diego is mostly hilly terrain.
Public transportation doesn't go everywhere.
Many bus routes only run once an hour.
San Diego is very spread out.
Bicycles on Transit: Busses and Trolleys are very bike friendly - no time of day restrictions. Although San Diego mass transit's literature says 2 bikes per Trolley, I've seen up to 6 on each car (3 at each end) with no complaints and no problem at all! Transit Tip: Best way to go: buy an all day unlimited pass ($5 as of Nov 2009)
Flying into San Diego? Bicycling from the airport into town is scenic and easy. Exit the airport going southeast on Harbor Drive and you'll see a bike/pedestrian trail on the bay side of the harbor. Turn left on Broadway and the Santa Fe Depot Amtrak/local light rail station will be on the left (after crossing the tracks). Total ride distance is about 3 miles.
The Continental Divide is a spine of mountains and high ground that runs from Alaska to the southern tip of South America. Since the summer of 2006, three guys have been bicycling unsupported over this undulating spine using single track and dirt trails whenever possible. They're known as RidingTheSpine.
Now midway to reaching their goal, the RidingTheSpine guys (Goat, Jacob, Sean) have amassed more adventure than most people will have over a lifetime. Chronicles of their adventures in newspapers, magazines and online have led many casual bike riders to wistfully dream of embarking upon their own epic rides. Now you can, safely and for a reasonable price.
John Yost (co-founder of adventure travel pioneer Sobek Expeditions) and Coast To Coast Adventures have teamed up to create an incredible, supported bike ride through the cloud forests and active volcanoes of northern Costa Rica. If you're a RidingTheSpine fan, here's the best part: you'll have the unprecedented experience of bicycling beside the Spine guys on a small but truly spectacular portion of their journey. The distances are short enough (28-40 miles/day) so even casual cyclists can participate.
Known as the Costa Rica Fundraiser Ride, the tour takes place from February 3-10, 2008. Cost to participate is just $795 (including hotels, ground transportation, cycling gear & sag support) and all profits from this very economical adventure go towards funding the rest of the RidingTheSpine journey to where the spine drops into the sea at Ushuaia, Argentina.
Being that I've traveled to this region of Costa Rica, I can personally vouch for the scenic beauty of the rain and cloud forests you'll ride through as well as the awesome volcanic eruptions you're likely to see, hear and even smell. If you can take the time off in February, sign up and join Goat, Jacob & Sean in RidingTheSpine. This trip is definitely one you'll talk about for years after.
(Note: This is the first segment of a multi part story on bicycling in and around St. Augustine, Florida.)
Tis the season to be jolly but if chilly winter weather is sapping your cheer, perhaps a break in sunny St Augustine, Florida could be just what the doctor ordered.
Recently, I traveled to St. Augustine for an update on several regional cycling developments. It turns out that there have been some great changes since my last visit in 2002.
Little St Augustine (pop 12,000) is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the USA. Formerly a vital safe harbor for Spanish galleons laden with gold, St Aug was also Spain's northernmost American strong hold.
To protect the town from pirates and rival colonial powers, the Spanish built an impressive stone fortress (Castillo San Marco) and more. The fortifications worked, allowing the town to survive and leaving a rich cultural legacy to this day.
With 40+ tourist attractions/points of interest crammed into @ 3 square miles, St Augustine is like a theme park magically brought to life. Watch re-enactors fire cannons and muskets at the Castillo. Sip from a freshwater spring thought to be Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth. Take a sunset pirate cruise on a 2 masted sailing sloop. Watch keepers feed every type of crocodile on earth (including a 17 foot Australian saltwater croc) at the Alligator Farm. See the best view for miles by climbing 174' to the top of the historic, haunted, candy striped lighthouse. And then, of course, there's the biking.
Given the town's small footprint, narrow streets, limited parking and popularity with tourists, bicycles come in handy in St Augustine. Rentals are available but a light folding bike is more convenient. I rode a DownTube Mini with an 8 speed internal hub with 16" wheels and was very satisfied; however, with the flat terrain, a 3 speed or even a simple single speed with coaster brakes would work well here.
As enjoyable as it is to bike in St Aug's historic center, the highlight of my trip was riding on Anastasia Island's white sand beaches. A short spin over the Bridge of Lions, through a quiet residential neighborhood, past the Alligator Farm and across US Hwy 1A brings you to Anastasia State Recreation Area. For 3 glorious miles, the sight of man made structures or the sounds of motor cars are delightfully absent from the beach.
I carried my folding bike across 70' feet of loose sand and began pedaling. The path was an unmarked, 200' wide expanse of flat, hard packed sand that extended all the way to the crashing surf. I playfully weaved back and forth across the beach, serenaded by gulls, waves, wind and the constant crunching of microscopic shells beneath my tires.
Unless you have a boat, access to Anastasia SRA is only from the south end. Thus, the further you pedal up the beach, the greater the solitude. By the time I reached the north end at the inlet to St Augustine's harbor, shore birds outnumbered the 5 people there by @ 800 to 1. Looking west, I was also rewarded with an unforgettable vista: St Augustine at sunset. Terns pecked the sand at water's edge in search of a meal. Behind them lay a shimmering harbor sprinkled with sailboats swaying gently, some gliding slowly across the surface. The golden outline of downtown St. Augustine hovered on the horizon, back lit by the setting sun.
Coming Soon: Guana's Sand Trails, Rail Trail To Orlando & Road Ride To Jacksonville Airport
If you're planning a trip to Israel, you may want to take along your folding mountain bike so you can ride a portion of the Israel Bike Trail ("Shvil Yisrael B'Ofanayim").
In the works since 1997, the 1200 kilometer long Israel Bike Trail (IBT) will run from Mt. Hermon to the Gulf of Eilat. The route passes Lake Kinneret, the Mediterranean Sea, the Dead Sea, Masada as well as through Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, Galilee, the Carmel and the Judean Desert. (Photo: Masada)
Much of the trail will consist of former dirt roads that are being modified into single track. The trail is being narrowed to prevent ATV's and other vehicles from using the route.
Lodging accommodations are being built every 35-40 km along the IBT so cyclists can ride from inn to inn. The entire route is expected to be complete within 3 years.
Trail planners foresee the IBT drawing ecotourists from around the world. Given the natural and historical sites the trail will pass, I predict it will become popular with families seeking a vacation that satisfies adults and children alike. Count me in!
The Little Miami Trail Network One of the most extensive networks of non-motorized, multi-use trail bike trails in the USA can be found in and around Dayton, Ohio. Known collectively as the Miami Valley Trail Network, this series of bike trails extends from eastern Cincinnati to Buck Creek State Park near Springfield.
The center of the trail network is the former railroad hub of Xenia, Ohio. From Xenia Station, the Creekside Trail, Jamestown Connector, and the Ohio to Erie Trail radiate out like spokes on a bicycle hub. Including additional connected bike trails, cyclists have access to over 200 miles of non-motorized trails from Xenia.
Where: Southwestern Ohio
Where to stay: Xenia, Ohio. The trail head there makes it an ideal base for exploring the entire Little Miami network.
Following are some recommendations courtesy of Ernie Conner (another bike trail enthusiast) of Gulf Breeze, Florida...
Lodging Recommendations: "I recommend the Holiday Inn given its proximity to the trails, but we took the cheap way out and stayed at a Knights Inn. I would stay at the Holiday Inn next time."
Trail Rides: - Our first ride was north to Springfield via Yellow Springs and a stop at Young's Jersey Dairy for ice cream (38 miles RT). - Our second day was west from Xenia to downtown Dayton via the Creekside and Mad River Trails (39 miles RT). - Our third day was south from Xenia to Corwin, Ohio (39 miles RT).
Misc: "Downtown Dayton has a beautiful minor league baseball park only a block or two off the trail. Its a must see. We drove back to Dayton one night and watched a ball game."
More information can be found at these websites: Miami Valley Ohio Rails to Trails Excellent site offering mile by mile descriptions of all 260+ miles of trails in the network including locations of trail heads, parking, water fountains, restrooms, restaurants, ice cream shops, hotels, motels, B&B's & campgrounds near bike trails in the Little Miami Valley. Map & List of Ohio Bikeays Courtesy of ODOT Detailed and up to date information pertaining to all of Ohio's bike lanes, paths and trails including maps, trail mileage and much more. One of the more useful state bike sites I've seen. Bike Miami Valley A 501 (c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to promoting, enabling and creating safe bicycling for recreation and transportation in a 10-county region known as the Miami Valley in southwestern Ohio. Little Miami State Park 50 mile trail corridor owned by the State of Ohio that focuses on bicycling, hiking, cross-country skiing, rollerblading, backpacking and horseback riding. The corridor also provides access to canoeing the Little Miami River. Little Miami Scenic Trail Multi-purpose scenic trail running from Xenia, Ohio to Yellow Springs. Little Miami Scenic Trail Users Study This study estimates that there are 150,000 to 175,000 trail visits annually on the 27 mile section between Loveland and Corwin in Warren County, Ohio. Sixty-six percent of trail users are bicycling; 25% are walking or jogging; and 8.5% are in-line skating. These trail users spend approximately $3.1 to $3.7 million annually on trip-related expenditures and trail-related durable goods.
During a meeting this week with Jeff Ciabotti, Vice President of Trail Development for the Rails To Trails Conservancy (RTC), I learned that construction is now underway to complete the final connecting sections of the Chief Ladiga and Silver Comet rail trails at the Alabama - Georgia state line. Upon completion of this project, a cyclist will be able to ride all 101 miles from Smyrna (a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia) to Anniston, Alabama on a smooth, non-motorized rail trail. Since Atlanta and Anniston are both served by Amtrak's Crescent, cyclists will be able to ride one way and take the train back.
Although there are many bike trails throughout the USA, the number of interstate trails is small; thus, the opening of this connector is quite an event. In fact, both the governors of Alabama & Georgia are expected to attend the ceremony as are key figures from Washington, D.C. (like Jeff) and representatives of corporate sponsors of the project (like Coca Cola) and stake holders (such as Atlanta's PATH Foundation).
During a meeting yesterday with Jeff, I proposed that we promote the ribbon cutting event to members of the RTC from around the nation as well as to cyclist organizations across the Deep South. Jeff suggested I begin by getting an update on the construction progress from project manager Shannon Robbins.
According to Shannon, the wet weather they've been experiencing this Winter has turned the work area into a muddy mess. As a result, the work on the rail trail may not be complete until mid July '07 amd no date has been announced for the ribbon cutting event at the Coca Cola kiosk being built at the state line.
I'm planning to ride the Chief Ladiga & Silver Comet and will be timing my visit to coincide with the ribbon cutting. If you'd also like to attend, either email me or check my site periodically as I will be publishing more details about the event as they become available. As I plan to take Amtrak to the event, I'll also begin to publish info about places to go bicycling along the route of the Crescent from New Orleans to Atlanta (and perhaps even beyond).
This should help.
Busses and Trolleys are very bike friendly - no time of day restrictions. Although San Diego mass transit's literature says 2 bikes per Trolley, I've seen up to 6 on each car (3 at each end) with no complaints and no problem at all!
Bicycling from the airport into town is scenic and easy. Exit the airport going southeast on Harbor Drive and you'll see a bike/pedestrian trail on the bay side of the harbor. Turn left on Broadway and the Santa Fe Depot Amtrak/local light rail station will be on the left (after crossing the tracks). Total ride distance is about 3 miles.
