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Posted on May 7th 2010 1:00PM by Karen AspFiled Under: Fitness, Fit Travel
Want to know one of the best ways to explore a city and of course, burn off those vacation margaritas and ice cream cones? Hop on a bike. I recently did this in San Francisco. (Check out Bay City Bike, if you're there.) I biked all around Fisherman's Wharf -- it's flat down there so you don't have to worry about those dreaded hills -- and then rode across the Golden Gate Bridge, eventually pedaling into Sausalito for lunch. Cool, yes? I thought so. Plus, I covered more on those wheels than I could have covered by foot.
I've done the same thing in numerous other cities, including Santa Barbara, Calif, Boulder, Colo., and even Paris. And it's super easy -- just pick up a bike at a rental shop and off you go. Some shops offer guided tours or you can hook up with a tour company that leads bike tours. Even hotels are getting more savvy about bikes, and offering them to their guests. For instance, the Hotel Monaco in Portland, Ore., offers a carless vacation package, which includes a historic downtown bike tour and two free bike rentals. Or if you're staying at the Park Hyatt Chicago, ask about the complimentary bicycle valet program that gives you hybrid bikes, cycling accessories and maps.
So what are the best cities to bike in? Bicycling magazine recently compiled its list of the best bike-friendly cities. If you've got the itch to explore by bike on your next vacation, put these top 10 bike-friendly cities on your agenda:
1) Minneapolis, Minn.
2) Portland, Ore.
3) Boulder, Colo.
4) Seattle
5) Eugene, Ore.
6) San Francisco
7) Madison, Wisc.
8) New York City
9) Tucson, Ariz.
10) Chicago
One word of warning, though: Make sure to wear a helmet. On a vacation with my family to Maui when I was a teenager, we were biking down Haleakala when my sister took a small spill off the side of the road. Fortunately, she was wearing her helmet or else the situation could have ended much differently.
Prefer to do some hiking instead on your next vacation? Here are four of my all-time favorite hikes.
