Germany’s Rhine

There are a host of reasons as to why you should bike ride in Germany. The people, the land, the culture, the book, and the experience. With more than 200 long-distance routes in Germany it is no wonder that the people love it so much. The German people are very environmentally conscious and quite healthy (they don’t have the obesity problems that we have). Why do you think they value smaller, more efficient homes and also public transportation? The Germans love their bicycles.

Neuschwanstein Castle. I just had to add it

Here you will find some of they most authentic cities and the very best of Germany’s unspoiled nature. Obviously with more than 200 bike routes you will find yourself easily at a loss of clear choices. Ride in the Alps for a tough but rewarding and beautiful trip or check out the relaxed routes and tour the vineyards along your way, maybe even collecting some wine for your backpack or saddle bags. The chance for amazing pictures will be all around you no matter which of the routes you choose to ride.

The towns are beyond beautiful

Have a family with small children riding with you? Then check out the riverside routes that will give you more than a fair share of stops and distractions along the way. History buffs? Then ride from museum to museum in many of the cities. There are truly no limits here as to what you can do.

German countryside

Accomodations aren’t a problem either as you can find yourself staying in everything from authentic farmstays to historic castle hotels. The reasons to go to Germany for a bike ride should vastly outnumber any reasons you could possibly come up with to not to go there (if you could come up with any reasons to actually not go there). So check out whatever slice of Germany’s 45,000 miles of bike routes and go find an adventure.

Coast to Vine Rail Trail

Drink and ride your hearts out…

This trail based in Southern Adelaide Suburbs is a scenic one that also envelops coastal cliffs, historical towns, and vineyard vistas. The trail has a few sections that are fully open between cities.  But don’t get too drunk during your stops at the vineyards along the way as it’s 24 miles one way. It isn’t a hard trail as long as you can bike that long. Beautiful scenery.

Penola Cycle Trail

Penola.

This collection of runs is in Penola, Coonawara. You can get a detailed brochure on site highlighting for you the vast array of trails that range from 5-62 miles. Have a picnic and make a day of it. Or… just don’t go cycling and check out the vast local attractions.

Cudlee Creek Mountain Bike Loop Trails

Cudlee

This spot located in the Mount Crawford Forest also has a vast collection of looping trails that range from easy to advanced. They have cross country, downhill, and casual runs for all types of bikers.

Eagle Mountain Bike Park

Practice area

Located in Leawood Gardens on Mount Barker Road these place hosts a range of fairly easier trails for mountain bike riders. There are 13 miles of cross country trails along with a downhill trail, a skills parks, and a jump park for those of you with more bruises than me.

But you know what… go out there and make your own trails if need be. Not every adventure is paved or planned. Just go out there and fun fun whatever it is that you do or what trouble you find.

Riding the Mackinac Bridge (pronounced Mack-in-awe), formerly the largest suspension bridge on the planet is quite a trip. Every June and September the state of Michigan hosts the annual Dull Mack they call it for a state-crossing bike route. They have 25, 50, 75, and 100 mile routes for people of all skill ranges and tolerance levels.

Mackinac Bridge, Michigan

My cousins finally got me coming up to Michigan to do this annual bike run that I’ve been wanting to. Now that I’m finally out of classes for a summer I’ll be able to do it… and I’m excited! Register by June 1st or September 1st (depending on if you are planning on doing the Summer or the Fall bike runs. Registration is $20 if you make the deadline and $25 if you pay after the deadline. The rides starts on June 8th and September 14th this year. To ride the beautiful bridge that is an additional $20. My Aunt and Uncle have convinced me to do the September run so I can bear witness to all of the many changing colors that will be within the trees that cover the state. They tell me the state is mostly trees to begin with so I’m pretty pumped.

Michigan in the Fall

I so can’t wait to be riding through the beautiful and lake-filled Michigan as the leaves are changing into a multitude of so many different colors. Then… we’ll arrive at the bridge. The beautiful bridge spans 5 miles and is something special as you’ll be able to hopefully see in a picture I plan to have show up on here somewhere.

I can’t say it enough, I’m really excited to be doing this! I’m pumped! I can’t wait to come up and see the state and ride across that massive, beautiful bridge.

Mackinac Bridge.

If you want to enter in this trip yourself, check out this: website:http://www.mackinawchamber.com/other/bike-tour-rules-a-registration.html

So last year I went on a trip to Chile through my church to help families that were in need in some of the outlier villages. I brought my trusty camel pack with me but obviously I couldn’t bring my bike for obvious reasons… I’m not rich nor do I know any rich people. How sad. So instead I resorted to borrowing a mountain bike from one of our host families while down there. Here now I will list a few of the Chile trails that I found, many of which I went on… joyfully so.

Cancha Carrera located in Santiago is a pretty cool one but I’d say do this with at least a few miles under your belt as it’s a little challenging.

Cancha Carrera

Dirt Jump Los Trapenses in La Dehesa, Santiago. As you can imagine… this is more of a BMX bike type track. So I wasn’t skilled enough to go.

Dirt Jump Los blah blah blah

El Huinganal is also located in… yes, Santiago for the win. This one was also a little bit challenging and not recommended for absolute beginners or children as it’ll be a bit of work.

El Huignganal

Parque Huilo Huilo – Choshuenco Volcano… man I hope I spelled that right. This one is surprisingly not located in Santiago. It’s in Panguipulli. It’s a beautiful run that I would recommend to any biking junkie and self respecting amateur nature photographer such as myself.

My cousin and everyone else behind her… because they are slow…

But you know… it’s Chile… it’s all pretty beautiful there. No matter what runs you do or if you even decide to go bike riding, just look up the area you’ll be in ahead of time so you’ll know what places to avoid, the weather, the insects and animals, and also the places you may want to go looking for in the area. Make your own adventure.

I had to add this building from the Huilo Huilo reservation. So pretty.

So I’ll just come out and say that I’m no pro or anything like that but I would call myself an avid cycle girl and a somewhat manageable snowboarder. But I’ll tell you what I think makes for a complete cyclist from what I’ve seen and done so far.

A good bike

Mountain bike kids. My fav

Now I’m no Richie Rich cyclist that can afford a different bike for every condition and season. So I stick to a trusty mountain bike. If you are poor like me then you will most likely want one of these as well. If you’re going to be doing nothing but road biking on perfect roads then by all means… eat your heart out in getting a road bike. However I not only bike on the perfect roads but also in the country, the crappy roads, and I take my bike with me when I go camping so I can ride the dirt and tree covered trails too. So I say get a good mountain bike with a nice front shock built on it. I got mine as a gift a couple years ago and was only like around $150 and it has been working great.

A comfortable seat

Comfortable seat. You know…

Us ladies and… gentlemen will both know how uncomfortable one can get… down there. Especially after riding for several hours on a stiff bike seat made for those that have no sense of feeling below the belly button. Do yourself a favor and spend a few bucks on a more comfortable seat… you will thank yourself.

A camel

No, not that one. Wrong type of camel dirt brain…

Let’s face it, we need some water while biking in the hot heat while biking for miles and miles. Instead of reaching for some oversized bottle like a challenged child… get yourself a camel pack so you will always have a drink right on your shoulder without having to awkwardly reach for it. Trust me, get one.

Camel Pak. Yus!

So I guess I’m not really used to this whole blog thing so I guess I’ll start with what I’m familiar with: Texas and cycling. So here I’ll post a list of some of the best Texas cities for cyclists like you.

Austin

The butterfly side-by-side: Austin Bike Zoo

Austin added more than 35 miles of bike trails back in 2011. You can ride such trails as the 6 mile long Lance Armstrong Bikeway. Check out some of the larger parades that go on throughout the year and you will see the cool Austin Bike Zoo animals. These animals consist of an 80 foot rattlesnake that is powered by six riders. They also have a tandem butterfly bicycle and not to mention a pretty cool bat tricycle. Though be warned that cyclists thrive in this town and no bike trail will ever be completely void.

I had to add the snake

San Antonio

Siclovia 2013

Here you will find an emerging cycling-friendly atmosphere that is burning with a proposed 1,700 mile network of bike sharrows, lanes, paths, and also a bike-share system. The first Siclovia drew in more than 15,000 people too. Boneshakers Bicycle Pub boarders a riverside bike trail, contains a bike shop as apart of the building, and serves only Texas brews. Though make sure your paths are mapped out ahead of time as connectivity between paths and trails can be spotting in parts of this sprawling city.

Everything ran this year in the Siclovia

Above all though, you don’t need me to tell you where and when to ride. The most important thing is that you just go out there and hit the pavement. Find your own adventure and ride off the beaten path when you can. You may find things better than anything you would have found on a path that you’ve ridden many times before.