There are many different places you can ride your bike.  In fact, "where to ride" is only limited by your desires and the local rules of the road.

Obviously, most cyclists bike on the road. If you’re going to be biking on the road make sure that you get a copy of the rules of the road for cyclists put out by your local department of motor vehicles. Go over these rules with your kids to make sure they know the rules and hand signals they will need to safely bike on the road. Another option for cyclists who want a flat, smooth paved surface to ride on when riding hard for fitness or training are local bike parks or jogging paths. Many areas that have waterfront jogging path have set aside a portion of the paved jogging path to be a cyclists path so that cyclists can use the path without having to worry about running over joggers and walkers and the joggers and walkers don’t have to worry about getting mowed down by an avid cyclist training for a race. In some places they do not separate the jogging and cycling tracks to be careful to not injure any joggers or walkers you come across.

If you live near a college chances are high that the college’s sports facilities will be open to the people in the community for free or for a nominal fee. Usually colleges have state of the art jogging and biking tracks so training at a local college can be a great way to cycle when you’re training for a race or riding for fitness.

If you are a long distance or tour cyclist or just enjoy riding on the road look for highways that are not frequently used or country roads that will probably not have as much traffic as city streets. Cars and trucks driving on country roads and highways are usually more respectful of cyclists and you will get a safer and prettier ride in the country than in the city.

Recreational bikers may enjoy getting off the road and onto some of the beautiful bike trails that are being created all over the country. Recreational bikers can also plan vacations and day trips to local scenic spots that offer groomed bike paths for cyclists of all ages. If you are bringing the kids with you ask in advance to make sure the trails at your destination are family friendly. Some are, but some trails may be too advanced or too competitive for kids.

Those bikers who crave excitement will probably enjoy mountain biking or all terrain biking where bikers follow hiking paths or make their own paths through woods and wilderness. Mountain biking can be dangerous but for people who love extreme sports mountain biking can be a very satisfying pastime. While most mountain bikers follow hiking trails in the woods some national parks are creating special paths specifically for mountain bikers with way stations along the way where emergency supplies and phones are posted in case of injury. Mountain bikers should stick to the marked paths in a forest or park to make them easier to find if they need assistance.

Finding Bike Trails

You many not know it but nearly every community has bike trails that are free and open to the public. Biking on specially constructed bike trails can be much safer than biking on the road. If you are more of a recreational biker than a competitive biker than you will probably enjoy biking on bike trails instead of always biking on the road. There are bike trails that are geared towards families and bike trails that are geared for individuals or serious bikers. There are lots of places that offer biking tours and vacation packages built around biking. Here are some places you can look for bike trails.

The Internet is a great place to search for bike trails.

Usually bike trails are maintained by local non profit groups and most of these groups will have detailed websites with information about the trails and maps to help you plan out a biking route. You can also get helpful information from other cyclists on message boards and community forums. Look on the Internet for bike trails in your community or look for trails in a faraway spot you want to vacation in. The Internet makes bike vacation planning easy.

Check your local Parks and Recreation Center for information on local trails.

Every city or town has a local Parks and Recreation Department that is in charge of overseeing the maintenance and use of the parks and park facilities and usually runs after school programs and athletic programs for kids and adult athletic leagues. Usually the Parks and Recreation Center is located in the town hall. The Parks and Recreation Center will have maps and information on all outdoor activities and facilities including bike trails in your community.

Check with the Rails to Trails Conservancy.

The Rails to Trails Conservancy is a non profit group that has been working with local communities and national groups since 1986 to convert unused railway corridors and old railroad tracks into groomed hiking, walking, jogging and biking paths. Thousands of miles of old railway has been converted since then and there are Rails to Trails bike paths in nearly every state. Because the trails used to be railroads, they are all connected making it possible to bike all over the country on Rails to Trails paths. Rails to Trails has been working extensively to get more old railways converted to paths in order to help get Americans moving and fight the obesity epidemic the country is currently facing. The Rails to Trails Conservancy website has a detailed trail finder that you can use to find local trails and maps of all Rails to Trails paths to help you plan a cycling trip or vacation.