Hitting the trails: Experts offer helpful tips on Q-C area cycling

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By Katie Vaughn | Friday, June 15, 2007 11:43 PM CDT | () comments

As far as active pursuits go, bicycling has few requirements. About all you need is a bike, a helmet and a path in front of you.

But the particular route and gear you choose can make a huge difference. On the eve of Ride the River, the area’s biggest bicycling activity of the year, Quad-City biking experts offered tips on what’s best for families, new as well as advanced riders, and those looking to experience nature — or encourage romance.

Families

Best route: The Duck Creek Parkway from Emeis Park in Davenport through Bettendorf to Riverdale, Iowa, is tops with families, said Jerry Neff Jr., general manager of Jerry and Sparky’s Cycling & Fitness on East Locust Street in Davenport. Riders don’t have to contend with traffic, face few hills and travel through scenic park land, he said.

The Quad-Cities’ two riverfront bike paths — the Mississippi River Trail that goes through Davenport and Bettendorf and the Great River Trail that begins in Rock Island, goes through Moline, East Moline and on up to Savanna, Ill. — also provide activities for riders of a variety of ages, said Jessica Waytenick, marketing and public relations manager for the Quad-Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Young children in particular, she said, need to round out bicycling with other entertainment.

“They like to stop and look,” she said. “They don’t like to just ride, ride, ride.”

Families can bike along one of the riverfront paths and connect to the other via the Channel Cat water taxi or the Rock Island Viaduct, she said.

Gear to get: A popular bicycle choice for riders of many ages is a hybrid — a style in between mountain and racing bikes, said Jeremiah Gantzer, a salesman at Healthy Habits in Bettendorf.

“They’re just really comfortable bikes,” he said.

Young children can be pulled in a bike trailer, while slightly older children can ride — or just coast — on a tow-behind apparatus that attaches to a parent’s bicycle, Neff said. However, skip the second seat that can be affixed to a parent’s bike. It’s not considered safe nowadays, he said.

Novice and advanced riders

n Best route: The Mississippi River Trail and Great River Trail have conditions suitable for new riders and those seeking an easy ride, Gantzer said.

“The river bike paths would be your best bet,” he said. “They’re really flat.”

The Great River Trail is also an ideal route for advanced cyclists seeking a challenge, Waytenick said. They just have to ride longer; it’s 26 miles from the Quad-Cities to Albany, Ill., and 62 miles to Savanna, she said.

n Gear to get: Novices should bring plenty of water and choose a bike seat with extra cushioning, Gantzer recommended.

Hybrid bikes are a good choice, but other options include special bikes for older riders and recumbent bicycles and tricycles, he said.

Experienced riders should pick up specialized gear such as padded bicycling shorts, a jersey with pockets and material that wicks away moisture, shoes that click into pedals and gloves, Neff said. They also should pack products to fix spare tires, he added.

Nature lovers

n Best route: Sunderbruch Park on Davenport’s west side boasts 4½ miles of mountain biking trails, said Dean Mayne, president of the Quad-Cities Bicycle Club. It also offers opportunities to see raccoons, deer and birds in forest land, he said.

Waytenick ranked Sylvan Island in Moline as another great spot for mountain biking and nature viewing.

n Gear to get: A mountain bike is necessary for rough terrain.

“You can do all different styles of riding with that,” Gantzer said.

But also bring along a pump, a patch kit and chain lubricant in case rugged conditions cause damage to tires or the bike’s chain, he said.

Couples

n Best route: Waytenick recommends the Hennepin Canal as a great setting for a romantic bike trip. Couples can ride the paved trail and then stop at the nearby Lavender Crest Winery in rural Colona, Ill., for some wine tasting, she said.

Neff said a stretch of the Great River Trail is also conducive to romance. Riders should start near the windmill in Fulton, Ill., and travel to an overlook in Savanna.

n Gear to get: “Tandem bikes are fun,” Waytenick said, adding that flat trails are the easiest for those two-person bicycles. “Some people really like them.”

But tandems aren’t for everyone, Neff said. They have been known to test the patience of some couples.

“If you can ride tandem or hang wallpaper, you’re doing well,” he said.

Katie Vaughn can be contacted at (536) 383-2282 or kvaughn@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.

If you go

What: River Action’s annual Ride the River

When: 5:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 17

Where: All routes begin at Union Station, 102 S. Harrison St., Davenport

How much: $15 for adults, free for children younger than 16 years

Information: (563) 322-2969 or riveraction.org on the Web

If you go II

What: Bicycle rentals from the Quad-Cities Convention &Visitors Bureau

When: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, plus 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturdays

Where: Union Station, 102 S. Harrison St., Davenport, and the Moline Depot, 2021 River Drive

How much: Bicycles are $7 by the hour or $28 for the day; tandems are $13 by the hour and $50 for the day; trail-a-bikes and kiddie trailers are $5 by the hour and $20 for the day

Information: (563) 322-3911 or visitquadcities.com