perfect trail weather

We are having ideal trail weather this week. So of course I went on a mountain bike ride. And it truly was a mountain bike ride. It was in the mountains; I could see the mountains, and it was on a mountain bike trail.

But those of you who have read this blog know where I’m going with this. Yes, Kevin, we know… most trails aren’t mountain bike trails, but that’s the generic name given to all bike trails. Well not only do I drone on about that trail topic on this blog, but I also bore people with my opinions about it in person. So, of course, the topic came up again today.

But wait, the story takes a semi-bizarre turn for the better. When I got home and was checking my email, I discovered that those canny Brits have already solved this problem. Leave it to the Limeys. I was informed by a member of the Denver Bicycle Touring Club that in the U.K. they have a peculiar acronym for some particularly popular trails: MUP

I had seen MUP used repeatedly in some recent correspondence from a British biker who had been temporarily living in the U.S. Often times, in his emails, he referred to MUPs. So I queried as to what an MUP was. And it turns out that it’s a… (blare of trumpets)

Multiple Use Path

Holy cow, it’s so simple that it just might work. It’s not perfect; it doesn’t do a good job of describing a particular type of biker as in, “I’m a Multiple Use Path biker.” But it is a relatively useful & generic term for the vast majority of trails in this country. So what do you think?  Should all rail trails, canal trails, urban trails, park trails, etc. be classified into the general heading of multiple use paths? To paraphrase Humphrey Bogart, “You know how to comment, it’s easy…”

wide trail, pretty views, near Denver

I returned to my mountain biking roots yesterday and joined a group of 14 mountain bikers for a Sunday trail outing yesterday. As always, it was a lot of fun; getting out on the trail, any trail, always feels good. We rode the Waterton Canyon trail, southwest of Denver, Colorado. In addition to being a great bike trail in and of itself, Waterton Canyon trail also happens to be the first section of the 28-section Colorado Trail that runs 485 miles from Denver to Durango, Colorado.

That’s all well and good, but here’s the issue that arose while on the ride; only 1.75 miles of the ride was actually a “mountain bike ride.” The first six miles of the ride followed the South Platte River on a wide, fairly level biking and hiking trail. Upon completion of the bike ride, we were sitting around Rib City, eating various forms of barbecued food and putting back a beer or two. That was when I heard the comment that I’ve heard so many times before. “The mountain biking portion of the trail was great, but the rest of it was boring.”

Now I will admit, it was nice to be on a mountain bike trail again. It requires a lot of energy as well as quick-thinking and alertness. All

snow on single track trail

of those can be fun qualities in a bike ride. But I also felt the rest of the ride was far from boring. While riding on the wide, level trails, it is much more feasible to take in the scenery along the way and maybe even spend a few moments in conversation with fellow bike riders. Neither of these activities are good options while bouncing and bumping along on a technical mountain bike trail.

My guess is that I’m in the minority here, but I’d like to know what other bike riders think. Is it possible to have fun on a rail trail, canal trail or urban trail, or is bicycling fun limited to only hazardous biking such as mountain biking and road biking?

First, so you don’t make the same mistake I did, Chief Ladiga is pronounced with a long i like in tiger.

end of Silver Comet Trail & beginning of Chief Ladiga Trail in Alabama

However you decide to pronounce it, you need to ride this trail. It is 33 miles of easy ridin’, smooth-sailin’, soul-soothin’ fun.
If you combine it with Georgia’s Silver Comet Trail, (the two trails meet @ the state line) you’ve got over 100 miles of pure pleasure.
To ride the full trail, you’ve got two choices of starting spots. One of them is between the towns of Anniston & Weaver in Alabama. The other one is at the Georgia/Alabama state line. However to start from that end, you’d have to ride at least a portion of the Silver Comet Trail. And when I say “have to,” I mean “get to.” …

Read more about Alabama’s Chief Ladiga Trail and view photos, a trail map, and vital trail statistics here.

Washington D.C. bike trails are fantastic, and the Mount Vernon bike Trail is the best of them all. Technically it is a Virginia Trail rather than a District of Coumbia trail, but let’s not get technical. The Mount Vernon Trail is a sweet rail for a whole host of reasons:
1. Just cross the Potomac River from Washington D.C. and you’re on the Mount Vernon Trail. The first time I rode on it, I had no idea how close the trail was. Just by coincidence, it turned out that the trail started right outside of the hotel where I was staying.

Mount Vernon Trail in the spring

2. Like many other multitrails, the Mount Vernon Trail provides the best of both worlds. It starts in a large metropolitan area with ready access to bike rentals, transportation, lodging, and supplies. Then it guides bicyclists through pastoral riverside settings that provide peace and tranquility for even the most harried of bike riders.
3. The people on the Mount Vernon Trail were incredibly friendly and helpful. One time while I was pulled over and fiddling with my GPS, I had a couple people ask if I needed assistance. And despite the general sparsity (see #4) of fellow trail users, the few that I met smiled and offered a friendly greeting.
4. For such a major trail, so close to dense population, I was pleasantly surprised by the infrequency of meetings with fellow bike riders, walkers, & skaters. (I only saw one of the latter.)
5. As you can see from the pictures, the natural scenery was gorgeous. Between the views of the Potomac, the lush foliage, and the trail itself, I was constantly in awe of the beauty that surrounded me.
6. In addition to the natural beauty, the Mount Vernon Trail offers a unique benefit. From beginning to end, it offers a glimpse of national monuments, historical settings, and unique architectural structures. Of course the first part of the trail provides views of such Washington DC monuments as the Washington and Jefferson Memorial and the Arlington Memorial Bridge. One of the great and unique treats found along the trail is the Navy and Marine Memorial (see picture above). In addition to being a nice memorial, it is unique because the Mount Vernon Trail is just about the only way to access this memorial. Most people don’t even know the memorial exists. And finally, there’s Mt. Vernon itself. A tour of the structures and grounds of George Washington’s family estate is the perfect way to spend a day. Just make sure you leave enough time for the ride back. (Since I was in D.C. as a chaperone to 130 8th graders, I got to ride back on a tour bus with some of them. That was a little less relaxing than the bike ride there, but fun in its own way.)
7. Another unique experience on the Mount Vernon Trail is Battery Park. Basically, this is where the trail runs right under landing and departing jets from the runways of Ronald Reagan Airport. As you can see from the pictures above, the jets are so close, you almost feel as if you can touch their bellies as they zoom by overhead.
8. Finally, the proximity of other trails such as the Custis Trail, the W & OD Trail, the Cherry Creek Trail, and many others, make Virginia and Washington D.C. a bike trail paradise. If you get a chance to ride these trail, hop on the trailsnet home/ blog page and leave a comment to let me know what you think.