AllWays Traveller Features
Biking trails around the world
The Waterfront and Greenbelt Route, Ontario, Canada
A trail for adventurous cyclists is the Waterfront and Greenbelt Route, which stretches for a whopping 1,000 kilometres.
Starting in Hamilton, cyclists pass historical towns, lakes and rolling provincial parks with the latest segment travelling along Lake Huron North Channel's quiet back roads.
The full route can be broken up into smaller day trips, with one route being the Niagara-on-the-Lake to Dunnville (110 kilometres) section which heads past Niagara Falls and picturesque vineyards before stopping at the shores of Lake Erie.
www.greenbelt.ca/gwta_greenbelt_route_edition and www.ontariotravel.net
The Coffee Route, Colombia
In Colombia, cycling is a way of life, and cyclists can enjoy national parks and heritage villages throughout the country.
The Coffee Route, which weaves through Colombia's Coffee Belt, a region declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2011.
This route is good for a road or mountain bike and makes a three to five-day bicycle tour, offering challenging trails.
The Great American Rail-Trail
The Great American Rail-Trail makes use of former U.S. railway lines which are converted into long-distance walking and cycling pathways.
It is creating an entire cross-country, car-free route.
This will eventually become the first contiguous multi-use pathway across America.
The route is opening in stages, and once completed it will offer a safe, seamless and scenic cycle pathway across the entire country spanning more than 3,700 miles from Washington D.C. to Seattle, Washington.
One of the most picturesque portions of the trail, which is already open for cyclists to enjoy, is Montana's 4.5-mile Milwaukee Road Rail-Trail, which is framed by the Rocky Mountains.
www.railstotrails.org/greatamericanrailtrail and www.visittheusa.com
Biking around Nashville, USA
With Nashville's bikeways and greenways rapidly expanding, cycling is a good way to explore
Music City's legendary landmarks.
The City Tour Trainer route is 13.7 kilometres and a large stretch of this is a cruise alongside the Cumberland River, offering a dramatic riverfront view of Music City's skyline.
www.walkbikenashville.org/tourdenash and www.visitmusiccity.com
The sand dunes in Namibia
One way to appreciate the natural beauty of Namibia's wildlife and vast landscapes is by bike.
Adventurous cyclists looking to challenge themselves can book the Exodus Cycle Namibia trip, which offers the chance to cycle across open sand dunes, between granite hills and over challenging rocky outcrops.
Beginning in Windhoek, cyclists will visit the dunes of Sossusvlei and climb Dune 45.
Travelling north, cyclists will ride across the Tropic of Capricorn where they'll zoom past ostriches, gembok and mountain zebras before heading to Swakopmund to try fat biking, where the wider tyres allow visitors to explore remote areas that traditional mountain bikes are unable to reach.
www.exodus.co.uk/namibia-holidays/cycling/cycle-namibia/mzn and www.namibiatourism.com.na
Passo Pompaego, Trentino, Northern Italy
One of Trentino's most popular cycling routes goes from Tesero to Pompaego.
It offers dramatic alpine setting and the same ascent as cyclists Marco Pantani and Pavel Tonko when they raced towards the Giro d'Italia finish line in 1998.
This route has a high level of difficulty and is most suited to experienced riders.
www.climbbybike.com/cyclo-selection.asp and www.visittrentino.info
Monterey's 17-mile drive
Monterey's 17-mile drive in San Francisco, California is one of the world's scenic roads.
The ride starts in Monterey and winds down the coast to Pebble Beach.
Bicycles can be rented from Monterey's Cannery Row at Adventures By the Sea for $25 a day.
www.adventuresbythesea.com and www.sftravel.com
The Congo Nile Trail, Rwanda
Known as the 'land of a thousand hills', Rwanda offers volcanic skylines, rainforests and wildlife.
The Congo Nile Trail is 227 kilometres and takes roughly five days to complete.
Running parallel to the eastern shore of Lake Kivu.
Specialist tour operator Rwanda Adventures can also create bespoke itineraries along the trail, including visits to Rwanda's colourful capital, Kigali, and the district of Musanze.
Exploring Rwanda's countryside by bike allows cyclists to immerse themselves in the local communities and the natural beauty the region offers.
www.visitrwanda.com/interests/cycling
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Keen cyclists can test their stamina on a hill climb out of the UAE garden city of Al Ain on a 1,200 metre ascent of Jebel Hafeet - the emirate's highest mountain.
The 12 kilometre road has an incline as steep as 30% in parts.
FDor something easier there's the F1 Yas Marina Circuit.
The track opens every Sunday and Tuesday evening for cyclists, with road bikes available to hire.
The 'Round the Island' route, Isle of Wight, UK
The Isle of Wight is home to over 322 kilometres of traffic-free cycle routes through some of the most scenic countryside.
The circular Round the Island route starts in Whippingham and offers 113 kilometres of b on- and off-road trails.
Isle of Wight ferry company Wightlink takes visitors from the mainland to the Island in 22 minutes, and bicycles come on free with foot passengers.
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