By Kevin Wierzbicki

Two-wheelers have always been a popular mode of transportation in Tempe. The city is, after all, the home of Arizona State University where many students utilize bicycles to navigate the campus or get to nearby off-campus housing or social hot spots like the Mill Avenue shopping district. But now several factors have come together to make Tempe an exciting hub for recreational bikers as well.

Tempe has one of the most unique features in Arizona---Tempe Town Lake, the only urban lake in the state. Wide pedestrian paths suitable for bicyclists line both sides of the lake and now, for the first time ever, bikers can cross the sparkling expanse without using a motorway. Located at the western end of the lake is a brand new pedestrian bridge. The south terminus of the overpass is right in front of the Tempe Center for the Arts and just a stone’s throw from Tempe Beach Park where all kinds of activities are held, including festivals and rock concerts. In short, bikers can enjoy the soothing lake view and still be just minutes from where all the action is. Even better, a recently opened paved multiuse path north of the lake winds through Tempe’s Papago Park, offering cyclists a chance to get a close-up look at the rocky formations known as the Papago Buttes. The relaxing ride, easy for riders of all skill levels, has various vantage points that afford sweeping panoramas of the area, including vistas of neighboring Phoenix. And should you want to pedal all the way to the big city, just stay on the path; it connects up with the Crosscut Canal path that you can follow for miles and miles through Phoenix. And while Tempe and Phoenix both have lots of street side bike lanes, the new path minimizes the amount of time riders have to spend adjacent to motorized traffic.

So how can a visitor to the Phoenix area take advantage of this bicycling paradise without a hassle? It’s actually very easy. The Phoenix metro area has a light rail system that connects midtown and downtown Phoenix (and downtown Mesa) with Tempe. If you’re visiting Mesa to take in a Cubbies spring training game or attending a business meeting in downtown Phoenix, hop on the light rail and take it to the Tempe stop at Veteran’s Way and College Avenue. You’ll then be at the Tempe Transportation Center, wherein is located the Bicycle Cellar and where the staff will fix you up with a bike rental. They have a wide variety of bikes to choose from, ladies’ and men’s styles, as well as helmets and any other accessories you might need. The Bicycle Cellar has maps of the area showing all your options whether you want to stay urban, circle the lake or hit the buttes. They’ll even give you pointers on where to have lunch after you work up an appetite. This is all very doable, even if you only have a few hours open on your schedule. Head to Tempe and bike as you like!

More info:
www.thebicyclecellar.com
www.tempecvb.com
www.arizonaguide.com