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Biking and hiking for health

Get in shape by exercising at the beautiful locations our area has to offer

By Stephanie Vaccaro
Summer offers a number of outdoor activities to get fit, and the Princeton area has a number of individual and organized activities you can participate in over the summer. And you can get fit while volunteering.
Cycling
If the influx of cyclists on the road has got you reliving the joy of riding your bike as a child, you may be interested in pursuing it this summer. The Princeton area is home to great bike shops, including Kopp’s Cycles in Princeton and Knapp’s Cyclery, with stores in Lawrenceville and Cranbury, as well as Second Life Bikes a bit further away.
Bike shops
Knapp’s Cyclery organizes a variety of rides at varying skill levels. For example, they have a three-hour endurance ride on Sunday mornings that starts at 40 miles at the start of the season and stretches all the way to 50-60 miles by the season’s end. They have a more moderate Monday night ride that covers 25-28 miles, while their beginner’s road ride on Thursday nights is closer to 20 miles. The shop also offers maintenance classes to help participants learn things like fixing a flat tire. For more information see: www.knappscyclery.com.
After a brief stop at Kopp’s Cycle in Princeton, I found the staff to be both knowledgeable and helpful with the novice before them, as well as having a good selection of inventory.
If you find yourself in Asbury Park this summer and you’re looking for a low-cost bike option, you might want to check out Second Life Bikes. It was started by Kerri Martin in 2006 in a church basement that later blossomed into a storefront that’s an earn-a-bike program and community bike shop. Kids, ages 12-18, can come and work, learn how to refurbish bikes and then receive their own at the end of their time, or parts for their bicycle or accessories. For more information see: secondlifebikes.org.
Princeton FreeWheelers
The Princeton FreeWheelers is a local organization that promotes recreational bike riding, as well as education and promoting the rights of cyclists. If you want to participate in group rides departing from Central Jersey and Bucks County, Pennsylvania, you can subscribe to the organization’s newsletter for find out when and where they’re taking place. For more information see: princetonfreewheelers.com.
Bike tours
For the seasoned cyclist, you might find that a bike tour makes for an interesting getaway this summer. The Adventure Cycling Association offers a number of tours, offering the natural beauty to riders in places like the Outer Banks, the Great Lakes, the Finger Lakes loop, and Bar Harbor in Maine. For more information see www.adventurecycling.org.
There are a number of organizations that can assist you as you set out cycling this summer. You can download bike maps of the area at www.njbikemaps.com.
Hiking
Central Jersey is flush with opportunities for walking and hiking this summer. A good place to start is by checking out the trails listed on the New Jersey Trails Association. Some local trails of interest are:
*- D&R Canal Towpath
*- Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed
*- Institute Woods Towpath, Lake Carnegie
*- Witherspoon Woods/Mountains Lakes
*- Lawrence-Hopewell Trail
*- Sourlands
Volunteer
There are a number of ways to volunteer. One way to participate in building projects on the weekend.
You can verify trail info by doing quality control walks to ensure that the directions provided are accurate. Additionally, you can provide feedback on the trails once you’ve hiked them. For more information see www.njtrails.org.
Central Jersey provides ample opportunity for outdoor enjoyment this season. It’s worth making the effort. You’ll be glad you did when the polar vortex comes back around next winter!