Southeast - Anyone in the Triangle (NC) area

I just moved here last fall, and finally have medical clearance (post-pregnancy) to get back on my bike. I've done the paved bit of the Tobacco Trail that goes to downtown Durham, but where else is good to bike? I'd like to take my daughter (3 years old) with me occasionally, either on a TAB or in the bike trailer, and eventually attach the bike trailer with the twins in it to the train. So far, besides the Tobacco Trail, I haven't found anywhere my husband deems safe enough for us to ride. Any ideas?

I don't live there but I've seen this site listed before.
http://www.trianglecycling.com/

might help

Hi Coralreef,

I live in Durham, but ride primarily to commute and so don't know much about suitable recreational routes. My routes are primarily city streets, which aren't bad (surface and or traffic); however all the stopping and starting takes something away from the experience. I occasionally ride some of the MUPs in North Durham (Ellerbe Creek) and they are ok, but pedestrians (especially with dogs) can be expected.

Perhaps you can find some ideas at this map source: http://www.gotriangle.org/bike-walk/maps-and-guides/. (http://www.gotriangle.org/bike-walk/maps-and-guides/)

-Gary

(http://www.gotriangle.org/bike-walk/maps-and-guides/)

Great links! Thanks Gary and K&K_Dad. Hopefully I'll be able to find some areas closer to home, and roads to get there safely. The roads that lead out of our neighborhood have absolutely NO shoulder, and the speed limit is 35, so I'm nervous taking the kids out. It's a pain to have to drive somewhere to go biking.

Trianglecycling is a great site - I'm from the Clayton area, so I don't get out to the Durham area much. I don't much like to drive to ride...just roll out from the house.

Welcome to the area!!

Here's the official home page of the Durham Bike and Hike Map:
http://www.ci.durham.nc.us/departments/transportation/bike_hike_map.cfm
The map on the site is higher resolution PDF than the JPEGs linked from the GoTriangle site.

I pull one or two of my three kids using trailers in Cary; I think there are lots of nice neighborhood and downtown streets in most Triangle cities for cycling with families. In order to avoid a situation where we would have to use busy 45 mph arterials to get anywhere by bike, we chose our home location specifically to be close and connected to pleasant cycling routes with lower speeds and volumes. I ride with my 8-year-old son to the ice cream store about once a week, and sometimes pick the kids up from daycare or school via the bike.

None of the roads where we ride have shoulders, but the slower speeds and volumes make the rides more pleasant. I bike commute alone on 45mph 4-lane roads without any issues, but I find the 35mph and lower speed/volume roads to be more enjoyable with the kids. That's why I would never live out in the fringes of town where narrow rural-design high speed roads are the only connectivity to the world. If parents want better street networks for cycling to useful destinations from home, I think they need to be more vocal with realtors and homebuilders about it, and vote with their money when they buy a home.

I definitely agree with the concept, sggoodri, however we didn't choose our location. We came into the area to be the foster parents at an established foster/group home, so we had no say in where the home was located. When I get a say in choosing, I definitely will choose a place that is family-biking friendly, but in the meantime, I am trying to make the best of where we currently are without foregoing biking entirely.

Hi there, welcome to the Triangle! I live in Raleigh and our house is near the greenway, so I ride there with my kids all the time. I know that you are looking for something local to your neighborhood or in Durham, but you might consider driving over one day and checking it out. You can safely ride for miles and not worry at all about cars.

http://www.raleighnc.gov/arts/content/PRecDesignDevelop/Articles/CapitalAreaGreenwayTrailSystem.html

I was just by the Tobacco Trail today but did not ride on it-I was playing golf at Old Chatham. Best of luck finding some routes to your liking.

Welcome to the Triangle! I've lived in Chapel Hill and Raleigh for the last fourish years, and there is a really great cycling community here. The Raleigh greenway is a great choice, as is the Tobacco Trail. Unfortunately, most roads here either tend to be highways (I spend way too much time on NC54) or winding country roads. Frankly, I'd rather ride on the faster highways that offer traffic a lane to go around me, but neither situation is too kid-friendly. Good luck, though!