Bike riding near Hilton Head SC

[easterbird]

A friend of mine has a place on Hilton Head Island and suggested we put together some rides from there. I'm from PA so don't know area. Is there anyone out there with some bike routes near there or within an hour drive of HH? Any suggestions appreciated and maybe we can even arrange a 'meet and ride' of TEs nearby?
easterbird( and Joan)

[Crankin]

I had the worst cycling experience of my life in HH. It's fine if you rent a cruiser and ride on the beach or stay on the bike paths (in between grandmas, kids, and other people). My husband and I got pulled over by the police twice for "riding those fancy bikes on the road."
We did have a wonderful time mountain biking in the Pinckney (sp) wild life preserve.
Maybe someone knows a good place to ride just off the island, where it's more "normal."

[aicabsolut]

SATURDAYS 9AM COASTAL CAROLINA HOSPITAL (just off I-95 exit 8 at Rt. 278)
9AM, easy-moderate pace. If weather is good, it's on. Call the Bicycle Link on HHI for details: 843.686.2981.
This is also known as the Sgt. Jasper Mad 70 ride (between 65-70 mi). Pace is often 18-22mph. It's an out-and-back, so shorter options are available.

In nearby Savannah or between HHI and Savannah: (should be less than 1hr drive from HHI to downtown Savannah, but traffic varies).

On Tuesdays out near the Sav/HHI airport at the GA Tech campus, there is a practice criterium at 5:30pm. Sometime soon, this ride may change to a mad dash down the Jimmy DeLoach Pkwy (where the campus is located), but right now the other ride is continuing. Crits tend to be moved to Wednesday in the summer.

Thursday evening is a ride around Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah. I think it leaves around 5:30. Right now pace is moderate, but it will pick up.

Saturday: 8am Gallery Espresso coffeeshop in downtown. Ride is usually 40+/- miles. No-drop. Sometimes this will split into 2 pace groups.

Sunday: 9am OR 1pm Gallery Espresso. 9am is a hammerfest for approx 60mi. 1pm is similar to the Saturday ride, but it can also get fast.

[easterbird]

Thanks for replies...here's the real deal...we are 2 sixty year olds in reasonable condition who like road biking distances up to 50 miles/day at about 13-15 miles/hr depending on terrain. We are looking for places off island to ride but are fully aware that hammerfests/crits etc are not in our future. We need some ideas on nice routes that might include Savannah river or?? Any more ideas for us? Gracias
easterbird

[aicabsolut]

Hmm...you might look into a bike shop on Lady's Island (Beaufort) for some routes out that way that are pretty. I forget the name of the shop, but I think it's really the only bike shop out there...I think it's full range from road bike to cruisers.

You can also look up the Coastal Bicycle Touring Club website. I believe they have some weekend rides of various speed levels. Some of them are a bit of a hike out towards Rincon, GA, but they do some near Bluffton too.

Otherwise, I'm not sure of many groups that will be at your pace level / interested in looking at scenery. A lot of the people I ride with around there are at least 40 years old, but they're fast. I am from the area, and I pretty much go home and do those rides to suffer. I get so used to riding on rolling hills where you get a rest now and then on a descent, but on the flat terrain in the lowcountry, you never stop pedaling, and those guys pedal at race pace.

Here are some routes from those rides I posted that you could do on your own.

Sunday afternoon airport ride: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http:/...Values=4833427

Saturday morning ride: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http:/...Values=4833426


(both the above loops are ridden clockwise from downtown Savannah)

Sgt Jasper Mad 70: http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united...fton/319452374

[SlowButSteady]

Ditto about the flat terrain--constant pedaling, not much opportunity to coast & rest. I've ridden a good bit of the SC coastal counties and oceanfront find this and the wind to be a factor.

I've been wondering how it would be to cycle through the little town of Ridgeland (a bit inland from HHI) and out towards the Heritage Preserve land at Tillman and maybe down and across the Savannah River.

The sand ridge habitat in Jasper County's more inland area such as Tillman is home to SC's gopher tortoise colony and to the Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes that co-habitate in the tortoise burrows. These species' range is very, very restricted and threatened in SC.

There is also the Webb Wildlife Center inland of this. I believe the roads in this part of the county are decent and lightly traveled two lanes.

Ideal would be a hybrid bike with a GPS--there are many very well-maintained dirt roads in the area. Lots of cutovers, pine plantations and tangles of dense, impenetrable forest interspersed with swamp.

Mmm. Just my kind of place. I may make it there before spring is over.

Mind the locals, though. They're definately not very friendly, even to folks like me (I hail from the other end of the state).

[Ashgarth]

went to pickney(?) island which is just before the bridge to cross of to HH, larger-gravel roads though...so a mountain bike is a bit better.

pretty marshland with lots of bird etc

[aicabsolut]

More resources for different paced road rides or at least route maps, some closer to you than the Savannah/Hardeeville ones:

http://www.lowcountrycyclist.com/

http://www.cbtc.org/

[easterbird]

Thanks for all your suggestions, I am just now back to the computer and will start checking out these places. I rode about 600 miles in January near Myrtle Beach so I know very well how different it is to bike the flatlandsagain, thanks, happy riding where ever you are.
easterbird