Biking At The Beach

We rent beach cruisers every year at the beach.

Every June we take a week-long trip to Holden Beach. It’s become a wonderful family tradition and we have a great time. We play on the beach, visit Sunset Slush (often), eat one night at Calabash and shop at Calahan’s. Sometimes we go to a movie in Shallotte. And I ride. In fact, as I described in my history post, this beach trip was where biking for me as an adult originated.  What makes it even more fun is that we ride together as a family.

The first stop when we arrive is at the bike rental shop. We rent four bikes (my son brings a friend these days) and three of us ride them to the beach house. In fact, to me that short ride signals the beginning of the vacation. Our rule of thumb is that we ride together whenever we go somewhere on the island. That means we ride to the Sunset Slush Italian ice shop, usually after lunch. We ride to the kite store to get beach or pool toys (one should never be too old to play at the beach, whether you’re 12 or 50) and ride to a swimwear store (sometimes we get a new bathing suit or t-shirt…sometimes we don’t). I ride each morning to get the Raleigh newspaper (several of us like to read the paper while we’re here). I usually do that ride solo, so I frequently go further once I’ve gotten the paper.

The bikes you rent are generally the beach cruiser variety, which means no gears. That doesn’t matter much because Holden Beach is pretty flat and only about 9 miles long. The first morning I rode to the store for the paper I rode to the end of the island and back. Traffic was light, but there were lots of other bikers and some runners and walkers. Some of the bikers are simply cruising at a leisurely pace. They usually stick to the sidewalk. There are a few serious bikers who ride really nice road bikes and who dress like fitness models. They stick to the road. The joggers maintain a moderate pace and some of them are pushing baby strollers. The cars go slow and make allowances for bikers, walkers and runners, and that makes it even more pleasant. It rained in Raleigh the week before we went to the beach, so I was ready to ride on that first morning.

I ride to the store every day for a newspaper.

After picking up the paper at the island’s only convenience store, I rode to the end of the beach. It’s early in the season, so many of the houses are occupied but Holden Beach is certainly not at capacity.  I took a few of the side roads to finish at 15 miles and ended up back at the beach house in just under an hour, averaging almost 16 miles per hour.

You can ride the length of the island fairly easily.

 

On other days the rides were variations on the same theme. After a stop at the store to get the paper, I headed up the beach. I took different combinations of side streets each time. I saw families headed to the beach pulling wagons stacked high with chairs, umbrellas, coolers and toys. There were workers at some of the homes doing renovations and maintenance. Yard workers were mowing grass and trimming bushes and trees. I did 15 miles every day, plus a few rides with the family to the Sunset Slush. It all made for a very peaceful week…a great start for summer, and a wonderful opportunity to get in some good rides in a different location.

Pelicans cruised up and down the beach,
no doubt following me on my rides.

Wildlife Encounters: Holden Beach is known to have deer, snakes, even bobcats. However, the only thing I saw were lots and lots of pelicans (called pecalins by my son when he was 3 or so). We saw them diving into the ocean for snacks, but mostly they cruised up and down the island in formation.  

Nutrition Note: I started most of my morning rides before breakfast, so I ate an energy gel or two, Honey Stinger Energy Chews, lime flavor. They give you a good quick jolt of energy when you start out.    

Shameless plug: Holden Beach is a terrific beach for families. When you cross the bridge to the island, it’s like you’re going back in time. There are lots of cottages and houses but none of the small mansions you see at lots of other beaches. There are no high-rise condo complexes or apartment buildings and only a few shops and restaurants. It’s mostly regular beach houses. There are more restaurants and shops on the mainland, along with a drug store and a Food Lion, so everything you need is right there. It’s a great place to depressurize and relax.

Holden Beach is a terrific place to start the summer.