The cement promenade on the southern tip of South Beach is a great place to ride. Biking up the beach (on either the beach or along the beach on a cement pathway -- which is a lot easier!) is great for surf, sun, sand, exercise, and people-watching -- just be sure to keep your eyes on the road, as the scenery can be most distracting. Most of the big beach hotels rent bicycles, as does the Miami Beach Bicycle Center, 601 5th St., South Beach (tel. 305/674-0150, www.bikemiamibeach.com), which charges $8 per hour or $24 for up to 24 hours, $80/week. It's open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 7pm, Sunday from 10am to 5pm.
Bikers can also enjoy more than 130 miles of paved paths throughout Miami. The beautiful and quiet streets of Coral Gables and Coconut Grove (several bike trails are spread throughout these neighborhoods) are great for bicyclists, where old trees form canopies over wide, flat roads lined with grand homes and quaint street markers.
The terrain in Key Biscayne is perfect for biking, especially along the park and beach roads. If you don't mind the sound of cars whooshing by your bike lane, Rickenbacker Causeway is also fantastic, since it is one of the only bikeable inclines in Miami from which you get fantastic elevated views of the city and waterways. However, be warned that this is a grueling ride, especially going up the causeway. Key Cycling, 61 Harbor Dr., Key Biscayne (tel. 305/361-0061), rents mountain bikes for $5 an hour or $20 a day, with a 2-hour minimum. It's open Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 7pm, Monday and Saturday from 10am to 6pm, and Sunday from 10am to 3pm.
If you want to avoid the traffic altogether, head out to Shark Valley in the Everglades National Park -- one of South Florida's most scenic bicycle trails and a favorite haunt of city-weary locals.
For a decent list of trail suggestions throughout South Florida, visit www.geocities.com/floutdoorzone/bike.html. Biking note: Children under the age of 16 are required by Florida law to wear a helmet, which can be purchased at any bike store or retail outlet selling biking supplies.
