# Riding in Anchorage



## js1221 (Aug 15, 2008)

I will be going to Anchorage for 3-4 weeks during the May/June time frame as part of my Air Force Reserve assignment. While I am there I would like to get in some riding on my weekends or possibly after work. Can anyone recommend a good bike shop to deal with for rentals and then where would be a good, scenic place to ride? I would like to ride where I will have a better opportunity to see wildlife and take pictures, if that helps. Thanks


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## Alaska Mike (Sep 28, 2008)

As for road bike rentals, you're pretty much out of luck in town. What is available for rent is pretty much comfort bikes for the tourists to take out on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. Once in a while you see a road bike from them, but they usually fall into the category of "excessively-loved".

Elmendorf OAP has a few road bikes for rent, mainly lower-end K2s with Sora drivetrains. Serviceable enough, and they run about $75 a week (last time I looked).

There is also the option of building up a used one at Off The Chain Bicycle Cooperative. Selection can vary pretty widely, as can price (I'd figure $150 as a start). Expect stuff like downtube shifters, steel frames, and 10/12 speed drivetrains, as rarely do they get in much road stuff made in the last couple decades.

Craigslist is generally pretty lean on road bikes here, with the majority of them being either over $1000 or sub-$100 relics of the '70s bike boom that have been gently rusting since. There are occasional real deals there, but they are usually seasonal.

To be honest, for what you would be paying in rentals, I would pick up a bike box and bring your own bike with you. I've flown with cardboard boxes from bike stores, but have since moved on to more rugged cases for piece of mind. The cost can vary from airline to airline, but you might get it free if you show them that you are on orders. I certainly have in the past. Definitely worth a look.

Bike stores? My favorite in town is Chain Reaction, because it's an enthusiast's store geared towards more of the racing set. Other notables are Paramount, Speedway Cycles, and The Bicycle Shop. We have an REI as well, and the usual series of big-box stores for junk bikes.

Depending on what kind of riding you want to do, the Arctic Bike Club might be a good resource for you (although the website itself is not at all informative). The touring division does most of what could be considered group rides around here. The racing division runs a series of races all summer long. Alaska Randonneurs do more endurance-related events. I haven't done anything with them before, but Bicycle Commuters of Anchorage have a pretty active presence around town.

We have a couple local bike forums. The road-oriented one is the Arctic Bike Club's road racing division forum. The more other one, AKSpokes, caters more to the mountain and commuter community, although there is a fair bit of crossover. Neither one gets a whole lot of traffic, but they are there as resources.

As far as routes go, the Trails of Anchorage website is as good a place to start as any. For in town riding, the Coastal Trail offers the best views of the inlet and the best chance of moose sightings. It's a MUP, so you'll have to deal with pedestrians at least for the first few miles. For a little climbing, run up one of the hillside roads like Rabbit Creek or Potter Valley. Most of the bike routes in town are on the Anchorage Trails map. Elmendorf and Ft Richardson have some pretty good riding, with little or no traffic.

Running outside of town, you could head south along the Seward Highway (seriously- watch for traffic) and pick up the bike trail at Indian that runs to Girdwood. The rides north on the bike trail along the Glenn Highway out to the Eagle River Nature Center or up Hiland road are routes I do fairly regularly, and the scenery is pretty outstanding.

That's pretty much it for the Anchorage bowl. There is some good endurance riding down on the Kenai Peninsula or up in the Matanuska Valley if you can get out that way.

Pictures? Pretty much everywhere you ride you can snap something, even on base.


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## Alaska Mike (Sep 28, 2008)

Update, since I wrote my reply, the ABC Road forum and AKSpokes shut down. AKSpokes has been recently revived at alaskabikehub.com. There's also a semi-active mountain bike section at Mountain Bike Review.


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## hir0 (Aug 16, 2012)

In case anyone else is in this area, Chain Reaction Cycles does do "rentals", I was shopping for a new bike lately and they said they can demo bikes for the day or weekend... I forget the price something like $40 for the day.

Welcome to Chain Reaction Cycles - Alaska's Premier Bike Shop


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