Happy Friday ST-land.
I’m going on a trip to Alaska in late July-early August. It’s a 1-week Princess Cruise with stops in Ketchikan, Skagway, and Juneau followed by another week on land in Denali at the Princess lodge. We have a quick stop in Anchorage/Whittier but looks like there won’t be time to ride.
Does anyone have any good road cycling recommendations in terms of either routes or places to rent from? I’ve done some cursory Googling and it appears every stop has a place where I can rent a road or mountain bike, so just curious what firsthand experiences people have had. It looks like that time of year is utterly spectacular so I’d hate to miss out on any gems. I’m open to mountain biking as well but my experience with that type of riding is limited so I should probably avoid anything too technical.
Thanks!
I rode down a mountain in Skagway I think. It was fun but they would not let us go too fast, we had to stay with the group. There were a few miles of flats at the end to get back to down but the downhill part was very easy, but good scenery.
Because of the cruise schedule and how you’ll be transported to Denali and back I’m guessing you’re SOL on much opportunity for cycling. If you’re stay is long enough, Juneau is probably you’re best bet. The city has a surprising number of very competitive cyclists and triathletes. I’m sure there is bike rental available. Like anything here in the summer I would advise contacting shops as early as possible and checking into reserving a bike.
Depending on your Denali plans there looks to be a bicycle rental/tour operation in the area. Check out Denali Outdoor Center. These will probably be only mountain bikes, but I’m guessing all pavement and gravel riding. If you want to ride in the park it may make more sense to shuttle the bikes if it is allowed.
Enjoy your trip. It has been a very nice summer so far.