I would like to ride a bike somewhere paved without traffic (cars) or people walking in my space. Anyone know somewhere like that? Is the C&O canal bumpy? I don't want to mountain bike or anything.

Most of the C&O Canal is pretty nice, not paved, but more like packed dirt. I ride a mountain bike on it, but I've seen racing bikes and cruising bikes. Not to mention the recumbents.

The Rails to Trails up near Fort Frederick and beyond is a hard asphalt surface. Perfect for touring bikes. I've never really encountered crowds, and the people that go to either place are generally polite and respectful.

Agree with Yoss. The Rails-to-Trails is the best. It goes for about 22 miles now from Big Pool to the west. It's about 11 miles up to Hancock where you can catch lunch or go to the bike shop if you need it. This pathway is relatively flat and usually fairly uncrowded. It pretty much parallels the C&O Canal towpath; there are several places where you can cross over from one to the other.

The towpath isn't that bad either. It's a little rough and muddy in spots, but the lack of traffic makes it worth it. As Yoss siad, you don't need a mountain bike either - a hybrid is probably your best bet for there (tires about 1.25" wide).

The Antietam battlefield is another good place to ride bikes. It's a bit hilly in spots, especially over on the Burnside Bridge side of teh battlefield, but again, the lack of traffic and having a paved surface with some beautiful views make it a good experience.

Excellent, thank you.

I second this suggestion! As a former resident of Sharpsburg, I spent many afternoons biking through the Battlefield. There are a few challenging hills but traffic is minimal & like Drevin said, the views are fantastic.

agree with all of the above. we bike as soon as the weather gets nice enough, and there are SO many nice places to do so around here... that bike shop in hancock also has snacky foods, drinks and ice cream... lol. perfect pitstop.. antietam is nice, and the shepherdstown/sharpsburg stretches of the canal are awesome. there's shade cover, and usually a nice breeze coming off the water... people are super polite.. the western maryland rail trail is well-kept...

Most of the canal is pretty good. Of course the closer you are to population centers the more people there. If you want a nice ride the Oldtown area is nice and well kept and the areas around Hancock don't get much in the way of traffic since everyone uses rails to trails. I had to use the towpath at Town Creek to Oldtown the other week while working and it was in very good shape and very scenic. In a few weeks the summer temps are going to be coming on duty with the Park Service and the Canal will get even better.

If you want some information stop over at the Cushwa Basin visitors center or the HQ on Dual Hwy. If you are up around Cumberland the visitor center up there is very nice and has some really good exhibits. East of here the canal boats are running at Great Falls and Georgetown. It really is a nice relaxing ride on the boat. So park your bike and take a cruise.

The only time you might really see the canal look rough is after a storm but usually those guys get things straightened up pretty quick.

Went to the canal today, it was great! Very flat and smooth

One of my favorite routes, it is great in a group or by yourself. My spouse and I like a leisurely ride up past Hancock. Yeah, it is bike season for us.