Orange Beach Visit

Cycling Moments:

Bike lane in Alabama headed west toward Orange Beach

Headed west from Orange Beach toward Florida.

Great bike shop located in Orange Beach. Very helpful and friendly owner.

Bike lane going west toward Gulf Shores

Bridge in Florida headed southwest back to Orange Beach. Felt a little uncomfortable on this bridge. Traffic was fast and close at times and the narrow shoulder had spots of glass.

At the crest of the Florida bridge has a fantastic view.

Headed up to the crest of the Florida bridge

On the east side of the bridge looking toward Orange Beach and one of the condos we rented

Small marina in Orange Beach

Just a wide shoulder in Florida compared to actual bike lanes in Alabama, but still felt okay using.

Below the Florida bridge on one of the Infinity Bicycles routes

Beach Moments:

Calm beach stroll each evening

I could walk this beach for the rest of my days if I didn't have to make a paycheck

Early morning beach strolls with my wife as well

Orange Beach:

Overall this was a fantastic trip for a much needed time away from the Atlanta area and from the daily grind. On the cycling side of things I considered this to be a rest week and though my CTL dropped as expected it did not drop to the floor. My goal was to slip in about an hour a day or about 20 miles a day at a variable pace. The main thing was to not really be structured or to break away from structure mentality for the week. Thankfully my wife was all for me getting out each day. By getting out early the traffic was low enough to easily cruise the bike lanes from Alabama into Florida. Since there was a lot of construction in Gulf Shores preparing for a big musical festival I used a version of the Infinity Bicycles 24 mile morning route going from Orange Beach into Florida and back (see the route links below).

For the most part the bike lanes were clean with just sparse amounts of glass here and there to watch out for. I have Michelin Pro 4 Service Course tires which are thin and faired well for most days. I flatted the second to last day and fortunately the flat was a slow leak that was evident the next morning so I was able to change at the condo before rolling out. Using some tougher tires may be a better option if visiting and using the bike lanes.

The bike lanes on the Alabama side have plenty of room and are well striped. There were joggers and walkers using the bike lanes as well. Some walk against traffic and most would move aside when they saw me coming. On a few occasions they walked with traffic. On those I would take a quick look back to see if it was clear and in most cases I was able to quickly come around them using the traffic lane. Just be careful and always take a good look back to make sure it is clear.

My daily carry and gear using the bike lanes for safety was the same as home with helmet, Road ID wrist band, phone, two tubes, two air cartridges, cash, mini tool, tire tools and front / rear lights on early mornings with heavy cloud cover. While that sounds like overkill it all packs down small and nice to have if something happens. Plus these are expected essentials if you hope to join in on one of the bike shop rides.

There are plenty of beach front condo rentals. We typically find our rentals using VRBO and use the filter tools to fine tune our search. Our favorite meal during the stay was Villaggio Grille at the Wharf in Orange Beach. Our next favorite was at R Bistro while visiting the scenic small town of Fairhope, Alabama.

Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Perdido Beach are probably my favorite places to visit if I get an opportunity to take my bike more than when we go to Panama City Beach area. Last year when we went to PCB I took my trainer and used it on the condo balcony. I just do not feel as comfortable cycling in the PCB area as I do in the Orange Beach area.

More photos from our 2013 visit - Link

Bike Links:

Infinity Bicycles - Home Page
Infinity Bicycles - Routes