Pelicans flew overhead as I headed for a wall of mangroves on Davis Islands, a mostly residential area near downtown.
On a warm day, I tried out one of the bright yellow bikes for a couple hours, first pedaling out the mouth of the Hillsborough River toward Seddon Channel.
Customers typically explore the Hillsborough River, the Garrison and Seddon channels and around Davis Islands, and tool along the vibrant 2.4-mile Riverwalk. Owners Dan and Amanda Fleischbein maintain a fleet of single and tandem bikes that can be rented anytime during their daily operating hours. One of the state’s largest and long-running outfitters – and its most urban - is Tampa Bay Water Bike Company, which opened in 2014 just behind the Tampa Convention Center. The bikes travel about 5 to 10 miles per hour, depending on whether you want to kick back or kick it up a notch. The handlebars control a front rudder, while pedaling turns a small rear propeller. The rider sits upright on a bike frame set atop pontoons, which keeps the ride buoyant and stable. Unlike the low and boxy paddle boats popular in tourist areas, water bikes operate more like standard bicycles, giving one the feeling of cycling atop the water.
Water bikes have arrived in Florida, with several rental outlets surfacing over the past few years. It’s not quite walking on water, but close.
0 kommentar(er)
