Provincetown

Arnold's (329 Commercial St., Downtown Center. 508/487-0844) rents all types of bikes, including children's.

The Beech Forest bike trail (Off Race Point Rd., east of Rte. 6) in the National Seashore offers an especially nice ride through a shady forest to Bennett Pond.

Gale Force Bikes (144 Bradford St. Ext. 508/487-4849. www.galeforcebikes.com) stocks a wide variety of bikes for sale and for rent; it's also a good source for parts and repairs.

The Province Lands Trail is a 5¼-mi loop off the Beech Forest parking lot on Race Point Road, with spurs to Herring Cove and Race Point beaches and to Bennett Pond. The paths wind up and down hills amid dunes, marshes, woods, and ponds, affording spectacular views. More than 7 mi of bike trails lace through the dunes, cranberry bogs, and scrub pine of the National Seashore, with many access points, including Herring Cove and Race Point.

P'town Bikes (42 Bradford St., east of Downtown Center. 508/487-8735. www.ptownbikes.com) has Trek and Mongoose mountain bikes at good rates, and you can reserve online. The shop also provides free locks and maps.

Truro

The Head of the Meadow Trail provides 2 mi of easy cycling between dunes and salt marshes from High Head Road, off Route 6A in North Truro, to the Head of the Meadow Beach parking lot.

Cape Outback Adventures (508/349-1617 or 800/864-0070. www.capeoutback.com) has friendly instruction and guided tours for kayakers, mountain bikers, and beginning surfers. Times and location are arranged by phone, and owner Richard Miller and his staff provide equipment. Kayak trips explore areas in both Wellfleet and Truro, and off-road mountain-biking excursions take place in the vast wooded areas within the National Seashore. Surfing instruction is available by the hour. These trips are designed for all ages and skill levels.

Wellfleet

The Cape Cod Rail Trail ends at the South Wellfleet post office. Other scenic routes for bicyclists include winding, tree-lined Old County Road, just outside Wellfleet center at the end of West Main Street. Ambitious riders can bike all the way to Truro on this often bumpy road, but be sure to watch for vehicular traffic around the tight curves. Ocean View Drive, on the ocean side, winds through miles of wooded areas; there are several ponds along the route that are perfect for taking a quick dip. The Wellfleet Chamber of Commerce publishes a pamphlet, "Bicycling in Wellfleet," with an annotated map.

Idle Times Bike Shop, Inc. (U.S. 6, just west of Cahoon Hollow Rd. 508/349-9161) opens Memorial Day and rents bikes, trailer bikes (a tandem bike with a backseat for children who are big enough to pedal), and trailer attachments for the littler passengers. The shop also handles repairs and sells parts and assorted accessories. Depending on the crowds and weather, it usually remains open until Columbus Day.

Eastham

The Idle Times Bike Shop (4550 U.S. 6, and Brackett Rd. 508/255-8281) provides bikes of all sizes and types and is right near the Cape Cod Rail Trail.

The Little Capistrano Bike Shop (Salt Pond Rd. across from Salt Pond Visitor Center. 508/255-6515) has plenty of bikes and trailers available for rent and is between the Cape Cod Rail Trail and the National Seashore Bike Trail.

Nauset Trail,maintained by the Cape Cod National Seashore, stretches 1½ mi from Salt Pond Visitor Center through groves of apple and locust trees to Coast Guard Beach.

Chatham

All manner of bikes are available for rent at Chatham Cycle (193 Depot Rd. 508/945-8981).

Monomoy Sail & Cycle (275 Orleans Rd., North Chatham. 508/945-0811) rents bicycles as well as sailboards.

Harwich

The Bike Depot (500 Depot St. 508/430-4375) has rentals, including some antique bikes. It's in North Harwich, right off the bike trail.

Brewster

The Cape Cod Rail Trail has many access points in Brewster, among them Long Pond Road, Underpass Road, and Nickerson State Park.

Brewster Bike (442 Underpass Rd. 508/896-8149) carries a large selection of bikes for rent.

The Rail Trail Bike and Kayak (302 Underpass Rd. 508/896-8200) rents bikes, including children's bikes, and in-line skates. Parking is free, and there's a picnic area with easy access to the Rail Trail.

Dennis

You can pick up the 25-mi Cape Cod Rail Trail at several points along its path. In fact, riding the entire trail in one day doesn't do justice to its sights and side trips (though it certainly can be done). Many cyclists, especially those with small kids, prefer the piecemeal method because they can relax and enjoy the sights—and not turn their legs into jelly.

The ride in Dennis starts as a flat, straight spin through a small pine forest—a good warm-up exercise. Your first road crossing is at busy Great Western Road, one of the town's major thoroughfares, after which you'll pass Sand Pond and Flax Pond in Harwich. The Dennis part of the trail is short, but it's worth starting here for the ample parking at the trail's entrance and for the several bike-rental places that set up shop on Route 134.

A guidebook published by the Dennis Chamber of Commerce includes bike tours and maps. You can rent bikes from a number of places along the Cape Cod Rail Trail. Barbara's Bike Shop (430 Rte. 134, Dennis Village. 508/760-4723) is at the Rail Trail entrance.

Yarmouth

Bike Zone Inc. (1124 Rte. 28, South Yarmouth. 508/398-5550) rents and sells bicycles; it's also a good local resource for all things related to cycling on the Cape.

Barnstable

Cascade Motor Lodge (201 Main St., Downtown Hyannis. 508/775-9717), near the bus and train station, rents three-speed and mountain bikes by the half day, full day, and week.

Falmouth

The Shining Sea Trail is an easy 3½-mi route between Locust Street, Falmouth, and the Woods Hole ferry parking lot. It follows the coast, providing views of Vineyard Sound and dipping into oak and pine woods; a detour onto Church Street takes you to Nobska Light. A brochure is available at the trailheads. If you're going to Martha's Vineyard with your bike, you can park your car in one of Falmouth's Steamship Authority lots and ride the Shining Sea Trail to the ferry. (The free shuttle buses between the Falmouth lots and the Woods Hole ferry docks also have bike carriers.) There are plans to eventually extend the trail another 8 mi or so up through West Falmouth.

Corner Cycle (115 Palmer Ave., Falmouth. 508/540-4195) rents bikes (including tandems and children's bikes) by the hour, day, or week. It also rents Burley trailers for carrying small children and does on-site repairs. The shop is two blocks from the Shining Sea Trail. Holiday Cycles (465 Grand Ave., Falmouth Heights. 508/540-3549) has surrey, tandem, and other unusual bikes.

Bourne

An easy, straight trail stretches on either side of the Cape Cod Canal,6½ mi on the south side, 7 mi on the north, with views of the bridges and ship traffic on the canal. Contact the Army Corps of Engineers (508/759-4431) for information about canal trail access and parking. Directly across the street from the canal bike path on the mainland (near the Massachusetts Maritime Academy), P&M Cycles (29 Main St., Buzzards Bay. 508/759-2830) rents mountain- and hybrid bikes at reasonable rates.