There were several marked places where cyclists could leave the Cape Cod Bike Trail and follow side roads to the coast, coastal villages, or beaches. The north-east end of the trail near Wellfleet offered cyclists the chance to go west to the town and its beaches, or east to the National Seashore.

We cycled along the highway east. It was hillier than the rail trail, and the shoulder was non-existent. Traffic was light; but it would be intimidating to cycle here in peak season. After a few miles of cycling past country lots, we arrived at the seashore:

The beach was far below:

 

There were large seals in the surf, which didn’t stop some brave foolish swimmers, since signs warned that sharks easily mistake swimmers for (dumber) seals. We also spotted dolphins, eagles, sandpipers, gulls, and the usual seashore culprits.

We cycled parallel to the coast for a bit, past a collection of rare, non-cape-cod-style homes in 1950’s modern style, seeking the next beach which had a famous scallop restaurant. Alas, it was closed for the season.

So we pedalled back out to the start of the bike trail, stopping for a few minutes to read some tombstones:

 

 

Full disclosure: being wusses, we didn’t actually cycle the whole 22 miles / 35 km out and back all in one day. We did half the trail one day; and resumed where we had left off at the midpoint a few days later. Bike rentals were $20/day. There were many bikes and types of saddles to choose from. Make sure you get a bell and basket. We are helmet-free riders.

 

Next: cycling onto the airport …