JEKYLL ISLAND, GEORGIA
Having ridden on St. Simons Island, I wanted to try a different island and chose Jekyll. I have never been here before and knew next to nothing about it. My first decision would normally be how far but a longer than planned trip from North Carolina helped me make my decision.
There is a causeway that leads to the island. I stopped at the welcome center on I-95 in Georgia and asked if one could bike on the causeway to the island. No one knew. There is a welcome center halfway there on the causeway and I had hoped to park there but parking is limited to one hour. So I drove all the way to the island.
As for the causeway, it was a non-starter. The turn off to the causeway offers no parking anywhere close. The causeway itself is two lanes, some of it 55 mph, much of it 45 mph. No shoulders. But would I ride it? The answer is yes. It is straight and flat with visible site lines. It’s not for the faint of heart but on a road bike, I would ride it.
But I drove to the island with a plan of where I would ride. Entering the island I turned right and looked for the first place to park. It was a water-slide park, not yet opened for summer.
I never created a map for my GPS and went by memory. I would ride around the island counter-clockwise. I stayed mostly on the road even though there were a number of bike paths. Some were best for the fat tire variety and not for this road bike.
I hadn’t checked the air pressure in my tires before I left. Perhaps because there was more sand on the streets, I thought it would be best to check the pressure. I found the one bike shop on the island.
The owner (or operator) had beach cruisers. I asked about an air pump and he looked at my tire with its Presta Valve. He said, “Sorry, I don’t have air for that type of tire.”
Had to turn around on this one
I found a trail at the north end of the island but was on it only for a couple of hundred feet when I saw it need fat tires. I turned around.
It was an enjoyable ride. Traffic was mostly slow and respectful. Comparing the two, I would go back to St. Simon’s Island before Jekyll Island but either one is a nice diversion from a long car ride.
