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Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. —
The best way Dan Dougan can describe his love of cycling to skeptics is that it’s a culture, a lifestyle.
For as long as he can remember, there’s always been a bike in his life. When he was young, it was riding around the neighborhood with other kids. In college, it was fixing up a beat-up mountain bike to ride; and later, it was commuting his first-born son to daycare.
Now, as the owner of Oz Cycles and Kayak in Lake Ozark, Dougan’s love of outdoors is so ingrained in his everyday life, it’s as natural as breathing or eating.
Even his family has joined the action.
Together, they take bike rides to explore the Lake of the Ozarks or paddle their way through the lake’s waters in a canoe.
“The thing is, at the end of the day, when you put away your bike and hang up your paddle, you end up feeling good all day long,” Dougan said. “That feeling, that’s why people do this.”
Cycling, after all, can be done by someone at almost every activity level. Even here at Lake of the Ozarks, options are plenty.
Take a leisurely bike ride with your family on the paved trail in Horseshoe Bend or kick it up a gear and head out on a gravel road with a group of friends for an endurance trip.
Dougan said riding on gravel roads is one of the newest trends in bicycling with the highlight being it can be done during the winter here at Lake of the Ozarks.
For an adrenaline-packed adventure, look no farther than the trails Dougan and his friends cleared in Lake of the Ozarks State Park. Two trails - Honey Run and Trail of Four Winds - are single-track lanes that wind their way between trees, over rocks and straight through creeks.
The paths, Dougan hopes, are just a glimpse of what’s in the future.
With more and more people participating in biking and kayaking at Lake of the Ozarks, Dougan said he’d like to see marked biking lanes and more trails.
“There needs to be more outlets for kids - for them to play,” Dougan said, “especially outdoors, but in general as well.”
Contact this reporter at deanna.wheeler@lakesunonline.com
The best way Dan Dougan can describe his love of cycling to skeptics is that it’s a culture, a lifestyle.
For as long as he can remember, there’s always been a bike in his life. When he was young, it was riding around the neighborhood with other kids. In college, it was fixing up a beat-up mountain bike to ride; and later, it was commuting his first-born son to daycare.
Now, as the owner of Oz Cycles and Kayak in Lake Ozark, Dougan’s love of outdoors is so ingrained in his everyday life, it’s as natural as breathing or eating.
Even his family has joined the action.
Together, they take bike rides to explore the Lake of the Ozarks or paddle their way through the lake’s waters in a canoe.
“The thing is, at the end of the day, when you put away your bike and hang up your paddle, you end up feeling good all day long,” Dougan said. “That feeling, that’s why people do this.”
Cycling, after all, can be done by someone at almost every activity level. Even here at Lake of the Ozarks, options are plenty.
Take a leisurely bike ride with your family on the paved trail in Horseshoe Bend or kick it up a gear and head out on a gravel road with a group of friends for an endurance trip.
Dougan said riding on gravel roads is one of the newest trends in bicycling with the highlight being it can be done during the winter here at Lake of the Ozarks.
For an adrenaline-packed adventure, look no farther than the trails Dougan and his friends cleared in Lake of the Ozarks State Park. Two trails - Honey Run and Trail of Four Winds - are single-track lanes that wind their way between trees, over rocks and straight through creeks.
The paths, Dougan hopes, are just a glimpse of what’s in the future.
With more and more people participating in biking and kayaking at Lake of the Ozarks, Dougan said he’d like to see marked biking lanes and more trails.
“There needs to be more outlets for kids - for them to play,” Dougan said, “especially outdoors, but in general as well.”
Contact this reporter at deanna.wheeler@lakesunonline.com
