Cycling enthusiasts can be found throughout Connecticut, traveling the rolling terrain, enjoying the state’s rail-to-trails system, reveling in coastal views, and stopping to take in local attractions along the way.

There’s fun for families in biking, whether your children are young, teens, or well-conditioned cyclists. The experts at www.ctbikeroutes.org have suggested three routes for beginners, intermediate, and experienced riders, so get ready to peddle away and enjoy the outdoors. For route details, complete with mileage cues for turns, comfort stations, and attractions found in each ride, visit www.wfsb.com. Just click on (need station to tell us how to end this sentence).

Beginners – Farmington Canal Linear Park Trail Young families looking for a great bike outing will appreciate flat terrain, a petting zoo, plenty of shade, and places for rest stops. Over the approximately 6-mile roundtrip that’s part of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, you’ll be free of automobile traffic, except at several well-marked places where the trail crosses the road. Expect other bicycles, rollerbladers, and families walking with strollers on this paved route. Ample parking is available at the bike trail on Cornwall Avenue off Route 10 in Cheshire. Visit the Lock 12 display explaining how the canal lock system worked. Kids will enjoy the turtles and ducks found near the marshy wetlands, as well as a stop by the petting zoo at Brooksvale Park in Hamden, the turnaround point. You can also do the ride in reverse, starting at Brooksvale Park. Pedal just 3.1 miles one way, and of course, you make a choice to do more or less, to match your family’s capabilities.

Intermediate – Chaffinch Island and Guilford Coastline For spectacular views of Long Island Sound and relatively mellow bicycling terrain, take the family on this 10-mile route over roads with minimal automobile traffic (no state roads). There’s ample parking and great ocean scenery where you start your cycling at the end of Chaffinch Island Road in Guilford. Travel out to Mulberry Point and then to Sachem’s Head (some dirt trail) to tour around Vineyard Point and its causeway. Then continue along the coastline to Sachem’s Head Yacht Club, traverse a pedestrian bridge that’s okay for bike traffic, and enjoy touring through the upscale residential areas before heading back to the starting point. Approximately 3 miles of the route will be retraced in this loop ride. There are ample places to stop to enjoy the gorgeous ocean views. Because this ride has lots of turns, consider a preview by car with the family if you’re unfamiliar with the area. Turn your outing into an adventure; during your preview drive assign each family member key landmarks to identify turns during ride time.

Experienced – Here’s a classic shoreline ride with knockout coastal views and mostly flat terrain. This 33.4-mile roundtrip route includes a 600-foot elevation gain and the stunning scenery of Fishers Island Sound. Begin in Stonington (I-95 commuter parking lot), head to Mystic via the scenic River Road along the Mystic River, and continue through Mystic southwest to Groton Long Point. On the journey back to Mystic, take a slightly different route through Noank Village, then travel east through Mystic, and on to Stonington. After a trip down to Stonington Point, with its nearly 300-degree ocean view, pedal to Barn Island State Park for more breathtaking scenery and educational displays. A significant portion of this ride is on state roads—with paved shoulders that are fine for bikes—and traffic in Mystic and Stonington could be moderate to heavy. Complete ride documents for this ride and other long ventures for cycling enthusiasts can also be found at www.ctbikeroutes.org.