Happy trails: Want to get to the post office in a hurry? The nearest bike trail may be the best way.

Retired warehouseman George Redman loves to hit the trail - the asphalt ribbon that runs only a few blocks from his house in East Providence, R.I. Year-round, the 79-year-old grabs his trusty 10-speed Schwinn, the one with the saddlebags on the back and an additional bag in the front, and takes a daily spin, often 20 miles or more along Narragansett Bay.