Choosing your ride: A bike is a bike. Except when it's a slingshot. Or a chopper, quad sport, deuce coupe or surrey. Some of these bikes look like science fiction. How you want to spend your time will dictate your choice.

The slingshot is a backward tricycle that you almost lay in. It's an unusual ride. The chopper resembles a three-wheel motorcycle and the quad sport a go-kart, both giving you that low-slung, sport-driving sensation. All these are open, so bring your sunscreen. No matter your speed, you'll look like you're blazing because they're so sleek. Choose these if you want to zip solo around the horn of Mullet Key.

The deuce coupe is more of a midlife bike, a stylized two-seat trike that looks like it's moving when it's standing still, but still with a couple spots in back for the kids. It has a shade, too, so you won't get too much sun.

Finally, the surreys are straight-up family bikes, shaded, seating at least two, but up to eight, if you include baskets for little ones. These minivan bikes are about as sexy as a Tin Lizzie. Thinking that sharing the pedaling several ways would make it easy, I chose the double surrey for our group. Boy, was I wrong.

The ride: The smaller, zestier bikes are lighter and more streamlined, so they let a rider tool around with alacrity and ease. The surreys are beasts so you'd better have fellow riders with a good thrust-to-weight ratio or you'll be huffing like I was. Never thought I'd get a workout on something that looked so sedate.

The bikes are comfortable enough. They all feel new and still have plenty of padding. There are cup holders. The shades help, but don't cover all, so passengers can still get a good bit of sun. The baskets that serve as tike seats can also be used to carry your gear.

Value: If you own a bike and can transport it easily, you won't want to rent. But if you want a group activity and want to enjoy a fine park in a new way, these rentals can be a fun diversion. Rentals run from $7 an hour for a plain, old two-wheeled bike (if you're boring), to $25 an hour for a double surrey. An hour might seem like too little time, but it may not be: my group tried to cover half the trail but could only muster half that still, sweating as we did. Sure, maybe we're not the benchmark of performance, but don't expect to cover dozens of miles. There are day-long rentals for these bikes, but you might want to try them before you make that kind of commitment.

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Source:Tampa Bay Times