Mid-century architecture and modern riffs, a car-free trail, quiet roads, desert views and a touch of old Hollywood glam — Palm Springs has lots to offer someone on two wheels.
And heat, because we were there on what was probably one of the hottest days of winter this year.
We started our three-hour bike ride at Bike Palm Springs, where we had arranged our half-day bike rental the night before. That was a time-saving trick; given the day’s temperatures, we wanted to get started as close to opening time as possible.
We followed the staff’s advice to go north first, so we took Caballeros, a wide street with bike lanes that skirts the Movie Colony neighborhood (home to Cary Grant, among others), as far as we could, then swung right to Sunrise Way, then left to reach an access point for the CV Link. That’s the paved multi-use path that stretches about 40 miles through the Coachella Valley — but with a couple of interruptions. It turns out the richer communities of Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells think a trail will attract homeless encampments. (Not that we saw any along the trail in Palm Springs.)
We rode along a dry river bed and past verdant golf courses. We took it until it dead-ended at a casino busy road in neighboring Cathedral City. We did see a sign a mile or so back with mileage to Frank Sinatra Drive … but then we had no idea how to get there.
The trail uses simple orange and blue paint to alert you to upcoming trailheads — also useful when you weren’t quite sure where to go. Loved the rest stops along the trail, especially because they included drinking fountains.
Maps too!
I’d have liked to experienced the imbedded solar lights in the middle of the path at night. I’m guessing you still need a light…
Palm Springs vs Tucson
In many ways, this reminded me of our bike rides on Tucson’s Loop last winter. So here’s a quick comparison:
-Tucson’s Loop is much, much longer, giving you more options for your out-and-back rides. And it’s a loop. Palm Springs has a number of marked loops on quiet roads and bike lanes within city limits, and some connect to the CV Link, so you can create your own loop, as we did. Other roads were pretty chill too. I didn’t have a Garmin with me, but here’s a Ride With GPS file of the 26.6 miles we biked (re-created after the ride).
-Bike rentals in Palm Springs are cheaper — and they come from a shop, where someone will at least eyeball the fit. Not so in Tucson for us. We paid $25 to rent a hybrid for a half-day in early 2026; a full day was $35. It cost $50 for one day in Tucson last year.
-Tucson wins for art (including murals and sculptures) on the trail. The views are less impressive in Palm Springs, though you do get a look at the hundreds of turbines at the wind farm. (We took the self-guided version of that tour in the comfort of an air-conditioned car. Definitely educational.)
Here’s an example of tile art on a bridge along the CV Link:
-Palm Springs had more casual cyclists on the trail; Tucson’s Loop attracted the road warriors from colder climes who wanted to train as well as regular riders. At least when we were there.
-Both have mostly good signage, though for us out-of-towners, there’s always some spots where more wayfinding is needed.
-There’s plenty to do off the bike in both places. Tucson is a city and home to a major university; Palm Springs is much smaller and more of a party town.
Exploring by bicycle 