Want to feel like a kid again? Get on a bicycle. Doesn't matter how old you are, there's something about whizzing around on two wheels -- the wind in your face, legs pumping, hands gripping handlebars -- that frees the inner child.

And South Florida is close to perfect as a rider's paradise. We've certainly got the weather. The terrain is relatively flat (barring man-made inclines like Key Biscayne's Rickenbacker Causeway or mountain bike paths in parks), and the scenery with all its greenery is top-notch.

Unfortunately, South Florida is also home to drivers who define the word "bonehead,'' so finding a safe spot to cycle, free from cars that turn right from the left lane, could be a challenge depending on where you live. For some reason, most of tony Coral Gables and people-magnet South Beach haven't hit upon the concept of bike paths.

Paved bike paths and trails abound most everywhere else in Miami-Dade and Broward. These are some of our favorites -- taking into account safety, scenery and proximity to things like rest rooms, stores and restaurants. (Biking builds an appetite for a quick nosh.) We've also included a couple all-terrain paths for the daredevils.

MIAMI-DADE

The Old Cutler Trail: There isn't a more beautiful bike path anywhere. This jewel in South Dade offers the most shade, thanks to banyan trees lining its 13 miles, and offers plenty of options. Not up for a long ride? Start at Cocoplum Circle (at the end of Sunset Drive in Coral Gables) and pedal two miles south from the circle to the trail. You'll cruise by Matheson Hammock Park (9610 Old Cutler Rd.) and the adjacent 83-acre Fairchild Tropical Garden.

Pop into Matheson and ride a mile trail through the lush mangroves. Keep an eye out for the gator that calls the lake home. Amid the engulfing trees you'll soon come upon the park's marina, which offers good bay views, restrooms, a snack shop, picnic areas and an atoll for swimming. (If it has rained heavily, this area can fill with brackish water, so take heed.) You're not really dressed for it, but this is also where you'll find the picturesque Red Fish Grill Restaurant. Make a date for later.

Fairchild has an $8 entrance fee and you have to lock your bike outside.

After the gardens, the bike path ends at Southwest 105th Street across from Snapper Creek Lakes. Cross Old Cutler at the traffic light and bike along a winding route through the quiet streets. Follow Snapper Creek Lake Road until you see a narrow bike bridge crossing a canal at Southwest 104th Street. This is Red Road.

Once over the bridge, turn right for a quick pit stop at the Wayside Market, where plenty of like-minded cyclists congregate. Built in 1948, this fruit stand boasts yummy yogurt shakes (they are famous for the strawberry one but try the Elvis Shake -- peanut butter and banana). You can continue in this direction for a few miles and find Dante Fascell Park and soon arrive in South Miami. Or turn left on the path and rejoin the Old Cutler path just south of Parrot Jungle (about a third of a mile from the market).

If you have the stamina, about seven or so miles later you'll hit Black Point Park Marina, a spot highly recommended by the folks at Sunset's Mack Cycle (5995 Sunset Dr.) for its views of manatees, gators and amenities like picnic areas, bike paths, restrooms and food stops.

Coconut Grove: Despite all the noisy teens gathering at CocoWalk, the Grove still largely retains its funky Bohemian atmosphere, so biking here is a natural. From Cocoplum you can ride north into the Grove along four miles of scenic residential neighborhoods. Take connecting Edgewater, Ingraham Highway and the Douglas road bike lane (be careful at Main Highway's precarious intersection, where cars sometimes veer onto the path; these paths are often broken by tree roots, so be alert).

Once on Main Highway, which takes you into the heart of the Grove, check out the Barnacle State Historic Site, site of the oldest home in Miami-Dade. There is a wooden bench along the water near the yellow house in the back that makes a good resting spot and offers a great view of the bay, boats and nearby islands. Quintessential Florida.

You can also take the bike path south along Bayshore Drive and take in sights like Vizcaya, the Miami Museum of Science and Space Transit Planetarium and Mercy Hospital. (Be careful after the hospital, though, because for the next half-mile, until you get to Kennedy Park where the asphalt path resumes, you're riding a narrow strip of the road with cars that tend to take Bayshore at a fast clip).

Do take in Kennedy Park and its casually looping Siegendorf Bicycle Path (about a third of a mile long in the center of the park). Here, little kids try out their new scooters and bikes, locals slurp $2.50 frozen lemonades at a food truck that has been a fixture there since 1978, dogs merrily lead their owners, and Biscayne Bay is mere feet from the path. Take it slowly; little kids often wander blindly.

Once out of the park and back onto Bayshore, cruise south by the private Coral Reef Yacht Club, Miami City Hall, and Bayfront Park. The shopping district is nearby. Hearty cyclists can continue through the Grove to the Old Cutler Trail.

Shark Valley: If it's jaws you're looking for, you'll find plenty at this national park -- of the alligator variety, that is. One of the more popular bike paths in Miami-Dade, Shark Valley, located on the Tamiami Trail 35 miles into the Everglades, offers a 15-mile bike path on its tram road. The looping path is shared by scores of gators that in winter are known to lie across the warm asphalt like speed bumps.

Along the path, which leads to a multilevel observation deck at its midpoint, look for alligators of all sizes, wading birds, posing anhingas and turtles, as well as tree islands and rivers of grass. (The gators aren't interested in bicyclists, but the park warns guests to keep a 15-foot distance. If they hiss at you, you're too close.)

There are no shortcuts on the path, and it takes about two hours to complete the trip. If you tire, turn around and return on the same road. The path is free of debris and smooth, but state law requires children 16 and younger to wear a helmet. There's no shade, so sunscreen is wise. The tram office rents bikes for $4.50 an hour from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and closes at 6 p.m. Admission is $8. Call 305-221-8455.

Oleta River State Recreation Area: A mountain bike lover's paradise. Tucked along the Intracoastal off the concrete jungle known as 163rd Street in North Miami (3400 NE 163rd St.), Oleta boasts 10 miles of mountain bike trails for the serious cyclist. Don't come here with a racing bike. Even a Schwinn mountain bike will draw scoffs from the park rangers. You want a sturdy dirt bike with a strong suspension system to adequately navigate these bumpy trails.

According to the assistant park manager, Diane Dutcher, 300,000 people visit the park annually to careen up and down hills carved into the forest. She says it's the only mountain bike trail patrolled by state park officials in South Florida in case of injuries and riders getting lost.

"Not many serious accidents, just scrapes and bumps, but that's part of the sport,'' Dutcher says. Sixty volunteers maintain the trails.

The trails, rock-strewn and laced with tree roots, are marked Novice and Intermediate, and you shouldn't ride beyond your ability. Some of the Intermediate paths boast hills and dips that top 10 or more feet. In one area, a 60-foot wall is being erected for a downhill racing course. But the paths are clearly marked with Wrong Way signs to help riders avoid collisions. A bike-washing rack is a nice touch.

There is also a skills course inside the park that features hills and slalom runs so you can test your skills before venturing off the safe paved path (three miles long from the front entrance).

Add a beach, a kayaking section and picnic areas and Oleta's complete. "You wouldn't think you had the opportunity for outdoor activities in Miami like you have here,'' Dutcher says.

Oleta is open from 8 a.m. to sundown daily. Call 305-919-1846.

ALSO IN MIAMI-DADE

Key Biscayne affords waterfront views, beaches like Crandon Park and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Recreation area, tourist attractions like the Seaquarium and wooded areas along a path on the street that runs about eight miles or so. The view of Miami from atop the Rickenbacker Causeway is breathtaking, but the span is nearly a mile long and quite high. It's recommended you walk your bike across it. We hit 28 miles per hour on our mountain bike on the way down, which felt great but was foolhardy).

The Metrorail bike path, a k a M-Path Bike Trail , winds nine miles beneath the concrete supports of the elevated Metrorail, taking cyclists from downtown Miami to Kendall. If you have to travel along South Dixie, M-Path is the way to go, but it's also among the more dangerous paths we've encountered. While the entire asphalt stretch is paved, it takes you through about 20 cross streets, most of which are confusingly laid out (Bird, Ponce de Leon and Le Jeune roads, in particular.) The path seems to disappear at some intersections, lacks curb cuts and crosswalks and is not lighted at night. Best for confident adults.

BROWARD COUNTY

Hollywood Broadwalk: Hollywood's answer to Atlantic City's famous boardwalk is a charming 2.5-mile stretch beloved by Canadian tourists (Signs are in English and French.), pedestrians and, yes, cyclists. It's so popular that during the height of tourist season ( Dec. 16 to April 15) the city restricts biking to specific locations along the Broadwalk and at set times. The 27-foot-wide promenade is bordered on one side by the white sands of the Atlantic Ocean and on the other by a slew of restaurants, bars, a gym and tacky T-shirt shops. One restaurant is basically as good as the next. (You'll want a fish sandwich, a frozen custard or a slice of pizza at some point.) Perfect for a leisurely and safe ride. Cars are forbidden.

Markham Park: Broward's version of Oleta also offers 10 miles of mountain bike trails marked Novice and Intermediate, but these winding and dipping trails seem more treacherous, with jutting rocks and roots looming. Rainwater also gathers in muddy pools along stretches of the unpaved trails. Frowned on by the folks at Mack Cycle, who say there's a busted collarbone or arm every weekend here.

Unless you really have a knack for this kind of thing, it's better to stick to the paved path that winds along the well-maintained picnic areas, tennis courts, boating ramps and fishing lakes. The 666-acre Markham Park is at 16001 State Rd. 84 in Sunrise and is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Call 954-389-2000.

ALSO IN BROWARD

Brian Piccolo Park in Cooper City sports a velodrome (a bowl-shaped bicycle track) where you can set a fast pace or stick to the inner track for a leisurely ride. If in-line skaters bug you, this may not be the place for you since the velodrome attracts plenty of skaters. The park is at 9501 Sheridan St. Hours vary. Call 954-437-2626.

C.B. Smith Park, at 900 N. Flamingo Rd. in Pembroke Pines, has bike paths spread about its 320 acres. After working up a sweat, cool off on the water slide or in the freshwater lagoon. Park also includes tennis, racquetball and basketball courts, and batting cages. . Call 954-437-2650. The park is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

North Broward County - South of Hillsboro on Powerline - Quiet Waters Park: this trail is carved out of a pine forest nestled between the several lakes from which the park derives its name. The trails contain both Novice and Intermediate courses and are about six miles through packed sand that gets loose when the going gets tough. Even the Novice trails have thick roots criss-crossing the track and causing a pretty bumpy ride. There are rickety wooden bridges and six foot high dunes where the trail brings you between trees with about two feet of clearance, about enough to get your handle bars through if you don't lose your balance.

The trails are beautiful with the sun filtering through the pines and the lakes ever-present through the trees or alongside the path. They are maintained by park maintenance and monthly volunteers get together and do their part. They make sure the trails are safe and the signage is posted properly as well as some trail building and any necessary cleaning. Don't try to ride without a helmet, there are signs everywhere warning of immediate ejection from the park for anyone without a helmet. They do have a supply of helmets at the ranger station. It is worth the trip. Enjoy the ride!

Happy trails.