Unique Clermont inn offers accommodations for athletes, bicyclists

From its name, there’s little guessing at who the typical guests at this downtown Clermont, Fla., inn are.

“From one third to one half of our guests are bicyclists,” said Renee Banzhaf, who owns The Old Bicycle Inn along with husband Bill.

Situated one block from the Lake Minneola Scenic Trail, the California-style bungalow inn is a popular respite for athletes visiting the local National Training Center. From tri-athletes to competitive bicyclists, this inn features a full-range of amenities for extended stays. Athletes training or participating in the annual Great Floridian Iron Man Triathlon, often stay more than a week and sometimes up to three months.

“There’s one girl that stays with us every spring,” Bill said. “She is a professional tri-athlete and one of her requirements was the Internet.”

Along with Wi-Fi (wireless Internet access) and phone service, the three distinct guest areas at the inn offer different amenities.

Three rooms are available in the main guest house. These rooms accommodate shorter stays, however some kitchen facilities are provided. Staying in the main house is also beneficial as other guest accommodations are just downstairs from the bedrooms.

The carriage-house apartment, located behind the main guest house, offers two bedrooms with a kitchenette, washer and dryer, television, DVD player, Direct TV and a stereo.

The two-bedroom bungalow, adjacent to the main house, offers a full kitchen and is frequently used by entire triathlon teams.

All guests of The Old Bicycle Inn can enjoy the spacious features of the main guest house. The hardwood-floored living area is accented with a cozy fireplace and a 54-inch widescreen television. Adjoining the living room is a quiet reading room, however the expansive Florida sun room or the courtyard, between the carriage and main houses, are the most popular spots for guests to unwind.

While the inn caters to a unique niche of professional athletes, couples also frequent the area for the charming downtown of cafes, boutiques and restaurants and the local 5.5-mile recreational trail. True to its name, The Old Bicycle Inn offers bicycles to its guests free of charge.
“Located so close to the trail is our biggest selling point,” Renee said.

The Lake Minneola Scenic Trail is unique because it boasts the highest elevations of any rails-to-trails, a program that converts old railroad track lines to recreational trails, project in the state. The Lake Minneola Scenic Trail will soon be more attractive to long-distance bicyclists as Lake County officials recently broke ground on a new 4-mile South Lake Trail. When completed in the summer of 2006, it will connect the Lake Minneola Scenic Trail to the 22-mile West Orange Trail.