Bicycling is, quite simply, the best way to see the battlefield. It is too large to walk it in a timely fashion, and in a car or bus you speed by things too fast to really see them well. (The battle itself stretched over 25-square miles, and the National Park covers over 6,000 acres.) To really understand a battle, you need to know the terrain, the lay of the land. When you power yourself up the hills and ridges, and feel gravity propel you down, you gain a real appreciation for the high ground and why the battle developed the way it did.
On a bike, more of your senses get involved and more completely. Not only do you feel the terrain under your feet, but your view is unobstructed by car or bus roofs, and the pace is slow enough to see wildlife, monuments, fields and flowers you would have otherwise missed. You hear the call of birds or the baying of cattle; smell the freshly cut crops; and perhaps even get a taste of salt from the sweat on your face, just as the soldiers themselves did.
Finally, this earth-friendly, green alternative to seeing the battlefield helps preserve the National Park and provides you with fresh air and exercise.
