Gov. Mark Sanford wants you to participate in his Family Fitness Challenge, but that doesn’t mean he expects you to ride along with him on the full 160-mile cross-state bike trip.

Probably only cyclists with distance-riding experience should try to accompany Sanford, based on the logistics of the 60-mile first day of the trip May 1. To give inexperienced riders a choice, the governor’s staff plans shorter Family Fun Rides along the way.

Here are some tips:

• Short stuff: The governor’s ride and a Family Fun Ride will start at Croft State Natural Area at 9 a.m. May 1. The fun ride is a 2-mile loop through Croft property back to the start. If your only bike is a mountain bike, head to Croft. You can start with the governor, loop back to the starting point, then spend as much time as you’d like on the park’s 10.5 miles of mountain bike trails.

• Long haul: The governor plans three rest stops on the 60-mile trip from Croft to the town of Little Mountain. If you think you’re up to 20 miles but not 60, just ride as far as the first stop. You’ll need to arrange for somebody to pick you up, since no shuttle service is planned. The rest stops are after 20 miles at Union Square Shopping Center at 719 N. Duncan Bypass in Union, after 38 miles at the Piggly Wiggly at 26490 S.C. 121 in Whitmire and after 51 miles at Enoree Baptist Church at 14080 U.S. 176 in Enoree.

• Up and down: If you thrive on the muscle and lung strain of hills, the first day of the trip is for you. If you prefer flat rides, wait until May 15-16, when Sanford pedals from Columbia to Santee State Park and then from Santee to North Charleston. Family Fun Rides are planned at the start of those sections, but details haven’t been completed.

• Plan for a full day: Sanford aims to roll into Little Mountain about 3 p.m. Again, riders will have to make arrangements with friends or family members to shuttle vehicles to the finish.

Reach Holleman at (803) 771-8366 or jholleman@thestate.com