Category: Bike Rides and Routes

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Withlacoochee Trail Full Moon Ride Oct. 11

Regis Hampton, a bike shop owner in Floral City, FL, has been sponsoring a Full Moon ride on the Withlacoochee State Trail for years. I’ve done at least three of them.

Here’s his latest note:

The Withlacoochee trail moonlight ride will be Saturday, Oct. 11, at 7:00 pm.  Will start at the same place as always in Istachatta, however we’ve moved the bike shop to Floral City so no parts, lights or rentals from this location.  Lights, flashers and helmets please. Going to Las Lomas Mexican Restaurant. 26 miles round trip.
Regis 352-419-4809 or 352-799-4979

Snakes Alive! in 2003

My son, Matt, and a friend from the office, Chuck, decided to take advantage of the great fall weather in Nov. 2003 to ride the Withlacochee State Trail, a 46-mile rails to trails in west central Florida.

Chuck and Matt were only looking to do about 50 miles, so Chuck got a motel room in Inverness, about the half-way point. That was going to be the bail-out spot in case anyone wanted to quit early. I was really hoping to get in a full century.

Matt and I started at the south end of the trail near Trilby and were clipping along at a great pace except that my gears were shifting all by themselves. It was like they were hunting between three cogs. Played the devil with trying to set a cadence.

Chain repair isn’t brain surgery

About five miles down the trail, I was looking down trying to figure out what was going screwy when I noticed that a chain link looked like it was bulging out on every pass. There is a great bike shop about 10 miles out, so I figured that I’d drop in there and get it looked at.

That’s when we hit what’s probably the high spot (literally) of the trail: an old railroad bridge that goes over I-75. I had climbed about 20 feet when the chain parted. The good news is that I had bought a Park chain tool a couple of summers ago when I had broken a chain in MO. The bad news is that I had never used it. It wasn’t brain surgery, so the kid installed a new pin for me.

I got up the bridge about 20 feet then the chain parted again. OK, so the kid is a Unix administrator, not a brain surgeon.

This time he took out the link that was bent and tried again. Not only did it work fine, but it actually seemed to shift better than ever. While we were working on it, a very nice park ranger came by to see if we needed help. He carries a set of bike tools and spare parts and actually seemed disappointed when he found us making our own repairs.

Be patient, we’re going to get to the snake eventually.

We hooked up with Chuck in Floral City, had a great lunch and kept on trucking.

The trail goes through some fairly desolate country and some tiny towns. We didn’t see as much wildlife as I had on some other rides, but there were a few snakes, a gopher tortoise, something in the distance that was too big to be a squirrel and some of the biggest bunny rabbits I’ve seen this side of jackalope land.

When we hit Inverness on the return leg, Matt and Chuck decided they’d had enough fun. It was about 60 miles for Matt and about 50 for Chuck. I wanted to get in a few miles, although it was getting late and chilly, so my goal of a century wasn’t likely to happen. The trail is supposed to close at sunset, and I was afraid that they might close the gates where we had parked the car.

I’m all alone

Matt and Chuck headed off to get Chuck’s car to pick up mine. Matt and I had GPSs programmed with waypoints along the trail and we both had Nextel radios to keep in touch.

Between the rapidly ending day and overhanging trees, it was getting dark enough that I had to turn on the my lights. I didn’t have to worry about traffic, so I was just running off my Schmidt hub. I kept my NiteRider in reserve just in case.

I hadn’t seen another rider in an hour and was in the darkest part of the trail when I decided to take a close look at my GPS to see which would be a logical pickup point to meet The Kid. Except for some frogs and an odd snake or two, there wasn’t much to dodge.

OK, What’s THAT?

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something mottled-looking stretched two-thirds of the way across the 9-foot trail. My brain told me that it was just some leaves that had been stacked up against a curvy crack in the blacktop to a height of about 2-1/2 inches, a width of about four inches and a length of about six feet (and that was just what was on the trail.)

My instincts, however, caused me to grab the radio and say, “Kid, I just passed something that was either a pile of leaves or a bleeping python. Either way, I ain’t going back to find out.”

Making me wonder even more about it was the fact that I don’t recall seeing anything obstructing the trail when I rode north and Chuck didn’t see anything like that when he rode the same stretch on Sunday.

I decided that I’d try to hook up with the kid in front of a general store in Istachatta. When I got there, it was like a scene out of the Twilight Zone just before Rod Serling shows up. The general store was closed and dark. The few houses around were dark and quiet. The only sound came from some dogs howling in the distance.

“Uhhhh, Kid,” I radioed. “You ARE on your way, right?”

“Yep.” He replied. “Just a couple of miles from the turn-off. Won’t be but a few minutes.”

I had my bike set up by the side of the road with all of the taillights blinking and the NiteRider headlight strobing away at a roadside sign. There was no way he was going to miss me.

Ten L-O-N-G minutes went by. No Kid.

“Kid,” I radioed again. “Do you have any idea what kind of sound a python makes slithering through wet grass? Well, I don’t either and I’ve seen enough of those movies to know that I don’t to look over my shoulder.”

“I didn’t notice that the battery in my GPS had died.” he replied, giving me much comfort. “I was wondering why the little arrow on the laptop wasn’t moving. I’ve changed the battery and figured out that I missed my turn. It won’t be long….”

That was easy for him to say. He wasn’t python bait.

Maybe I didn’t get a picture of the python, but here’s a picture of Matt with a shark we spotted along the trail.

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South Broward Wheelers Century Ride: Nov. 2

‘Round about July, Bicycle Magazine featured Harry’s Hundred, the training ride for the South Broward Wheelers Century Ride.

Harry’s Hundred caught my eye. Unfortunately, it was on hiatus for the summer. Alas, I have not yet knocked out a century for 2008.

Fast forward: the 24th Annual South Broward Wheelers Century Ride is darn near here: November 2, 2008.

South Broward Wheelers Route Options

There are three distances available (32, 62 and 100 miles). All start from Brian Piccolo Park in Cooper City, Florida. The long distance riders start at 7:30 am while the 32-mile ride starts at 8:00 am. I haven’t seen a 2008 route map but you can grab the 2006 South Broward Wheelers Century Map in PDF format from their web site.

(Other Broward bike route maps and cue sheets are also available.)

Registration costs $30 for non-members and includes a commerative t-shirt, lunch, fully-stocked rest stops, sag wagon, etc. That is a wonderful deal and well worth the price.

Others (I’m looking at you, Dad) will complain about having to pay $30 to ride on roads that are free and open to the public. I look at it this way: with fully-stocked rest stops, I only have to carry enough food and water to get me the 10 or 15 miles to the next rest stop instead of having to carry six hours worth of stuff. With a support staff, I can ride quicker and easier. That’s worth $30 even without the t-shirt.

Where Does Your Money Go?

For $30, I didn’t give much thought as to where my money was going. I figured rest stops, t-shirts and beer for the club officers. It turns out, this ride is well sponsored and the majority of the sponsorship support goes to buying bikes for the community. Since 2002, SBW has donated over 1,000 new bikes with helmets to various Broward County charaties with a strong focus on children.

Are You Riding or Hiding?

Grab your entry form today. Get it in before October 24 and you’ll save $5. There is a 93% chance that I’ll do this ride.

I’ll be happy to take myself and three others south from Palm Beach Gardens. You can enjoy my company or sleep on the way south. Your choice. Comment below to let me know you need a ride.

—Matt

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Go for The Big “O” Nov. 8-9

I picked up a flyer for what is billed as “An epic ride you don’t want to miss! The Big “O” Nov. 8-9.”

The ride is sponsored by the Florida Off-Road Cycling Enthusiasts (F.O.R.C.E.) The phone number is 561-684-8444. tom@thebicyclery.com is listed as the email contact.

I’ve been LOST for five years

I’ve been riding the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail (LOST) for going on five years now. It’s one of my favorite places. I have to confess, though, that I stay on the paved path on the top of the dike or drop down to the highways. Even though I have 32mm tires, I don’t think I want to ride the ruts and shell rock on the top of the dike.

Flyer makes it sound like fun

Come and join in on the fun! We start at the Army Corps of Engineers in Clewiston at 9 A.M. where there is safe parking. There are rest stops along the way where you will find shade, shelter and some food and drink. The rest stops are about 15-20 miles apart.

The west side of the lake is unpaved, so you will need at least a hybrid style of bike with 32mm wide tires. Most people ride mountain bikes, but it is doable on a hybrid.

The first day we go clockwise from Clewiston. We have pavement for 15 miles, then 35 miles of dirt. After about 45 miles, the Pier II resort will be a great sight. Hot showers, a pool and cold beer will be your reward. Phone number 800-874-3744. There will be a special FORCE rate of $69 for a double. Reserve your room and tell them it’s for the Big O Levee Challenge. There are resturants within walking distance from the hotel.

The second day is nearly all smooth pavement all the way with a tailwind (hopefully). Rest stops again, so enjoy.

Trailheads

You can find aerial maps with trailheads marked on them here. They won’t match up exactly with the Big O map, so you should use their map for this ride.

You’ll see plenty of wildlife.

I’ve seen gators every time I’ve been on the LOST.

The Look, Don’t Touch Rule is very much in effect.

Since I’m a road biker, like I said before, I take 78 along the west side of the lake between Moore Haven and Okeetanta. It’s been paved within the last couple of years, has wide shoulders and low traffic. It’s also not exposed to the wind like riding on the dike if you hit a killer headwind. You’re also not the highest thing around if lightning is in the area.

Matt, my son, and I rode 98 between Port Mayaca and Pahokee at the end of last year. The road was under construction then, but it wasn’t as bad as we had feared. It may be finished by now. If it is, it’ll have good shoulders. The dike was undergoing construction between that area, so I don’t know if it’ll be open even for the Big O ride.

Have fun. (I’ve passed on all the info I have about the Big O ride. If you want more detail, contact The Bicyclery.

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A Palm Beach Ride To Take With a Grain of Salt

It was time for a quick ride to the Palm Beach Inlet Friday afternoon. The temps weren’t too high and the wind was only about 7 mph out of the east. It was a perfect day to poke along shooting pictures for a future piece on Palm Beach’s Lake Trail.

Earlier in the day, I saw a Coastal Flood Warning show up on Weatherbug. I figured it was due to Tropical Storm Kyle kicking up the waves along the East Coast.

Debris on the trail

On the northbound leg, I saw debris on the trail that indicated that the water must have been high at some point. The trail borders the Intracoastal Waterway.

When I got to the Lake Worth Inlet at the north end of Palm Beach, the tide was rising higher than usual. The water was almost touching the bottom of the dock.

Now there’s water in the way

On the way back home, I came to a low spot and saw that there was about half an inch of water over the trail. Since the Intracoastal Waterway is brackish water, particularly when the tide is coming in, I slowed way down. Salt water is something you don’t want to have splashing all over your aluminum rims and frame.
LBS owner Wayne (remember Wayne?) took me to task one day for not carefully wiping my bike down after riding A1A along the ocean. He pointed out that my spokes and bars were rusting from the salt spray.

Stuff they don’t tell snow birds

When we first moved down here from the Rust Belt, I told someone that my car would probably last forever since I wouldn’t be driving through salt put on the roads to melt ice and snow. That was before I learned that they may not salt the roads like up north, but that the whole atmosphere down here is full of salt.

A company car owned by one of our execs was due for replacement and it was put up for sale. I knew he didn’t drive much and that he was very conservative, so I asked him if it would be a good deal. “I live in an oceanfront condo,” he said. “You don’t want that car. It’s just eaten up with rust from the constant exposure to salt air.”

When we rode from Key Largo to Key West, we struck up a conversation with a waitress who said she used to ride “up north,” but that you “couldn’t keep a bike down here.”

“Why? Is it because they get stolen?”

“No, its because they rust away. EVERYTHING down here rusts: your refrigerator, all of your applicances. Anything that’s made of metal rusts.”

Water was deeper by Dunbar

When I got to the intersection of Dunbar and Lake Trail, water was a couple of inches deep over the bike path. I got off and carried my bike over to dry pavement. That’s one of the advantages of biking in Shimano sandals. It doesn’t hurt if it rains or you have to wade water.

When I looked a hundred feet to the south, it was obvious that I was going to have to abandon the trail and take to the surface streets. The water ahead looked like it was a foot or two deep.

Shallow water is OK, but no telling what’s in deep water

I got to thinking about the Silver King sculpture I had passed at the Four Arts Museum at the start of the ride.

This is Florida. No telling what might be lurking just under the surface of that water.

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Going Postal on My Lake Worth Ride

One of my favorite quick rides is to leave my house in West Palm Beach, FL, and go south through some very pleasant neighborhoods in Lake Worth. It’s about 12 miles. (Fourteen if I go over the drawbridge over the Intracoastal Waterway to get what passes for hill training in Florida.)

When I first started riding, I was down there at least three or four times a week. I particularly like going down there at night and sniffing what everybody’s having for supper. Amazing how the smells come through even in these days of air conditioning.

Houses date to the 1930s

It’s a neighborhood with houses dating back to the 30s that had experienced some blight, but has bounced back in the last decade as younger folks bought the properties as starter homes and renovated them. Unlike the cookie cutter subdivision that make up much of Florida, every house is different and the landscaping ranges from a putting green in one yard to natural Florida Xeriscaping.

Slow riding gives you plenty of time to talk to residents pushing baby strollers and working in their yards. A house at my turnaround point had a huge flowering cactus. One night I struck up a conversation with the owner who said to come back in the daytime and she’d hack off a branch for me. I sawed off a two-foot hunk and stuck it into the sand in our backyard. Every time it gets 15 or 20 feet tall, we get a hurricane that snaps off part of it. I poke the broken piece into the sand and it grows just fine.

Land of The Big Dogs

I call it The Land of The Big Dogs because it’s the time of day when pet owners are out walking their charges. Some of them have as many as six on leashes. We’re not talking about tiny yip-yip dogs, either. I don’t know how some of the small houses have room for some of these beasts.

Anyway, sounds like I need to do a dog blog sometime in the near future.

Despite the fact that I have ridden these neighborhoods scores, if not hundreds of times, I didn’t notice until the other weekend that almost every home on a two-block section of South Palmway has a unique mailbox. Continue reading “Going Postal on My Lake Worth Ride”