Originally Posted by KingTermite

If trails are ok, then I'd go that route (pun intended) in if you want to come to the Tampabay area. I don't think many places around here are very bike friendly.

Best bets:

Suncoast Trail - 41.3 miles through about 3 counties (Tampa to past Brooksville)
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/guide...s/suncoast.htm

I've done a section around SR54 and found it ok. Downsides, it runs beside the Veteran Expressway/Suncoast Parkway so there is loud noise from cars in some areas. Also, it's relatively new (so nice pavement) so the trees they've planted to grow between trail and road are still small and don't provide shade.....so not as much shade as would be nice.

Withlacoochee Trail - 46 miles (Trilby to Dunellon)
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/guide...with_state.htm

I haven't ridden this one, but have heard it was very nice. I plan to ride it soon and hopefully with my dad as he's talking about quitting smoking and taking up cycling.


West Orange Trail - 19 miles (Oakland to Apopka)
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/guide...est_orange.htm

This one is more over in center of state....toward Orlando. I drove over to ride this the other day and found it lovely. The few road crossings are mostly on tiny little backwoods roads seldom traveled. There are stations every so often with trail maps, air pumps and cold water. It's obviously a pretty new trail so still in great shape. I've heard it was very busy, but when I went (a Monday morning) I saw very few people.



I left out our local pinellas trail as I, personally, don't think its that fantastic. It can be very crowded, som e areas have road crossovers so often that you can't even build up a good speed it seems like.


In this area, at least, there are also some cycling clubs that do rides you might be able to hook up with. I can't vouge for any as I'm not conditioned enough to keep up with any of them.

Here is a web page from a local bike shop here that lists some of the clubs that have rides:
http://chainwheeldrive.com/site/page.cfm?PageID=94

Hope that helps.