Road vs Mountain in Naples Florida
11-19-11, 11:23 AM
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Road vs Mountain in Naples Florida
I am heading to Naples Florida for 6 weeks this winter. I really only want to haul one bike there. Which would be better mountain or road? I love both.
11-19-11, 12:58 PM
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I'm not real familiar with riding in Naples, but there is a great ride along Ft. Myers Beach and Bonita Beach that I've done several times. I don't do mtb, because I don't think falling down is fun, so I suggest the road ride. Great time of year of cycling there. Also, the ride from Ft. Myers over the bridge out through Sanibel Island is a good one.
11-19-11, 01:50 PM
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Florida and I reckon you will have trouble to find MUD- even in the cooler months. An MTB will go on or offroad- the Road bike will be limited.
Just a suggestion and Fit Semi-Slicks to the MTB. They will work on most surfaces offroad-except mud- and will give less drag on asphalt.
Just a suggestion and Fit Semi-Slicks to the MTB. They will work on most surfaces offroad-except mud- and will give less drag on asphalt.
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11-19-11, 01:57 PM
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Mountain and Naples, Florida don't go well together in a single sentence. Do you have a swamp bike or a jungle bike?
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11-19-11, 02:01 PM
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Unless you want to ride in the Everglades, I would suggest bringing the road bike. There are a lot of nice places to ride in that area. If you get a chance, go to Myatka State Park (between Ft. Myers and Sarasota) and ride the trail there. The trail is all paved and it's about 7 miles long (15 miles round trip), but the wildlife there is fantastic. There are also plenty of paved roads that take you into the Glades that make up for some nice rides. I have only ridden in that area once, but it was a very nice weekend of riding.
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11-19-11, 04:28 PM
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The problem w/ riding in some parts of Florida is the drivers. Pedestrian and cyclist injury and fatality rates tend to be higher than in other states, although perhaps comparable to the rest of the south.
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11-19-11, 06:00 PM
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Unless you want to ride in the Everglades, I would suggest bringing the road bike. There are a lot of nice places to ride in that area. If you get a chance, go to Myatka State Park (between Ft. Myers and Sarasota) and ride the trail there. The trail is all paved and it's about 7 miles long (15 miles round trip), but the wildlife there is fantastic. There are also plenty of paved roads that take you into the Glades that make up for some nice rides. I have only ridden in that area once, but it was a very nice weekend of riding.
I'm only a once-a-year visitor (in February) to Naples, but the area really is principally 'road'. There is some very nice riding indeed; as above, and also (if you are staying in/right near Naples itself) up/down Gulfshore and beyond. You'll find groups hammering that (Gulfshore) route every a.m. weekdays and on weekends.
I'll second John E's advice as well: your rule should be 'heads up' re. drivers! Certainly true in Naples and surrounds; be prepared for lots of erratic driving if you are in/around the city.
11-19-11, 06:45 PM
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Take which ever one is closer to a beach cruiser.
11-19-11, 07:32 PM
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stonefree makes a good point. The beach off Naples is really beautiful (the winter sunsets over the gulf are really great) and several miles on a beach cruiser would be a good workout.
11-20-11, 11:03 PM
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No mountains in S.Fl so bring the road bike. Off road will most likely be in VERY loose sand (also known as sugar sand), unless you're bringing one of these forget it.
Last edited by Kingshead; 11-20-11 at 11:11 PM.
11-20-11, 11:13 PM
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Lived in Fl. for 36yrs and there are a few beaches with sand hard enough to ride on but bikes are usually not allowed, unless you're either a lifeguard or police officer.
Last edited by Kingshead; 11-20-11 at 11:17 PM.
11-22-11, 03:29 PM
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there are a few options for a mountain bike.....you may want to consider going around Lake Okeechobee.....a very beautiful ride, but definitely a mtn bike ride.
If you come up to Ft Myers, there is a park off SR78 about 2 miles east of the SR78, US31 intersection
this is a more comprehensive listing:
https://www.single-serving.com/USA/FL/trail.php
should you decide to ride Sanibel & Captiva, You will need to go very slow thru Ding Darling Reserve on a road bike......keep your eye out....you may come across one of my kidneys. The rest of Sanibel & Captiva is perfect for a road bike...
If you come up to Ft Myers, there is a park off SR78 about 2 miles east of the SR78, US31 intersection
this is a more comprehensive listing:
https://www.single-serving.com/USA/FL/trail.php
should you decide to ride Sanibel & Captiva, You will need to go very slow thru Ding Darling Reserve on a road bike......keep your eye out....you may come across one of my kidneys. The rest of Sanibel & Captiva is perfect for a road bike...
11-22-11, 07:26 PM
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You definitely do not need a mountain to enjoy a mountain bike. There must be some good singletrack somewhere in Florida because when riders from there compete in the XC races around here, they do very well.
https://www.goneriding.com/
https://www.goneriding.com/
Last edited by BluesDawg; 11-22-11 at 07:30 PM.
11-23-11, 01:34 AM
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You definitely do not need a mountain to enjoy a mountain bike. There must be some good singletrack somewhere in Florida because when riders from there compete in the XC races around here, they do very well.
https://www.goneriding.com/
https://www.goneriding.com/
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