Your going to have to come back to Fl and tour with us so those poorCanadians can get some rest.I think youv'e been partying them to death LOL.Seriously the biking must be agreeing with you your looking very lean and muscular.

Dave does look as though he's taking well to the north country, all lean and fit looking. There's a 60's and 70's laid back anything goes flavor. Makes me want to get fall here tomorrow. I think I'll be fitting my mountain hybrid with road slicks and maybe some aerobars for this one. It's got lots of eyelets and braze ons for panniers and the triple might come in handy.

You're right about the Florida Trail Carl. But 27 looks like it covers the same general territory. The general word on 27 is good then? I'll be taking a trip to the local library in the next day or two to check out some books on Florida cycling touring roads. Western NC sounds beautiful but I don't think I could swing it this time out. This will be my first real experience touring so I want to get my feet wet with this one before going out of state.

Mike? You up for this one? Everyone else?

WNC wasjust a suggestion for an alternate backpacking trip (which I want to do sometime)if you wanted to get off road which I was sensing however I would prefer an onroad Fl trip to somewhere we could hike/canoe camp a day or two and from my understanding Ocala Natl. Forest or J.Dickenson S.P. are two good locations for this.From reading online journals and online newsgroup commentary 27 is the prefer route through central Florida(check cycle websites with journals or search goggle for bicycle ,touring,florida,27 etc.).The S.Lake O. area around Belle Glade is reportedly not a nice neighborhood to stop and camp but sticking to main road should be no problem and if we had to we could take the 710 to 70 to 27 route we followed before .441 north from 70 at Ochachobee looked alright but we would have to cut across to27 on 60 to avoid the Disney Land mess which is reportedly not cycle friendly.Also going up A1A to J.D.S.P. and north cutting inland at 70(Ft pierce)60(Vero Bch) or even 44(New Smyrna)might be an option.Perhaps round trip going up 27 cutting across 44 to the southern edge of ONF where reportedly the best trails are for hiking/camping then back down A1A stopping at J.D.S.P. inJupiter for a day of canoeing/camping

Also a 10 day trip might be somewhat ambitious for a first time tour .and maybe a two to three day trip to the Keys or JDSP in Jupiter would be a good start as a trial run .We were definately dragging on the Fl. Tour after 4 or 5 days.I will probably do several shorter trips between now and then and maybe we could organize a mini tour first.

Oceanrider, whats the destination point?

Post a yahoo! map or something...

A mini-tour would be a good idea. I like the A1A to JDSP idea. A1A is hard to beat for a mini-tour route and JDSP is a nice destination for off road activities. And yeah, you sensed right about the off road stuff. Backpacking for me will depend on how coopertive the knee wants to be by that time but I wouldn't want to hold you or anyone back from whatever makes your wheels spin. There's lots else to do I can get into. Watching grass grow makes me happy

How come I haven't run into you on A1A... or have I???

I rarely go into PBC because I find the retirees to be very dangerous from a cyclists perspective.I usu. go into Ft. L and then up A1A to Pompano (ocasionallyDeerfield)before cutting back inland.Maybe we could meet for a beach ride sometime.I agree Jupiter is probably a good initial destination.Maybe we can get a three day weekend trip together with one day for varied group activities.710 and 70 to 27 had a wide shoulder (similar to bikelane )the whole way .I not familiar with 27 north from there but in Broward it has a similar wide shoulder .The mini tour might actually be a good idea before to late fall when the snowbirds arrive and all the parks/camground are booked solid/overcrowded. Keys starting from Fl. City would be nice too . Now I wonder where beowoulfe and mike have been hiding lately.No doubt a nice cool spot.

Carl, you've been in my house...the lack of central A/C has proven that this is the least of "cool spots"...

This "fall tour" sounds good...if you guys set a destination i can plan out a decent route with the time intervals taken and mileage done per day...planned out a bit more than the last tour.

It'd be nice to camp and ride during the cooler months of florida...

Mike Good to see you back online.I was concerned you might have gotten caught in the middle of a Haitian gangwar or something LOL.I use fans rather than central AC myself.How would a trip to Gainesville sound?710 to 70 to 98 (just east of Okeechobee)to 27.Then a return trip 20 east to 19 south (though Ocala Natl Forest)to 44 east to New smyrna then A1A/Rt 1 south with a stop in jupiter at JDSP for some possible canoeing/camping.If we want to extend the trip from here I am sure we would have no problem finding good routes north and west from Gainesville or we could add extra days for hiking/canoeing offroad biking etc.Now if I can just comeupwh the time to do it LOL.

Actually where I ride it's not too bad. I ride along the county line north and south. Sometimes I'll ride down a couple miles past the Pompano Pier. The traffic on A1A gets a little hairy the further south I go in Broward and the roads in some sections of that area could use some repair. North I've ridden as far north as Briny Breezes just past Boynton.

Ok Mike, here's a road map of Florida so we have an idea what we're talking about.

Oops. I tried to post a link here that didn't copy. I'll try something else. Too bad. It's a good map.

oceanrider That sounds like a good plan.I figured I would move this discussion off the tent thread.I assume you mean Delray rather than Pompano.I haven't ridden through that area since the Fl tour and it started raining so hard in Boca I had to duck into Spanish R.Park under a gazebo.Any weekend suitable for you all will probably work for me unless I decide to head to Key West that weekend lol.

Mike and anyone else interested, what do you think of the proposed route? Any weekend except this one's ok for me.

Well, I work on the weekends...

not just that, but heading up there with my bike via tri-rail is quite a pain in the ass......

We'll see

Mike For some reason I recall you and Dave trying to convince me how convenient trirail was up in W.Palm.Seriously what is your beef with trirail as I was thinking of taking trirail/metrorail/bus connection to Florida City the next time I did a Keys trip(by the way I know the problem with the bus lol) . Possibly we could head done there for a ride one weekday or weekend(I would have to play it by ear as to when on weekday)as I woundn't mind a ride there either (Key Biscane etc.)but suggested PBCounty for convience and less traffic for oceanrider.Is there a decent 20 mile or so ride in Miami .Now that I think about it Old Cutler Road seemed nice and we could probably cut thruogh Coconut Grove to Key Biscane.What do you all think .It is not something we have to do right away I just thought it might be a good idea sometime before a lengthy tour.

Mike, ditto what Carl has to say about tri-rail. I've taken the train quite a few times and thought it was a great way to get around but I haven't tried it with a bike. Is there a problem with it?

Carl, I gotta say that's good of you to think of me and I appreciate it. Still, if Mike's schedule makes it difficult for him to get up this way, a ride up Old Cutler or even doing the Rickenbacker, the Grove and that area would be fine with me. I pride myself on being able to get around on my own using public transport and my bike. We could think of it as a day tour and it'll be fun. I haven't been out that way in around 20 years so it's probably not the way I remember it. Some parts of that area used to make for nice riding. Is it still?

My main concern is that I understand there's some sort of pass necessary to board the busses in Dade with a bike and the only way to get the pass is to personally show up in Dade and get it. True?

Carl's idea that we get together beforehand is something I look forward to. As probably the weakest member of the tour group, I'd like to know I can keep up with you guys AND of course that we gel as a group. I don't expect any problems but we won't have the pressure of starting out a long journey together cold.

BTW, if weekends are a problem, I'm ok with a weekday. I'm a retired beach bum.

Old Cutler was nice when I rode it on a Sunday and it is residential enough it would probably be ok on a weekday .There is also a bike path if traffic becomes a problem unfortunately I mistakenly detoured onto Red Rd and missed the upper half of Old Cutler.Tri-Rail/Metrorail would get us to central/So Miami so we would not have to take a bus but fwiw if you take the bus to avoid cost of tri-rail on weekdays(probably fairly expensive from PBC since calculated by zones on weekdays) bus drivers I experienced seemed very bike friendly .One w/o a bike rack suggested I could just put it in the back of the bus but was not the right bus.Certain routes are equipted with bike racks and certain are not and you can store any gear in the front section.The bus driver let me on no problem but said I should get a pass in the future at Government Central I think or I also think in the mail .Check the website for more details on all this.All Broward buses have racks but I would avoid the 441 route bus and take the route 1 buses though probable more transfers due to area going through and transfering at.On Metrorail/Trirail I assume its similar as Dave was saying we would have no problem w/o a pass but would like to hear Mikes experience with it.I understand you are suppose to have a pass but similar to the Miami bus but it can be done by mail.

A few bucks for the tri-rail vs. the time spent riding a bus is well worth the expense. I forgot about the metrorail. That dumps you right there where we want to go.

Maybe its better off if you guys plan a route up there...first off, taking a series of buses down to miami is too time consuming and ridiculous...plus once you get to the Miami buses, the drivers wont give a **** about you and your bike.

The tri-rail is the easiest way...I have a pass on my bike which allows for it to be boarded on the train. You really dont need it, you always have the excuse of "im on my way to goverment center to get the permit now"...anyways, the tri-rail lets you off at a tri-rail/metrorail connection (tri-rail metro station)...the metro then takes you south to either coconut grove, douglas road, or university station; all around my area.

Besides the explanation, i dont think you guys would really enjoy riding around miami...theres lots of traffic and *******s. If you really wanted to, get ready for some urban riding--cutting through cars, dodging cellphone drivers, etc.

If there's a nice scenic route, i could always just meet up with you guys maybe next week around wed. or so, when i go up to coral springs to meet my father.

-Mike

As i'm sure you know Coral Springs isnt particularly scenic unless consider housing developements and strip malls scenic.Best bet may be to met in Boca as oceanrider suggested and take the beach route.It probably 7-10 miles from Coral Springs.

oceanrider How does this Wednesday sound to you?It should be alright with me as long as something last minite doesn't come up which I don't expect.Mike are you saying this Wed. would be the best day for you and if so what time?Weekday would actually be better along A1A w/o the weekend crowds.

Wed is good as far as I can see. Keep in mind I don't usually ride much during the day now that it's so hot so we'll have to be mindful of the heat and take it easy. PM me for details.
kathy

This morning I packed up my camelbak filled to the brim and got on the route we're using for Wednesday's ride. When I left home at 9AM it was around 84 degrees and it had just finished raining leaving steaming asphalt. Getting in the big ring, I took it slow and steady. Around 4-5 miles out I started breaking a sweat. The traffic was a 4 on a scale of 1-10. At Spanish River Park, 7 miles out, I took full advantage of the public shower and pavillion and talked with a woman with an adorable little grandbaby. After this 10 minute break I was back on the road again feeling refreshed and cooled. Before long I was at Atlantic. More public showers and another dousing with the precious liquid. As I did the turnaround I had plenty left and was feeling good. Everything was great and I was in a good rythym until a scumbag driving a long flatbed ran me off the road over some gravel and a big "plop" and onto some grass. I thought the bike was gonna crumble but lo and behold, it didn't and I didn't fall. The momentum was unfortunately broken at this point which was about a quarter of the way back into the turnaround home. My legs suddenly felt like they were tiring and the heat was becoming unbearable. I pushed and then hit that same public shower again at Spanish River park. This time I took a good 15-20 minute break and got my legs back. By now hunger was starting to gnaw away at my insides so I stopped at the market for a Balance bar which I gotta say really did energize me to get the rest of the way home with energy to spare. It was noon when I got home and the temp was 90 degrees.

Hey oceanrider Sounds like you had a good ride.I just hope you don't leave mike and I in the dust with those short 10 minute breaks.

Guys,

Due to scheduling at work i really dont know if i'll be able to get out there this wednesday...Wish I could make cycling a higher priority then work, but its not that easy- especially at my age. Anyways, i commute alot lately with bike and try to ride as often as possible. I suggest you two go for it and let me know how it turns out.

I may face even a harder opportunity later though...Im starting work at UM soon and i'll be taking a few classes at miami dade...i predict the only free time i'll be having will be on weekends...

-happy riding guys.

No problem Mike. I understand how booking it all the way up here for a casual training ride when you have so much going on seems more like work than fun. And it should always be about fun.

Hopefully you'll be able to break away for a Florida tour in November.