Florida - peaceonabike

March 27, 2022February 23, 2024

Party Bus

TAMPA, FLORIDA

About to board a party bus for the 2.5-hour trip from Tampa to Fort Myers. There are six of us on the bus. The others, there were about 35 riders today, got rides from somewhere.

Aboard the party bus (pictured: Douglas)

This was Day 2 of a 200-mile charity bike ride, the Pan-Florida Challenge. It has been 10 years since I last rode a double century – at RAGBRAI. With no rides longer than 15-20 miles most of the winter, would I even be able to do one century?

Yesterday went well and today went even better. The 100-mile second day was actually 106 miles. But at no point were my legs ever hurting me or my energy level low.

Uncle Dick is in Memory of Richard Lowmaster

The ride started when the A riders left the start line. About a minute later the B riders would go. I had looked at the group of four guys in the B group and thought I was in the right group (C). Yet I rode with those guys yesterday until I dropped them so maybe I should be with them. But I let them go.

Another minute or so and then the C group pulled out. There seemed to be 12 of us and I immediately went to the front. The others lined up behind me and I carefully pegged my speed at 16 mph. Our riding speed was supposed to be 15-17 mph and by my calculation, 16 mph was in that range.

“Too fast! You’re going too fast!” I heard a voice, or maybe two, from within the group. This was not going well. I slowed to 15 then after five minutes decided to give others a chance. I moved to the back and sat behind Mark.

We were going 14 mph. I was not happy. I was also concerned about being in the sun too long today and needed to go faster. I could see about one mile ahead and could barely see some blinking red flashers on the four bikes of the B group.

It was more instinct than thought but I pulled beside Mark and told him that I was going to bridge up to the B group. I’m not sure what Mark may have thought but I only shared my plan with him. What’s the worst that could happen? Try and fail. But at least I had to try.

The line was stretched out on the shoulder or in a bike lane. I was 12th wheel when I took off. When I passed the front rider I was going 24 mph and still increasing my speed. I soon settled in and looked for landmarks up the road. The first was a pole and it took me more than 3:00 from the time I saw the group pass it until I got there. Then it was 2:15. And followed by 1:45 and 0:55. I was closing and even faster than I thought.

When I got to 0:30 I caught a support vehicle. The driver asked if I was trying to catch the group and I replied that I was. He then asked me if he should go tell them to slow down. LOL. “No,” I replied. “I will catch them.”

If my numbers are right I had chased them for more than 16 minutes. I chased for 5.3 miles. That was probably the most or second-most enjoyable segment on this two-day ride. There’s something very satisfying about doing a chase and being successful.

In retrospect, I probably should have gone right by then to the front of their group. Then I would have had five surprised faces instead of one. But I pulled in behind John who was surprised to see a shadow next to his. It was early morning and going north, we had nice long shadows to our left.

But there were five instead of four that I saw leave the start line. Then a woman peeled off the front. It was Laura who I had ridden with yesterday. She greeted me loudly as I did her.

The winds were strong. Almost exclusively headwinds as we were headed north. At Mile 50 we came to a rest stop and two riders dropped out. One said it wasn’t fun riding in the wind. We were down to a group of four.

However, we also entered more rural roads and we had a support driver who was willing to let us draft off him. I was always willing to hug a bumper but didn’t want to hog a bumper. And we encouraged our weakest link, a rider whom we were always dropping. Once he got the hang of drafting at 15 mph the driver sped up to 17 mph and our rider quit. “I can’t ride at 17 (mph),” he said. This was in the B group where one was supposed to average 18-20 mph. The C group, in which I started was 15-17 and we had a rider who couldn’t ride at 17. The more I thought about this the more I thought I was right about my riding speed. It’s just that everybody else was way off.

At a lull on a backcountry road, I worked on getting our group to do a rotating pace line. After 3-4 minutes one of our riders said “Good luck with your chain gang” and quit cooperating. That was very unusual. After the ride, he said to me, “Well this wasn’t my first rodeo.” I guess he was too good to cooperate with us. Oh well.

I asked Christopher why he was on a cancer ride. He told me he lost his mother, Theresa, 60, to brain cancer one year ago this weekend. I asked him what he thought about our two riders quitting. He told me that he was riding in honor of his mother and he was going to finish the ride no matter what.

I shared the same conviction. I was riding for every name on those stem caps I had. As soon as I put a new name on the bike I was riding. There was no way I would jump in a car.

Chris also told me he is a plastic surgeon in Miami and his wife is a surgeon living in Minneapolis. I think she is finishing her residency and they will live in Miami. But she flew down to visit him this weekend and he took off on a two-day cancer ride. This is what love looks like.

Bike corral before heading back to Ft. Myers

I never felt any energy depletion. I wanted to ride. At the last rest stop, I put on the name Jacob. And I knew that “Jake the Hero” would get me home. I would be riding for him but also with him.

Riding for and with Jacob – Jake the Hero

We picked up some stragglers and Chris and I went to the front for the last five miles. I heard people calling out to go slow so we would all finish together. Okay, I could do that. It didn’t mean anything to me if I was in a group or a group of one.

We finished in a small park. My luggage was there so I changed into casual clothes and out of my riding kit. They had dinner in a picnic shelter catered by Mission BBQ. This was my kind of dinner.

We were to board at 5:00 p.m. but are waiting on one person to finish. We had been told yesterday that anyone out on course at 4:00 p.m. would be SAGged in but I guess that didn’t happen. And I’m okay with that.

Then she finishes. She appears to be one of the oldest participants. What an effort she gave to finish. I don’t mind being delayed so she could complete her ride. What a contrast to the two in our group who just quit at Mile 50.

What a ride. Two Hundred (206) miles fighting cancer. With no real winter training. I like this!

FUNDRAISING: $1700

EPILOGUE: This was a great two-day event. Fundraising was daunting although it was 50% of the required amount for first-year riders. It was small, small enough to be intimate. I would consider making the drive for a two-day event but in 2023 they featured a 100-mile ride on Saturday in Fort Myers and a 100-mile ride in Tampa on Sunday. In 2024 it was a Saturday-only event. Good cause but not enough cycling to get me to drive 1,000 miles.

March 26, 2022February 23, 2024

A Lesson in Drafting

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA

My Uncle Dan became a widower in 2020. My mother was already a widow and the two of them faced the possibility that they would never see each other again. I promised my mother that if she could sit 12-14 hours, one-way, in a car, I’d make a trip from Pennsylvania to Florida so she could visit her brother.

Over the winter I started looking for a cancer charity ride and found the Pan-Florida Challenge. This was a 200-mile ride from Fort Myers to Sebring on Day 1 and then Sebring to Tampa on Day 2.

What follows are my observations. I have no complaints, just observations.

I checked in yesterday at a Brewery in Bonita Springs. Nice volunteers checked my name off a list and handed me a bag that contained stickers for my bike and helmet plus a bib with my number to wear. Also included were an event jersey and bib shorts that I ordered.

The event hotel was the Hyatt Place in Fort Myers. When I checked in I learned their breakfast was not until 7:00 a.m. We were supposed to check in at the event by 6:30 a.m. I thought I’d pass a fast-food restaurant on the way to the event but I was wrong.

My GPS with a saved location took me out into the country and I went by the entrance without realizing it. Mild panic set in as I was thinking I’d miss the start. My bike’s Wahoo computer had the day’s ride on it so I turned it on and answered yes when it asked if it should navigate to the ride start. And that is how I got to the event on time.

My biggest decision was what to wear. I had been given an event jersey but for two days which day should I wear it? If both, then I’d be trying to wash it later tonight. I decided to save it for tomorrow and wore my Rooster Racing Inc. kit today.

At the starting line, I could see that only 3-4 other riders were not wearing an event jersey. I was fine with that because I would wear it tomorrow. There were riders only riding on Day 1 and some riders had two jerseys from riding this event before.

I wanted to do something very special for this ride. I had stem caps made for my bike to ride in honor of or in memory of cancer warriors.

I would begin the ride in memory of my wonderful cousin, Kay Walborn. Kay died in 2018 from brain cancer.

We had to declare a riding speed before the event. The A group was 21-25 mph. The B group was 18-20 mph. The C group was 15-17 mph. I knew I could ride in the B group but for a recreational cancer ride, I registered for the C group. I was prepared to ride 100 miles solo and 16-17 was an honest assessment. Honest.

The A riders were sent off first followed by the B riders one minute (or so) later. The C group was sent off and I was somewhere in the middle of maybe 12 riders when we reached the main road. Almost immediately I was in a group with two women, Lucinda and Kristine, and one man. Lucinda took a lengthy pull until I went to the front to take over. The guy dropped off and the three of us rode to rest stop one.

At rest stop one my priorities were to change the stem cap, refill bottles, grab something to eat, and then roll on. But we seemingly grouped up, maybe all of Group C, and rolled out together.

I pulled out of line while on a country road to ride double file. I was next to Dave from Westfield, Indiana, when he asked me if he was riding on a flat. I looked and told him he was. We both called out “flat” and pulled off. No one came with us. I was with him for 10-12 minutes before his flat was fixed. Dave then told me he was riding the Metric route and was turning around at that point. I was by myself.

If someone else had stopped at least there would be two of us to “chase.” But I was ok by myself. And sort of enjoyed it. A SAG vehicle came by and the driver must have wondered what I was doing. I was beginning to understand this was a ride where people stayed together, much like the Saturday morning no-drop shop ride. And I was all by myself, through no fault of my own I will add. The driver asked if I was OK and I assured him I was.

At rest stop two the group was resting. I pulled in, changed a stem cap, grabbed some water and a bar, and off we rode. Into the wind. We were going mostly north and there was a strong headwind coming from the north. We stayed together, probably a dozen of us, with me dropping only once for a photo op. I quickly caught back on.

The railroad photo op (Dairy Rd and US 27)

And then the day would change for me. We came to rest stop three.

Rest Stop Three (just out of frame after the left turn) – Venus, Fla.

After quickly refilling bottles, eating half a banana, using the port-a-john, and grabbing a bag of trail mix for the road, I informed Lucinda that I was going to soft pedal until they caught me. I don’t do well standing around as lactic acid builds up and my legs feel like crap.

After 15 minutes and they still hadn’t caught me a vehicle came by and pulled right in front of me. I followed him closely – 18, 20, 22, 25, 28 mph – all into a wicked headwind. We did this for more than five miles until we caught the first group on the road. I went by two men and then caught two women who had their own support vehicle. I felt good enough to blow by them and go ahead but was content enough to ride with them.

My ride partners for the final 20 miles were Laura and Kristina. Kristina was from New York City and visiting her parents. I asked her if she ever drafted a vehicle and she hadn’t. I went up to the car and encouraged her to join me. Eventually, she did and then she was hooked. It was beautiful to witness. I tried to get Laura to draft but she finally revealed a secret. The driver was her husband.

We finished our 100 (99) and I went back to make sure it was 100. Then I went back again and found some of my group coming in. Lucinda had never ridden a century before and she needed to turn the odometer to 100 so she and I went out again to get her the final mile.

At the finish, for the third time, my support driver thanked me for knowing how to draft. He said he offered a couple of other guys the same courtesy but no one knew how or would draft off him.

At the hotel, the Residence Inn by Marriott in Sebring, I found they did not have a reservation for me. Apparently, I had signed up for the 100-mile ride and not the 200-mile ride which I intended to do. Thankfully our event director had an extra room to be used so that worked out ok.

Dinner was provided and included an awards recognition as well. It was in a building between the Residence Inn and Tru by Hilton, right on Little Lake Jackson. Good food and a great location.

I worried most about how my body would respond. Riding every day in preparation is one thing. But doing a one-hour ride in winter of 14-15 miles is not the same as riding 50 and 60-mile rides. But I did ok. No twinges of cramps. My big question is how the second day, a hundred after a hundred, would go.

A view of Little Lake Jackson – off the deck of the dinner facility

What to wear. I may have missed it but saw no guidance on when to wear the PFC kit. Since I was riding for two days and had one jersey, I made the decision for the second day. I did this in part because I wanted to finish the 200-mile ride in the PFC kit. This is similar to Ride the Rockies where the cool kids know to wait until the last day to wear their RTR jersey for that year.

I would say that today 90% wore a PFC jersey. They were either blue or yellow depending on fundraising level. But there was a special green one – for survivors. I only saw one rider, Lucinda, wearing the green. And tomorrow, I will be in green.

◆ Everyone has a story. Some I made stem caps for. But riding for others empowers me and I talked to someone today about every single donor.

Note: Any names which may appear in this post on riders’ bibs that are similar to the names of people mentioned herein, are purely coincidental.

March 25, 2022February 28, 2024

Casey Key – The Hidden Gem

SARASOTA, FLORIDA

This started as a review of the Legacy Trail. So I can start there. I stayed overnight in Brandon, Florida, and was headed south to Fort Myers. I wanted to ride the Legacy Trail but did not do my homework as to my starting location.

I told Siri to find the Legacy Trail using both Waze and Apple Maps. Neither succeeded. When I ended up in Venice I made my way over on Venice Ave. to where I thought I would find the trail.

At the southern end of the Legacy Trail near Venice

There is parking at the bus/train terminal in Venice. According to TrailLink.com (which I should have noted) there is additional parking:

Patriots Park (800 Venetia Bay Blvd., Venice)
Nokomis Community Park (234 Nippino Trail East, Nokomis)
Laurel Park (509 Collins Rd., Laurel)
Oscar Scherer State Park (1843 S. Tamiami Trail, Osprey)
Bay Street Park (300 Bay St., Osprey)
Potter Park (8587 Potter Park Dr., Sarasota)
Payne Park (2010 Adams Lane, Sarasota)

I ended up at Nokomis Community Park. I found the trail and then headed north. I intended to head south for 1-2 miles knowing I was close to Venice. I thought I had parked east of the trail so a left turn would take me south. I also learned about the directional arrow on my Wahoo (after two years of using it). The N is not at the top of the map/computer but at the bottom of an arrow pointing up. And so when I was headed north the N was on the bottom of the screen which, in my mind, confirmed I was going south. Confused? I was.

Did you know there is a 15 mph speed limit on the trail? You will as there are signs everywhere. Even this recreational rider, into the wind, had a hard time keeping the speed to 15 mph.

The trail is straight. The trail is flat except for two overpasses. The overpass by the train depot at the southern end might be the coolest fixture on the trail.

Being a Friday morning I can’t judge whether the trail was crowded by local standards. I saw very few runners/walkers and no dogs. Don’t they like dogs here? I also saw plenty of trikes. Not just three-wheeled bicycles but trikes ridden by the Amish.

My initial plan was to ride the length of the Legacy Trail and back. Then I would meet my friend, Darrin, for lunch. But the trail has a reputation as being straight and boring.

But any new trail to me is exciting the first time. The pavement was excellent, perhaps the best I have ever ridden. Smooth pavement and no tree roots.

The trail lacks fixtures. No tunnels and no great trestles. There were a couple of bridges next to the old rail line but that was it if one was looking for rail history.

The trail crosses some busy streets and I stopped and waited for the ped-head light at each. Some seemingly were pretty long which adds to a local complaint of the trail – too many at-grade crossings.

When I reached the end of the trail in Sarasota I headed over to the waterfront. I wanted a photo at Unconditional Surrender, the statue that commemorates the kiss in Times Square at the end of World War II.

I had already decided not to return via the Legacy Trail. Was it boring? Or was the coastal route more exciting?

I headed out to Siesta Key. It’s a beautiful strip of land and overly crowded. There was a bike lane for much of it and I almost went down hard on it. At one point it was next to a sidewalk and I had to transition from bike lane to the sidewalk. I did not turn sharply but was going to ease over gradually. There was a lip and my tire caught briefly in it. But I made it and was very thankful I did not crash.

Leaving the island I came to the Tamiami Trail, aka Hwy 41. There was a bike lane on this high-speed highway. I will stop short of recommending any highway riding but for this stretch neither would I discourage it.

I was on the highway for six miles going south then turned on Blackburn Point Road out to Casey Key. I crossed a one-lane steel grate bridge over the waterway and was on Casey Key.

What a joy this ride was. The next four miles were the finest four miles I had in Florida. I regret I could not capture it in photos. On the right side of the narrow road was the Gulf of Mexico. On the left side was the waterway/bay (Gulf Intracoastal Waterway). If there was enough room there was a beautiful home, maybe even a small mansion. This really did look like the most perfect place to live. Or ride.

I rode back over to where I parked and decided I needed to the last mile of the Legacy Trail down to Venice. I was glad I did.

The last mile or first mile features the Venice Train Station which appears to be a city bus and commuter parking center. Here is where the feature fly-over ramp is also.

I finished the ride and then drove back up the highway to meet Darrin. Had I known where I was going and where we’d meet, I would have stopped in on my ride. Or if he knew he would have said to stop at Mad Moe’s in Osprey.

But it was a beautiful day and we enjoyed sitting outside.

Apparently, if you leave your bike too long in Sarasota they paint it

Don’t miss the Ringling Brothers car at the Train Depot.

March 24, 2022January 25, 2023

Withlacoochee

BROOKSVILLE, FLORIDA

I haven’t had great luck on this trail. I brought my own luck. Weather

At 46 miles, the Withlacoochee State Trail is one of the longest paved rail-trails in Florida.

With a generally flat terrain and many access points, the trail is an ideal venue for all skill and fitness levels of cycling, running, walking and skating. An unpaved equestrian trail parallels portions of the paved trail. The trail corridor traverses three counties (Citrus, Hernando and Pasco), offering an enjoyable, varied journey as it runs through small towns, ranches and six distinct natural communities between Citrus Springs and Dade City.

Pancake flat and very wide. It is a nice trail.

I first came here in the late afternoon of November 17, 2021. I found the trailhead at Flora City. It has parking and restrooms. I was about halfway on the trail and my decision was to ride north or south. I met a local who advised me to ride north.

I was soon riding with a guy and enjoying the scenery, Inverness was around Mile 7 heading north. Definitely in the lake region. I continued up to Hernando before the need to turn around as I would be losing sunlight. I had a nice ride on the trail that day but didn’t quite make it to the end.

On March 23 I came to Brooksville. The trail wasn’t far away and I rode to it and went south to the southern terminus at Ownesboro. From there I rode 15 miles north to Nobleton before turning around. The trail here is very wooded.

Bridge over Cortez Bld – Fla. Rte 50 – Brooksville. Withlacooche State Trail

When I got back to the hotel I felt buggy. And for good reason. There were at least four bugs on my jersey or in my hair including an inchworm.

Nobleton is just south of Flora City, the segment I rode in November. I went back the next day and was going to finish the trail.

800 Miles to Richmond – Withlacooche State Trail
(Facing south so it’s 800 miles FROM RIchmond)

I started north and was retracing what I had ridden in November. By the time I reached Inverness, the skies had opened up and I was soaked. It wasn’t a lot of fun and that’s what riding should be about.

A neat feature on this trail can be found every mile. These are mile makers. They begin with the letter R followed by a distance. This was the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and its headquarters was in Richmond, Virginia. It was wild to think that Richmond was only 800 miles away by rail. And I wished it was a paved rail trail. But it’s not.

The trail is wide. It passes lakes and swamps. For summer rides the heavy canopy presents needed shade from the Florida sun. Sadly, for me, it did not form an umbrella to protect me from the rain.

I would not necessarily make this a destination ride as it lacks fixtures associated with some rail trails. But if you are anywhere in the area and want to put in a few miles, definitely go here.

MILEAGE: 73.9

November 21, 2021February 23, 2024

Horrible Hundred

CLERMONT, FLORIDA

The Horrible Hundred can be a full weekend of fun. On Saturday they offer “familiarization rides” which are group rides that cover some of the roads. This is followed by the main event on Sunday. So two days of riding.

The 8:30 ride on Saturday is listed as 17 mph and 50 miles. I did that one twice before. The last time was in 2018. On that ride, we seemingly had 100 riders and way too much testosterone. We had a bad touch of wheels and some riders hit the deck hard when one of the guys at the front braked hard to take a nature break. That would be the last time I would jump in with that group.

Saturday group ride – Howey-in-the-Hills

In 2019, I jumped in with a mid-ride group (16 mph) and had an enjoyable ride over 35 miles or so. And this weekend I would again find the 8:45 group. Our leader was Stacey (I believe). We had a great group that stayed together. Other than Stacey, maybe not the most friendly group but I didn’t ride to make friends. Nor were there any jerks. I told her that this ride was the best part of the weekend.

Officially the Sunday ride starts at 7:30 a.m. and I arrived at 6:30 a.m. I could not find a parking place at the official lots. Not to worry, I went another half-mile away and rode in. And there were many riders already on course at 7:00 a.m.

I was in line at the porta-johns when I received a text from John D. He was two people in front of me. He had driven up from Sarasota but was unsure how far he could ride.

It turned out that John could only ride 35 miles, instead of 70. He had hip replacement surgery earlier this year and wasn’t back to riding many miles. We were passed by a couple of huge groups. They were very sketchy and I didn’t join them because I was afraid of a touch of wheels that would bring down a number of riders.

A few miles later we came upon a crash scene. Half the road was shut down and a number of cyclists had stopped although may not have been involved in a crash. But paramedics were working on one rider who was lying in the road. It was probably caused by a touch of wheels but you never know.

We came to Rest 1 and stopped to refill bottles and take on some food. Once on the road again, John was looking for the turn back to start. That was around Mile 30. He would have five more miles back to start and I would have a decision to make.

Rest 1 – Notice the Limited Vision Cyclist

I was riding solo and catching people. Then I noticed I had someone on my wheel. He should have said something and even passed me and took a pull. But basically sat on my wheel for 3-4 miles until Rest 2 (almost). When he pulled in he came over and gave me a fist pump and thanked me for the pull. He said I was a strong rider (sucking up).

Leaving Rest 2, I jumped on the back of a group from Clearwater. We were going into a strong headwind at 22-23 mph. I stayed with them for 2-3 miles then decided to let them go. I’m not sure if you say I got dropped or let them go but I’m going with the latter.

At Mile 54 was the moment of truth. If John had been with me I know we would have gone for the 70-mile route. But I stopped to check the weather because it had become gray. But the weather app showed 15% of rain for the next few hours so I decided to go for the 100.

Rest Stop 3 – Pirates
Ye Olde Poop Deck (far left)

From my first ride five years ago, and I may be misremembering, I was expecting a 30-mile loop. That would be the difference between 70 miles and 100 miles.

After a rest stop in Howey-in-the-Hills, the loop was completed in just 17 miles. And I didn’t mind.

I came to Sugarloaf Mountain with a wind in my face. I did not expect a PR and I did not disappoint. But I was only two seconds off my best on the lower portion. I had ridden this in March and set my PRs on that day. Today was not the day for it.

Someone pushing their bike up Sugarloaf. Love the GCN Jersey.

After I left the last rest stop at Sugarloaf, I saw that I had about 10 miles to go. I had ridden 80 and was happy to see that the shortened Howey loop apparently cut off 10 miles.

Likewise, when I came to the road back to Clermont, I saw that the 70-mile group turned while the 100-mile continued – apparently for a 10-mile loop or simply a different route. I decided to finish the 100.

I was in a group of four when we came back to the first rest stop. They stopped. I continued. I just wanted to finish.

This guy was cramping so I gave him my bottle of HotShot.

I came to one more route marker for the 100-mile ride. I decided to turn and take the 70-mile route back. I thought it would be shorter and I did not care if I finished with 96 or 97 miles. There was a time I was anal-retentive that a Century ride must be 100 miles. Not today.

But the joke was on me. It was 100 miles.

The lunch was great although I was certainly by myself. Options were a pulled pork sandwich, grilled chicken breast, or a veggie burger (I think).

I had looked in vain from Stacey, the ride leader from yesterday, simply to thank her once again. But there were way too many people.

It was a good day. Afterward, I headed back to the hotel in Apopka. I washed all my kits from this trip to take home some nice-smelling clothes. And watch the Steelers vs. Chargers tonight.

DISTANCE: 101 miles
TIME:
SPEED:
WEIGHT: 171 pounds

March 10, 2021March 15, 2021

A Date With Sugarloaf

CLERMONT, FLORIDA

I came here for one thing only. A PR on Sugarloaf Mountain. Having ridden the Horrible Hundred event three times I thought I would be able to set a PR because I am down 40 pounds plus since I last rode it (and set a PR that day).

But first there was some unfinished business. I had a new tire (Continental 5000) with me and decided I would replace the one that flatted yesterday on the Seven Mile Bridge.

My bicycle pump doubles as an impromptu bike stand

I had mapped the route of the Sugarloaf climb and uploaded it to my Wahoo. I took off into the wind. I hadn’t gone far before I was off exploring some new roads. And then I came back to familiar roads.

I was following the route when I came to Sugarloaf Road. I remembered a left hand turn but the road did not look familiar. Oh well, I rode anyhow. But it just didn’t feel right.

No Strava-Live segments were coming up on Wahoo and then I realized I had come up the backside of Sugarloaf. I have ridden down this way three times. But never up it. Damn. I mapped this out in the wrong direction.

Not sure what is happening but I think it’s a triathlon

I was very conscious of the wind today. It was strong. I came to the top of Sugarloaf and was amazed looking ahead at my descent. This should have been my climb. But I remember standing at the top of the 90-meter hill (ski jump) in Lahti, Finland, in 1995, and thinking what a hill. And I get to ride down it. Of course, I was riding at speed while processing this and just kept riding.

My speed crept up. I saw 48 mph on the computer and I always felt on the edge of control. As the road started to flatten out I saw a cyclist riding up the hill. I nodded because I could not take my hands off the handlebars to wave.

At the bottom of the hill, instead of turning right and following what I had mapped, I turned around. I had to try Sugarloaf the right way.

I saw the rider up ahead of me on the hill. And I was gaining. Wahoo started with a GO! But did it twice. I had marked two segments and I really was interested in one. I briefly saw I was ahead of my PR time but then didn’t see that anymore. I need to unstar one of those.

I had a speaker on my bike and was blasting 50s music from SiriusXM. I could see the rider was a woman and I was gaining quickly. As I got close I said “there’s no sneaking up on you.” She looked at me and said “You make it look easy.” If she only knew.

At the top I went another quarter mile to a house which offered free water. I thought she would come over the top but she didn’t. I would learn that she turned around and went to ride it again. Hill repeats. Ugh.

Turning around and going back down, I wanted to hit 50 mph. But that cross wind was a serious problem. A safety problem. I pedaled and then got into a tuck. Again, I saw 49 mph and then had a serious wheel wobble. With the winds this was too fast. I looked to slow down.

At the end of the hill a truck pulled up and some cyclists got out. I thought it was strange they drove out to ride the hill but I don’t know their stories. From there I followed Wahoo and for the next 10 miles followed the Route of the Horrible Hundred – backwards.

I finished the ride and then checked my results. I set a large number of PRs but the one I wanted – Sugarloaf, I lowered by 28 seconds. I was happy. I was now #4000 instead of #6000. I jumped 2000 places. But for context, that’s out of 10,000 athletes. So I’m in the top 40% instead of the bottom 40%. I still suck.

Maybe if I hadn’t climbed Sugarloaf from the backside first I would have been better. And maybe if there was no wind (I’m not asking for a tailwind) I would have shaved more time off. But the wind, even a crosswind, was formidable today.

Looking at other segments, Up the Ridge Westbound – horrible pave and I was second age group – missed age group#1 by :02. If I had known I would have gone for it. On Sugarloaf-Downhill I was #1 age group. I can still go downhill fast.

There are thousands of cyclists who ride these roads. I never came for a #1 in any group. I just wanted to see what I could do on Sugarloaf. I’m not done here. Next time I will ride in the right direction. And hopefully without the wind.

Distance: 31.1 miles
Average Speed: 14.7 miles
Weight: 172

March 9, 2021March 15, 2021

Half-Mile Bridge

OHIO KEY, FLORIDA

It was eight years ago that I did a ride from Key West to Marathon and back. It was windy that day and that was OK because I did the hard work the first 50 miles into a strong wind.

The accurate forecast for today was 30 mph winds from the east. My plan was to ride from Marathon to Key West and return. But I would have a great tailwind for 50 miles and then a very difficult headwind when I was tired – the last 50 miles.

I thought about first driving to Key West then riding 100 miles the same as I did eight years ago. But I stayed overnight in Homestead. I would have had to leave by 6:00 a.m. to have a decent start time. I did not check out of the hotel until 8:15 a.m.

There are some bike paths but some, like this section, are unridable on a road bike.

Much of the Overseas Highway is signed at 45 mph. It would take 2.5-3 hours to drive to Key West. And that long to drive back. Add six hours for riding and I was looking at a 12-hour day. That was too long. If I was to do this I would want to overnight in Key West.*

I settled on a Seven Mile Bridge Ride. I drove over the bridge although I could have stopped in Marathon. Around MM 31 I saw parking and decided to park there. From there I headed “north” on US 1 (which was really due east).

The winds were very strong. I needed to keep both hands on the bars to control the bike. I stopped at the bridge for a picture of the sign but decided the sign at the other end would be better.

Former railroad then highway bridge. Notice the roadway was added to the top of the structure.

I had gone just short of half a mile and I could feel the bridge bouncing. But it was more than that. The bike was bouncing. This was the tell-tale sign of a rear flat. I looked. It was flatting.

I pulled over, and there isn’t much room and went to remove the wheel. I pulled out my tool kit and looked for my wheel removal tool. It wasn’t in the kit. While I was pondering how I would get back to my car, I looked at the wheel and the tool was attached. I blamed my mechanic for putting it there but it may have been put there by me when I last changed a flat on the road.

Ready to inflate the wheel, the unwrapped the CO2 cartridge and the inflator tool. As I was screwing in the cartridge I saw air (vapor) spewing from a seam in the side of the tool. I quickly attached the inflator and emptied the contents into the tube. It wasn’t enough. The tire was very soft.

When there was a break in the 55-mph traffic on the bridge I ran across the highway and there pondered my options. There was nowhere for someone to pull over to help if I could flag someone down. I figured I had a half-mile to go to get off the bridge and then reconsider. I decided to see if I could ride it or how far I could ride until I ruined the tire completely.

I stood, putting all my weight on the front wheel. I made it off the bridge and saw the Sunshine Key and RV Resort. It looked beautiful and on the other side of the security fence I could see couples riding their bikes. My best option would be to ask one of them to borrow a pump. Someone would have one.

I rolled up to the security gate. I explained my plight and the guard was unyielding. He told me rules are rules. I asked if he liked soccer and he did. I told him the story of the Marine Colonel who didn’t understand bending the rules. And my sage advice was if he followed the rule book 100% of the time he would always make the right call – but sometimes not the best call. The guard just looked at me. He had made the right call – he would not let me in to borrow a pump.

Crumbling bridge beside the Seven Mile Bridge

Next door at the gas station I asked if they had a pump. They did not. I looked at the five cars at the pump to see evidence of bikes – surely they would have pumps. I saw no bikes. So I decided to ride as far as I could and then hitchhike.

Some bridges are open beside the highway – and some, like this one, are closed

I stood on the pedals and took off. Like on the bridge, I kept my weight forward, never once sitting on the saddle. In all it was 6.5 miles back to the car. And I made it.

At my car, I got out my floor pump and looked at the gauge. Less than 10 psi. Flat. I pumped it to 80 psi and then did another half-mile. It was windy. I had a long ride ahead of me. I called it a day.

Marker 88 Restaurant – Plantation Key. After a frustrating ride I decided to grab a late lunch here. Worth it!

Distance: 14.2 miles
Average Speed: 12.5 mph
Top Speed: 20.8 mph
Weight: 172

___
*If there is a next time, I should consider a shuttle service. Park in Marathon or Key Largo and ride to Key West one-way with a prevailing tailwind. Then shuttle back. Keys Shuttle and Florida Keys Shuttle are two of the services that I need to check out.

March 8, 2021March 8, 2021

See ya later Alligator

THE EVERGLADES, FLORIDA

I must say, that was quite an experience. I went to Shark Valley in the Everglades with not much in the way of expectations.

Entrance to the Everglades at Shark Valley

My Lifetime Senior pass got me right in and avoided a $30 (vehicle) or $15 (bicycle) fee.

The parking lot was pretty full but I found a space. Got my bike out and was ready to roll in a few minutes. I saw a park ranger and asked if I should ride the loop clockwise or counterclockwise. He said it was better to ride it counter-clockwise.

The trail is one vehicle width wide. Just large enough for the park’s tram tours to get by. There is a sign that cyclists must pull over from trams to pass. Since they were going clockwise, it was easy to see them. While I was on the trail there were two trams that came by. I dismounted, stood gingerly off the road always carefully watching my feet for any activity that may be lurking nearby. Both times the tram operator gave me a big thumbs up.

It was within the firsr quarter-mile that I saw my first gator – just relaxing just off the road to my right. Alligators could be and were anywhere. Left side or right side. Just riding along with my head on a swivel, there were gators on both sides.

Pedal fast to get by – tram coming in the distance

And none were moving. They seemed completely disinterested in this cyclist. Perhaps adult humans were too big to attack, at least on land. In the water would be a different story but not going in there.

I passed a nest, if it was called that. A momma gator had perhaps 30 little ones with her. I wasn’t real sure that she might be aggressive. In fact, the National Park Service put out yellow tape near her nest so she was easy to find but at the same time let people know to keep their distance.

Most of the alligators I saw were in the first seven miles to Shark Valley and the observation deck. People could hike (walk) that far but the two most common ways were to take the tram or bike. As of this writing, the tram rates were $27 for adults and $14 for children. Bike rentals were $20.

Actually, the first three miles probably contained the most alligators. But this will vary depending on the season and water level. People willing to walk in for about two miles then turn around would have seen plenty.

Big white birds. I suspect this is the Wood Stork.

I made the turn back at the observation deck. There were few travelers in this section although a park ranger came from the other direction. She was on a bike and not wearing a mask. All federal properties including national parks were under a mandatory mask requirement and only about the rangers wore them and probably 20% of the visitors. I suspect it was a requirement on the tram though.

Vultures. These two did not flinch as I rode by.

But what fun. Just riding along and there’s an alligator. Or two. Or twenty. Definitely a bucket list trip. Try it. It’s fun!

March 8, 2021March 15, 2021

Marco Polo. Marco Island

MARCO ISLAND, FLORIDA

it looked like a nice ride so I thought about this 40-mile loop for a few weeks now. I have never been to Marco Island so this was my chance – perhaps my only chance.

Bike path – looks like a sidewalk, but it’s not

I used a ride done by my friend, Joe, a few weeks ago. I parked in a shopping center by a Publix grocery store. I headed west planning to be on street but it had no shoulders and no bike lane. Next to it was a concrete path that looked like a bike path. I followed it for a half-mile until I turned into a residential area and took streets until I reached Collier Blvd.

Collier is a six-lane highway which is very busy. It does have a separate bike lane which is separated from 50 mph traffic by five inches of paint. But it’s white paint so that must have protective qualities.

The next 4.5 miles to Marco Island, I flew, I was hitting speeds of 30 mph and averaged 24 mph for the segment. That could only mean one thing. Tailwind.

On Marco Island, I was mostly in traffic lanes. I didn’t find over-courteous or rude drivers. Just drivers. They were fine. I was fine. We got along.

I followed the southern route out of town. It took me over the Stan Gober bridge and then it was a 55-mph two-lane highway. Joe told me it was straight and the traffic was used to seeing cyclists. While I was the only cyclist I saw today, at no time did I feel unsafe or had any cars pass without giving a wide berth. And I was also going into a brutal headwind. My trip to Marco was a gift. This was the work.

For the next 12 miles, I only averaged 14.6 mph. It was tough work. I saw a number of signs for “Buddy,” a dog missing in the area since Feb. 11 (a month now). Breaks your heart. I sure hope Buddy was reunited at his home.

I turned on Highway 41 North and, to my surprise, saw a pretty nice bike path next to the highway. It would only last 2.3 miles. But I crossed over the highway and picked up a bike lane. I would ride the bike lane six miles to my turn back into the neighborhood. I also picked up a cross tailwind. It helped. I averaged 20 mph in this section.

Not all cyclists are comfortable riding on the road, like I did leaving Marco, or in a bike lane that is on Hwy 41. You have to trust, and hope, and pray, that no one is distracted and they stay in their lane and don’t drift. It’s not my favorite place to ride but I would not necessarily avoid it.

The last five miles were back into the headwind. And my speed dropped to 14.9 for the segment. Arriving back I had covered 41 miles at a speed of 17.9 mph. I was hoping for 18 but with the winds, this wasn’t too bad. My winter rides were often 11-12 miles and even though I rode at Hilton Head last week, it wasn’t far and wasn’t at speed. So this was a jump. A huge jump. I’m happy.

Distance: 41 miles
Average speed: 18 mph (RideWithGPS)
Max speed: 37.8 mph
Weight: 172

March 7, 2021March 7, 2021

Roosters Reunited

NAPLES, FLORIDA

Two years ago I rode in Luxembourg with Rooster Racing. One of our riders was Margaret O. from Naples, Florida. When I told her I would be in the area she told me about the Bike and Brunch ride sponsored by the Naples Pathways Coalition. I registered and we met at Lowdermilk Park in Naples, the start/finish location for the ride.

Before I connected with Margaret, I found Joe B., who I worked with in Washington, D.C. We had a brief conversation and then left in our respective ride groups.

We started in neighborhoods and Margaret found (for me) our first impromptu rest stop – at the pier in Naples. After a break we rode off, Margaret giving me a tour of the neighborhoods.

We stopped at the first rest stop at a community center around Mile 20. Once we left there we started off into long straight roads, generally with a bike lane next to a 45-50 mph highway.

The winds were strong. It seemed they were always at an angle so we never got the benefit of a true headwind. Our second stop was set up by a gas station and was manned by some very nice high school students.

Arriving back the organizers had some chips and salsa from Moe’s (a sponsor). That was unexpected in these COVID times – we did not expect anything. We sat on the patio at the concession stand enjoying the 75° weather, reminiscing about our trip two years ago to Luxembourg.

It was Roosters Reunited for another day.

After the ride I decided that I would retire (discard) the Rooster Racing bib shorts. Although they don’t look bad in the photo, they wore horribly worn and see-thru (on the thighs). And when I got back to the hotel, a woman who had been with a number of bike racers today, told me that I looked like a bike racer. Sweet!