ORLANDO, FLORIDA
My travels took me to Orlando and I was looking for a ride. I found the Florida Freewheelers Bike Club that also sponsors the Horrible Hundred each November. They had a ride posted for today called the Flying Fox Airport Loop.
I am not a member of their club so their public site may be different than their private site. I could see a ride map but not a GPX file that I could upload to my bike computer.
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I emailed the ride leader and asked for a GPX file. He sent me a file but it was only 5k in size. It was a data point – the ride start. I went to the ride map and drew the route in RideWithGPS. I wasn’t 100% sure but I think I got it.
![](https://peaceonabike.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_0242-1024x768.jpg)
I arrived at the park at 7:30 a.m. for an 8:00 a.m. ride. At 7:45 I didn’t see any other cars. I have a feeling I was in the wrong part of the park. I decided to roll out ahead and figured I would be swept up by the group.
![](https://peaceonabike.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_0232-1024x768.jpg)
South Goldenrod Road
It was a mixed road route. It is not for everyone. The residential streets were fine but there were some highway segments. And I was buzzed three times today. The first time a car passed by within an arm’s length. I thought the driver was careless. The second time I thought it was deliberate. And the third time I know it was deliberate. There seems to be an attitude that cyclists don’t belong on the roads and the drivers will punish you. I am also always aware that Florida has more cycling deaths per capita than any other state.
![](https://peaceonabike.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_0234-1024x768.jpg)
The route passed by the Orlando Executive Airport and then the Orlando International Airport. At one location the route went on a toll road but there was a Bike Route sign to take cyclists past the toll booth.
![](https://peaceonabike.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_0237-1024x768.jpg)
On some shoulders, the roads were marked with a white line directing cyclists away from the drain grates. Very nice safety feature.
![](https://peaceonabike.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_0236-1024x768.jpg)
Heinztelman Blvd by Orlando Int’l Airport
It was cloudy but humid. My legs felt good although I was coming off a poor recovery (19%). I had thought about trying hard to find the group but then wondered if I would have the legs to stay with them. Catching me was a better option although they never did. I was riding well enough but at two miles per hour faster they must have been close.
![](https://peaceonabike.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_0240-1024x768.jpg)
I love finding routes, downloading them to my Wahoo, and following them. So I was able to do that today. I didn’t meet any new people but that was okay too. Thanks for the ride!