Anyone ever ride the Florida Keys?

I'm starting to make plans for a ride from Key Largo to Key West in the Florida Keys. I know they
have been constructing the Overseas Heritage Trail for a few years now, but I don't know the current
status of that trail or the conditions of riding on US 1 for the stretches not suitable or
completed.

Does anyone have any info on riding this route or can point me in the right direction to get details
on the road conditions etc.?

Thanks!!!!!! Steve

 

Be sure to follow this thread carefully - and not to make any plans until you've heard from people
who have actually done this ride.

I set out to do the same a few years ago and was bowled over by the input I got from this group.
Everything from what time of year you absolutely CAN NOT do it to what time of day you'll have to
deal with the fewest drunken drivers, etc.

I wish I could find all those posts and send them to you. They were very useful, though not very
encouraging. I know from having driven Rt. 1 that there is a bike path along a good stretch, but
that it ends abruptly in spots and leaves you on a very busy highway. The East Coast Greenway will
hopefully solve that problem someday, but I think there's a way to go yet.

Whatever you decide, have a great time - and be sure to pile up the sunscreen on the back of
your neck!

--
Low-Impact Rides in the NY/LI region www.geocities.com/NYRides "Igor" <[email protected]> wrote in
message news:[email protected]...
> I'm starting to make plans for a ride from Key Largo to Key West in the Florida Keys. I know they
> have been constructing the Overseas Heritage Trail for a few years now, but I don't know the
> current status of that trail or the conditions of riding on US 1 for the stretches not suitable
or
> completed.
>
> Does anyone have any info on riding this route or can point me in the
right
> direction to get details on the road conditions etc.?
>
> Thanks!!!!!! Steve

 

IRT cycling the Florida Keys

It's a pure joy. Between Key Largo & Key, you will encounter less than 0.3 mile without a paved
shoulder or a multi-use trail. The only 2 spots I know of without a shoulder are at mm 38, the south
end of the Bahia Honda bridge. I usually wait for traffic to clear and then sprint across the 40
yards or so to where the paved shoulder resumes.

The other segment is in front of the Boca Chica Naval Air Station - no shoulder for about 100 yards.
However, there is a way around it.

Just take the NAS exit and then, at the very first opporttunity take a right which will put you on a
small road parallel to US 1. Take that road for as far as you can go (about 70 yards). At that point
it is a short jump across the grass shoulder (about 20 feet) and you will be back on the US 1
shoulder. From there it is shoulder all the way into Key West.

Every single narrow bridge has been replaced with a wider, bike friendly version.

The biggest problem is the bike path thru Key Largo. It is on the east (northbound) side of the
road. While southbound riders are coming from the right, all drivers are looking left at the
oncoming traffic. Very very dangerous. You must find some way of signaling to right turning
drivers of your presence. Otherwise they will put their cars into motion and then look right - too
late to see you.

Oterwise, the ride to Key West is a piece of cake. You can start out further north. Fort example,
there is a bike carriering but that runs from the Florida City Wal-Mart through Key Largo and all
the way to Marathon. At $1.50 the price is right and they run to Key Largo about every 2 hours 7
days a week.

If you need an economical place to stay, its the Everglades Youth Hostel (not just for youth) in
Florida City. There is also a very nice Bed & Breakfast, Room at the Inn, in Homestead, about 5
miles north of Florida City.

If you do the ride in the tourist season (December to May) you can even take advantage of the
excursion boat/ferries between KW and Marco Island or Ft Myers. Two of them will take bikes. Call
1888 KEY BOAT.

I have ridden to Key West from Ft Lauderdale at least 4 times and continued on the ferry from the
southwest coast back to Ft Lauderdale on three of them. the entire round trip from Ft Lauderdale to
Key West & Ft Myers back to Ft Lauderdale takes about a week.

In general, riding to KW (and beyond) is truly a piece of cake.

Regards & Tailwinds from the Velo Nut

Dale V Lally Jr Pompano Beach FL 33064 [email protected]

Lally, Dale V Jr. "German Chronicle in the History of the Ohio Valley and its Capital City
Cincinnati in Particular" published by Heritage Books, 1992. Translated from the original German
"Deutscher Chronik in der Geschichte des Ohio-thales und seiner Hauptstadt Cincinnati in's
besondere" by Emil Klauprecht (Cincinnati: 1864).

Bell, Trudy & Dale Lally. "Best Bike Rides in NY NJ & PA" Globe-Pequot Press:1999
www.globe-pequot.com

Lally, Dale V Jr. "Bed, Breakfast & Bike Mississippi Valley" Anacus Press:2001 www.anacus.com

The person with experience has little to learn from the person with theory.

Regards from the Velo Nut

Dale V Lally Jr W0OWF Pompano Beach FL [email protected]

 

Wow! That's very encouraging. Most of the responses I got when I asked about riding to Key West were
very negative. People said it's too hot, the drivers are too drunk, the shoulders are too
narrow...all sorts of stuff. And nobody ever mentioned the bike path that I clearly saw running
along a good part of Rt. 1.

Now I'm thinking about revisiting this idea myself!

--
Low-Impact Rides in the NY/LI region www.geocities.com/NYRides "VeloNut" <[email protected]> wrote in
message news:[email protected]...
> IRT cycling the Florida Keys
>
> It's a pure joy. Between Key Largo & Key, you will encounter less than
.3
> mile without a paved shoulder or a multi-use trail. The only 2 spots I
know of
> without a shoulder are at mm 38, the south end of the Bahia Honda bridge.
I
> usually wait for traffic to clear and then sprint across the 40 yards or
so to
> where the paved shoulder resumes.
>
> The other segment is in front of the Boca Chica Naval Air Station - no
shoulder
> for about 100 yards. However, there is a way around it.
>
> Just take the NAS exit and then, at the very first opporttunity take a
right
> which will put you on a small road parallel to US 1. Take that road for
as far
> as you can go (about 70 yards). At that point it is a short jump across
the
> grass shoulder (about 20 feet) and you will be back on the US 1 shoulder.
From
> there it is shoulder all the way into Key West.
>
> Every single narrow bridge has been replaced with a wider, bike friendly version.
>
> The biggest problem is the bike path thru Key Largo. It is on the east (northbound) side of the
> road. While southbound riders are coming from
the
> right, all drivers are looking left at the oncoming traffic. Very very dangerous. You must find
> some way of signaling to right turning drivers
of
> your presence. Otherwise they will put their cars into motion and then
look
> right - too late to see you.
>
> Oterwise, the ride to Key West is a piece of cake. You can start out
further
> north. Fort example, there is a bike carriering but that runs from the
Florida
> City Wal-Mart through Key Largo and all the way to Marathon. At $1.50 the price is right and they
> run to Key Largo about every 2 hours 7 days a
week.
>
> If you need an economical place to stay, its the Everglades Youth Hostel
(not
> just for youth) in Florida City. There is also a very nice Bed &
Breakfast,
> Room at the Inn, in Homestead, about 5 miles north of Florida City.
>
> If you do the ride in the tourist season (December to May) you can even
take
> advantage of the excursion boat/ferries between KW and Marco Island or Ft Myers. Two of them will
> take bikes. Call 1888 KEY BOAT.
>
> I have ridden to Key West from Ft Lauderdale at least 4 times and
continued on
> the ferry from the southwest coast back to Ft Lauderdale on three of them.
the
> entire round trip from Ft Lauderdale to Key West & Ft Myers back to Ft Lauderdale takes
> about a week.
>
> In general, riding to KW (and beyond) is truly a piece of cake.
>
> Regards & Tailwinds from the Velo Nut
>
> Dale V Lally Jr Pompano Beach FL 33064 [email protected]
>
> Lally, Dale V Jr. "German Chronicle in the History of the Ohio Valley and
its
> Capital City Cincinnati in Particular" published by Heritage Books, 1992. Translated from the
> original German "Deutscher Chronik in der Geschichte
des
> Ohio-thales und seiner Hauptstadt Cincinnati in's besondere" by Emil
Klauprecht
> (Cincinnati: 1864).
>
> Bell, Trudy & Dale Lally. "Best Bike Rides in NY NJ & PA" Globe-Pequot Press:1999
> www.globe-pequot.com
>
> Lally, Dale V Jr. "Bed, Breakfast & Bike Mississippi Valley" Anacus Press:2001 www.anacus.com
>
> The person with experience has little to learn from the person with
theory.
>
>
>
> Regards from the Velo Nut
>
> Dale V Lally Jr W0OWF Pompano Beach FL [email protected]

 

Thanks for all the great info!!!!

I'm currently planning on doing the ride in October so I can miss the summer heat, thunderstorms and
the bulk of the tourists. I live in Tampa, so I was hoping to get enough info on the route to avoid
a reconnaissance trip all the way to the keys. I couldn't have asked for better inputs.

I'm currently thinking of starting the ride at the trailhead located near John Pennekamp state park
(around MM 102). We would need to leave a car there overnight since we plan to stay in Key West the
next day. Do they allow overnight parking at the trailheads?

Also, does anyone know of any suitable water stops along the route? I was planning to stop in
Marathon for lunch which will help reduce the amount of provisions necessary to be carried. If I
know of other stops, that could help reduce the load even further.

Thanks again! Steve

"NYRides" <[email protected]> wrote in news:[email protected]:

> Wow! That's very encouraging. Most of the responses I got when I asked about riding to Key West
> were very negative. People said it's too hot, the drivers are too drunk, the shoulders are too
> narrow...all sorts of stuff. And nobody ever mentioned the bike path that I clearly saw running
> along a good part of Rt. 1.
>
> Now I'm thinking about revisiting this idea myself!
>
> --
> Low-Impact Rides in the NY/LI region www.geocities.com/NYRides "VeloNut" <[email protected]> wrote
> in message news:[email protected]...
>> IRT cycling the Florida Keys
>>
>> It's a pure joy. Between Key Largo & Key, you will encounter less than
> .3
>> mile without a paved shoulder or a multi-use trail. The only 2 spots I
> know of
>> without a shoulder are at mm 38, the south end of the Bahia Honda bridge.
> I
>> usually wait for traffic to clear and then sprint across the 40 yards or
> so to
>> where the paved shoulder resumes.
>>
>> The other segment is in front of the Boca Chica Naval Air Station - no
> shoulder
>> for about 100 yards. However, there is a way around it.
>>
>> Just take the NAS exit and then, at the very first opporttunity take a
> right
>> which will put you on a small road parallel to US 1. Take that road for
> as far
>> as you can go (about 70 yards). At that point it is a short jump across
> the
>> grass shoulder (about 20 feet) and you will be back on the US 1 shoulder.
> From
>> there it is shoulder all the way into Key West.
>>
>> Every single narrow bridge has been replaced with a wider, bike friendly version.
>>
>> The biggest problem is the bike path thru Key Largo. It is on the east (northbound) side of the
>> road. While southbound riders are coming from
> the
>> right, all drivers are looking left at the oncoming traffic. Very very dangerous. You must find
>> some way of signaling to right turning drivers
> of
>> your presence. Otherwise they will put their cars into motion and then
> look
>> right - too late to see you.
>>
>> Oterwise, the ride to Key West is a piece of cake. You can start out
> further
>> north. Fort example, there is a bike carriering but that runs from the
> Florida
>> City Wal-Mart through Key Largo and all the way to Marathon. At $1.50 the price is right and they
>> run to Key Largo about every 2 hours 7 days a
> week.
>>
>> If you need an economical place to stay, its the Everglades Youth Hostel
> (not
>> just for youth) in Florida City. There is also a very nice Bed &
> Breakfast,
>> Room at the Inn, in Homestead, about 5 miles north of Florida City.
>>
>> If you do the ride in the tourist season (December to May) you can even
> take
>> advantage of the excursion boat/ferries between KW and Marco Island or Ft Myers. Two of them will
>> take bikes. Call 1888 KEY BOAT.
>>
>> I have ridden to Key West from Ft Lauderdale at least 4 times and
> continued on
>> the ferry from the southwest coast back to Ft Lauderdale on three of them.
> the
>> entire round trip from Ft Lauderdale to Key West & Ft Myers back to Ft Lauderdale takes about
>> a week.
>>
>> In general, riding to KW (and beyond) is truly a piece of cake.
>>
>> Regards & Tailwinds from the Velo Nut
>>
>> Dale V Lally Jr Pompano Beach FL 33064 [email protected]
>>
>> Lally, Dale V Jr. "German Chronicle in the History of the Ohio Valley and
> its
>> Capital City Cincinnati in Particular" published by Heritage Books, 1992. Translated from the
>> original German "Deutscher Chronik in der Geschichte
> des
>> Ohio-thales und seiner Hauptstadt Cincinnati in's besondere" by Emil
> Klauprecht
>> (Cincinnati: 1864).
>>
>> Bell, Trudy & Dale Lally. "Best Bike Rides in NY NJ & PA" Globe-Pequot Press:1999
>> www.globe-pequot.com
>>
>> Lally, Dale V Jr. "Bed, Breakfast & Bike Mississippi Valley" Anacus Press:2001 www.anacus.com
>>
>> The person with experience has little to learn from the person with
> theory.
>>
>>
>>
>> Regards from the Velo Nut
>>
>> Dale V Lally Jr W0OWF Pompano Beach FL [email protected]
>

 

>>> I was planning to stop in Marathon for lunch which will help reduce the
amount of provisions necessary to be carried.<<<<

Great restaurant with a waterside TIKI bar in Marathon. I can't think of the name, but you really
can't miss it.

Please be sure to post a trip report when you get back. I'm dying to do this same ride, but up until
now, people have only discouraged me, mostly because I wanted to do it in the summertime. Have a
great trip!
--
Low-Impact Rides in the NY/LI region www.geocities.com/NYRides "Igor" <[email protected]> wrote in
message news:[email protected]...
> Thanks for all the great info!!!!
>
> I'm currently planning on doing the ride in October so I can miss the summer heat, thunderstorms
> and the bulk of the tourists. I live in Tampa, so I was hoping to get enough info on the route to
> avoid a reconnaissance trip all the way to the keys. I couldn't have asked for better inputs.
>
> I'm currently thinking of starting the ride at the trailhead located near John Pennekamp state
> park (around MM 102). We would need to leave a car there overnight since we plan to stay in Key
> West the next day. Do they allow overnight parking at the trailheads?
>
> Also, does anyone know of any suitable water stops along the route? I was planning to stop in
> Marathon for lunch which will help reduce the amount of provisions necessary to be carried. If I
> know of other stops, that could help reduce the load even further.
>
> Thanks again! Steve
>
>
>
> "NYRides" <[email protected]> wrote in news:[email protected]:
>
> > Wow! That's very encouraging. Most of the responses I got when I asked about riding to Key West
> > were very negative. People said it's too hot, the drivers are too drunk, the shoulders are too
> > narrow...all sorts of stuff. And nobody ever mentioned the bike path that I clearly saw running
> > along a good part of Rt. 1.
> >
> > Now I'm thinking about revisiting this idea myself!
> >
> > --
> > Low-Impact Rides in the NY/LI region www.geocities.com/NYRides "VeloNut" <[email protected]> wrote
> > in message news:[email protected]...
> >> IRT cycling the Florida Keys
> >>
> >> It's a pure joy. Between Key Largo & Key, you will encounter less than
> > .3
> >> mile without a paved shoulder or a multi-use trail. The only 2 spots I
> > know of
> >> without a shoulder are at mm 38, the south end of the Bahia Honda bridge.
> > I
> >> usually wait for traffic to clear and then sprint across the 40 yards or
> > so to
> >> where the paved shoulder resumes.
> >>
> >> The other segment is in front of the Boca Chica Naval Air Station - no
> > shoulder
> >> for about 100 yards. However, there is a way around it.
> >>
> >> Just take the NAS exit and then, at the very first opporttunity take a
> > right
> >> which will put you on a small road parallel to US 1. Take that road for
> > as far
> >> as you can go (about 70 yards). At that point it is a short jump across
> > the
> >> grass shoulder (about 20 feet) and you will be back on the US 1 shoulder.
> > From
> >> there it is shoulder all the way into Key West.
> >>
> >> Every single narrow bridge has been replaced with a wider, bike friendly version.
> >>
> >> The biggest problem is the bike path thru Key Largo. It is on the east (northbound) side of the
> >> road. While southbound riders are coming from
> > the
> >> right, all drivers are looking left at the oncoming traffic. Very very dangerous. You must find
> >> some way of signaling to right turning drivers
> > of
> >> your presence. Otherwise they will put their cars into motion and then
> > look
> >> right - too late to see you.
> >>
> >> Oterwise, the ride to Key West is a piece of cake. You can start out
> > further
> >> north. Fort example, there is a bike carriering but that runs from the
> > Florida
> >> City Wal-Mart through Key Largo and all the way to Marathon. At $1.50 the price is right and
> >> they run to Key Largo about every 2 hours 7 days a
> > week.
> >>
> >> If you need an economical place to stay, its the Everglades Youth Hostel
> > (not
> >> just for youth) in Florida City. There is also a very nice Bed &
> > Breakfast,
> >> Room at the Inn, in Homestead, about 5 miles north of Florida City.
> >>
> >> If you do the ride in the tourist season (December to May) you can even
> > take
> >> advantage of the excursion boat/ferries between KW and Marco Island or Ft Myers. Two of them
> >> will take bikes. Call 1888 KEY BOAT.
> >>
> >> I have ridden to Key West from Ft Lauderdale at least 4 times and
> > continued on
> >> the ferry from the southwest coast back to Ft Lauderdale on three of them.
> > the
> >> entire round trip from Ft Lauderdale to Key West & Ft Myers back to Ft Lauderdale takes about a
> >> week.
> >>
> >> In general, riding to KW (and beyond) is truly a piece of cake.
> >>
> >> Regards & Tailwinds from the Velo Nut
> >>
> >> Dale V Lally Jr Pompano Beach FL 33064 [email protected]
> >>
> >> Lally, Dale V Jr. "German Chronicle in the History of the Ohio Valley and
> > its
> >> Capital City Cincinnati in Particular" published by Heritage Books, 1992. Translated from the
> >> original German "Deutscher Chronik in der Geschichte
> > des
> >> Ohio-thales und seiner Hauptstadt Cincinnati in's besondere" by Emil
> > Klauprecht
> >> (Cincinnati: 1864).
> >>
> >> Bell, Trudy & Dale Lally. "Best Bike Rides in NY NJ & PA" Globe-Pequot Press:1999
> >> www.globe-pequot.com
> >>
> >> Lally, Dale V Jr. "Bed, Breakfast & Bike Mississippi Valley" Anacus Press:2001 www.anacus.com
> >>
> >> The person with experience has little to learn from the person with
> > theory.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Regards from the Velo Nut
> >>
> >> Dale V Lally Jr W0OWF Pompano Beach FL [email protected]
> >
> >

 

On Wed, 05 Mar 2003 02:42:17 GMT, Igor <[email protected]> wrote:

>Thanks for all the great info!!!!
>
>I'm currently planning on doing the ride in October so I can miss the summer heat, thunderstorms
>and the bulk of the tourists. I live in Tampa, so I was hoping to get enough info on the route to
>avoid a reconnaissance trip all the way to the keys. I couldn't have asked for better inputs.
>
>I'm currently thinking of starting the ride at the trailhead located near John Pennekamp state park
>(around MM 102). We would need to leave a car there overnight since we plan to stay in Key West the
>next day. Do they allow overnight parking at the trailheads?
>
>Also, does anyone know of any suitable water stops along the route? I was planning to stop in
>Marathon for lunch which will help reduce the amount of provisions necessary to be carried. If I
>know of other stops, that could help reduce the load even further.
>
>Thanks again! Steve
>

Snips of really good stuff from VeloNut.

I echo Dale's experiences. I rode Key Largo to Key West in February 2002 and 2002. Except for the
two places he mentioned, I felt I had adequate side paths or shoulders.

If I was going to do it again, I'd start a little south of Key Largo. I did the
wrong-side-of-the-road bike path in 2001 and did the road in 2002. Traffic is fairly heavy through
there and there's not much to see except your normal urban strip mall environment. If you aren't
just looking for century bragging rights, I'd slip down to (just guessing) around the 90 mile
marker. ((Keeping track of where you are in the Keys is easy: Key West is MM 0.)

Be prepared for flats. I was lucky, but my brother and kid picked up fishhooks and another friend
drove a screw all the way through her tire on the 7-Mile Bridge.

DO NOT stop at the restaurant at MM 54 in Marathon. Just trust me on that. Not only was their food
lousy and the service worse, but they allow/encourage their customers to park blocking the bike
path. I ended up calling the cops when they wouldn't even try to find their patrons who were
blocking the path.

Seven Mile Grill, on your right (Sbnd) just before you get on the 7-Mile Bridge has been there
forever. Great food at a good price. Their blueberry waffles will fuel you all the way to Key West.

October is still hot in Florida, but you probably already know that as a Tampa resident. February
was pretty darned hot, in fact.

I've posted here before that, by actual light meter reading, West Palm Beach, FL, is twice as bright
as southern Ohio. Key West is twice as bright as West Palm Beach, FL. Sunscreen, Sunscreen,
Sunscreen.

The Keys is built up all the way. Finding water and food won't be a problem.

We stayed at http://www.crystalbayresort.com/ at MM 49 in Marathon. Not bad and not too pricey by
Keys standards. It sounds like the place Dale mentioned.

Any other questions, you can contact me directly. I don't bother to munge my email address.

-----------== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Uncensored Usenet News ==----------
http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----= Over 100,000 Newsgroups - Unlimited Fast Downloads - 19 Servers =-----

 

OK - now for the other perspective. I have lived in Marathon for 16 years and I consider it about
the worst riding on this planet or any other planet just like it. It is definitely urban cycling. Be
prepared for cars blocking the bike paths, cars pulling into the bike paths and stopping before they
enter the road, people and dogs walking in the paths, mopeds in the paths, glass...ungh. Even cops
will pull people over into the bike path and block it as they write them tickets. Keep your eyes
wide open and expect drivers to do stupid things.

The Keys have a tremendous amount of traffic. On the bridges, make sure you ride as far to the right
as possible. Of course, that is where you will pick up glass.

Do not even attempt this ride during spring break - too many drunks. My favorite month is May when
the traffic is light and the weather hasn't yet hit the very warm summer temperatures. In the summer
you will probably encounter an afternoon thunderstorm somewhere along the route. The last half of
October is nice, too, but it is still hurricane season.

Here are a few hidden gems
1) at mile marker 49 in Marathon take a right at the Stuffed Pig restaurant and go to the end of the
street to Keys Fisheries. They have an outdoor restaurant on the water that has the most fresh
seafood anywhere (try the lobster reuben but don't even think about getting on your bike for a
few hours until it digests).
2) mile marker 30 or so - take a right onto the road that says Big Torch Key. You can ride for about
7 1/2 miles with very little traffic winding through mangroves and over causeways. Of course, you
have to ride the same road to get back but I've ridden it many times when I was only passed by 1
car (over 1,300. miles on that road last year).
3) Big Pine Key has some nice paths that go out to the end of the island. In fact, if you park out
at the end of BPK near Port Pine Heights, you can ride out Big Torch Key and back for about 45
miles (with an extra side route to No Name Key) and be on the highway only 4 miles. This really
is a pretty ride.

Having said all this, there are some very nice views from the bridges. And, as long as you are aware
that there is a lot traffic here, you might even enjoy yourself. Don't worry about water - there are
circle K's and other convenience stores everywhere.

Good luck and if you need more info, give a holler.

"Igor" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> I'm starting to make plans for a ride from Key Largo to Key West in the Florida Keys. I know they
> have been constructing the Overseas Heritage Trail for a few years now, but I don't know the
> current status of that trail or the conditions of riding on US 1 for the stretches not suitable
or
> completed.
>
> Does anyone have any info on riding this route or can point me in the
right
> direction to get details on the road conditions etc.?
>
> Thanks!!!!!! Steve

 

--------------050708060300000608090903 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

I think they should put in some short sharp turns with runouts and a concrete wall at the end. This
will act as a catch basin for all the drunks and unattentive drivers.

Bob Glazer wrote:

>OK - now for the other perspective. I have lived in Marathon for 16 years and I consider it about
>the worst riding on this planet or any other planet just like it. It is definitely urban cycling.
>Be prepared for cars blocking the bike paths, cars pulling into the bike paths and stopping before
>they enter the road, people and dogs walking in the paths, mopeds in the paths, glass...ungh. Even
>cops will pull people over into the bike path and block it as they write them tickets. Keep your
>eyes wide open and expect drivers to do stupid things.
>
>The Keys have a tremendous amount of traffic. On the bridges, make sure you ride as far to the
>right as possible. Of course, that is where you will pick up glass.
>
>Do not even attempt this ride during spring break - too many drunks. My favorite month is May when
>the traffic is light and the weather hasn't yet hit the very warm summer temperatures. In the
>summer you will probably encounter an afternoon thunderstorm somewhere along the route. The last
>half of October is nice, too, but it is still hurricane season.
>
>Here are a few hidden gems
>1) at mile marker 49 in Marathon take a right at the Stuffed Pig restaurant and go to the end of
> the street to Keys Fisheries. They have an outdoor restaurant on the water that has the most
> fresh seafood anywhere (try the lobster reuben but don't even think about getting on your bike
> for a few hours until it digests).
>2) mile marker 30 or so - take a right onto the road that says Big Torch Key. You can ride for
> about 7 1/2 miles with very little traffic winding through mangroves and over causeways. Of
> course, you have to ride the same road to get back but I've ridden it many times when I was only
> passed by 1 car (over 1,300. miles on that road last year).
>3) Big Pine Key has some nice paths that go out to the end of the island. In fact, if you park out
> at the end of BPK near Port Pine Heights, you can ride out Big Torch Key and back for about 45
> miles (with an extra side route to No Name Key) and be on the highway only 4 miles. This really
> is a pretty ride.
>
>Having said all this, there are some very nice views from the bridges. And, as long as you are
>aware that there is a lot traffic here, you might even enjoy yourself. Don't worry about water -
>there are circle K's and other convenience stores everywhere.
>
>Good luck and if you need more info, give a holler.
>
>"Igor" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
>
>>I'm starting to make plans for a ride from Key Largo to Key West in the Florida Keys. I know they
>>have been constructing the Overseas Heritage Trail for a few years now, but I don't know the
>>current status of that trail or the conditions of riding on US 1 for the stretches not suitable
>>
>>
>or
>
>
>>completed.
>>
>>Does anyone have any info on riding this route or can point me in the
>>
>>
>right
>
>
>>direction to get details on the road conditions etc.?
>>
>>Thanks!!!!!! Steve
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>

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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <title></title>
</head> <body> I think they should put in some short sharp turns with runouts and a concrete wall at
the end. <br> This will act as a catch basin for all the drunks and unattentive drivers. <br>
<br> Bob Glazer wrote:<br> <blockquote type="cite"
cite="[email protected]"> <pre wrap="">OK - now for the
other perspective. I have lived in Marathon for 16 years and I consider it about the worst riding on
this planet or any other planet just like it. It is definitely urban cycling. Be prepared for cars
blocking the bike paths, cars pulling into the bike paths and stopping before they enter the road,
people and dogs walking in the paths, mopeds in the paths, glass...ungh. Even cops will pull people
over into the bike path and block it as they write them tickets. Keep your eyes wide open and expect
drivers to do stupid things.

The Keys have a tremendous amount of traffic. On the bridges, make sure you ride as far to the right
as possible. Of course, that is where you will pick up glass.

Do not even attempt this ride during spring break - too many drunks. My favorite month is May when
the traffic is light and the weather hasn't yet hit the very warm summer temperatures. In the summer
you will probably encounter an afternoon thunderstorm somewhere along the route. The last half of
October is nice, too, but it is still hurricane season.

Here are a few hidden gems
1) at mile marker 49 in Marathon take a right at the Stuffed Pig restaurant and go to the end of the
street to Keys Fisheries. They have an outdoor restaurant on the water that has the most fresh
seafood anywhere (try the lobster reuben but don't even think about getting on your bike for a
few hours until it digests).
2) mile marker 30 or so - take a right onto the road that says Big Torch Key. You can ride for about
7 1/2 miles with very little traffic winding through mangroves and over causeways. Of course, you
have to ride the same road to get back but I've ridden it many times when I was only passed by 1
car (over 1,300. miles on that road last year).
3) Big Pine Key has some nice paths that go out to the end of the island. In fact, if you park out
at the end of BPK near Port Pine Heights, you can ride out Big Torch Key and back for about 45
miles (with an extra side route to No Name Key) and be on the highway only 4 miles. This really
is a pretty ride.

Having said all this, there are some very nice views from the bridges. And, as long as you are aware
that there is a lot traffic here, you might even enjoy yourself. Don't worry about water - there are
circle K's and other convenience stores everywhere.

Good luck and if you need more info, give a holler.

"Igor" <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:[email protected]"><[email protected]></a>
wrote in message <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="news:[email protected]">news:[email protected]</a>... </pre>
<blockquote type="cite"> <pre wrap="">I'm starting to make plans for a ride from Key Largo to Key
West in the Florida Keys. I know they have been constructing the Overseas Heritage Trail for a few
years now, but I don't know the current status of that trail or the conditions of riding on US 1 for
the stretches not suitable </pre> </blockquote> <pre wrap=""><!---->or </pre> <blockquote
type="cite"> <pre wrap="">completed.

Does anyone have any info on riding this route or can point me in the </pre> </blockquote> <pre
wrap=""><!---->right </pre> <blockquote type="cite"> <pre wrap="">direction to get details on the
road conditions etc.?

Thanks!!!!!! Steve

</pre> </blockquote> <pre wrap=""><!---->

</pre> </blockquote> <br> </body> </html>

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Actually, a few years ago a drunk drove down one of the old bridges = (long since closed to vehicle
traffic) and ran into a concrete barrier = at the end. Killed himself. Darwin lives! "Cycling Joe"
<[email protected]> wrote in message = news:[email protected]... I think they should put
in some short sharp turns with runouts and a = concrete wall at the end. =20 This will act as a
catch basin for all the drunks and unattentive = drivers.=20

Bob Glazer wrote:

OK - now for the other perspective. I have lived in Marathon for 16 = years and I consider it about
the worst riding on this planet or any other = planet just like it. It is definitely urban cycling.
Be prepared for cars blocking the bike paths, cars pulling into the bike paths and stopping before
they enter the road, people and dogs walking in the paths, mopeds = in the paths, glass...ungh. Even
cops will pull people over into the bike = path and block it as they write them tickets. Keep your
eyes wide open and expect drivers to do stupid things.

The Keys have a tremendous amount of traffic. On the bridges, make sure = you ride as far to the
right as possible. Of course, that is where you = will pick up glass.

Do not even attempt this ride during spring break - too many drunks. My favorite month is May when
the traffic is light and the weather hasn't = yet hit the very warm summer temperatures. In the
summer you will probably encounter an afternoon thunderstorm somewhere along the route. The last
half of October is nice, too, but it is still hurricane season.

Here are a few hidden gems
1) at mile marker 49 in Marathon take a right at the Stuffed Pig = restaurant and go to the end of
the street to Keys Fisheries. They have an outdoor restaurant on the water that has the most
fresh seafood anywhere (try = the lobster reuben but don't even think about getting on your bike
for a few hours until it digests).
2) mile marker 30 or so - take a right onto the road that says Big Torch Key. You can ride for about
7 1/2 miles with very little traffic = winding through mangroves and over causeways. Of course,
you have to ride the = same road to get back but I've ridden it many times when I was only passed
by = 1 car (over 1,300. miles on that road last year).
3) Big Pine Key has some nice paths that go out to the end of the = island. In fact, if you park out
at the end of BPK near Port Pine Heights, you = can ride out Big Torch Key and back for about 45
miles (with an extra side = route to No Name Key) and be on the highway only 4 miles. This really
is a = pretty ride.

Having said all this, there are some very nice views from the bridges. = And, as long as you are
aware that there is a lot traffic here, you might = even enjoy yourself. Don't worry about water -
there are circle K's and = other convenience stores everywhere.

Good luck and if you need more info, give a holler.

"Igor" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]... I'm starting to
make plans for a ride from Key Largo to Key West in = the Florida Keys. I know they have been
constructing the Overseas Heritage Trail for a few years now, but I don't know the current status of
that trail or the conditions of riding on US 1 for the stretches not suitable or completed.

Does anyone have any info on riding this route or can point me in the right direction to get details
on the road conditions etc.?

Thanks!!!!!! Steve

=20

=20

------=_NextPart_000_00EF_01C2EA56.BE331120 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD><TITLE></TITLE> <META
http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; = charset=3Diso-8859-1"> <META content=3D"MSHTML
6.00.2800.1106" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Actually, a few years ago a drunk drove = down one of=20 the old
bridges (long since closed to vehicle traffic) and ran into a = concrete=20 barrier at the
end. Killed himself. Darwin = lives!</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px
solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DV>"Cycling Joe" <<A=20 href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</A>> wrote
= in message=20 <A=20
=
href=3D"news:[email protected]">news:[email protected]<= /A>...</DIV>I=20 think
they should put in some short sharp turns with runouts and a = concrete=20 wall at the end.
<BR>This will act as a catch basin for all the = drunks=20 and unattentive drivers.
<BR><BR>Bob Glazer wrote:<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE =
[email protected]=20 type=3D"cite"><PRE wrap=3D"">OK
- now for the other perspective. I = have lived in Marathon for 16 years and I consider it about the
worst riding on this planet or any other = planet just like it. It is definitely urban cycling. Be
prepared for cars blocking the bike paths, cars pulling into the bike paths and stopping before they
enter the road, people and dogs walking in the paths, mopeds = in the paths, glass...ungh. Even cops
will pull people over into the bike = path and block it as they write them tickets. Keep your eyes
wide open and expect drivers to do stupid things.

The Keys have a tremendous amount of traffic. On the bridges, make sure = you ride as far to the
right as possible. Of course, that is where you = will pick up glass.

Do not even attempt this ride during spring break - too many drunks. My favorite month is May when
the traffic is light and the weather hasn't = yet hit the very warm summer temperatures. In the
summer you will probably encounter an afternoon thunderstorm somewhere along the route. The last
half of October is nice, too, but it is still hurricane season.

Here are a few hidden gems
1) at mile marker 49 in Marathon take a right at the Stuffed Pig = restaurant and go to the end of
the street to Keys Fisheries. They have an outdoor restaurant on the water that has the most
fresh seafood anywhere (try = the lobster reuben but don't even think about getting on your bike
for a few hours until it digests).
2) mile marker 30 or so - take a right onto the road that says Big Torch Key. You can ride for about
7 1/2 miles with very little traffic = winding through mangroves and over causeways. Of course,
you have to ride the = same road to get back but I've ridden it many times when I was only passed
by = 1 car (over 1,300. miles on that road last year).
3) Big Pine Key has some nice paths that go out to the end of the = island. In fact, if you park out
at the end of BPK near Port Pine Heights, you = can ride out Big Torch Key and back for about 45
miles (with an extra side = route to No Name Key) and be on the highway only 4 miles. This really
is a = pretty ride.

Having said all this, there are some very nice views from the bridges. = And, as long as you are
aware that there is a lot traffic here, you might = even enjoy yourself. Don't worry about water -
there are circle K's and = other convenience stores everywhere.

Good luck and if you need more info, give a holler.

"Igor" <A class=3Dmoz-txt-link-rfc2396E =
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]"><[email protected]></A> wrote in = message <A
class=3Dmoz-txt-link-freetext =
href=3D"news:[email protected]">news:[email protected]=
3.1.1.8</A>... </PRE> <BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"><PRE wrap=3D"">I'm starting to make plans = for a
ride from Key Largo to Key West in the Florida Keys. I know they have been constructing the
Overseas Heritage Trail for a few years now, but I don't know the current status of that trail
or the conditions of riding on US 1 for the stretches not suitable </PRE></BLOCKQUOTE><PRE
wrap=3D""><!---->or </PRE> <BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"><PRE wrap=3D"">completed.

Does anyone have any info on riding this route or can point me in the </PRE></BLOCKQUOTE><PRE
wrap=3D""><!---->right </PRE> <BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite"><PRE wrap=3D"">direction to get details on =
the road conditions etc.?

Thanks!!!!!! Steve

</PRE></BLOCKQUOTE><PRE wrap=3D""><!---->

</PRE></BLOCKQUOTE><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_00EF_01C2EA56.BE331120--

 

On Fri, 14 Mar 2003 03:09:06 GMT, "Bob Glazer" <[email protected]> wrote:

>OK - now for the other perspective. I have lived in Marathon for 16 years and I consider it about
>the worst riding on this planet or any other planet

Thanks Bob, I've been considering this route myself and you can't beat local knowledge.