Rides

Had to push part of the steep stuff. Just didn't have it in me. Nice day but getting cooler.

I stopped at the bike shop to talk to Mike about getting a dynamo hub for the Trucker. Pretty sure I will be riding it on this summer's touring. I want to do more off road riding.

Nice day. Took it slow. 

Nice loop south and west out of McMinnville. 

Late afternoon trip just to water. 

Nice club ride. I turned off early to get home to drive up to McMinnville. Stout north wind. Fun going out but not back. 

Got rained on. New rain jacket works well. Like the hood. 

And trip to town. 

Still warm but returning to normal later in the week. Nice ride. 

To LBCC then around town and to garden. Another hot day, way too hot for April.

Wasn't able to shake this cold so decided to cut the ride short. Hung out in Newport, had lunch, and took the Coast Express home. What a deal $7 and about an hour and a half.

Via Logsdon. Cool day, but not cold, not windy, and not rainy. Long ride. 

It was 40 to Logsdon. Moonshine park was another 4. It was only 2:00 so I kept going. Next time I will camp at Moonshine and not push a 70 mile day. 

Coming in on Yaquina Bay Drive was lovely as usual. 

Saturday club ride. Out 34 and over Decker. Colder today, more seasonable for April, but still very nice.

Hauled the trailer with two heavy bags of grass clippings.

My annual birthday ride. I only needed 68 miles so I overshot by a bit. Went to REI in Kaiser. Mostly followed the WVSB. Sunny and hot. 84 when I got there. No wind to speak of.

Finally got Nelson to guide me to the historic site that used top be the logging company town of Valsetz. Another perfect day, sunny and warm with no wind to speak of.

We drove up the Lukiamute to the start of Wildwood road. Pretty soon the route entered a private road system, which was well maintained with some pretty course gravel. It is railroad grade for about 10 miles before a short climb over the divide to the Siletz drainage. Then a few more miles downhill to Valsetz. At this point there are a lot of intersecting roads and it would be easy to get lost. There is nothing to mark where the town was except one old foundation.

We explored around a bit and then followed the Siletz downstream for a few miles before crossing a bridge a looping back around on a different road. Things began to get very lush as the Siletz picked up size. True Coast Range beauty.

I was very pleased at how the Grando handled the chunky gravel. I was able to glide right over some pretty loose stuff and I never slipped or skidded once. My confidence grew as the ride wore on. The bike really is well suited to this kind of riding.

First over Cardwell Hill. Then out Harris road to Blodgett. Back on hwy 20 to Wren. Then out past Kings Valley to Maple Grove. Then Airlee to Berry Creek, Tampico, and home on 99. Beautiful day, just couldn't stop riding.

Glorious day. Hauled two bags of grass clippings in the trailer to the garden. 

Spring is here! Sunny and warm. Took 34 out. Noisy but uneventful. Came back on Tangent. Went out to the garden,

First up Jackson Creek to Lewisburg Saddle, then Soap Creek and Berry Creek, which is now paved. Then Airlee to Helmick. Wanted to do more, but didn't have it. Beautiful sunny day. Cold to start but warmed up nicely. Nice tailwind heading home.

Just 4 of us for Roberts last day as ride captain. The rain stopped before we started and it was pretty nice. 

Scouting a route to LBCC where I am teaching Mon and Wed spring term. Took Tangent to 99E. Not bad. 

Caught the Wednesday 9:00 ride, which was well attended due to spring break. Cold, windy, but no rain until I was almost home. It was hard keeping up with the brisk pace at times. 

Showers. Enough to get wet but it eventually it stopped and I dried off. 

First ride home post Florida. I was planning on a ride through town, but it started raining and I figured it would be nicer in the woods. It was. Got pretty wet though.

The bike path along the canal paralleling US-84 ends at Markham park. Beyond that is the Everglades. There were lots of road bikes doing laps around the park. The pictures are from the dike on the edge of the Everglades.

Sue's friend Laurie and her husband Brian are avid cyclists. They are down visiting from Pittsburg. We took a little spin through the neighborhood.

Day 23 - I can smell the barn

Didn't sleep much last night in anticipation of finishing the tour. I had another great stealth site on a birding trail. A covered platform with benches. So for the second time this trip I was under cover when it rained overnight. 

Got out shortly after first light. Almost caught the sunrise over the ocean but the view was blocked by high rise buildings. Stopped a lot for tea, food, more tea and more food.  

I decided to stay on US-1 instead of following the route back over to the beach. Mistake. After slogging through West Palm Beach with no bike lane and lots of traffic I went over to A1A and it was much more pleasant. Just being closer to the ocean made it a nicer ride. The communities along the route would alternate between highrise condos and public beaches which were all in well use.

It was going to be a long day, but I knew I woul get there and my ride would be done. Getting through Fort Lauderdale was an adventure of its own but I made it trough and that was that. I got to my sister's house tired but in good spirits and very happy to have completed the ride.

Day 22 - Just keep riding. 

Slow but steady. The wind continues. Yesterday I was managing 9 mph, today that dropped to 8, and even slower at times. Had a bit of a headache too. Stopped a lot but never for very long. Really a very enjoyable ride. 

I started look for a place to stealth camp early. As I entered Jupiter Island it was apparent it would not be there. The place was well patrolled and I'm pretty sure the cops knew exactly where I was at all times. This seemed to be where the richest people lived in Florida. Ocean front estates of an acre or more, all lushly landscaped. It was vey plesant to ride through.

I stopped alot during the day to refuel and rest. I think I was eating and drinking enough, but it was still tough going into the wind. After a while the route rejoined US-1 and shortly after that I saw one of those Florida Bird viewing trails and I did not hesitate to ride out it. It started out paved and then turned to a boardwalk which ended at a covered area with a couple of benches. Beyond that there was a sand trail that continued, but I saw no need to go further. I setup my tent under the roof, and for the second time I was under cover when it rained overnight.

Day 21 - Unending wind

Got up before light hoping to beat the wind, but it hadn't let up overnight at all. So today was all head down, gear down, and just keep pedaling. One nice thing about riding into the wind is that it keeps you cool. I knew I had a lot of miles to cover to reach my WS host for the night. I just had to ride slow and keep going.

All in all it was a pretty nice ride. A1A has a shoulder or an actual bike lane but I spent a lot of the day riding on the sidewalk/bike path that parallels the highway the whole way. Often it provided some shade and a tiny bit of protection from the wind.

I met my WS host Lisa at her shop, Lisa's Kayaks, where she rents kayaks and paddle boards and takes people out on tours. She gave me the code to the gate into her community and said make yourself at home. It continues to amaze me how open and trusting people are of bicycle tourists they have only met on time. Lisa shared whatever food she had and we talked a bit before she had to run off to some other activity. She was up and out of the house early but I was under no pressure to hurry. I was pretty beat but managed to get going in timely fashion.

Day 20 - Meetups and more wind. 

Had a great stay with Rich and got out at a reasonable time. Got off the highway on Indian River Road to Cocoa, and then Riverside after. Very nice ride right along the water, but the wind was picking up. 

I first met Donna who has been riding from North Carolina, and then a few minutes later met Jerry who is returning to Jacksonville. Shortly after I took the picture Donna pedaled off and I never saw her again.

An hour or two later I met Trish and Darren from Darwin Austrailia who will be staying with Rich tonight and had stayed with my next WS host Lisa the night before last. They are headig north as far as Washington D.C. where they will finish this leg of their world tour.

I had wanted to do more miles today but the wind was beating me up pretty bad. Jerry had mentioned the county park in Melbourne which is on the ACA map, so I stopped there. Expensive at $25 but they just don't differentiate between a cyclist with a tent, and an RV neededing a full hookup. I got a large shady spot and it was fine. Most of the people at this park were there for a while, maybe all winter.

I went to bed as early as possible determined to get up at first light and beat the wind, but I could hear the wind all night and it was not letting up.

Day 19 - Wind and Wildlife

Got out fairly early as my hosts are early risers. Harry headed out on a bike ride and Debbie was teaching a yoga class. I stopped for a second breakfast and an early break at a very nice fishing park in the town of Egewater.

I was really tired after yesterday's long ride, and it did not help that the headwinds came early and hard. Add to that the really rough pavement on US-1 and I was feeling really beat. I did not have a lot of miles to cover so I didn't fight it and went really slow.

Things improved dramatically when I went off route to ride through the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. It was still into the wind, but the pavement was now smooth and the traffic was very light. I stopped often to sit and rest.

Another great Warm Showers host tonight. Rich rides, but doesn't tour, but really enjoy's hosting people and meeting cyclists from all over the world. He's active on Facebook and provides a good connection for a lot of cyclists riding through Florida. 

Day 18 - Motorcycles and more headwinds. 

After roaring out of the north for the past week, the wind did a switcheroo just as I did and cotinued to blow in my face as I rode south. Lots and lots of motorcycles on the road today. Really glad my hearing aids can block a good portion of the noise.

I retraced my route from Friday down to Flagler Beach and then had the plesant surprise to see the route took a quiet back road from there to Ormond Beach. It then left the beach and followed US-1, taking a lot of side roads, through Daytona and on south. The route happend to go right through the heart of the bike week festivities in Daytona.

I cranked out some long miles today in order to make it to my Warm Showers hosts, Debbie and Harry Samuels. It certainly was worth it. They have a gorgeous house right on the water and treated me royally. I have come to the conclusion that the best way to tour Florida is to forget the tent and camping gear and schedule as many Warm Showers hosts as possible, with the occasional motel. While it would be great to camp more, Florida is just not setup for it.

Spent one day with Kalima. We went to the Vilano Beach, which was cold and windy, and then the movies. Crazy traffic in St. Augustine.

Spent the next day with Rob. I first met Rob on the road as I was getting to Key West and he was leaving heading north. Found out on Facebook that he had stayed with Rob the night before so we arranged to meet up in St. Augustine. Rob is from Perth, Australia. We passed a pleasant afternoon drinking beer and talking to people at an Irish Pub. Rob is riding to the west coast so we made arrangements to meet again in Oregon.

Day 15 - Stage 2 complete after 674 miles. 

It rained overnight but my bike and stuff were all under a shelter and my tent did fine. Sunny, bright, and windy in the morning, enough to dry the rain fly. Didn't hurry as it would be a shorter day. Headed out into a howling headwind, and just as soon as I got north of Flagler Beach it was cloudy and almost cold. So the miles where shorter but the wind made it a hard day none the less. A1A had a decent shoulder all the way to Saint Augustine.

The highlight of the trip was the bike path, and nice little bike shop, through Hammock. The trail wound back through some trees away from the road, and had picnic tables with shelters every few miles. The bike shop right on the trail was great. I stopped to lube my chain and got talking with John. I mentioned my front tire was looking a little worn and he sold me a decent looking Panaracer Tour 700x35 tire for $25. I'm carying it as a spare until I get around to changing it out.

Got to St. Augustine and went to Kalima's gift shop before finding my motel and getting a rental car. I'll stay here for 3 nights as I need to rest up before the final leg back to Fort Lauderdale.

Day 14 - Back to the beach. 

More quiet roads, all the way to US-1. Cloudy day, which was much appreciated. 

Packed up quickly to leave my stealth site. Ate a little but did not make tea. Must have been 7 or 8 miles until I came to a convenience store and got some tea. 

Very scenic route between Old Dixie Hwy and A1A. Narrow road along a waterway with lots of large birds. 

I got to Gamble Rogers SP before 1:00 but the spot they told me would be available was not. Lady had mercy and let me camp in the day use area. Much nicer actually. 

Made hotel reservations for 3 days in St. Augustine. Since I hit it on a weekend it is costing me. Plus I happen to hit the week of a big motorcycle rally, which does not bode well for my return ride. I am considering bagging it and driving back to Fort Lauderdale. We'll see. 

Day 13 - More quiet roads, less tourists, and the last big hill. 

Had a very nice stay with Warm Showers hosts Mike and Lucia. They are gearing up to do the TransAm this summer so lots to talk about  I hope to see them again in Oregon.

That hill came not far from today's start and was called "Thrill Hill". Not nearly as thrilling as coming down a mountain pass but very nice anyway. There were nice open pine woods on top that would be nice to camp in. 

The scenery was not as nice as yesterday but still pleasant. Very rural. Some of looked like it could have been Oregon. The route then skirted the edge of the Ocala National Forest. Had it been later in the day I certainly would have wanted to camp there. Lots of trails including a bike only trail which went 20 miles or so through the forest. If I ever get back it would be fun to take a mountain bike and ride and camp in these woods.

Started looking for a place to camp early. I had seen some likely looking spots earlier but as soon as I started looking everything was fenced, and where it wasn't the undergrowth was impenetrable. I stopped at a state forest and a ranger even said I could camp there but there really wasn't a nice spot. Finally I found what I was looking for. There was a gate, but easy access around it and some nice open pine woods well hidden from the road. I was able to hang my hammock and get some quality relaxation. I believe this was in the Lake George State Forest.

Day 12 - Bike paths, quiet country roads, and real hills.

Today's ride was the highlight of the trip so far. Beautify lakes, lush vegetation, quiet roads, nice towns, and a welcoming warm showers host at the end.

Lake Lousia State Park was very nice as far as parks go. Lots of room, spread out campsites, and great showers. It's 3 miles in from the highway though mostly open pine forest. A little hilly but very plesant. Robert got out a little before I did which was about 9.

Quickly turned of the highway on Lake Louisa road and thats where the real beauty began. Georgeous lake side houses with hugh shade trees (oaks with lots of spanish moss) and lovely landscaping. Ths continued until the town of Clermont where I got on a bike path. The route is pretty clear but I managed to get lost twice, and both times was rescuded by a rider on a trike. Many riders on the bike path which goes for at least 20 miles and has other branches conecting to it. After the bike path it was more quiet lakeside roads, but now the homes were older and smaller, still with lots of large oaks providing shade.

Mount Dora is a hoping town with a lot of history, and a lot of tourist oriented shops and antique stores. There is a large artist prescence which is very aparent by the store fronts and decorations. I rode around a bunch of times trying to find a grocery store and eventually had to ride well out of my way to find one. Did not want to show up at my Warm Showers host empty handed.

Mike and Lucia are very gracious hosts and are preparing to ride the TransAm this summer. So we had lots to talk about. They seem to host a lot of the riders on the Florida Connector route. They have a website at http://twotravelingtrikes.com/

Day 11 - No shoulders and lots of traffic. 

Really the most interesting thing today were the street names in a community called Timberlane. Names like Stumpknocker, Panfish, Snapping Turtle, and Shellcracker. 

After that and the nice places along the lake there was not much scenery. There is a lot of mining here. It looks to me like they are mostly digging up sand and hauling it places. A few of these sand haulers buzzed me as well. 

Once through Davenport it became evident that we were not far from Orlando. Traffic picked up and touristy places sprung up everywhere  

As usual it was farther to my destination than I anticipated. Got to the park worn out and hot not even sure if there would be a spot. Low and behold there was another loaded touring bike and Robert was happy to share his site with me. Robert is from Maryland and is cycling South. 

Day 10 - Highway, a lake, and hills!

Day 9 was a layover with Tom in Tampa. After a relaxing day yesterday Tom drove me out of Tampa to the outskirts of Brandon where I started riding. I would follow state road 60 straight east to get back on the ACA route  

The first order of business though was to attach the flappy flag that I found on the road on Friday. There had been some discussion on the FB group about being seen, after a car plowed into 4 riders in North Carolina recently. Frosty Woodrich said you must have a flappy flag. So when I saw this one lying on the road side I grabbed it. It looks like one that would have come with a kids trailer. So I attached it to my rear rack and I am very happy with the result.

The new flag got put to the test today as I was on a busy highway all day. The shoulder was fine in some places but narrow in others. Traffic was not bad but steady and fast. I had no problems.

The route I plotted through Lake Wales took me along the lake and then up a real hill! I was amazed. I think I found the biggest hill in Florida. And I did it 3 times. I found a great place to camp but had stupidly not stopped in town to get water and enough for dinner. So I made a trip back in. The place I found is on a sandy road in some trees next to a golf course. And at the end of the sandy road, at the edge of the golf course there is an outhouse! That is twice in a row I found stealth camping spots with an outhouse for my morning poop. 

Day 8 - Orange groves

As I was leaving my camping spot in the morning I looked back at the sign and saw a tent symbol on it  it was a legal campground! I thought I was stealth camping.

Finally got away from the busy traffic and on to some quiet roads. Pulled off the road at one point and was greeted by a van all decked out as a SAG wagon for Bike Florida. They put on a multi day ride along the lines of Cycle Oregon. They were out scouting the route. 

It was a gas to reach the orange groves. They were small at first but later got much larger. The trees were fairly small as well. I resisted the temptation for some time but eventually gave in and picked one. It was very juicy and sweet, but not an eating orange. I guess they all go for juice. Later in the day I saw some big trucks filled with oranges and then (with Tom in his truck) passed the Peace River Citrus processing plant where they had huge bins full of them. 

I had told Tom to meet me in Wauchula at 4:00 but I got there well before 3. There was a sign coming in to town saying "State Academic Champions" and listed a bunch of years. I stopped at a convenience store and the cashier asked me where I was from. I said Oregon and she gave me a blank stare. She had grown up in this town but had never heard of Oregon. Wauchula seemed like a nice town though, with a large Hispanic population. 

I hung out in a nice little park and waited for Tom. When he arrived we loaded up my bike in his truck and headed to Tampa, where I would spend two nights with Tom and his cousin Sandy.