Tampa Bay/Pinellas/Pasco/Hillsboro Co. Forum Members

[RABikes2]

My son and I will be visiting my parents in New Port Richey during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Anybody interested in meeting early Saturday morning for a nice ride and our own little Serotta Forum "gathering"? I'm not crazy about riding in the busy and congested areas of any of the counties, especially since two of my old training partners got mowed down by a distracted motorist in September in Pinellas Co.. The Suncoast Trail sounds inviting, but might be too far of a drive for some. I'm open for suggestions or ideas, if anybody is interested.

RA

[Fixed]

bro the suncoast has a thanksgiving ride every year on thanksgiving day easy 60-80 miles with no cars 8 a.m. meet at lutz lake fern and the suncoast, parking is there

[ericspin]

Fixed - who sponsors this ride? I think you and I must be neighbors. I read in one of your recent posts that you live close to Busch Gardens. I live on Riverhills Drive close to 56th street.

[Fixed]

bro the american classic guys meet there for that ride i'm not one of them but I ride with them some times there is also a ride in brandon on thursday that done before I live about 5 miles from busch gardens in ybor city

[Doc Austin]

OK, good news first..........

http://www.pinellascounty.org/trailgd/default.htm

And this is why it's such good news: On the last AAA survey that I saw, Florida's driver's were rated as the worst, with Pinellas County having the rudest drivers on top of it. I read in the Tampa Times last year that the Tampa Bay area was #2 in pedestrian fatalities, second only to our neighbors in Orlando. I also saw we are #3 in road rage incidents. Hey, it's not the same thing as winning the Super Bowl, but we've already done that (gloat, gloat). :banana:

Doesn't sound like much of a cycling heaven does it?

New Port Richey is only about a half hour north of where I'm at in largo, but you can pick up the Pinellas County trail in Tarpon Springs. It would probably be about 15 minutes or so from you. I think that would be well worth the drive.

Now, I highly recommend the PCT because it's all bikes, bladers and runners. No cars, no motorbikes..........nothing. Complete, utter safety. You're not going on vacation just to get hurt, right?

For those who don't know, the trail is built on the old North/South railroad. They ripped up the tracks, paved and landscaped it and opened it up to anything not motorized. In places, the trail is absolutely beautiful. Other places it is a little dicey, but if you're in a group there's nothing to worry about. Even riding alone, I've never had even the slightest problem, and I (illegally) ride on it at night sometimes, even through the dicey areas.

I believe it runs 54 miles from Tarpon (near the world famous sponge docks) to Gibbs High school in st. Petersburg. They may have added to it since I've been that far on either end. Eventually they want to have one in Tampa and make a big loop out of it. That would probably be over 100 miles.

It is well maincured and kept up as a showpiece for the community. We pay an extra penny in sales tax, but considering how it allows me to pursue my passion in saftey, I'de gladly pay even more.

Now, Pinellas county roads are something else, and if you ride on them enough, I guarantee you are going to get waxed. My cycle guru, Randy, gets about 5000 miles a year and has spectacular bike control. Still, he got drilled hard enough by a car to wad up a brand new Seven. Yes, he's ok, but it took a few months to get over it. If it can happen to him........and only God knows why I haven't had my turn, but I sure thank him for it. It's probably because I try really hard to stay on the trail.

Being a West-by-God cracker transplant of over 45 years, I know the roads around here pretty well, and I can get to the trail on 5 miles of relatively safe residential roads. The drivers, however, are so bad and so hostile that you have to be really careful even then.

This sort of hostile incompetence bleeds over into the surrounding areas, so I can't suggest highly enough that you check out the trail. It has it's drawbacks, like there are a few places you have to stop for major intersections and such, but there are bridges over the really bad ones. You have to deal with oblivious rollerbladers who wear headphones, never look behind and swerve back and forth like drunken sailors, but believe me, hitting one of those is a cakewalk compared to getting run over by an overmedicated granny who can't see over the wheel. Hey, people start drinking around here at about 7am, so please stay on the trail.

Anyway, I didn't mean for this to be so long and blowhardly, but you get the idea that I really like the Pinellas County Trail and it's outstanding safety.

[RABikes2]

Hey Doc, I've rode on the PCT many times over the years; great trail and like you said, some places on it are better than others. The bridge overpasses they've provided for riding and running over many of the extremely busy sections is a good idea. The rides I've done on the trail though (I haven't done any riding down there in a long time), have been ones that we'd start at 5:00 a.m. on the road, and we'd get back on the trail around 8:30 a.m. to do our warm down while coming back to where my friends live in Palm Harbor. I STOPPED riding and running (when I use to run) on the roads in New Port Richey many years ago. I'd keep my activities in my folks development, which actually wasn't much better with as you said, "an overmedicated granny who can't see over the wheel." driving within those boundaries. What an unbelievably dangerous place Pinellas, Pasco, and Hillsboro counties have become. Even my parents (78 and 80 yrs. old) have noticed the constant increase in road rage, hostility, and rudeness. Many, long years ago...it wasn't like that at all. Be safe!
RA

[Doc Austin]

I grew up here going to SPJC and I could have left the top down on my car with my wallet on the dashboard and never lost a nickel. Now, it's like I'm on another planet compared to then. It's almost like "Bizarro."

But hey, if you get down here, send me a PM and maybe we can hook up for a ride, but be forewarned, I'm kind of slow.

[RABikes2]

Hey Doc, I sent you an e-mail at the address you provided a few months ago; did you get it? If not, please let me know. I sent phone numbers that I could be reached at so if our schedules work out, let's get a ride in on the PCT. It'd be great to meet you. Riding "slow" :confused: who cares! WE'RE RIDING our beautiful bikes :banana: and making new friendships! :D
RA

[Doc Austin]

Hey Doc, I sent you an e-mail at the address you provided a few months ago; did you get it? If not, please let me know.

When you get ready to come down, send me a PM and we'll set something up. I try to ride every day, but I've been a real slacker this year.