Gainesville FL riding/instant vacation advice

[Alan]

I was thinking about escaping the Ohio nasty weather for awhile and thought of Gainesville. Any thoughts pro or con on riding in Gainesville for 3-5 days. The club there looks good so I thought I could tag along on some of their rides. I know the weather can be unpredictable etc but it has to be better than ours.

If you have suggestions for a place to stay in town that would be great. My non-riding spouse will be with me so she'll want to hang out in town. We would consider staying away from town if it was worthwhile. PM me if easier.

Thanks,

Alan

[J.Greene]

Every year I host my friends at the Magnolia Plantation bed and breakfast. It's a safe and short walk (5min) to the center of downtown. As far as rides go if you download maps of the Santa Fe 100 and Horse Farm 100 you will have 400+ miles of possible rides through the best of Alachua and Marion counties. You won't be disappointed.

[Ralph]

Magnolia Plantation is a neat place! Downtown. Has many different lodging combinations. Occupy's whole city block. Hotels out on Interstate not very convenient.

[Liv2RideHard]

What Jonathan and Ralph said. Some really nice B&Bs in town. The Magnolia Plantation and the Sweetwater Branch Inn. Both are in Historic Downtown G'ville. Beats most other options in town.

Places to hit...Swamp Head Brewery, Burrito Brothers (Jonathan and I ate there yesterday after the Swamp Cross race...soooo good), Satchels for pizza, Stubbies and Steins for great beer and a full German menu. List goes on.

For riding, like Jonathan said. Or you can link up with Team Florida and go on some of their training rides.

http://teamfloridacycling.wordpress.com/

If you want to ride the MTB or cross bike, San Felasco is awesome. Not far out of town, maybe 10 mins, and miles of singletrack.

Highly recommend the area for some great riding and good people.

[sales guy]

PM Biketech. He lives there and is a good rider. Strong rider.

[Ralph]

http://www.floridastateparks.org/gainesville-hawthorne/

The Gainesville Hawthrone trail "Down Town Connector" comes within a few blocks of the Magnolia Plantation. The trail itself makes a nice first day "get acquaited with area" ride, and takes you out into the boonies where you can construct about any kind of ride you wish. http://www.micanopytown.com/ Such as over to here. Especially if wife has the car for shopping.

[nighthawk]

More for the scenery than the riding, but do a ride on the bike path across Paynes Prarie. It's 16 miles (32 RT) from Gainesville to Hawthorne. Mostly flat if I remember correctly, but really beautiful. I encountered a handful of wild horses out on it once, running through the woods along the trail. Pretty remarkable. Also, there are wild bison herds on the prairie, but I never saw them. Lots of Alligators, too.

[Fixed]

The area around Tallahassee May offer better riding terrain ,
Which out for cars Florida drivers are pretty bad towards cyclist
Cheers :)

[bcroslin]

Make sure to pop in to Swift Cycle on University Ave (http://swift-cycle.com/site/). Tim and Keith can give you advice on what rides to do for both road and mountain. The weather should hold for the next week or so. Should be beautiful.

[nighthawk]

<snip>satchels for pizza, <snip>

+1.

[Louis]

Please tell me I'm wrong, but I've only heard bad things about road cycling in Florida. (flat, boring, blue-hair drivers, etc.)

If that is not true, what are the best places to ride?

[rnhood]

Not true about drivers, at least from my limited perspective. I cycle a lot around Ormond Beach, Flagler, St. Augustine, Clermont, and Mt. Dora. All these areas are great for cycling, although being flat all the time can become tiring on long rides. Clermont doesn't have this problem so much since there are hills there, from the ridge running down central Florida. But along the coastal areas its dead flat. Only on occasion have I seen irritated and obnoxious drivers. But Florida is a big state and I can't speak for all areas.

Typical group rides (daily) are shorter in Florida, maybe 35'ish miles. This helps mitigate the dead flat terrain. People often ride to the starting point which provides the warm up miles, then the group goes fast for 35 miles, then ride home to unwind and cool down. Really a nice protocol.

Riding alone gets tiring and aggravating, especially if there is wind (which there often is in and around the coastal areas). Group riding is the best.

[Liv2RideHard]

I am in central Florida. I ride lots as in almost everyday. I have heard the same bad things about other parts of the country. We deal with the same knuckleheads. They are everywhere. Not just in round these parts.

Our group rides are faaaaaast. Yes most roads are flat unless we get over to Clermont/Mt Dora then there are some rollers. Horrible hundred this year was about 5,000 ft of climbing.

Not only are our rides fast but we typically deal with some pretty stiff wind. Our regular hammerfests are faster than some road races I have done. We never let off the gas. Yes we typically ride to a meeting spot, but my club rides are usually at least 75 miles. Weekday morning training rides are shorter but still decent miles. Thing about our groups...calendar means nothing. Our racing season is long. We are still training pretty hard because we ride year round.

If ever you are in Orlando lemme I know. You are welcome to ride with us.


Please tell me I'm wrong, but I've only heard bad things about road cycling in Florida. (flat, boring, blue-hair drivers, etc.)

If that is not true, what are the best places to ride?

[Fixed]

I have cycled in almost every state and Florida is one of the worst for divers treating you like you have a right to be on the road .
I was shocked when I saw how the drivers around where I ride give me room ,wave me through,and treat me like I belong .
I love riding in San Francisco compared to Tampa :)
Cheers

[bcroslin]

Please tell me I'm wrong, but I've only heard bad things about road cycling in Florida. (flat, boring, blue-hair drivers, etc.)

If that is not true, what are the best places to ride?

It all depends on where you ride and the level of congestion. Gainesville's probably one of the better spots in the state to ride because of the number of students who commute by bike. Pedestrians are treated like they own the roads around campus and drivers are used to seeing bikes everywhere around town.

Check out Bikes and More's ride page (http://bikesandmoregainesville.com/?page_id=142) for local rides. There's some hilly rides just south of Gainesville in Ocala. Check Brick City Bikes page (http://www.brickcitybicycles.com) for rides.

And a little more than 90 min's south is San Antonio, FL. There are some beautiful hilly rides there that will blow you away. Check with San Antonio Cyclery for info (http://www.sananncycles.com/maps.htm) on those rides.

Gainesville is hands down one of the best cities in FL. I'm a little biased because I went to school there but it really is a beautiful town with lots to do.

Bob

[bcroslin]

I have cycled in almost every state and Florida is one of the worst for divers treating you like you have a right to be on the road .
I was shocked when I saw how the drivers around where I ride give me room ,wave me through,and treat me like I belong .
I love riding in San Francisco compared to Tampa :)
Cheers

Tampa is one of the worst cities in the country for cycling. It has one of the highest pedestrian/ cyclist fatality (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/16/us/16pedestrians.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0) rates in the United States. On the other hand, right across the bay in St Petersburg where I'm at is one of the best places in the state to ride. We have at least 100 miles of bike lanes and a multi-use path that stretches 40 miles across the county. Tampa has never put a priority on cyclists (or pedestrians) and the statistics bare that out. St Petersburg on the other hand made cycling a priority in trying to create a livable city that would appeal to people who have an active lifestyle. It's a pretty fantastic place to live.

[Ralph]

I have cycled in almost every state and Florida is one of the worst for divers treating you like you have a right to be on the road .
I was shocked when I saw how the drivers around where I ride give me room ,wave me through,and treat me like I belong .
I love riding in San Francisco compared to Tampa :)
Cheers

I also have cycled in about every state. I'm also retired and could live anywhere in US I wish (assuming wife would agree). Have never found a better all around cycling place to live than Central Florida. There are other places better a few months at a time, but would rather live here most of year than any place in US. And sure I like Colorado front range in summer and fall, or NC mountains, etc.....but here I can ride about every day all year. Local governments promote trail building that gets you out in the boonies, and I never encountered any attitude issues here you don't find other places also.

Like Liv2torideHard said above (who is a very strong rider). You can find a group for a hard training ride about every day at your level, or if you're old like me....you can do about every day what I just finished a few minutes ago. Met some old guys at 9 AM at Panara Bread up the trail, did a fast (for us) 35 miler on back roads, than back home. So got in about 42 miles this AM, and most AM's. We may be old, but riding every day helps us not be so slow. You 50 something year olds from the cold country welcome to sit in on rear of pack any time LOL.

Bottom line.....and like Bcroslin says above......Don't fear cycling in Florida if your career path, vacation, or retirement plans bring you in this direction. There is good cycling here (maybe not Tampa).....just like other places.

[JonB]

I ride with the Brick City Bicycles crowd in Ocala. If you find your way just south of Gainesville, be sure to stop by. As others have mentioned, there's plenty of great road cycling in Gainesville/Ocala/Clermont/San Antonio. There's also fantastic mountain biking in Ocala with over 80 miles (and growing) of singletrack that suit all levels of rider ability.

It seems that people that visit the state rather than live here like to mention how terrible the riding is here. Keep in mind that most of those "stories" come from people riding in the tourist areas / coastal areas with lots of traffic. I'm sure I could go to CO/CA/NC/NH/Wherever and find plenty of crappy places to ride. If you take the time to find the good stuff, you'll have a different view.

www.omba.org

[bcroslin]

My favorite bike shop in Gainesville just created a page on their site with lots of great info on rides in Gainesville (http://swift-cycle.com/site/resources_routes/).

[JonB]

You want fast? Do the Hipp ride.

[HenryA]

I ride with the Brick City Bicycles crowd in Ocala. If you find your way just south of Gainesville, be sure to stop by. As others have mentioned, there's plenty of great road cycling in Gainesville/Ocala/Clermont/San Antonio. There's also fantastic mountain biking in Ocala with over 80 miles (and growing) of singletrack that suit all levels of rider ability.

It seems that people that visit the state rather than live here like to mention how terrible the riding is here. Keep in mind that most of those "stories" come from people riding in the tourist areas / coastal areas with lots of traffic. I'm sure I could go to CO/CA/NC/NH/Wherever and find plenty of crappy places to ride. If you take the time to find the good stuff, you'll have a different view.



Its been a good while since I've been down there, but the Ocala and San Antonio area has really nice riding. Really nice. And there used to be some fast leg breaking group rides there if you want some of that. But its been a long while, as I just wrote.

I think the key is to stay away from the coast. I tried that once - bad idea. Go to the more agricultural areas and away from the ocean. Think horse farms and citrus groves. There are even a few hills. Great riding.

[bcroslin]

And there used to be some fast leg breaking group rides there if you want some of that.

The San Antonio group rides are nothing to sneeze at. There's a group ride Wed mornings at 8 am the and it's fast. There are a few places where you can short cut the course and catch back up with the group but depending on who shows up it can be a "hold on for dear life" type of ride. Sunday there's a 8 am "A" ride and a 8:10 "B" ride. The A ride is ridiculous and you never know who might show up. It's generally several local cat 1/2's and an occasional regional pro. A few years ago Magnus Backstedt and the Sky U23 team came over for a few weeks and schooled everyone on what fast really means. The "B" ride is fairly tame and rolls along at a reasonable pace. Believe it or not, you'll get over 2k of climbing on both rides. If you do the longer ride on Wed you'll get over 3K. No joke.

[Fixed]

The San Antonio group rides are nothing to sneeze at. There's a group ride Wed mornings at 8 am the and it's fast. There are a few places where you can short cut the course and catch back up with the group but depending on who shows up it can be a "hold on for dear life" type of ride. Sunday there's a 8 am "A" ride and a 8:10 "B" ride. The A ride is ridiculous and you never know who might show up. It's generally several local cat 1/2's and an occasional regional pro. A few years ago Magnus Backstedt and the Sky U23 team came over for a few weeks and schooled everyone on what fast really means. The "B" ride is fairly tame and rolls along at a reasonable pace. Believe it or not, you'll get over 2k of climbing on both rides. If you do the longer ride on Wed you'll get over 3K. No joke.
I rode the Wednesday a.m. Ride and the Sunday ride there for many years it is as good as it gets in fla . IMHO

How is shook doing ?
Cheers

[Liv2RideHard]

Should have put this here sooner...all the info you need. Road, MTB, gravel/limerock/road mixed rides...

http://gccfla.org/

[Alan]

I have taken your advice and am headed to Gainesville in the next few days. If anyone is in the area and wants to ride let me know.

Alan

[bcroslin]

If you need help with rides or shops let me know. The weather is going to be crappy off and on for the next few days and then it should be beautiful starting xmas day through next week.

[LJohnny]

Visiting the in-laws over the end of the year Holidays in Tampa. Debating whether to bring a bike or not. I am going to be about 20mins away from the Suncoast trail. Not a huge fan of trail riding. I have checked out Strava Heat maps and not much until further north. I guess probably for the reasons stated above.

Not looking into any organized rides, just looking to go on a couple of solo rides.

Any feedback?

[fa63]

Suncoast Trail is incredibly boring :D, but not a bad way to get miles in.

If you want some nice riding, go out to the San Antonio area. I can send you a Strava file for a 40 mile hilly route (well, at least by Florida standards).

[LJohnny]

Exactly, regarding the trail. I have done the other long trail that runs from Dade to Hernando, around 82 miles round trip, boring indeed. But there are nice places to stop for water and lunch. I think Inverness, if I recall correctly.

For the ride you mention, do you know, approx, how long of a drive is it from near Busch Gardens?

Thanks you fa63

[Ronsonic]

You can take actually take off from Busch go ride San Antonio and come back in something like 60 miles. There are other, better, less congested starting points for a Tampa area ride, but you won't have to go far. If you're in the North Tampa / New Tampa area you can park at the Flatwoods Park trailhead on Bruce B. Downs. That park has a paved 7 mile loop and connects to gravel and single track for any kind of riding you'd like. That paved loop connects at its other end to Morris Bridge road which leads off to other popular routes. A lot of options in the area.

Suncoast Trail is possibly the most tedious riding I have ever experienced. Almost like being a fifth lane on the highway. See a lot of tri bikes out there.

[LJohnny]

Ah, thanks. Sorry, I didn't explain myself, what I meant was how long of a car ride to get to the area where there is good cycling riding roads.

[LJohnny]

You can take actually take off from Busch go ride San Antonio and come back in something like 60 miles. There are other, better, less congested starting points for a Tampa area ride, but you won't have to go far. If you're in the North Tampa / New Tampa area you can park at the Flatwoods Park trailhead on Bruce B. Downs. That park has a paved 7 mile loop and connects to gravel and single track for any kind of riding you'd like. That paved loop connects at its other end to Morris Bridge road which leads off to other popular routes. A lot of options in the area.

Suncoast Trail is possibly the most tedious riding I have ever experienced. Almost like being a fifth lane on the highway. See a lot of tri bikes out there.

Ah that is great, I see you added more info there. Thanks.

[Ralph]

A lot depends on how much time you have. Or...if you want to drive a couple hours to and from a ride start. Or if you want to ride out of your inlaws home, etc. There is incredibly good riding in Florida, regardless of what some say, it just may be different from where you normally ride. Group riding in large packs resemble races sometimes.

While trails can get boring, especially when you ride them over and over, they work pretty well for someone new to the area. For someone trying to figure out where the good riding is. And some of these trails, while straight and flat, have very little traffic, are way out in the boonies with little cross vehicle traffic, and you can hammer as hard as you wish, and are likely to make it back to your family without risk of being run over on a road you are not familiar with. Most are 12-14' wide and are like car lanes.

Any time I visit an area that has a good trail, I don't mind riding it some. Most likely I will meet some cyclists I can hook up with, or who will give me some good info about where to ride. It's dangerous enough out there when riding on familiar rural roads near my home, but when visiting a new area, and my family sitting in a hotel somewhere, I try not to do anything dangerous my wife has to deal with hundreds of miles from home. My 02. Enjoy your trip. BTW....While the trail thru down town Inverness is kinda boring, I love visiting the town. Really nice trail heads in middle of town. I normally park across from a bike shop, with bath room and changing area, right on trail in middle of town.

[LJohnny]

Thanks Ralph, very good points on the trail riding. I don't think this trip I will be looking to drive more than 30 mins to a riding area.
Regarding the other trail, my favorite stretch was actually through a preserve area, there were quite a few turtles on the trail, so it was interesting.


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[bcroslin]

Thanks Ralph, very good points on the trail riding. I don't think this trip I will be looking to drive more than 30 mins to a riding area.
Regarding the other trail, my favorite stretch was actually through a preserve area, there were quite a few turtles on the trail, so it was interesting.


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There are a few different options. Suncoast Trail is good for out-and-back miles. Feel free to PM me and I can help you out. Depending on where you're staying, you may be better off riding in Pinellas County if you don't want to drive to San Antonio/ Dade City.

[LJohnny]

There are a few different options. Suncoast Trail is good for out-and-back miles. Feel free to PM me and I can help you out. Depending on where you're staying, you may be better off riding in Pinellas County if you don't want to drive to San Antonio/ Dade City.

Thanks! Will PM you. Appreciate it.

[fa63]

LJohnny - from the Busch Gardens area, driving to San Antonio should take a little over 30 minutes, but I think it is well worth it. Here is a 40-mile route in San Antonio with very little traffic:

https://www.strava.com/activities/233813034

In the Busch Gardens area, there is also the Greco ride. Not as hilly as San Antonio, but not totally flat either. Here is the file for that:

https://www.strava.com/activities/233395337

Have fun!

[LJohnny]

LJohnny - from the Busch Gardens area, driving to San Antonio should take a little over 30 minutes, but I think it is well worth it. Here is a 40-mile route in San Antonio with very little traffic:

https://www.strava.com/activities/233813034

In the Busch Gardens area, there is also the Greco ride. Not as hilly as San Antonio, but not totally flat either. Here is the file for that:

https://www.strava.com/activities/233395337

Have fun!

Thanks fa63!

[fa63]

By the way, I will be in Tampa as well from the 21st until the 28th. I plan on doing the San Antonio ride at least once. I will send you a PM on what date and time; please join if you are available.

Note: I won't be riding as fast as the Strava file I posted; that ride was from a time when I actually used to ride a decent amount and was able to go somewhat fast. That is no longer the case :)

[bcroslin]

By the way, I will be in Tampa as well from the 21st until the 28th. I plan on doing the San Antonio ride at least once. I will send you a PM on what date and time; please join if you are available.

Note: I won't be riding as fast as the Strava file I posted; that ride was from a time when I actually used to ride a decent amount and was able to go somewhat fast. That is no longer the case :)

On Sunday there's a great ride that goes out to east Tampa and Thononasassa. Let me know if you want details.

[fa63]

broslin - Yes, let me know please!

[bcroslin]

Here's the route:

https://www.strava.com/activities/94305307

The group goes past the Tampa Convention Center at about 7:30 am on Sundays. It's a great ride - one of my favorites in the area

[Ronsonic]

Thanks Ralph, very good points on the trail riding. I don't think this trip I will be looking to drive more than 30 mins to a riding area.
Regarding the other trail, my favorite stretch was actually through a preserve area, there were quite a few turtles on the trail, so it was interesting.


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Upper Tampa Bay Trail near Carrollwood gives about 15 miles of Rail-Trail shared with scooters and skaters. It also connects to major roads with bike lanes to expand the reach.

As for the turtles they seem to be everywhere. All my MTB rides go past so many signs warning of endangered turtles I have to wonder how endangered they are. But I do dodge them.