Heading to Key West from 3/11 to 3/22

[Bruce H.]

Have to find a place for us to live when I go there permanantly in May.
Anyone have a lead as to renting a road bike in or near Key West?
I am flying in to Lauderdale and driving down to Key West, so I guess any place along the way might be okay.
sorry for the short notice but it came up suddenly
Thanks in advance
Bruce H.

[Smiley]

I suggest you take up sailing. Cycling in the Keys is well lets say ....Blah !

[Bruce H.]

I am all too aware of this, but how does one give up Cycling! It is a passion.
However, landing a game fish could be a great adventure!
Bruce H.

[Smiley]

Bruce , if you learned to sail you could pop on down to Cuba and back for the weekend. Think of all the adventures you'll have. You could kill yourself with all the tourist traffic down in key west. I do envy you though as my bet for the best sea food in America is Islamorada .

[Bruce H.]

I tried so hard to Stay in beautiful Bucks cty Pa. Wife took a position as deputy superintendent of schools for Monroe Cty, Fl. Sold my dental practice and retook National bds pt II (which the great state of Fl. reqires if more than 10 yrs. have passed!
Next step is Fl. state boards in June! I hafe everything about heat and sun but others have survived. I only hope I do!
Bruce H

[Russ]

Hey Bruce,

I don't live/ride in the Keys, but sometimes I ride near there....
As others have said, the riding sucks near the keys, but South of Miami (and before the Keys) things are pretty nice actually.

If you need help with anything e-mail me: russs@attglobal.net

[Bruce H.]

It has been beautiful here in Key West. Daily temperatures in the upper 70's, but windy.
So much for the good news....
Impossible to rent a bicycle to ride other than a tank type local street cruiser. I should have taken my own with me!
On the bright side there is a local gym that has spinning classes, so I am stuck spinning in paradise. Can you beat that!
Looking forward to returning to good old Pa and riding in the chilly northeast on Tuesday next week!
As an aside it took 17 and 1/2 hours to get here. A FedEx jumbo blew out 8 tires on Friday morning and a DC 3 followed suit shortly thereafter. Closed Ft. Lauderdale for a few hours and that was where my rental car was. Then, a 5 car accident closed rt. 1 for over an hour...
Why am I moving??????
Bruce H.

[Bruce H.]

The temperature here in Key West has been in the upper 70's, but windy every day so far...so much for good news.
Bad News:
1- took 17 and 1/2 hours to get here from home. A FedEx Jumbo jet blew 8 tires on the active runway at Ft. Lauderdale on Friday Morning and a DC 3 followed suit several hours later. So I arrived at 4:17 instead of 1:20. Finally got my rental car and headed down through rush hour traffic only to stop for over an hour while the police cleaned up a 5 car accident at milemarker 83.
2- There are no, and I mean no decent bicycles for rent down in Key West! Only Tank style street cruisers!! On the other hand there is a gym that has indoor spinning classes during the day. WOW here I am spinning in paradise!!!
Guess Iwill have to wait until I return to warm sunny <sic> beautiful Eastern Pa. next Tuesday.
Just loving it here
Bruce H.

ps. Sandy I am going to have to lears to sail!

[Needs Help]

Your going to have to get set up like Jimmy Buffet. You need one of those planes that can land on the water, and then you throw your fly rod, surfboard, and Ottrott in the back, and wherever you see a good fishing area, someplace the surf is up, or a deserted road, you land the plane and get at it. <sigh>

...or, get your Ottrott set up with some water wheels, and start training for the double century to Cuba and back. You wouldn't even have to rinse your bike off.

[Too Tall]

Bruce. Good luck in the keys. I'm thinking you'll dig it. Totally off the subject....I own some pieces of G.Nakashima and wondered if it is worth the trip to hang at the shop in Bucks county. Do you know if they are receptive to a casual drop in tour and chat? Appreciate it. BTW the S. Florida Randonneurs are a very active group. They may find you odd...doing repeats of hwy. overpasses ;)

[Bruce H.]

Too Tall,
We lived in New Hope when he was alive. The businesws was and I believe still is on Aquetong road in Solebury.
Last I heard his daughter was running the business. It would not hurt to call. I am quite ceretain they used to allow people in for tours and chats. If you have pieces (which are incredible by the way) thry would probably love to have you stop by.
Great area for a few days stay as well!
Good luck
Bruce H.

[Andreu]

Good luck there, sounds beautiful....I would be interested to know how cyclists cope in really unusual places to cycle e.g. really flat (how do you do hill training), Venice (erm...), Alaska (erm..snow) Gobi desert (erm...no roads) etc.
I know in my old job there were possibilities of relocating to Dubai - basically 45°C every day, in the desert (sand in gusset = pain).
A:beer: