Riding in West Palm Beach?

[joelh]

I will be in West Palm for a show next week and will have some time to take a few rides. I am staying close to the convention center and thinking that I can cross the bridge onto Palm Beach and ride north, hopefully getting out of traffic. Anyone comment on this plan, or give me some other riding suggestions? Thanks.

[dookie]

good luck...

i have inlaws there and the riding is generally miserable. the only thing worth doing (atmo) is the A1A. if you head inland, you will be risking your life.

i usually park near okechobee & A1A, which is fairly close to the convention center i believe. if you go north on A1A, it jogs inland a couple times, but it's not too bad. jupiter island/juno beach is pretty, if you like looking at those big florida beach estates. i prefer to go south...no interruptions and near/on the water most of the way. to boca and back is right at 50mi. there's a public park right on the northern border of boca...has water and makes a nice turn-around point. when you're done, check out the fish/fruit plate at john g's in lake worth...you'll ride right by if you go south.

dead flat and often windy, as you might have guessed. if you go south, it's likely you'll run into some mapei guys...the company owner lives on the beach down that way, and a team trainer is in the area. i see their masters guys out nearly every time i'm down there.

side story: i responded to a CL for sale ad that the trainer had put up, without knowing who he was...when i got there, he has one of fast freddy's us pro champ mapei colnagos on the wall and autographed. cool!

[RPS]

I grew up in Palm Beach County and occasionally visit my parents there, but resist riding because of safety concerns. I’ve ridden along major roads that have shoulders designated for cycling but because of the lack of riders (I sense less vehicular awareness for cyclists) and the advanced age of so many drivers, I’ve decided it’s not worth it.

The last time I rode there I stayed within a park with paved trails and did a loop a few times till it got boring. Before that I drove to the Glades and rode along Lake Okeechobee – but that’s about an hour’s drive.

If you decide to do A1A – either south or north – let us know how it turns out. I may give it a try again on my next trip to WPB. Good luck.

[GregL]

My in-laws used to have a place on Singer Island. I used to ride north on A1A from their place all the way to the Hobe Sound and back. The riding was generally safe, with low speed limits and established bike lanes. There were usually many other cyclists out on the roads. Cycle Science in Juno Beach used to have organized rides throughout the week. You could contact them and see what rides are scheduled. The Sunday 7 AM ride was very fast (50 miles in under 2 hours).

Regards,
Greg

[Don]

I ride A1A at least once a week and for the most part, find it safe as well as picturesque. While there are no bike lanes on A1A in northern Palm Beach County, there are lanes beginning south in Delray Beach, wide shoulders in Highland Beach and lanes from end to end in Boca Raton (an LAB Bicyle Friendly City). A1A has the greatest amount of cycle traffic of all Palm, Beach County roads, especially on weekends. Join one of the many groups using the road and you'll gain an extra degree of safety. Be sure to obey traffic laws (traffic signals, pedestrian crosswalks, etc.) as the local municipal police departments do enforce the law.

If you want to ride with a group out of Boca Raton (about 1/2 hour south of W. Palm) let me know. The Boca Raton Bicycle Club welcomes guests constantly.

Don

[garysol1]

I have A1A pretty often from Lauderdale to Palm Beach and back. I have always found others to ride with and have never had an issue with cars. Very nice scenec FLAT ride that does get boring after doing it for a few days.

[happycampyer]

I'm not as familiar with the area as the others, but I was there a couple of years ago and agree with the "don't go inland" advice (unless you are with someone who knows where they're going). A1A was the best route.

Not sure if it's still there, but there was a tiny shop in WPB called Top Cycle, solo run by a guy named Patrick. Patrick is by far the most entertaining shop owner I've ever met. At that time at least, the store was packed with only the highest of the high-end bikes and frames. At one point I asked him, "So, how many bikes do you sell a year?" and he replied, "Count bikes? Start countin' bikes and you become an alcoholic!"

[Bruce K]

You couls also contact Bill Bove at Fat Cat Bicycles in Lake Worth (maybe even PM him from the forum).

He should be a wealth of info.

BK

[zap]

Last winter I rode up and down A1A and was pleasantly surprised how friendly drivers were. I never had a problem riding inland roads either.

In comparison, riding around Washington, D.C. is a bloody war zone.

Contact Bill at Fat Cats. He has some war stories and something about a hot judge.