Florida Keys and Souther Florida over New Year

All right,

thanks for your answers so far. As I'm not too woried about traffic,
and as the sun is what I'm actually seraching in the winter, it still
sounds great for me.
I still have not decided if that's a good idea, but at least I will go
on with a little planning:
I now wonder how to put this into a tour of about two weeks.
Arriving in Miami on the 27. I have four days to cycle to Key West to
spend New Years Eve there. That sounds like no problem.
From there I would love to take the ferry because I don't want to
cycle the same way back.
But how to go on? The ferry will bring me to Miami, Marco Island or
Fort Myers. How to built a nice tour for 5 or 6 riding days (plus some
sightseeing), that brings me back to Miami?
It would be great to see a little of Everglades during that, but that
might be too dificult by bike.

Can you help me out planning the rest of the tour?

Thanks,

Jens.

On Sep 8, 10:58 am, Jens wrote:
All right,

thanks for your answers so far. As I'm not too woried about traffic,
and as the sun is what I'm actually seraching in the winter, it still
sounds great for me.
I still have not decided if that's a good idea, but at least I will go
on with a little planning:
I now wonder how to put this into a tour of about two weeks.
Arriving in Miami on the 27. I have four days to cycle to Key West to
spend New Years Eve there. That sounds like no problem.From there I would love to take the ferry because I don't want to

cycle the same way back.
But how to go on? The ferry will bring me to Miami, Marco Island or
Fort Myers. How to built a nice tour for 5 or 6 riding days (plus some
sightseeing), that brings me back to Miami?
It would be great to see a little of Everglades during that, but that
might be too dificult by bike.

Can you help me out planning the rest of the tour?

Thanks,

Jens.

Here is an older couple's blog on riding from Key West to Canada.
http://faithandpeter.blogs.com/utter...or_change.html
They took the East Coast http://www.greenway.org/ , Peter now works
for this organization.
The planes into Key West are small and it is hard to take oversize
boxes.

"Papa Tom" wrote:

I was completely psyched to do this ride about 5-6 years ago. I don't want
to talk you out of it, because it's a great destination and a nice goal to
set. However, it didn't take long for other riders (many much younger and
more serious than I) to talk me out of it. The drunk drivers seem to be an
issue over the 100 mile stretch, as does the unbearable direct sun. I'm not
sure if it mellows out over the winter, but I don't think so. I was in Key
West on business in January and it was just as hot as ever.

Wow!! That hot even in January huh? That just seems
incredible to me as I live in north Missouri and its
miserable cold here in Jan!!

Thanks for the heads up on the drink drivers. That's
too bad. was hoping someway to make the ride OFF the
main road and away form any drivers

Ron Wallenfang wrote:

If I were to do that ride again, I'd investigate alternative routes to
US 1 going south from downtown Miami. As my report reflects, US 1 is
not comfortable riding there. Further south on US 1, there was a few
feet of paved shoulder area, but it did have raised reflectors in it
that you have to be alert to dodge. From Key Largo south, I
considered it good biking.

OK.... maybe best to just start at Key largo then and
forget starting at Miami?

Can a person take a cab or something form Miami airport
to key west and haul all gear needed in process?

On Sep 10, 10:34 am, wrote:
Ron Wallenfang wrote:
If I were to do that ride again, I'd investigate alternative routes to
US 1 going south from downtown Miami. As my report reflects, US 1 is
not comfortable riding there. Further south on US 1, there was a few
feet of paved shoulder area, but it did have raised reflectors in it
that you have to be alert to dodge. From Key Largo south, I
considered it good biking.

OK.... maybe best to just start at Key largo then and
forget starting at Miami?

Can a person take a cab or something form Miami airport
to key west and haul all gear needed in process?

I biked through the area that one time and otherwise have never been
there. Hopefully other posters who know the area will have advice on
the best other activities to make a week's trip of it; local public
transportation, and the like. I would suggest having motel rooms
lined up ahead of time. There were fewer options in the keys than I
expected.

Even without ever being there in the winter, I am skeptical that heat
would be a problem. Proximity to the water is a big time temperature
moderator.

Even without ever being there in the winter, I am skeptical that heat
would be a problem. Proximity to the water is a big time temperature
moderator

From what I've heard, the problem is not so much the heat, but the direct
rays of the sun. Remember, you're pretty close to the equator down there.
So, whether the water creates a buffer for the heat or not, you've still got
some pretty heavy UV beating down on your neck as you ride down A1A.

Papa Tom wrote:
Even without ever being there in the winter, I am skeptical that heat
would be a problem. Proximity to the water is a big time temperature
moderator


From what I've heard, the problem is not so much the heat, but the direct
rays of the sun. Remember, you're pretty close to the equator down there.
So, whether the water creates a buffer for the heat or not, you've still got
some pretty heavy UV beating down on your neck as you ride down A1A.


Florida is *not* pretty close to the equator. And at that time of year,
the sun is very far south, over the southern tropic of Capricorn. The
angle of the sun at noon (on Jan 1) is less than 45º, about the same
angle it would be on a mid-summer day in Barrow Alaska. Direct,
overhead, sunlight is not a problem.

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO
http://www.CycleTourist.com
*****************************

Florida is *not* pretty close to the equator... sunlight is not a
problem.

I stand corrected. It's a lot closer to the equator than where I live in
New York, anyway.

Regardless, it was still hot as hell in Key West when I went down there for
business a couple of Januarys ago. Much hotter than when I went there on
vacation during an April break.

Jens, ignore everything I say from now on and enjoy your ride!

"Chuck Anderson" wrote in message
. ..
Papa Tom wrote:
Even without ever being there in the winter, I am skeptical that heat
would be a problem. Proximity to the water is a big time temperature
moderator


From what I've heard, the problem is not so much the heat, but the direct
rays of the sun. Remember, you're pretty close to the equator down
there. So, whether the water creates a buffer for the heat or not, you've
still got some pretty heavy UV beating down on your neck as you ride down
A1A.


Florida is *not* pretty close to the equator. And at that time of year,
the sun is very far south, over the southern tropic of Capricorn. The
angle of the sun at noon (on Jan 1) is less than 45º, about the same angle
it would be on a mid-summer day in Barrow Alaska. Direct, overhead,
sunlight is not a problem.

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO
http://www.CycleTourist.com
*****************************

Jens, ignore everything I say from now on and enjoy your ride!

All right, I will ignore it ;-)

At the moment me and my tourmate are very motivated to do the ride, so
we've started to check fligths from Germany.

Does anyone have experience in riding the 41 from Naples to Miami or
the 9336 to Flamingo Visitor Center / Campground into the everglades?
I would like to do some Everglades Sightseeing after the Keys-Ride.

Thanks,

Jens.