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Bicycle friendly town in Florida



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 9th 03, 02:55 AM
Green Hill
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Default Bicycle friendly town in Florida

Hi,

Im looking to relocate to the Florida western panhandle coast or
Florida northeast coast, and in my search I'm looking for bicycle
friendly towns(15,000 to 60,000 pop.) In friendly I mean a town grid
system that is failry accomdating to bicycle traffic. Doesnt really
need bike lanes, just a fairly tame traffic system, and a centralized
grid(un sprawled town) I would like to be able to bike full time not
just for recreation. The heat factor doesnt bother me for I reside in
Tennessee,and i am used to humidity and heat. Is there Anybody who
could at least point me in the right direction in what options I might
have?

Hill

PS. I wouldnt be opposed to branching out to bordering areas like
coastal alabama, missippi, and georgia coastal (brunswick,st. marys).
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  #2  
Old September 9th 03, 10:58 AM
Slider2699
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Default Bicycle friendly town in Florida


"ohberg" wrote in message
...
Gainesville, FL gets my vote. But you really need to try to visit the
places you are most interested in.


Gainesville is nowhere near the panhandle, or the coast at all. I think the
OP is looking for places like Gulf Breeze or Pensacola. It hasn't been my
experience that many places here in FL are very bicycle friendly.


  #3  
Old September 9th 03, 03:15 PM
Green Hill
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Default Bicycle friendly town in Florida

LOL, I do appreciate the response though. I am looking more coastal
than Gainesville.

I do realize Florida may not be the friendliest biking state overal,
but there must be areas that are friendlier than others. How bout
coastal GA,MS,AL, have any experience in those areas? I do know I have
to visit these areas more but I'm just trying to get a general feel,
so I know what areas to visit, and what areas to just not bother with
at all. Im trying to narrow down the possibilties.

Thanks,
Hill





"Slider2699" wrote in message . com...
"ohberg" wrote in message
...
Gainesville, FL gets my vote. But you really need to try to visit the
places you are most interested in.


Gainesville is nowhere near the panhandle, or the coast at all. I think the
OP is looking for places like Gulf Breeze or Pensacola. It hasn't been my
experience that many places here in FL are very bicycle friendly.

  #5  
Old September 10th 03, 02:39 PM
Green Hill
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Default Bicycle friendly town in Florida

Dick, Ive been looking into Pensacola, and it seems more along the
lines in what im looking for than other florida areas. I did however
happen to read a few articles that talked about that it might get
really delvolped by theis "st.joe company". Also how would you
describe the west panhandle as far as delvoplment goes. I know areas
need a certain amount of delelopment, or it seems the areas have avery
little as far as anemities. But there is a point i draw a line between
delvlopment that still preserves the area and delvlopment that ruins a
area turning it into a condo affair where every town looks the same. I
know this first hand living near pigeon forge/gatlinburg TN,(bad
delvopment, no planning, major, and i do mean major traffic
problems,....cough cough I cant see the mountains through the smog
kinda deal). I figure your a local to N. Florida. If anyone would know
you would how the coast is delvloping. Im not looking to move to
Florida to change it, I wont be buying into a condo deal or some big
planned area, most likely just a small older home(the older the
better), enjoy the wildlife, do some fishing, some beach combing.
Anyway any more insight on the st. joe situation or anything to do
with the coast would be much appreciated.

And as far as yahoos, rednecks, retirees, its hard to avoid that no
matter where you go, we have all those things here as well, thats not
why Im moving. Good luck in Helena, MT. Beautiful state, check out
kalisbell, missoula, and livingston. A few yrs back(well maybe a few
decades) I was in MT, was breathtaking. I ran into some major weather
problems in sept-october. Happened to walk myself right into a
blizzard in amountain pass. So lets just say very short season. Well
the seasons arent short, just the warm ones lol. Great area though,
dont know about biking there though. A great biking town is Madison,
WI. There everyone bikes from the college kids, to lawyers and
docotrs.








"Slider2699" wrote in message . com...
"Dick Durbin" wrote in message
om...
(Green Hill) wrote in message

om...
LOL, I do appreciate the response though. I am looking more coastal
than Gainesville.

I do realize Florida may not be the friendliest biking state overal,
but there must be areas that are friendlier than others. How bout
coastal GA,MS,AL, have any experience in those areas? I do know I have
to visit these areas more but I'm just trying to get a general feel,
so I know what areas to visit, and what areas to just not bother with
at all. Im trying to narrow down the possibilties.


Sounds like the Pensacola area may be what you are looking for. It
isn't so touristy (is that a word?) but is on the Gulf. I am in
Tallahassee and really love it, but I wouldn't want to rely on my bike
to get around here.


Shoot, I live in Citrus county, which is on the Gulf coast about an hour
north of Clearwater, and bicycling here is pretty dangerous. No bike lanes,
lots of busy two lanes, and not even paved shoulders most of time. Factor in
the large retiree populations in Lincolns, the rednecks in 4x4s, and the
kids in rice rockets, and it's an adrenaline rush par excellance. Can't wait
till I move to Helena, Montana. :-)

  #6  
Old September 10th 03, 02:54 PM
Pbwalther
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Default Bicycle friendly town in Florida

LOL, I do appreciate the response though. I am looking more coastal
than Gainesville.

I do realize Florida may not be the friendliest biking state overal,
but there must be areas that are friendlier than others. How bout
coastal GA,MS,AL, have any experience in those areas? I do know I have
to visit these areas more but I'm just trying to get a general feel,
so I know what areas to visit, and what areas to just not bother with
at all. Im trying to narrow down the possibilties.

Thanks,
Hill





"Slider2699" wrote in message
.com...
"ohberg" wrote in message
...
Gainesville, FL gets my vote. But you really need to try to visit the
places you are most interested in.


Gainesville is nowhere near the panhandle, or the coast at all. I think the
OP is looking for places like Gulf Breeze or Pensacola. It hasn't been my
experience that many places here in FL are very bicycle friendly.




Ah, a shame then. I was thinking you might look at the Live Oak area. Live
Oak has a lot of rural roads in the area that don't have much traffic and are
pretty scenic. And Live Oak is a pleasant enough town. However, it isn't
exactly coastal.

Another place you might look at it Inverness. They have the Withalacochee
(sic?) Bicycle Trail go through there and you can do a century on the trail
without difficulty and the trail does not have many people on it either.
Inverness is a nice town from what I have seen. Again it isn't coastal but it
is pleasant.

I think you will find that the best Florida cycling is in the interior and not
at the coasts. But if you are within an hour or so drive of the coast, who
cares? Just jump in the car and go!

Another place to look at might be Mount Dora or Eustis. There is some pretty
good cycling around there also.
  #8  
Old September 10th 03, 08:54 PM
whahoo
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Default Bicycle friendly town in Florida

(Pbwalther) wrote in message ...
LOL, I do appreciate the response though. I am looking more coastal
than Gainesville.

I do realize Florida may not be the friendliest biking state overal,
but there must be areas that are friendlier than others. How bout
coastal GA,MS,AL, have any experience in those areas? I do know I have
to visit these areas more but I'm just trying to get a general feel,
so I know what areas to visit, and what areas to just not bother with
at all. Im trying to narrow down the possibilties.

Thanks,
Hill





"Slider2699" wrote in message
.com...
"ohberg" wrote in message
...
Gainesville, FL gets my vote. But you really need to try to visit the
places you are most interested in.

Gainesville is nowhere near the panhandle, or the coast at all. I think the
OP is looking for places like Gulf Breeze or Pensacola. It hasn't been my
experience that many places here in FL are very bicycle friendly.




Ah, a shame then. I was thinking you might look at the Live Oak area. Live
Oak has a lot of rural roads in the area that don't have much traffic and are
pretty scenic. And Live Oak is a pleasant enough town. However, it isn't
exactly coastal.

Another place you might look at it Inverness. They have the Withalacochee
(sic?) Bicycle Trail go through there and you can do a century on the trail
without difficulty and the trail does not have many people on it either.
Inverness is a nice town from what I have seen. Again it isn't coastal but it
is pleasant.

I think you will find that the best Florida cycling is in the interior and not
at the coasts. But if you are within an hour or so drive of the coast, who
cares? Just jump in the car and go!

Another place to look at might be Mount Dora or Eustis. There is some pretty
good cycling around there also.


This is not in the panhandle of FL, but is a great area, New Smyrna
Beach. It's a small town and yet is close to everything. Less then an
hour from Orlando. Has a very large riding club (Florida Free Wheelers
with a couple hundred members) near with lots of group rides in many
parts of FL. Just a thought.
  #9  
Old September 11th 03, 12:25 AM
Dick Durbin
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Posts: n/a
Default Bicycle friendly town in Florida

(Green Hill) wrote in message om...
Dick, Ive been looking into Pensacola, and it seems more along the
lines in what im looking for than other florida areas. I did however
happen to read a few articles that talked about that it might get
really delvolped by theis "st.joe company". Also how would you
describe the west panhandle as far as delvoplment goes.


Best I can tell, most of the development seems to be within a couple
of miles of the coast. The St. Joe Company (St. Joe Paper Company) is
the largest single landowner in the state. The developent arm of the
company is Arvida. Arvida developments have been as responsible as
possible within the confines of a little urban sprawl. My office is
on a plot of land donated to the State of Florida by Arvida and is on
the edge of a new residential development in Tallahassee called
Southwood.

I know areas
need a certain amount of delelopment, or it seems the areas have avery
little as far as anemities. But there is a point i draw a line between
delvlopment that still preserves the area and delvlopment that ruins a
area turning it into a condo affair where every town looks the same.


When you get away from the coast, you may as well be in Southern
Alabama or Georgia.

I know this first hand living near pigeon forge/gatlinburg TN,(bad
delvopment, no planning, major, and i do mean major traffic
problems,....cough cough I cant see the mountains through the smog
kinda deal). I figure your a local to N. Florida. If anyone would know
you would how the coast is delvloping.


Having moved here from Knoxvegas in 1990, I know where you are coming
from. Stay away from Panama City. It is Pigeon Forge By The Sea.

Im not looking to move to
Florida to change it, I wont be buying into a condo deal or some big
planned area, most likely just a small older home(the older the
better), enjoy the wildlife, do some fishing, some beach combing.
Anyway any more insight on the st. joe situation or anything to do
with the coast would be much appreciated.


The strip of Gulf Coast from the St. Marks River to Alabama is blessed
with several parks that are protected from most of the evils of
development. Half of St. George Island is developed and the other
half is park. Cape San Blas is developed but also contains a great
park.

And as far as yahoos, rednecks, retirees, its hard to avoid that no
matter where you go, we have all those things here as well, thats not
why Im moving.


Not many retirees in the Panhandle and my experience with the local
pickumup drivers with the "Cowboy Up" or "Ain't Skeered" decals on the
windows has been pretty positive. If you are used to the East
Tennessee heat, you will do just fine down here.
  #10  
Old September 11th 03, 03:15 AM
Slider2699
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Posts: n/a
Default Bicycle friendly town in Florida


"Pbwalther" wrote in message

Another place you might look at it Inverness. They have the Withalacochee
(sic?) Bicycle Trail go through there and you can do a century on the

trail
without difficulty and the trail does not have many people on it either.
Inverness is a nice town from what I have seen. Again it isn't coastal

but it
is pleasant.


I live in Homosassa, which is in the same county as Inverness. The trail is
great, but it's 20 minutes by car, and it's a PITA to hook up my rack just
to go the trail. I commute 3x/week, and I mostly take roads through
subdivisions. It's surprisingly hilly between Homosassa and Hernando... :-)



 




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