Bike Florida 2004

Introduction

We're the Bradleys from Cary, NC, and this is our brief report on riding the 2004 Bike Florida tour. Doug and Robin, with daughter Claire, 14, and Colin, 12, rode the 375-mile loop ride from Gainesville, Florida, over spring break in April. The old folks have ridden several state rides, including Bike Across Kansas three times, Cycle North Carolina twice and now Bike Florida twice. It was time for the next generation to be introduced to the joys of riding and camping with a thousand others.

Riding one of the many rail trails

The equipment

We have a Santana Sovereign which Rear Admiral Robin and Captain Doug rode on Cycle North Carolina in 2003 from Boone to Oak Island, NC. Ensign Colin and Doug rode it on this Bike Florida tour while the girls rode their half-bikes: Claire on her Fuji Roubaix and Robin on her Airborne Valkyrie. Neither child used clipless pedals, opting instead for toe-clip cages which clipped into the pedals.

Preparations

Truth be told, we did not do as much training for this ride as we'd wanted. All in all, the men rode probably 250 miles while the women rode less than 100. We hoped youth would persevere, and they did.

The ride

Robin and Doug both grew up in Gainesville, so were familiar with the area. The ride wound through north Florida, visiting a number of natural springs along the Santa Fe and Suwanee Rivers. These are natural wonders indeed: crystal-clear water flowing much as it did when DeSoto and Bartram roamed Florida. In fact, the ride is billed as the "Springs Break" tour. Each day's mileage, with the exception of the century day which we did not ride, was approximately 50 to 70 miles. Here are some highlights of the week:

*Floating the Ichetucknee*

Sunday: Gainesville to High Springs Departed the east side of Gainesville heading west, then north. Gainesville has an exceptional bike lane system which takes us safely through town. Stops at Devil's Millhopper and San Felasco Hammock Preserve state parks en route to the town of Alachua and High Springs. A stop for fresh orange juice for the captain and ice cream for the crew keeps the tandem rolling in high spirits.
Monday: High Springs loop ride We ride to Ichetucknee Springs state park for an optional float down the spring run. Rental kayaks could be reserved for the two-hour float trip.

*Stoker rests at a stop over the Suwanee River*

Tuesday: to Branford The ensign informs the captain that scratching one's leg is easy when riding the tandem--"just hold your hand still as your leg moves up and down". Captain reminds crew to pedal.
Wednesday: Branford to Chiefland Up to this time, the tandem often pulled and thus won the sprints to the county lines. Today for the first time Claire out-sprinted the tandem to Levy County. The older generation celebrates their 25^th wedding anniversary.
Thursday: Chiefland loop Heavy rains delayed departure until after noon. Rode to Fanning and Manatee Springs, including miles on a rail trail over the Suwanee.
Friday: Chiefland back to Gainesville A long 70-mile day back to the start. Stopped for ice cream in Micanopy following Robin's taking the team by surprise and outsprinting the tandem into Alachua county. The team retaliates by singing endless rounds of the theme to the TV show "Green Acres".

*Hungry riders got their fill at Tuesday lunch*

The food

To paraphrase Napoleon, a bike tour travels on its stomach, and the food on this ride was great. The Dixie Grill from Live Oak prepared evening meals including a low-country boil and jambalaya as well as a cauldron of pilaf for Tuesday lunch. Chris Cakes prepared pancakes for every other breakfast, and kept the lines hopping by flipping flapjacks at hungry riders. Rest stops on the ride included fresh citrus--oranges and grapefruit. Purchasing the optional Coffee Detail service is essential for getting started in the morning.

*Breakfast comes early!*

Recommendations

Bike Florida has been a great ride both years we've done it. We like the route around rural north Florida especially. With riders from 40 states and five countries, the average rider age at 54 is a bit higher than other rides. The terrain is flat though wind can be strong at times.

Riding with children is fun on a tandem--the time away from electronic distractions allows for some pleasant conversation or just simply listening to them. In fact, two tandems would have been ideal for the family. Proper bike shorts are essential for all, including the children of course. Voler and REI are two good sources for kid-size bike clothing.

We camped in a cozy six-man tent, and this year's schedule with two layover days was great. With the layover days, we didn't have to break camp and hustle baggage to the luggage truck each and every morning.

Planning ice cream stops may motivate younger rides for the long haul. Finally, when you get home be sure to clean all the fine Florida sand from the bikes!

01May2004 Email the author