Day: November 9, 2026

I’ve been wanting to do a Florida tour for several years. When Randy proposed we do the ride, I was eager to give it a go. My impression is that although this collection of trails forms a nice network, it still has a long way to go. The signage is nearly non-existent and most riders would have difficulty traversing the section between Clermont and Brooksville since it involves trafficked roads. To make this a more friendly route, there needs to be a better way to close that gap. Until I’ve seen a better way to do that, I can’t really recommend this unless you are seasoned road rider. As for the trails themselves, they were all well maintained. Our favorite trail was the Starkey Trail going through the preserve.

Timing for our trip was good, but the weather was a bit too toasty – especially the hot sun. Much of the route is not shaded. I used a good portion of a bottle of sunscreen and drank a lot more than I normally need to. If I were to ride this again, I’d probably shoot for December or January, trading off the chilly mornings for a cooler afternoon.

If you’re considering this route, I encourage you to carefully create your route and carry maps or GPS files along with your cell phone. You’ll likely find yourself looking for directions often. I also think the side trips we took, such as starting on the north of Cape Canaveral, heading west from Tarpon Springs to visit the Gulf, and especially going to Clearwater, were well worth the extra miles.

• Statistics:
  • Miles 266.9
  • Time Riding: 19 Hours, 53 Minutes
  • Elevation: 3,537 Ft. (wow, Florida is flat!)
  • Flat Tires: Matt – 1, Randy – 1, Matt’s Car – 1
  • Raindrops: 0
  • Turtles: Approximately 20
  • Geckos: Innumerable
  • Gators: 2 seen, undocumented, but really I did see them!
  • Turkeys: 1
  • Dolphins: 2 seen by Randy only
  • Causeways crossed: 4
  • Non-existent roads suggested by OpenStreetMaps / RideWithGPS: 2
  • Energy bars consumed: Lots
  • Electrolytes & Sports Drinks: Gallons.

With that, I’m closing the chapter on this adventure.

Peace – Dcn. Matt

Our last day of the trip was a good way to end the adventure. We left Tarpon Springs about 7:30 and went to a breakfast place called Yumlette, a few miles down the trail on the Pinellas Trail. It was the best breakfast I’ve had in a while. Eggs, corned beef hash, and toast. Mmmm.

We had a shorter day planned and our pickup was scheduled for about 2PM. So we decided to leave the trail and tack on a side trip out to Clearwater Beach and Belleair Beach islands. I’ve been to Clearwater Beach many times in my younger days, but not recently. It’s changed a lot since I was a teenager. I rolled my bike out and dipped the tires in the Gulf water, and soaked my feet for a few minutes before washing the sand off and continuing on our way. We went over some causeways to get to and from the islands, which provided great photo ops. It’s really nice that there are wide and separated lanes for pedestrians and bikes on the connecting causeways.

We connected back up with the Pinellas Trail, taking us all the way through to the St. Petersburg pier. We rode out to the end of the pier and took a picture of the completed trip. Atlantic to the Gulf in 5 days!

At the pier, I spotted a vendor selling giant sno cones. I got one and it felt sooooo good to eat something cold and wet. It was a really hot sunny day again, so the ice felt wonderful.

Randy’s wife graciously volunteered to pick us up in St. Petersburg. On the drive back to Brooksville, I ran over a nail and we had to divert to a tire shop to get it repaired. About 45 minutes later, we were back underway. A good dinner at Chipotle made for a nice finish to the day. My laundry is being washed and I will soon be packing up to head home. Another new tour in the books.

This has been a fun trip. I’ve never toured with Randy before, so it was nice to spend some time getting caught up on life and doing something we both enjoy.

I’m done cycling for 2026. Not sure what 2027 will bring! Stay tuned.

Peace, Dcn. Matt