Never Ending Cycling Chronicles

Before You Go:

There are numerous signs along the trail that water is limited but, until you get up to the Hernando County portion of the trail, I found the reverse to true. There are quite a few stocked water spots along the trail in both Hillsborough and Pasco county. This most southern section of the trail is the flattest and, as you progress north, the terrain gets hillier.

I’ve tried to break the rides up into 20 mile loops. In this section, I’ve included the Starkey Wilderness Bike Trail which, if the rider chooses to add this portion, will bring the ride total up to 35 miles. It is well worth the added effort to add this fine trail to the itinerary.
Read the rest of this entry »

Before You Go:

Since the majority of this trail parallels the intercoastal waterway, a good pair of sunglasses is recommended due to the water glare. If you ride the trail early in the day, sunscreen isn’t a necessity. There are several spots along the trail for water.

Read the rest of this entry »

Before You Go:

This trail isn’t particularly long and there is water and rest rooms at the Highland City Trailhead which is fairly centrally located along the trail from either end. The trail is a mix of open areas and shade so sunglasses are recommended. I rode the trail between 8:30AM and 11:15AM and did not need to apply sunscreen.

Read the rest of this entry »

Before You Go:

If this post seems slightly different than you originally remember, it is due to my Web Hosting company deciding to upgrade my site and losing my last post! I’ve tried to recreate the original post as closely as possible to the original.

This entire trip isn’t very long (approximately 12 mile loop) and you could, depending upon your tolerance for sun, get by without sunscreen. Sunglasses, though, are recommended since a good part of the middle portion of the ride in along water’s edge. Also, depending upon your spirit of adventure, you might want to apply insect repellant if you decide to explore some of the more marshy areas that line this ride.

Read the rest of this entry »

Before You Go:

The same old mantra appies. If you are biking in the early morning or early evening, you probably won’t need either sunscreen or sunglasses. Unlike its longer trail cousin (the General James A Van Fleet Trail) to the north, this trail is only about 13 miles out and back. It is a bit more urban than the Van Fleet trail and has more road crossings in its short length than the entire 29 miles (or 58 out and back) of the Van Fleet Trail.

Read the rest of this entry »

***UPDATE***
There seemed to be a problem getting this to Post properly over the weekend. Part of the post didn’t upload and I am amending the original post to include the missing material. It also appears that, in some instances, the map graphic is not including the information from the GPX file. I continue to work on that issue. If I find I cannot resolve the issue, I will discontinue the use of the plug-in until I can find an alternative method of posting the map with route information. Thank you for your patience!

With this post and going forward, I will be posting a link to MapMyRide giving details of the ride. In addition, I will start embedding a map of the ride within the post to give the user the ability to zoom in and out of the ride to gather details and so that any potential riders can get their bearings. I hope you enjoy these small improvements to my posts. My hope is to make the posts a little more interactive and informative. Enjoy and read on!
Read the rest of this entry »

If you visit in the early morning or late to early evening, you probably can get by without sunglasses or sunscreen. Once the sun clears the trees though, you will probably want both. Insect repellant of some kind is recommended since this is the wettest portion of the trail and mosquitoes abound. There is water at the Green Pond Road Trailhead but that is it for the section. I recommend bringing along water bottles and snacks.

Read the rest of this entry »

Before You Go:

If you visit in the early morning, you probably can get by without sunglasses or sunscreen. Once the sun clears the trees though, you will probably want both. Insect repellant of some kind is recommended since I was accosted by several biting insects along the way. There are no water stations along this trail except at the trailheads and, toward the northern end of the trail, it is very rural with no road crossings for miles. Bring along snacks since there is a definite lack of any type of convenience store within site of the trail.

Read the rest of this entry »

With this post, I will be adding any useful links I’ve come across while researching these trails. Wisely, I am placing the links at the end of the post to entice you, dear reader, to read through the entire post.

Before you go:

The Upper Tampa Bay Trail is a mix of open and shaded areas. Bring the usual accoutrements: a pair of sunglasses, sunscreen and as always, I advocate wearing a helmet and padded gloves (to help cushioning while bearing the weight upon your palms during the ride).

Read the rest of this entry »

When I first reviewed the Ream Wilson Trail, I found Kapok Park and Cliff Stevens park adjacent to the trail. I vowed, at the time, to return to this little side trail oasis to have a proper look.

Read the rest of this entry »