| Ride Stats |
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Distance:
74.05 miles
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Altitude Gain:
1,643 ft
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Avg Speed:
15.46 mph
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Route:
Santibel Island
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Avg Grade: 0 %
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Max Grade: 0 %
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Max HR: 0 bpm
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Avg HR: 0 bpm
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Terrain: Road: Flat
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Bike: Look 585 Carbon Road
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Club: Schuyler County Cycling Club |
| Weather Conditions: Sunny 80 F E wind 2 6 mph |
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Temperature was again in the eighties which is pretty good for Christmas. Rode out to Sanibel Island which is a couple of miles out in the Gulf of Mexico west of Fort Myers. Had over seventy miles in today and the majority was on bike trails. Fort Myers has several miles of bike trails crisscrossing the city. The trails are mostly oversized concrete sidewalks eight to ten feet wide. Only problem with them is crossing the roads takes awhile as traffic is so heavy it is nearly impossible to cross most roads without using the crosswalk signals. A five to eight minute wait is not uncommon to cross. The first fifteen miles was on the FT Myers sidewalk trails until the trail to Sanibel Island ends and the next few miles is on a highway that has a good shoulder. There is no charge for bikes to cross the tollbridge and use the causeway that crosses over several small islands on the way to the main island. The bridges are the only hills in south Florida and aren't much of a challenge being at a max of four or five percent grade. Sanibel Island is a both a tourist and a bicycle haven as there are nearly as many miles of bike trails on the island as ther are roads. Cars are required to yield to bikes in the crosswalks at intersections or face an $80 fine. It must be enforced or the drivers are really polite as all the drivers I encountered stopped, waved, and motioned for me to proceed whenever I crossed. The east part of the island has many hotels, tourist shops and tennis courts and a considerable amount of cycling traffic. The western part of the island is a little more isolated and has animal refuges and beaches. Rode today out to Captiva which is in the western section. Sat on the beach for awhile and soaked up some sun before heading back. Saw dozens of cyclists today including quite a few racer types who opted for the road instead of the trail that runs parallel. They easily outpaced me as I had to negotiate many cruising riders on the trail but thought that the sacrifice of speed was well worth not riding in traffic even if it is polite traffic. Fantastic day to ride. Still feel kind of weak and congested but it would be difficult not to enjoy the glorious weather and spectacular scenery.
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