[Guest]

I spent two weeks in Orlando (WinterSprings) and North Port. I had a chance to ride on the wide, flat, smooth, no wind roads. I came back with 19-20 mph averages on 30 and 35 mile rides. I may have done better if I really focused on doing so. But I was on vacation so why bother? My best in maryland has been 17.02. I did not so much as ride on one street with any type on incline let alone hill. Absolutly flat in all respects. I really enjoyed my riding and this type of results is good for the ego.

Once I got up to speed, my mph and cadence was easy to maintain on these flat smooth windless roads without too much effort at least far less from what I use at home when riding. The air is clean and the humidity is low. But one needs to keep an eye on the clouds for rain. Rain there has a way of slipping up on you from out of nowhere.

Yesterday I rode my training route at home and came back with 16.3 average for 25 miles.
Big diffrence from my average in Florida. In Florida I'm a A/AA rider, in Maryland, I'm a CC/B rider.

I really enjoyed riding in Florida, it's really a great place to live and cycle ! :thumbsup:

 

[VaughnA]

I can't stand riding down there. I was in the Tampa\Sarasota area and it was dangerous on about any road I found. The drivers are nuts. And it's too flat, I would go crazy without climbs and with the wind. The reason you were so strong in FL was that you were from the hills.

 

[JohnnyTooBad]

Sly, Go ride the Seagull Century in (Salisbury MD to Assateague Island) in October. Not only dead flat, but you can find a good paceline at your desired speed and hang with them all day. I normally average 19-20mph for 20-40mi in the DC burbs, but did a full century at 22.0 last year. One problem with that ride, though, is that it's expensive. www.seagullcentury.org

 

[MG537]

If you remove the heat and humidity of Florida I'm sure it would be paradise.
But some people like that I guess.

 

[JCavilia]

flat = boring.

So your average speed is higher on a flat windless ride than on a hilly one? That's a revelation.

My advice: throw the computer away. YMMV.

In Florida I'm a A/AA rider, in Maryland, I'm a CC/B rider.

Um, probably not, since the other guys will go faster on the flat, too.

Glad you enjoyed yourself, though. Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks, y'know?

 

[Slim Again Soon]

"The air is clean and the humidity is low."

I live in Florida (though not where you were riding). Low humidity -- man, I wish!

You must have caught it on the one weekend a year when the weather freaks out. Otherwise, Florida is like Burma.

We don't have a lot of air pollution -- at least not the stuff you can see.

 

[BuckeyeBiker]

I'm down in Jacksonville for the summer and I don't care for the condiotions here at all. It's too hot, humid, flat and sandy compared to Ohio. Plus, motorists seem to be slightly more tolerant of cyclist up there than they are down in the south, but that's just my experience.

Also, I try not to worry about my average speed too much as it's pretty much meaningless.

 

[QQUIKM3]

I agree. .

I can't stand riding down there.

Between the flat roads, the wind, and all the stupid ******** down there, I'd never go back to Florida.

 

[Amsmoore]

I'm down in Jacksonville for the summer and I don't care for the condiotions here at all. It's too hot, humid, flat and sandy compared to Ohio. Plus, motorists seem to be slightly more tolerant of cyclist up there than they are down in the south, but that's just my experience.

Also, I try not to worry about my average speed too much as it's pretty much meaningless.

Damn yankees.

Are you looking to ride?

 

[BuckeyeBiker]

I'm always looking to ride.

 

[DrSmile]

I rode in Ocala this spring. Rolling hills and straight roads, I loved it!

 

[BuckeyeBiker]

cause turning is such a burden.

 

[Johnnysmooth]

I went to college in Florida, awful for riding.

Flat, hot, humid and ********.

I love them hills of ol' New England

 

[Einstruzende]

I'm another Florida hater. Contrary to what you experienced, my experience has been very hot, humid, and windy. Those conditions make riding even on the flats miserable. Plus you don't ever seem to get nice tree line roads (and shade) like I can do in Ohio.

 

[rePhil]

Welcome to my part of the world. Flat, hot & humid, what more could you ask for? Year round too. Sometimes I feel sorry for myself, trapped in a miserable environment. Then I realize that other than 'boring" cycling, things aren't that bad around here. The quality of life for us is very good.
slyjackson: This is our non windy part of the year, unless there is storm. We do get a fair share of wind.
The downside to the flat roads is that you are always pedaling. As far as being an A or AA or whatever you like to call it, the faster group rides around here roll pretty quick. Did you do any group rides?

 

[cdhbrad]

"Sometimes I feel sorry for myself, trapped in a miserable environment."
Me too..... like when my Sunday ride is cruising down Longboat Key and we look out towards the Gulf of Mexico to see what's going on on the beach. Personally, I'm glad all our "Northern friends" enjoy their home turf, leaves more room on the road for us. That said, we do have a regular group of riders that come down and ride with us each year during the winter, many experienced racers, and I never hear them saying "That was nice warmup, when does the ride start?" when we finish one of our group rides. To each his own.

 

[jupiterrn]

Now lets not restart the civil war. Every part of the country has it's benefits. Florida in the winter when the north is under snow, yeah I will take my flat rides all day long. During the summer it is a manicured swamp (hot, humid, buggy). I am lucky enough to be able to ride Jupiter Island where the rodes are well maintained, not too many cars, and only one stop sign. Very nice.

 

[DIRT BOY]

The flatlands are borning...

it's hot as hell here now, humid and windy! Now not many '********" down hwre I am am, but traffic sucks! But I ride by the bay so it's beautiful but windy at times. Now between Oct and May when you guys are freezing your butts off, it's paradise here.

I was just in BMT, NC it's must be such a sweet place to ride, especially along the Blue Ridge parkway! But talking about "******** and Hill Billes!

But again, some of the nicest, most hospitable people I have met yet. I will take those ******** over some of the people down here.

The hill look so nice and gree right now. I hating riding the flats here It's boring as hell. Ok, the MTB riding is ok for here, but NC was sick as well as out west. Someday I will live in some mountain to hilly lands....

 

[DIRT BOY]

********.

In Florida? I guess you have not been to say...Alabama, Missisippi, Georgia, SC, NC or Tenn??

Some of thoe "********" as you say are much better than the NE'ers for NY and Boston I have met.

EVERY area has there good and their crappy. But if insult us, at least get it right. Matbe a few RN in the panhandle but that's it's. NFLA and CFLA are Muggwhumps and yahoos from I am from.

 

[cpark]

I spent two weeks in Orlando (WinterSprings) and North Port. I had a chance to ride on the wide, flat, smooth, no wind roads. I came back with 19-20 mph averages on 30 and 35 mile rides. I may have done better if I really focused on doing so. But I was on vacation so why bother? My best in maryland has been 17.02. I did not so much as ride on one street with any type on incline let alone hill. Absolutly flat in all respects. I really enjoyed my riding and this type of results is good for the ego.

Once I got up to speed, my mph and cadence was easy to maintain on these flat smooth windless roads without too much effort at least far less from what I use at home when riding. The air is clean and the humidity is low. But one needs to keep an eye on the clouds for rain. Rain there has a way of slipping up on you from out of nowhere.

Yesterday I rode my training route at home and came back with 16.3 average for 25 miles.
Big diffrence from my average in Florida. In Florida I'm a A/AA rider, in Maryland, I'm a CC/B rider.

I really enjoyed riding in Florida, it's really a great place to live and cycle ! :thumbsup:

No wind in FL?
Can't be.....
My brother used to live in Ponte Vedra (near Jacksonville) and it was hot and humid during the summer.
He and I ride would ride down to St. Augustine and back - 100 miles and it was fun for a few days but it got boring very quickly.