Bicycle Diaries

Old Cutler Trail

Sunday January 31, 2021

Old Cutler Trail

For my return trip from Homestead to Miami, I picked the Old Cutler Trail route, a scenic 14.9 mile stretch of bike paths along shade trees.

From where I spent the night, it was 13 miles to the beginning of the trail at Allapattah Road. Those 13 miles were mostly done on sidewalks, bike paths are scarce in the Homestead Air Reserve Base area.

Once I was on the Old Cutler bike path, I picked up my cruising speed. But then I quickly came to appreciate my dual shock bike, the roots of the trees along the asphalt path had created quite a number of nasty bumps. If you’re riding fast, on a stiff road bike, pay attention or you’re changing wheels at your local bike shop.

Like Key Biscayne, I would rate the Old Cutler Trail safe and worth riding.

Arrive Alive

My arrival shot, always with the camera this guy ;)

The back pack contains my laptop, charging cables for all electronic devices, an eight foot 3 outlet extension cord with ground, notebooks, pens, pencils, basically an office in a backpack, and civilian clothing for changing.

The rear pack contains food, bike repair tools and whatever I took out of the backpack to lighten the load on my back. The bike shoes bungeed to the rear rack stayed there the whole trip, I felt more comfortable riding with a pair of sneakers, balancing a heavy backpack clipped in is not fun.

Key West

This last week of training was in preparation for a bike ride I want to make to Key West. The walking around I did all last week was in case the bike breaks down or gets a flat, and I have to walk to the nearest bike shop or gas station.

Hey, let me see you change a tire on the Seven Mile bridge.

If all goes to plan, I depart the Caribbean Club in Key Largo on February 11th at 7:00am. Stay the night around Sombrero Beach, right before crossing the Seven Mile bridge. Get up on Friday the 12th, with fresh legs to tackle the rest of the way in to Key West.

I’m on a mountain bike, on a road bike, it’s a doable one day ride, but I want to explore, thus a whole day for each 50 mile stretch. I’d love to make it a week long trip down to Key West, but staying anywhere in the keys ain’t cheap and Irma wiped out a lot of campgrounds.

distance 34.76 miles

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