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Old 04-25-2012, 08:38 PM
 
45 posts, read 80,397 times
Reputation: 17

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By the way, I tend to stay to the right as much as I can. Here, cyclists have the same rights as motorized vehicles and can take a lane. I tend to stay to the right out of courtesy for all the cars. But, , there is a lot of debris on the side of the road, and depending on which bike I am riding that could be bad. My faster bikes have the skinnier tires which will pop easier. i usually go along around 20 mph . Sometimes, around 30 mph if their is a good tailwind. Now if we get a nice storm there with some serious winds , i might be able to keep up with you guys Oh yeah , and if you hit me, you better kill me. I will come after your houses and boats if I live!
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Old 04-25-2012, 08:41 PM
 
Location: Palm Bay, FL
334 posts, read 1,151,058 times
Reputation: 297
The only roads that don't allow bikes here are true freeways. You wouldn't be allowed on the 275 bridge in Tampa for instance but would be along SR60. There are a few freeway bridges like the Pineda Causeway (SR404 here in Melbourne) where bikes are technically forbidden but tolerated, and FDOT is experimenting with allowing bikes along some freeway causeways like this one.

The bike path project you mention accross the bay on SR60 is adding a separate side path. You're allowed to ride accross now you just have to be in traffic (or on the shoulder).

As for speed limits, since bikes are allowed on any non-freeway, they can ride on roads up to 65 mph for divided highways and 60 for 2-lane rural roads. I'd suggest sticking to the shoulder even if you don't legally have to
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Old 04-25-2012, 08:56 PM
 
Location: Florida -
10,213 posts, read 14,824,183 times
Reputation: 21847
You 'can' ride a bike in some parts of almost any city in Florida, but, the traffic in most large cities is such that you probably don't want to be riding on major thoroughfares during rush hours. In that respect, the thing you are facing in Florida is population growth that has out-stripped the ability of cities to stay ahead ... or even keep-up with the need for roads.

The fact that you have ridden 25-miles to work is impressive and probably puts you ahead of most casual bike riders. I guess the answer depends a lot on whether you can find the type of work you need to survive ... in an area rural enough to commute by bicycle.
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Old 04-25-2012, 09:10 PM
 
Location: Niceville, FL
13,258 posts, read 22,822,968 times
Reputation: 16416
They're a wee bit of a speed hit, but I've been riding with gatorskin tires for the past year, and have been totally flat free. Used to be I'd get 3-4 flats on the same roadways in a similar time period running standard road tires.
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Old 04-26-2012, 05:59 PM
 
Location: Tampa, FL
3,237 posts, read 6,316,881 times
Reputation: 1492
You need a car everywhere in FLA. If you think otherwise, I have some oceanfront real estate in Arizona to sell you...
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Old 04-26-2012, 08:52 PM
 
Location: Palm Bay, FL
334 posts, read 1,151,058 times
Reputation: 297
Quote:
Originally Posted by crazynip View Post
You need a car everywhere in FLA. If you think otherwise, I have some oceanfront real estate in Arizona to sell you...
Someone clearly has never been to Key West...
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Old 04-26-2012, 09:01 PM
 
Location: Niceville, FL
13,258 posts, read 22,822,968 times
Reputation: 16416
I'd definitely want at least a beater car in Key West that could get me as far as the western side of Miami in the event of a hurricane evacuation.
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Old 04-26-2012, 09:41 PM
 
Location: Tampa, FL
3,237 posts, read 6,316,881 times
Reputation: 1492
Quote:
Originally Posted by jdoty View Post
Someone clearly has never been to Key West...
People actually live there?
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Old 04-28-2012, 10:06 PM
 
17,815 posts, read 25,624,242 times
Reputation: 36278
Quote:
Originally Posted by jdoty View Post
If you practice good lane positioning, you should be OK anywhere here. Drivers may get obnoxious but it's not like they go out of their way to run you off of the road or anything. Don't be scared off by the other posters. If you are comfortable riding in busy suburban areas elsewhere, you'll do fine here. I've actually had an easier time riding in traffic here than elsewhere in the country because cyclists are more common. Bike lanes are increasingly common. One thing worth noting is that sidewalk riding is legal and often encouraged (outside of the City of Orlando at least) and some cities plan wide sidewalks to accommodate bike traffic. This is fine for low speed commuters like myself (15 mph or less), but if you want to go fast on a road bike, I'd suggest sticking to the road itself for safety reasons.

A good resource is Commute Orlando: Commute Orlando | Encouragement, Education & Advocacy for Bicycling in the Real World
That's not true, a week doesn't go by in the Tampa/St.Pete area where a cyclist isn't killed. I have never seen anything like it anywhere else in the country that I have lived.

And it has nothing to do with this being a warmer state, there are other states that have moderate climates where people cycle for several months out of the year where you don't see so many horrific deaths of cyclists and pedestrians.

Between the elderly drivers, the reckless drivers....ride on a bike path in FL and not on the roads.
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