The Bee-17s will ride from Williston
Road Publix, Saturday, May 12th, through Hawthorne to the Windsor Squash
Festival for a trip of ~50 miles
(with two shortcut start options).
The Full Route: Will
start from the Williston Road Publix, taking Williston Road east to
the Downtown Connector Trail to Boulware Springs, stopping at the Hawthorne
Trailhead to pick up anyone starting there. We will continue on the Trail to Rochelle and stop again to
pick up anyone starting there. We will then ride the Trail to Hawthorne
and pick up US301 north to CR 219A where we will continue north to CR1474 and
turn west onto it and take it to CR234, then turn south and ride into
Windsor for the Squash Festival. After the Festival stop (optional if you
don't want to stay there for food and fun), we will continue south on CR234 back
to the Trail at Rochelle, then take the Trail west back by Boulware Springs and
on using the Downtown Connector Trail to Williston Road, where we will turn
southwest and ride back to the Publix. Anyone is of course free to
continue on the Trail back to the UF area or their homes on the Connector
Trail rather than returning to the Publix if they rode their bikes to the
ride start.
The Time: Meet
at 8:00AM,
ride at 8:15AM, Saturday, May 12th.
Expect a full length ride time of ~3:30 hours not
including the rest stop at Hawthorne, and the time you decide to spend at the
Squash Festival; Judy and I will probably stop for 30-45 minutes and buy some
fried zucchini and a piece of cake or two (hey it's a long ride, big
calorie burn :). If you are planning
to start from Boulware Springs, we should be coming by there around 8:40AM. We should be coming
by Rochelle on the Trail at about 9:00AM. These are just guesstimates!
But if we get there SOONER than those times, we will wait until them to
continue, so if you are there at those times, we will pick you up as we sweep
by. If you are there earlier, you might have to wait a few minutes for us
depending on ride traffic and conditions.
The Ride: This is
an easy but longer ride of
50.6 miles, of mostly
flat roads except for the hills and hummocks on the Trail. You
can make it a very flat and shorter ride by starting at Rochelle which reduces
it to an approximately 25 mile ride. If you start from
Boulware Springs it makes for an approximately 40 mile ride,
but you still get the hills on the Trail. All start options still
get the rest stop in Hawthorne and the Squash Festival in Windsor. Expect
ride speeds of 15-19 mph with a target pedaling speed
of 17 mph and an average speed of 16-17 mph. This is a
no-drop friendly ride for riders in reasonable physical condition; we will
soft pedal as necessary to keep the core of the group together because
riders on this ride are expected to be able to ride at the stated group
speed; nevertheless we will wait for everyone to regroup at
each major turn and after fun sprints, if necessary to prevent
drops. Helmets are required, suntan lotion
is recommended as Spring has arrived.
Note: There will be
a lot of traffic and congestion along CR234 right near the Fire Department
Building in Windsor, so we will drop our speed to whatever is required for
safety, and be very vigilant about cars passing and pulling off the road to
park. Usually the traffic is moving very slow near the Festival and
considerate of walkers and bike riders, but we need to be careful and keep in
mind that drivers will face numerous distractions in addition to us, so
heads up! Safety
first!
The Rest Stops: Will
be in Hawthorne at a convenience
store at approximately 21 miles and at the Squash Festival in Windsor
by the Volunteer Fire Depaprtment building at approximately 33 miles from the
Williston Publix start.
The Start Points: The
Williston Road Publix is located at the intersection of SW 34th Street and
Williston Road. If you drive to the ride, please park on the 34th Street
side of the parking lot well away from the Publix entrance. Restrooms and
water are available at the store after 7:00AM, and a McDonalds is
adjacent with mediocre breakfast food. If you
decide to start at Boulware Springs, be waiting where the trail
spurs off to the parking lots; we will not leave the trail itself as we pass by,
but will stop briefly for a water break there. If you plan on
starting at Rochelle, park there and wait where you can see us stop
at the STOP sign to regroup for another short water break (I will yell out who
we are as we wait).
The Ride Aids: Route
maps will be available at the start of the ride; if you want a preview map of
the ride, email Ed at the address below; anyone on my mail list
is sent a map in the Ride Report for the previous ride.
General information about the Bee-17s is now available in the "Riding Groups"
page at the GCC web site:
Weather: In the event
of questionable weather as we near ride time, a GO or cancellation notice
will be posted on the list server approximately 1 hour or
sooner before posted ride meeting time; if you don't see anything by
then, the ride is most likely a GO; if you still have concerns or useful
specific information about bad weather along the ride route,
please give me a call.
Note: The Bee-17s are
now an official GCC riding group. Anyone wishing to "join" the group as a
regular member can do so from their own Members Area page and will receive
a Ride Report for each ride. Non-group GCC members continue to be welcomed
to join us on any posted ride they feel like riding without having to
formally "join" the group.