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On Sat Oct 16 the Strays will ride
32 miles of the Pinellas Trail, southern portion, going
south from Taylor Park to Gulfport.
On Sun Oct 17 the Strays will ride
23 miles on the Progress Trail and the Ream Wilson trail
(also known as the Clearwater East West trail) to Phillipe Park.
Both of these rides are very scenic with bike shops, nature parks,
places to get refreshments, restrooms, and shade along the way. I do these
both on a regular basis and never get tired of them. A surprising find in a
congested urban area.
If you are planning to stay overnight in the Clearwater-St. Pete
area for the rides, here is a link that might save you some money. http://www.roomsaver.com/
As always Strays protocols will be in effect: If you are not familiar
with the Strays you will need to read all of the information at:
If you are planning to make the ride(s), please RSVP via
email before 8 pm on Friday Oct 15. At that time I will give
you my cell number so you can call if you have any problems while on the
rides, or in finding your way to the start points.
Weather is currently looking excellent for these rides.
If you have other questions:
Rob Wilt
GCC VP
386-418-3794
If you need a bike shop while in the Pinellas area, the two I
recommend are Chainwheel Drive and The Dunedin
Conservatory, though there are many good shops in the area.
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Saturday: Pinellas Trail at Taylor Park, to
Gulfport:
Arrive at Taylor Park to depart at 10 am
from the parking lot in the North eastern most part of the park, just
off 8 th ave., close to the trail and restrooms. See the Largo map of the
Pinellas Trail guide.
This ride is entirely on the Pinellas Trail except for the offshoot
from the Pinellas Trail that goes to Gulfport, which utilizes very low
traffic back neighborhood roads. We will see a number of sights along the
way, and will stop at a restaurant in Gulfport across from the beach for
some lunch, and maybe a Margarita, before heading back.
Contrary to most peoples expectations this ride is not
entirely flat; the trail itself is flat, but you will have to climb 7
overpasses on the trail on the way to Gulfport, and the same seven going
back, so there is some work here.
Sunday: Progress trail southern terminus at Bellair Rd to
Phillipe Park:
Arrive at the southern terminus of the Progress Energy trail
at 10 am for a departure soon after.
This trail end is located approximately 1/4 mile west of US 19 on
Bellair Rd., just after Ambrosia Dr. There is parking on the north side of
the street next to the trail. Look for the power line transmission
towers.
A small convenience store is located about an additional 1/4 mile west
on Bellair.
This ride will take us up the Progress trail to connect with the East
West trail near the point where the Phillies do their Spring training. We
will follow the trail thru Safety Harbor and along a low traffic
neighborhood road (N. Bayshore Blvd.) that skirts Tampa
Bay and connects to Phillipe Park.
On the way back we will stop briefly at the Starbucks in Safety Harbor
for a snack.
This ride does involve some riding on wide sidewalks and low traffic
roads, about half is on paved bike trail. Contrary to expectation, this
ride is also not entirely flat, as it includes several small hills and an
overpass.
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