my Florida Keys ride

[Seth Cooper]

I rode my V20 from Miami to Key West last weekend, with an overnight in Key Largo. Had a good time. Here is my writeup:

I had done an MS150 Miami to Key Largo a few years ago with a friend, and wanted to do it again but ride to Key West as I had never been down the keys before. I had got a Thor seat and the Thor seat headrest and would be riding with them for the first time, and it would be the first time trying to ride a self-supported overnight on the V20 (or any other bike).

I broke the bike down, shipped it to Miami with shipbikes.com ($65), flew from Michigan to Fort Myers on a Thursday, got a ride to Miami on Friday, but the bike together, rode it to Key Largo on Saturday with the other 100s of MS riders. Had a nice time just hanging off the back of a few bunches or riding by myself. Since FL is so flat, there was only one moment of zipping by people on a downhill coming down the bridge to Key Largo, but still generated some fun conversations over the bike and recumbents in general.

Sunday morning everyone but me headed back to Miami, and I loaded up one days worth of clothes, regular shoes, tools to break the bike down, and toiletries and headed to Key West. 102 miles on the day. I wasn't really in shape at all, but thankfully a recumbent doesn't care how long you take, I had almost 7 hrs moving time . Pretty pokey. The route was nice, probably all but a few miles had a marked bike lane shoulder 3-4ft wide. Traffic was not too fast as speed limits are 55mph or 45mph. There is a MUP along a lot of the way, but it is in varying condition. Some parts are great, and I rode the MUP when I could, but other sections are narrow, worn out, or just dirt or gravel. Fairly new looking bridges for some of the MUP sections were often closed without me being able to tell why.

No hands:
Riding the MUP gave me chances to practice riding no-hands, and I was happy to find that even without riding much since Sept, I still could ride no-hands without a problem. The Thor seat helped I think by keeping me more upright and allowing my shoulders to aid in control. The extra weight of my pack on the back of the bike did not help as I could feel a shimmy build up that I could not always catch without hands back on bars.

Thor seat headrest:
Not sure how I feel about the headrest I bought from Thor. It is by design supposed to be springy, but I felt my head bobbing more that I liked. Smoothing my pedal stroke calmed the bobbing some. I felt as thought the headrest needed to be a little higher or in some position I couldn't quite get it in. I know there is the idea of heating the plexiglas to reform it, and I will have to play around with that.

Checked into B-n-B in Key West Sunday afternoon.

Monday I rode the bike to PakMail in Key West, bought a box and supplies, broke the bike down, boxed it up, and shipped it back to MI with shipbikes again. Got an Uber back to the B-n-B, showered (it was hot), and saw some more of Key West (Ft Taylor, Truman Little Whitehouse). Caught the 5pm ferry to Fort Myers.

Tues relaxed in Fort Myers and caught a flight back to MI. Didn't have any jacket or pants for the 15 deg F weather, but wasn't outside long enough for it to matter.

 

[Seth Cooper]

Bike with out the small pannier / bag. I laugh at the fact that here is a V20 with Zipp 303s, Red E-tap, and a homemade rear rack make out of left over copper tubing and wood paneling.

 

[LarryOz]

Great write up and adventure Seth - Thanks for sharing and also pic of Vendetta is sweet!

 

[3bs]

great to read simple ride stories like this.
are you still working on tilt seat?
where are you riding in michigan?

 

[Seth Cooper]

great to read simple ride stories like this.
are you still working on tilt seat?
where are you riding in michigan?

I am still thinking about the tilt seat, but not working on it right now as some other things have got in the way. Riding the bike with the Thor seat has been helpful in thinking about what angles are best though, so now I can get back to it.

I live near Grand Rapids, so that is where I ride. I usually do the MSU Gran Fondo, the Holland 100 and the DALMAC west route every year. Maybe this year the ODRAM too.

 

[paco1961]

I rode my V20 from Miami to Key West last weekend, with an overnight in Key Largo. Had a good time. Here is my writeup:

I had done an MS150 Miami to Key Largo a few years ago with a friend, and wanted to do it again but ride to Key West as I had never been down the keys before. I had got a Thor seat and the Thor seat headrest and would be riding with them for the first time, and it would be the first time trying to ride a self-supported overnight on the V20 (or any other bike).

I broke the bike down, shipped it to Miami with shipbikes.com ($65), flew from Michigan to Fort Myers on a Thursday, got a ride to Miami on Friday, but the bike together, rode it to Key Largo on Saturday with the other 100s of MS riders. Had a nice time just hanging off the back of a few bunches or riding by myself. Since FL is so flat, there was only one moment of zipping by people on a downhill coming down the bridge to Key Largo, but still generated some fun conversations over the bike and recumbents in general.

Sunday morning everyone but me headed back to Miami, and I loaded up one days worth of clothes, regular shoes, tools to break the bike down, and toiletries and headed to Key West. 102 miles on the day. I wasn't really in shape at all, but thankfully a recumbent doesn't care how long you take, I had almost 7 hrs moving time . Pretty pokey. The route was nice, probably all but a few miles had a marked bike lane shoulder 3-4ft wide. Traffic was not too fast as speed limits are 55mph or 45mph. There is a MUP along a lot of the way, but it is in varying condition. Some parts are great, and I rode the MUP when I could, but other sections are narrow, worn out, or just dirt or gravel. Fairly new looking bridges for some of the MUP sections were often closed without me being able to tell why.

No hands:
Riding the MUP gave me chances to practice riding no-hands, and I was happy to find that even without riding much since Sept, I still could ride no-hands without a problem. The Thor seat helped I think by keeping me more upright and allowing my shoulders to aid in control. The extra weight of my pack on the back of the bike did not help as I could feel a shimmy build up that I could not always catch without hands back on bars.

Thor seat headrest:
Not sure how I feel about the headrest I bought from Thor. It is by design supposed to be springy, but I felt my head bobbing more that I liked. Smoothing my pedal stroke calmed the bobbing some. I felt as thought the headrest needed to be a little higher or in some position I couldn't quite get it in. I know there is the idea of heating the plexiglas to reform it, and I will have to play around with that.

Checked into B-n-B in Key West Sunday afternoon.

Monday I rode the bike to PakMail in Key West, bought a box and supplies, broke the bike down, boxed it up, and shipped it back to MI with shipbikes again. Got an Uber back to the B-n-B, showered (it was hot), and saw some more of Key West (Ft Taylor, Truman Little Whitehouse). Caught the 5pm ferry to Fort Myers.

Tues relaxed in Fort Myers and caught a flight back to MI. Didn't have any jacket or pants for the 15 deg F weather, but wasn't outside long enough for it to matter.

Nice write up. Nterested to know what you packed the bike in to ship. Would like to do the same when I head from KY to Sarasota

 

[Seth Cooper]

Nterested to know what you packed the bike in to ship. Would like to do the same when I head from KY to Sarasota

Paul, I shipped the bike in a cardboard box I had left over from a fat bike I got a few years ago, it was 46 x 31 x 12. On the way back I used PakMail cardboard box I bought for $20 that was 56 x 8 x 31. The 8" dimension was about 10" after I packed it. I could not fit the thor seat in the PakMail box, so just hand-carried it on the plane with me.

To pack the bikes I just used bubble wrap on each part, then tried to arrange them in the box as best I could. PakMail let me have a bunch of left over / previously used bubble wrap for free, so that was nice.

Pricing was interesting. I went to fedex and asked them what was the price to ship my box to FL. They measured and weighed it (35lbs), and said $243. I put the same info into the shipbikes website on my phone, it said $65, so right in the fedex store I ordered from shipbikes, emailed the label pdf I got to the fedex person, she printed it out and put it on the box and I was done.

On the way back, I did the same thing with PakMail, but the price they quoted was $146. Shipbikes was $67.

 

[paco1961]

Crazy! But great information. Thanks.

 

[3bs]

those shipping prices are goofy. i sent my M5m from st joe to sanibel for like 40-50 something, and its pretty similar size to a v20.

i was going to suggest holland are for riding. the MUP's are getting a little ragged to ride the v20 0n but the street paths like along lakeshore are in very good shape. if you come southwest mi ping me. i ride m63 and kal haven and stuff a lot.

i want to do more long organized rides buy the always seem to fall on days i cant go. we need to get a contingent together for the kentucky event.

my v20 is same color as yours.

 

[paco1961]

I'll be at the KY event this fall and live close by in Louisville. If anyone wants to come in early let me know and I can put together some rides. Also planning the Hancock Flat 50 in late August if there are any others out there in the region with an interest.

First weekend of September the Louisville Bicycle Club is hosting the Old Kentucky Home Tour - century ride from Louisville, through bourbon country and back. Great ride. Great bourbon. The day after (Sunday) they are hosting their annual picnic at Yew Dell botanical Gardens just outside Louisville (where I just happen to be the director . . .) They usually host a 15, 30 and 50/60 in the am, all scheduled to end at the Gardens around noon for their annual picnic.

 

[Seth Cooper]

i was going to suggest holland are for riding. the MUP's are getting a little ragged to ride the v20 0n but the street paths like along lakeshore are in very good shape. if you come southwest mi ping me. i ride m63 and kal haven and stuff a lot

Yeah, I work in Holland, and ride to work periodically (25 miles each way) in the summer, so I'm familiar with the local MUPs. I ride the ones that are in good shape and not too busy. I'm very lucky that those 25 miles have a MUP option almost the entire way. I added my strava heatmap. You can see my commute as the stair step bright red line from GR to Holland.

 

[3bs]

bikes and bourbon. seems totally natural.

Ottawa county has done a great thing with those mup's must be the dutch influence.

 

[Seth Cooper]

My LarryOz moment, coming down the Card Sound bridge to Key Largo. Should have run the front light for the full effect

 

[3bs]

great picture.

larry is being chased by a chevy truck, you just have a few uprights on your six.

every time i see a picture like this i laugh at the strange primordial reaction i get seeing a person on their back in a risk position. it triggers a sense of exposure, like a when a dog turns on its back to demonstrate submission in essence revealing the exposed underside as opposed to the protected back. it also reminds me of the first times i rode recumbents and that feeling of instability because i was not face down with my 4 paws ready to land and lean.

but when i raced cars i was not leaning forward, i was laying back. and never thought about it.

and having wrecked all kinds of bikes and trikes at speed, recumbent and otherwise, i can say from experience that it hurts every time from whatever angle, but that you tend to lose more skin in recumbent wrecks and break more bones in uprights.