To Deerfield Beach: Bike Relay

March 30, 2024

Barry and I are going to split up today's 60 mile course and take turns riding my bike. Everybody gets to ride by the beach. I'll go first while he gets an Uber to the airport to pick up a rental car.

Mike and I pedal the streets of South Miami towards the the M-path. It's tough to get to right now due to construction. Much of the path runs under the MetroRail which is undergoing a transformation to a 10 mile linear park called the Underline.

The entrance to the path is around here somewhere

What's been completed so far is impressive. The new sections of the Underline are built for volume, especially around intersections and Metro stations where the east- and west-bound trails are separated and wider. Rain gardens with pollinator plants line the path. We ride past new playgrounds and bright green bike racks still covered in bubble wrap. Free WiFi, public art and community spaces are among the amenities being added.

Distances on the Underline are marked in miles and kilometers.

The miles through the city are chaotic. When the street is too sketchy to ride we share the path with pedestrians moving in all directions. There are endless turns and traffic lights, and cars of course. Barry would hate this. He detests city riding. It's just as well he gets to skip this part.

One of the calmer scenes. No pictures of the chaotic parts; I'm just dealing.

North of PortMiami, the Venetian Causeway delivers us to a chain of small islands that lead to Miami Beach. We go through quiet residential neighborhoods with not much traffic. Pulling on to Florida A1A, we pedal straight north past the outer beaches. It's all beautiful, and a completely different experience from biking in the Keys.

On the Venetian Causeway, with a view of the MacArthur Causeway/A1A just to the south

At the North Beach Oceanside Park we stop for a walk on the clean sandy beach. It's early on a Saturday and not too crowded yet. Two different bike trails lead north - one through a little woodsy park, the other on a brick path that swoops along by the beach.

Can't wait to swim at one of these pristine beaches

Moving back to Florida A1A, aka Ocean Drive, we're on a broad boulevard with three lanes in each direction. The right lane is marked with big sharrows and Share-the-Road signs. Motorists let us have that lane to ourselves for the most part. The wind blows at us from the north, not too hard and we move along at a good pace.

I lose Mike for awhile, then catch up where he's stopped at Hollywood Beach - a crowded scene of families, thong bikinis, bicycles and waterfront restaurants. This is the halfway point where Barry and I will execute the bike relay. I trade my sweaty bike clothes for a swimsuit and hang out on the beach waiting for my teammate, who is still navigating downtown Miami in the car. This could take awhile. No problem, I'm entertained.

Eventually Barry shows up in a Honda HRV looking frazzled. Driving through downtown might have been even less fun than biking. We unload the heavy bags from my bike into the car and grab some lunch at Hollywood Brewery. Then he gets out his Allen wrench.

The crank on my bike is bolted to a boom that can be moved to adjust for the riders' leg length. Barry has three inches on me and is used to having the crank further out in front. Unfortunately his attempt to move the boom forward is stymied by my belt drive. He'd need a longer belt, a pricey item that probably takes days to order. Nuts. After riding around a little he decides he can manage, hands me the car keys and takes off.

I find myself in an unexpected situation. I have a few hours of open time and a car, in South Florida. Woo-hoo, time for a little shoppin! Tooling over Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, I hunt the beach wear shops for a lightweight gauzzy white shirt to cover me up from the sun. Success.

Our rendezvous is at an Extended Stay hotel in Deerfield Beach, at a nondescript Extended Stay hotel with a slow-running sink. Dinner is at Ichiban Buffet, which has a huge spread of fruits, vegetables, sushi, hot food, salads - all you can eat for 15 bucks a head.

So - a bike ride, time at the beach, shopping and a real bed indoors. Pretty great day.

This is what I covered, the first half of the day's route. Mileage below is the total to Deerfield Beach.

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Today's ride: 61 miles (98 km)
Total: 215 miles (346 km)

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