North Marion County Bike Ride - Saturday, March 20th

Note: all photos, including the above panoramic, are links to full size detailed pictures when you click on them.

This ride departs right at 9:30 at the McIntosh city park 4 blocks off U.S. 441 down Avenue F. Campers will mount their bikes on their cars for a 4 mile drive to the parking (or the ambitous can get up early and pedal south on 441 to McIntosh for the 9:30 meetup). Campers will start gathering at 9:15 at the camping overflow parking lot and caravan down to McIntosh. The bike ride will take us through the 1890's hamlet of McIntosh and the pastoral farmlands west of I-75 in the north regions of Marion County. This will be a very scenic ride and is a departure from the exurbs riding afforded in sprawling metro areas of Florida. Because it is scenic, it is intended to be an 11 to 13 MPH pace in order to take in the rare and wonderful sights. Last year, the azeleas and red bud were in full bloom. An overwhelming percentage of the roads have little or no traffic. This will be a 34-mile ride. Last year, it took us about 5.0 hours to complete a 31-mile loop because we were very causual, stopped and took in some of the sites and historical dwellings. If 34 is just a bit too lengthy, the route does provide you the ability to short cicuit a section and then wait for the rest of us.

The route is appropriate for both road bikes and off-road bikes; however, there is one cycling peculiarity that you should be aware of; many miles of the route is macadam paved surface. Macadam paving is the asphalt paving made with a larger stone aggregate and is not as smooth as your typical road pavement. I would guess that about 33% of the route is of this surface. There is no dirt road or limestone road on this route.

Those camping overnight on Friday will find the overflow parking on their way in to Puc Puggy campground. Those that are joining-up with the group that Saturday morning from outside the park, you can just meet up at the McIntosh city park in the center of town. Turn east off of U.S. 441 on Avenue F and go down to 7th street where the public building is in the center of the city block. From downtown Orlando is it approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes to the park (Paynes Prairie or McIntosh), give yourself ample time to check-in at the entrance, wind your way toward the parking area and ready yourself for the ride. Arrangements will be made with the ranger for you to park at the overflow, you can ask them for additional directions.

Each rider, whether camping or just arriving at the State Park, needs to carry their entry or camping receipt with them on the ride so that you can freely re-enter the park upon return. I will remind you of this before we head out. However, in saying all of this, the last 2 years, the attendant let us all back into the park without proof upon our return.

When we leave from the city park and make our way to 441, we will travel approximately 1.7 miles south on U.S. 441, which has an adequate bike lane. We will turn on our first country road, NW 193 St, a tree lined remote road that will take us over I-75.

There are a couple of times we must travel C.R. 318, probably the only road with car traffic of any appreciable amount. There is less than 2 miles of this road we need to use. The route heads more south than west and takes us into both spawling horse farms and the smaller mini-farms and residences. The further south we go, the more open the landscape becomes.

There are a number of exotic farms on this route as well. A couple of times I saw llamas and emus. I also saw a sheepdog in training in a rink with about a dozen lambs. There were gazzells and camels as well. And of course, horse is as common as mailboxes.

For returning members, there is about a 3 mile section upon returning to McIntosh that is familiar territory. There is still many miles of tree-lined route with flowing spanish moss. You will notice a greater number of hills, nothing ominous or too stressful, but noticable in you legs. I recommend some riding under your belt starting weeks before the date.

Click on these thumbnails to explore more about this ride.