Riding dirt roads in FL?

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

This is a question for Floridians, or anyone who's ridden there... As I was descending into Orlando Airport last week, I noticed what looked like lots of dirt roads. They looked like better riding than the paved roads in that while they are still (too) flat, at least they meander and don't go straight for miles. My question is, are they mostly private farm roads, or is there really a lot of dirt road riding in Florida?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Kevin B]

I'm way south in Lee County and we have a lot of drainage canals. In the suburban/rural area I live in there are 700 miles of canals. Most of those canals have a 100' right of way on one side. They don't clear the whole 100' just a one lane maintenance road/trail usually. I ride them some. Often they are a sod and sand mixed terrain. These canals are posted "no motorized vehicles except official vehicles." However when the ATVs disregard the signs and tear the canal roads up the loose sand becomes deep and impassable for bicycles.
Many of the actual dirt roads access groves and fields. I suppose there are still some public dirt roads.

 

[Captain Awesome]

This is a question for Floridians, or anyone who's ridden there... As I was descending into Orlando Airport last week, I noticed what looked like lots of dirt roads. They looked like better riding than the paved roads in that while they are still (too) flat, at least they meander and don't go straight for miles. My question is, are they mostly private farm roads, or is there really a lot of dirt road riding in Florida?

Thanks in advance.

Tons and tons

Here you go. JOB lives in north FL and has tons of ride videos all over the state

https://youtube.com/c/GravelCyclist

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

thanks for the replies fellas.

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

ATVs disregard the signs and tear the canal roads up the loose sand becomes deep and impassable for bicycles.

A common theme across the country. Sure, there is that kind of selfishness across the proverbial board of outdoor user groups, but when the motorized set abuses offroad areas the impacts are far greater and often long-lasting. This is especuially true in the Western USA, where the impacts usually last much longer.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

We get mud pits. Then new trails are cut, which again turn to mud pits. Eventually the trail becomes unpassable for anyone who is not on a quad or dirt bike. I don't know to what extent e-mtbs will do this to the bike only trails, but I'm not excited to find out.

 

[horsefarmer]

I'm way south in Lee County and we have a lot of drainage canals. In the suburban/rural area I live in there are 700 miles of canals. Most of those canals have a 100' right of way on one side. They don't clear the whole 100' just a one lane maintenance road/trail usually. I ride them some. Often they are a sod and sand mixed terrain. These canals are posted "no motorized vehicles except official vehicles." However when the ATVs disregard the signs and tear the canal roads up the loose sand becomes deep and impassable for bicycles.
Many of the actual dirt roads access groves and fields. I suppose there are still some public dirt roads.

I hear ya on the ATV's and destruction to sod. Since forever we have had forests in Wisconsin with many old logging type access roads. Wonderful for horseback rides. A favorite road my wife has ridden for years is maybe 45 min trailer ride away, We had not ridden there in maybe 8 years, and this was probably 3 years ago so say we had not seen this road for a decade. The black top side road sign says ATV ROUTE.
Well, long story short is the whole soil ecosystem that held the road together was destroyed. and by the time it got to 6 to 8 " deep super powder sand there was no way to turn around so my f350 in 4lo had to pull through to the nearest gravel road. Made it and got a ride in.
It is tragic the damage lots of ATV traffic does to sandy areas. Those roads lasted generations of loggers, hunters and recreational users year round and now they are wrecked.
Sorry for the rant, it makes me angry.

 

[Swampthing]

Many of the water district canal roads are closed to motorized traffic and make decent rides.
especially the less used ones in the dry season if they have been mowed.
in the wet season the plants can grow back quickly and when they are higher than the pedals it’s a real drag.

 

[Kevin B]

What is it they say about pictures and a 1,000 words? Below are roads that are gravel. Also roads that are eroded asphalt and gravel in areas where development hasn't happened yet. Some are sand and sod roads and canal easement roads.

The terrain is dead flat. All of the surfaces in the photos are easy to ride and within two miles of my house. These pictures are misleading as I mostly ride on smooth asphalt grids in 8 to 10 mile round trips. The second picture down is the canal easement right behind my house.

I took most of these today except the two with the bikes. As you can see by the grass we are in the middle of the dry season. We generally get very little rain from October to mid-May (Very high brush fire threat right now). Then it rains a ton from late May thru September.

 

[MaX-D]

I ride the same type of dirt trails and canal roads just east of you in Broward County. Good times.

 

[Kevin B]

Here are a couple from yesterday.

 

[Swampthing]

Nice.
You found a shady place on dry land. That’s tough around here.

 

[Tallbikeman]

The gravel road crowd likes to set up websites with all the rideable gravel roads in an area. This is a young energetic crowd and they cover lots of roads. It might be their matra to leave no dirt road unridden. You might look to see if there is one or more of this type of website for Florida. I live in California and there are sites dedicated to MTB and gravel riding and shows all the rides on maps. Hope you find plenty of dirt roads to ride on. I love riding dirt roads as long as they keep out the ATV crowd.

 

[Kevin B]

Nice.
You found a shady place on dry land. That’s tough around here.

Yes, it is about 1.5 miles away from suburbia. It actually is a badly deteriorated, non-maintained, almost gone blacktop road. A little of the asphalt is left. Mosquito Control used to keep a chicken coop back there to test them for mosquito carried diseases. I imagine your county is like mine with choppers and airplanes to combat mosquitoes.

 

[Swampthing]

Yea.
We have a periodic helicopter that flies over.
I like to ride the dirt roads, and the levee roads.
Sometimes there is shade, but I ride mostly at night and on those rides it doesn’t really matter.
I can probably count on one hand the other riders I have seen.

 

[Captain Awesome]

The gravel road crowd likes to set up websites with all the rideable gravel roads in an area. This is a young energetic crowd and they cover lots of roads. It might be their matra to leave no dirt road unridden. You might look to see if there is one or more of this type of website for Florida. I live in California and there are sites dedicated to MTB and gravel riding and shows all the rides on maps. Hope you find plenty of dirt roads to ride on. I love riding dirt roads as long as they keep out the ATV crowd.

I use the Ride With GPS app and am a member of the Florida Gravel Biking group. They have 150+ routes all over the state. You can even download the route files for later turn by turn navigation