Common sense and common courtesy, neither of which are common, would go a long way for all involved.

We all know everyone has their “rights”, but it amazes me that there are still those walkers who Will. Not. Move. off the path to let bikes or carts pass when they have plenty of room to do so.

Cyclists do the same. I saw a large group of cyclists about a month ago. Several were wearing shirts that read “Same Rules, Same Rights”. I giggled to myself as they blew through the next stop sign they came upon.

Carts aren’t blameless either. I’ve seen carts that buzz cyclists and hikers. It’s frustrating to get behind slow hikers and cyclers, but it’s a fact of life using the paths along Buena Vista and Morse. At least in the new southern areas they’ve recognized the issue and made a lot of separate paths for bikers/hikers. It’d be nice if that could be done from the Springs down to Brownwood.

I put a bike rack on my car on go to the public trails in Santos, Inverness, and Clermont. These trails are long, beautiful, and paved. They are designed for bikes. MMPs are ruled by golf cars and dangerous for bikers.

E-bikes are perfect for Multi-Modals
 

Riding the multi-modals on a regular bike can be unnerving. My solution was to purchase a fat-tire e-bike. The amount of power assistance can be adjusted on the fly to get the level of workout you want. The benefit is that you can go as fast as the carts. You don’t get passed. I tend to get behind a cart or carts and follow along as a respectful distance. Then, you are too large a block to be passed anyway. Brownwood cycles will let you try one to test it out. A good e-bike can go in the neighborhood of 30mph if you really want to. They are quite comfortable in the low 20mph range.

Aside from that, a general rule of thumb when cycling is NOT to ride too close to the edge of the road or trail. It makes sure cars have to go around you and leaves you room if they pass too closely. If you have to leave the trail, fat tires are more stable. Of course, get flashing lights for front and back and a mirror and helmet. Spend a good amount of time in a quiet place practicing so you are familiar with the controls and how to adjust your speed.

Just curious...were you running on the right or left side of the path? Were the bikes passing on you right shoulder or left shoulder?

Joe

100%, we load up the bikes and head over to one of these places too. Santos has a meandering paved trail thru the forest, 16 miles long with just two road crossings and it's empty all week long.

31.9 mi Mountain Bike Ride on November 21, 2023 by Joseph F on Strava

The other thing I'd add is that being able to keep up with the flow of golf car traffic helps a lot so ebikes at 20-22mph can be safer than analog bikes at 12mph.

Joe

I ride bike on the them. I don't have a golf cart so it's my primary means of transportation besides my car. I really like the idea of a GoPro as someone mentioned, never thought of that.

I never used to wear a helmet riding bike but I do now. I have a rearview mirror so I can see when golf carts are coming up behind me. I also have LED lights on front and back that flash so golf cart drivers are more likely to see me. You definitely need to be a defensive biker because some golf cart drivers, maybe even many, are driving distracted in some way or another. Watch blind corners, the natural tendency of people is to move towards the center of the path or hug the inside of a corner. If they're coming the opposite direction from you that could be a head on collision. I've also had people try to pass me on blind corners, but that's probably more dangerous for them than it is for me. I think the time of day makes a difference too. Experiment with it.

Oh, and slightly off-topic, there is an free app called Gaia GPS which is great for bike riding because it tracks everywhere you've been, tells you how long you've been riding and the distance you've ridden. You can even save the routes you've traveled and use them to navigate later. It's an awesome app. I normally use it for riding my ATV in Ocala national forest so I don't get lost but it works great for bicycling to. Also, There's a company named Quad lock that makes a great and very secure phone mount. It's a little pricey and you have to buy a special case, but they're fantastic. The phone will not fall off, even if you crash or your bike falls over. I bought it for my ATV first and my phone never once flinched, and I ride pretty hard. I ended up buying the compatible mounts for my car and bike so I only needed one case. Edit: I just saw that quad lock has most of their stuff 30% off right now for Black Friday sales

Bottom line is that I feel reasonably safe riding the trails as long as I am paying close attention to what's going on around me.

I have a friend, who moved to TV because he's an avid bicyclist. Since moving here and joining bike clubs, and making friends, he has lost some because of drivers who have aimed or killed them. The thrill is gone for him, he hasn't ridden in months. He says it's just too dangerous. If you want to ride, better to go to the trail in Inverness, or Santos in Ocala.....

Bicycle
 

What I do is wear a helmet and ride the internal streets in my neighborhood.

Just stay alert!
 

/Users/richardiwaszko/Desktop/near collision.MP4

And keep an eye on the weather !
 

You will find safe paths if you look and keep an eye on the weather. Bikes way to go......do 20 miles 6 days a week...sweet





/Users/richardiwaszko/Desktop/Rainy Day.mp4

It must be a challenge to get out of bed if that stops one from doing what they enjoy. I ride on the cart paths and pay close attention to my surroundings. Correct there are better times to ride. If one enjoys early morning rides or walks, there are fantastic led lights available. You must be seen to be seen. Sometimes i ride my bike too fast and have to be careful around tight curves and slow down. And slow down for walkers no matter which side of the path they choose. It only takes 10 seconds to let them have a safe journey. Enjoy what one likes to do and enjoy riding as I always do. A gentleman at Linden rides the path by the retention pond and takes a loop around neighborhood streets for 30 minutes or more every day. He is always enjoying his rides.

I feel very safe on the MMP and diamond lanes. The key is anticipating when any carts will be in your vicinity and present them with an easy pass. Try to avoid being on a split section of the path when a cart approaches. And I ride a hybrid bicycle so I can pull onto the grass anytime I feel like it might be necessary. I feel much more in control of my own safety on the MMP than riding on the street. I do not like being constantly passed by cars going 45-50 mph or more. No amount of caution can save you if one of those cars makes a big mistake.

Well said

Both good comments here.

My wife and I are mountain bikers but we ride the MM path often. We wear helmets and have mirrors on our bikes. For the most part people are courtious, but you have to be aware.
When we come to the split lanes where there's a median we ride in the middle to avoid being passed in such a tight area. Every once in a while it p*sses somebody off but that's rare.

We have no interest in riding on the road. I still ride motocross, so I'm not risk averse, but riding on the road is too sketchy for me. Even back in Indiana.

All that said we mainly ride on the east side between the 466 and 466A

Usually on the left side of the path - against traffic. Sometimes on the right, - with traffic, usually on the long straight paths that are ocean-front beach paths in So Cal.

Really, I ran on either depending on location.

Beachfront paths make for great training runs because they are very long (10 to 20 miles) and you can focus on your breathing pattern, hydration strategies, and pace rather than negotiating curbs and intersections.