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View Full Version : 07/24 Sunday: Tampa Bay area ride to Sweetwater & back


Hewhois
07-19-2005, 01:31 PM
Greetings!

I am leading a ride for my local SCRC chapter this Sunday the 24th of July. Thought I would give everyone here an open invite to join us on this 240 mile, 6.5 hours of riding time (not counting stops), Sundae on Sunday ride.

Here is a cut-n-paste of my post in the SCRC forum:

***********************
Participating in this ride (or any ride posted on this board) means you have read, understood and agreed to the riding rules posted at this link:

http://www.scrcgb.org/ridingrules.htm (http://www.scrcgb.org/ridingrules.htm)

What, you may ask, are difficulty ratings? Click on this link for a listing of all the ride types/ratings:

http://www.scrcgb.org/rideratings.htm (http://www.scrcgb.org/rideratings.htm)

**Pre-Ride Meeting Time: 11:00am, Sunday, July 24th
**Click this link for pre-ride meeting agenda:
*** http://severe.wso.net/grouprideplans/PRERIDE%20MEETING%20CHECKLIST.htm (http://severe.wso.net/grouprideplans/PRERIDE%20MEETING%20CHECKLIST.htm)
*Kick Stands Up: 11:15am
*Meeting Spot: Citgo gas station on MLK & 301
*Ending Spot: Ice Cream place near Brandon somewhere.
*Ride Rating: 3.5 stars, The ride will include some very nice back roads with curvy/twisty sections on our way to Sweetwater and back. This will be a "relax and enjoy the day" type ride, although many of the roads will need skills. Rain or shine, within reason.

Some of the roads on the route will most likely include Boyette, Agricola Mine, Lake Hendry, Lake Buffum, 17, Kelly Roberts, Clifton Bryan, Sweetwater Rd, Crewsville Rd, Duette, CR-579, and Balm among others.

About a total of 240 miles and 6hrs 30mins of riding time plus stops.

Some of the roads are very narrow, potholes, dirt, debris, blind turns, etc., and *several* one lane wooden bridges. IOW, typical low maintainence way back country roads. If you ride with-in yourself and always keep in mind the sight distances and keep your spacing with other riders at reasonable distances, all should be well. Lose concentration at the wrong time...and all may not be well. Always the case of course, just more so on some roads than others. Not trying ta scare ya's ;) Just trying to give you all an idea of what type of riding we will be doing.

There will also be stretches of highway speed riding, even though not on a highway. Some of the main connecting roads we will be using have high limits and high speeds and we use those roads from time to time to get from backroad to backroad.

No formal lunch stopping place, just whatever you bring with you to eat and drink or whatever you can grab to eat at the gas station stores. Suggest you bring water with you. And of course, we end the ride at an ice cream place :D

***********************

Here is the "planned" route:

http://severe.wso.net/gps/20050724sweetwater/overview.gif

Would love to meet some of ya'll :)

Carl_T
07-19-2005, 01:50 PM
Wish I was close enough to attend. I hope the weather smiles on you.

Hewhois
07-23-2005, 10:11 AM
Weather is looking pretty decent, for Florida in Summer anyway, lol.

maxified
07-23-2005, 11:23 AM
I'd tag along, but have already committed my Sunday. I've ridden just about all of those same roads and have usually enjoyed them. The back roads in Polk County were interesting to ride last year following the three hurricanes that hit the area (sand, trees & tree parts, shingles & other house parts, dead animals). Y'all be careful on those "15mpg" 90 degree corners on the mining roads.

Hewhois
07-23-2005, 11:51 PM
I'd tag along, but have already committed my Sunday. I've ridden just about all of those same roads and have usually enjoyed them. The back roads in Polk County were interesting to ride last year following the three hurricanes that hit the area (sand, trees & tree parts, shingles & other house parts, dead animals). Y'all be careful on those "15mpg" 90 degree corners on the mining roads.

Maybe some other time?

I don't trust any corner MPG signs, they are usually either too low or too high, lol. Agricola Mine Rd is a cool ride, but you do have to watch out for debris in the corners. And some of the corners are a little sharper than they look.

I actually scouted a large portion of this route last year in Sept/Oct timeframe. Saw lots of debris piled on the side of the road and way too many blue tarp roofs.

Hewhois
07-26-2005, 12:28 AM
Yesterday's ride went well :) I was the only ST1300 there, but maybe now that I have given more warning for next month, some of you in the area will be able to come ;)

Here are a couple links about yesterdays ride, some video clips I took are linked in the 2nd thread as well:

http://forums.delphiforums.com/SCRCGB/messages/?msg=1472.1

http://forums.delphiforums.com/SCRCGB/messages/?msg=1469.1

crazykz
07-26-2005, 07:07 AM
Hmmmm, Florida you say. :rolleyes: