Do you live where it sucks to ride? I do!!

[The Velvet Monkey]

I live in Bradenton, Florida--it's the worst place in the world to ride a motorbike. Please, to make me feel better, let me know if you too live where its horrible to ride.

Below are a few of my complaints about West Florida:

First, it's populated by the oldest people in the country. I have nothing against old people, but in Florida they can continue to have their driver's licenses renewed automatically through the mail without having their vision or driving tested. This leads to some tragic results--one ninety-year guy recently decided to take an evening ride and hit a homeless man crossing the street. The homeless guy (dead after impact) became lodged half in and half out of the old man's windshield, but he didn't stop. Instead he kept driving only to be stopped 30 some miles later at a toll booth trying to cross a bridgel. When asked, he said he hadn't noticed the grisly corpse of the homeless guy starring at him. As a motorcyclist, i find this incredibly disturbing that the old guy was properly licensed by the State of Florida to operate his car. Where I live, many of the people around you in their 3-ton 30-foot long Caddies probably couldn't see you if you were sitting on their laps.

Second, it's hot. Really hot. And humid. Jungle humid. Our winter day today was 85 degrees with humidity in the low 70s. This might sound great to you folks up north, but if you're a Floridian, you really look forward to some cooler weather after months of sweating your a$$ off. Evidently, we aon't be be having any cool weather this year. Warm weather does attract, however, tens of thousands of snow-birds who really enjoy driving and clogging our roads, but don't mind making suicide three-lane lane changes with the abandon of a seasoned stunt man (or woman). God forbid they'd have to sit through a light and half to make a u-turn.

Third, it's flat. The highest point in the state is a little over 300 feet in elevation. My house is probably about 10' above sea level. There are no curves and the sides of my tires look brand new, but the centers are flat.

Fourth, it's a four to five hour drive to leave the state, manyh more to get somewhere worth riding.

[jb44]

VM, I'd love to disagree... but everything you wrote is true.

...hot, humid, overpopulated, flat, and some more that you didn't mention.

Have you read any of Carl Hiaasen and/or Tim Dorsey books? Their writings sound outrageous, but the ideas are from the front pages of Florida newspapers.

So, is there any hope for Florida?

Some of of my Florida Cracker acquaintances have sold their land and moved north...north Florida, S. Georgia, and Alabama.

jb

[GypsyRR]

Man, VM, that IS bad.

The southeast coast of TEXas is similar. Maybe there are not as many old bad drivers, but there are plenty of illegal drivers. Equal in humidity, equal in heat, equal in elevation I suppose. But I think Texas may surpass you in the number of hours it takes to get out of the state. There are at least good roads to ride within 4 hours of the coast. I lived about an hour from your area a few years ago and I do agree - it's not the best place for motorcycles.

Tomorrow's forecast here - 77 and sunshine. I'll be riding all day (in full gear).

[JCsman]

Man, I can't recall the last time I could honestly say, Alabama may not be great at _____, but at least we aren't Florida!

We're hot, just not AS hot as Florida.

Our roads (in central Alabama) are relatively straight, just not AS straight as Florida's.

As to old folk, I be one by some standards, but I don't seem to impede traffic very often.

So, not your intent, but thanks Velvet Monkey - I'll think of you the next time I find myself envious of those in North Georgia or other prime riding territory.

Mesh gear (perforated leather and/or leather-mesh combo if possible) is a God send here - since I got old and cowardly, I won't ride without decent gear. We're pretty short on really twisty roads here unless I venture several miles north, but, I agree, we have Florida covered.

Folks always poked fun of how my home state of Kansas is, not realizing that, compared to Florida, Kansas is Nepal.

Of course, when you find that area with 365 day temperate clime; low population (yet all the facilities we all seem to demand), low prices; mountains; beaches; curvy, yet perfectly maintained roads....drop me a PM....but for goodness sakes, don't post it in a public place!

But take heart VM. At least you don't have too many snow days.

[johno]

Around where I live it is boring-mostly. We live 20miles from the coast, so there is some good beaches etc, but fairly straight roads.
Go 50ks east, and the start to some of the best winding roads, and hilly country to be found for 100s of miles. You can do a 250klm run, and still be only 70ks from home.
Good bakeries and coffee shops as well.
Only problem we have is farmers using all the road, and not looking, and officer plod with his speed cameras.

[Dr. Strangelove]

I think the entire Gulf Coast can be a challenging place to ride. In the New Orleans area we don't have the oldsters as you do, but we do have the heat and the BAD streets and bugs.

OT a little. What is the best summer pants for our climates? I am looking for something that is cool, but protective. Does that exist for us?

John

[yjleesvrr]

Let's face it. Unless you live in or live close to mountains, the terrain's gonna suck for motorcycling. Metro areas likewise stink for bikers given the traffic congestion. Last I checked, FL's population was at something like 18 million people with a higher than average percentage of old people since the elderly like to retire down there. Couple these facts with a flat terrain and you've got a bad recipe for motorcycling.

I recommend you move to north Georgia. The economy there is good, and motorcycling is great.

[Ric]

..... Alabama may not be great at _____, but at least we aren't Florida!
.

FLORIDA....11 CURVES IN 318 MILES !

I live in North Alabama. It's hot all right, the riding is not great, not even Okay, but it's just a few hours from the Great Smoky Mtns and couple more hours from Deal's Gap.

[JCsman]

Hey Ric, I love the 11 Curves in 318 miles - LOL.

Compared to the Montgomery area, your roads are great. Unfortunately I don't get up there (or further, into Georgia) very often.

IIRC AL 176 (?)is pretty nice in places and a few others up around Mentone. And, as you say, it's a short blast to even better roads.

Dr. Strangeglove:
I use First Gear mesh tex 2.0 with supplemental CE armor* and hip pads. In moderate weather, I sometimes wear their Mesh Tex Overpants over Draggin Jeans to give both impact and (some) abrasion resistance (also with upgraded armor).

It's all a compromise....

* Bonus-they come in "short" lengths for those of us with Duck DNA.

[12bar1]

VM I too live in Bradenton and totally understand your frustration. My only salvation is getting out east of town before the traffic gets too bad but we still have to deal with it on the way home. Johnny Carson once said "Florida home of the newley wed and nearly dead. The only place on earth with Geritol on tap."

[beemer-biker]

I think the entire Gulf Coast can be a challenging place to ride. In the New Orleans area we don't have the oldsters as you do, but we do have the heat and the BAD streets and bugs.

OT a little. What is the best summer pants for our climates? I am looking for something that is cool, but protective. Does that exist for us?

John

As a recently (within 3 years) NO, transplant, I agree with all of you. Now, Doc, get some of the mesh style riding pants with armor. Joe Rocket makes them as do several other mfr. I got some while still living down south, and I must say the ride became much more comfy, even in August afternoons, immediatlely after the pm thunderstorm and the sun coming back out! They let in the breeze, block the sun for the most part, and still have armour protection.

[Brooksie]

Florida: God's waiting room...

I winter in Lakeland and have to ride the straights about 50 miles north into Lake county to get into any twisty roads. Have to put on ME880's for the winter as the Z6's flatten out from riding locally. I have managed to overlook the lack of good roads because there's no snow and ice

[wncbmw]

I guess I won't complain about roads, living in some of the best riding country in North America. And I get to year round, riding New Years day and will ride tomorrow and Sunday too. Not bad for January

We do have our share of the older drivers plugging up traffic however, since western NC has become known as one of the primo retirement locations in the US. Many of them 'half-backers' - moved from up north to Florida then half-way back to NC!

[Sunbeemer]

I agree with what you said VM! I've seen old folks run into parked cars when they tried to pull out of a parking space but forgot to put it in reverse instead of forward. And often hear about old folks who got the brake and accelerator pedals confused, mashing ever harder on the gas trying to stop the car! Sometimes they end up in peoples living rooms or inside convenience stores!

Yeah, it's pretty scary here in St. Pete sometimes. Even riding like your invisible doesn't always protect you from the completly unexpected abberant driving I occassionally ru into (not literally, luckily). And you're too right, it gets worse with every passing cold front (although there have been precious few of those lately! Maybe next week?)

[dcameron]

MOVE ASAP! FIND TWISTY ROADS.

[socalrob]

I rode in FLA during my college days around 1980. I don't think I really knew much about taking a bike through a curve - because there weren't any!

The bugs didn't help either.

I remember one ride in south FLA where I got "bombed" by mosquito control. That white smoke that most likely will kill me in my old age.

So now I live in Los Angeles, right at the base of a supurb 50 miles of mountain roads with 45-55 mph speed limits.

Ride 12 months per year, only clean my visor about once every month, as there are almost no bugs here, no humidity, we can lane split on clogged roads, 5 BMW bike dealers within an hour of my house, so I guess I can't
really claim to be in riding hell here.

GO GATORS! (UF '81)

[wncbmw]

After an 120 mile ride on some super twisty roads on a beautiful 56-degree January day, I would have to answer the question posed in the thread title with a resounding - NO! My sympathies to all you flatlanders and snowed in folks!

[munchmeister]

Well at least you can get out of your driveway. This is what is going on, on the twisties in my state:

'Large' Avalanche Buries Cars On Berthoud Pass

[Ric]

.....I guess I won't complain about roads, living in some of the best riding country in North America.....

I don't like you.

[chris]

Sorry can't go along with the general theme here.
We might have crappy weather but the roads round here don't know what straight is. There are hundreds of miles of hill and dale twists and turns right out of my front door. Not that I'm rubbing this in or anything you understand...

Example here, first pic in this thread.
http://r1150r.org/board/viewtopic.php?p ... ght=#79021