KEY WEST - BIKE COMMUTER HEAVEN
I just returned from a 5-day visit to the Florida Keys with my family. My folks live in Marathon, about 50 miles north of Key West. EVERYONE down there has bikes... and they use them for much of their daily transportation. The combination of good weather, easy riding (FLAT), and compact geography (everything is close) adds up to an ideal bike commuting situation.
Key West in particular seems to have adopted bikes as a primary means of transportation. The island is less than 4 miles long and just 1 to 2 miles wide. There are no real "hills"; the highest point on Key West is just 18 feet above sea level. Anything more than a 3-speed bike is overkill, and most bikes that I saw were 1-speed beach cruisers. It was inspiring to see so many people carting groceries, snorkeling gear, fishing poles/tackle boxes, and more as they went about their daily activities.
Now back to my reality of commuting by bike here in Vermont. Temperatures vary by over 100 degrees F over the course of a year. If traveling for more than a few miles in any direction, it is very likely that you will encounter well over a hundred feet of elevation change. And, it seems that nothing is close. Yet, I've found that it is quite manageable to have the same kind of Key West biking lifestyle just south of the Canadian border. Sure, it requires more in terms of equipment, clothing, and effort - but I think the rewards are greater too. (i.e. fitness, sense of accomplishment, etc.).
I just returned from a 5-day visit to the Florida Keys with my family. My folks live in Marathon, about 50 miles north of Key West. EVERYONE down there has bikes... and they use them for much of their daily transportation. The combination of good weather, easy riding (FLAT), and compact geography (everything is close) adds up to an ideal bike commuting situation.
Key West in particular seems to have adopted bikes as a primary means of transportation. The island is less than 4 miles long and just 1 to 2 miles wide. There are no real "hills"; the highest point on Key West is just 18 feet above sea level. Anything more than a 3-speed bike is overkill, and most bikes that I saw were 1-speed beach cruisers. It was inspiring to see so many people carting groceries, snorkeling gear, fishing poles/tackle boxes, and more as they went about their daily activities.
Now back to my reality of commuting by bike here in Vermont. Temperatures vary by over 100 degrees F over the course of a year. If traveling for more than a few miles in any direction, it is very likely that you will encounter well over a hundred feet of elevation change. And, it seems that nothing is close. Yet, I've found that it is quite manageable to have the same kind of Key West biking lifestyle just south of the Canadian border. Sure, it requires more in terms of equipment, clothing, and effort - but I think the rewards are greater too. (i.e. fitness, sense of accomplishment, etc.).
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