I just returned from Florida and am thinking about spending my winters around the Fort Pierce area. They have a great pool complex at the Indian River Community College and it’s free! There is a good gym close by too. You can run just about anywhere. However…
The thing that’s got me stumped is where people in the area go to train on bikes. The Florida drivers are scary and even with a bike lane along A1A I wouldn’t think of riding there. I haven’t seen any serious cyclists in the area. Any suggestions?
You gotta be joking me about A1A. Im from vero, and when im down there, i bike on A1A all the time, its great, though i usually go north to melbourne. I know a lot of serious cycling groups in the vero area, so i dont know how you havent seen any. My opinion is the same no matter where you are, go to the best bike shop in the area, and ask about group rides, or places to ride.
yeah, A1A goes right along the ocean, thats where everone i know goes. Youre right about US1, not only is it a fast road (for cars), i think its pavement is really bumpy and awful.
I to just returned from Florida. Although I spent my vacation in the Boca/Boyton Beach area I did all my riding along A1A. The stretch from Boyton to Boca did not have a bike lane and there after there was just a bit of a shoulder. I saw well over 50 serious riders each day (weekend) I rode. During the week the numbers dropped off. The drivers were fine while I was down there I just had one incident to speak of.
Check out the pro bike shop in Vero. I think it is called Bike Sport or something like that. Those guys ride out of South Beach most weekends. Very nice, quick riders. Tons of triathletes. I just did a tri tis weekend in Melbourne that drew about 300 folks, many from Vero. Fort Pierce is a bad section of South AIA. Head to the North section, just north of the Ft. Pierce inlet. You have very long stretches of easy, safe AIA roads all the way to Melbourne. I go to Vero regularly and put in rides of 40-90 miles all safe, all pleasant and scenic. Enjoy.