Saturday March 14th, 8:30am rolling. Meet at ABC Pizza, 37941 Heather Place, Dade City. Park elsewhere in Heather Plaza if needed. Join the club on this appx 47-mile mixed surfaces ride. Gravel bikes recommended, or fast-rolling ATBs. Moderate to fast pace with stops.
The route is comprised of 55 percent unpaved gravel/ dirt roads and trails, and 45 percent mostly rural paved roads. The beginning of the ride is hilly by Florida standards with most of the 1,300 ft elevation gain coming within the first 15-miles. After rolling from ABC Pizza, we’ll jump onto the historic Hardy Trail which bisects downtown Dade City. Named after local residents Roy & Martha Hardy, the trail opened in 2007 and is a portion of the former Seaboard Air Line railroad (abandoned in the 1970s) which connected Zephyrhills and Lacoochee. From Dade City we head into hilly hinterlands passing through Blanton then joining a small sliver of the Withlacoochee State Trail before arriving in Lacoochee. After crossing the Withlacoochee River, the eastern part of the route takes us into Richloam WMA and to the historic Richloam General Store which is a welcome resupply point at 26 miles. Heading south from Richloam, we’ll enjoy scenic gravel roads entering Green Swamp West which will include a water crossing at Devil’s Creek/ Meg’s Hole (usually requires wading), then continuing on hard-pack gravel roads before heading back into Dade City. Note - there is potential for small areas of sand depending on conditions leading up to the ride. If you’re not comfortable sharing roads with vehicles, this is not a good ride for you. Daytime safety lights and radar (such as Garmin Varia or Wahoo Trackr) strongly recommended.
Green Swamp and adjoining properties comprise one of the largest and most important conservation lands in the state, consisting of hundreds of thousands of acres and serving as the primary hydrologic recharge for the Floridan Aquifer, and the headwaters of four major rivers; the Hillsborough, Withlacoochee, Peace, and Ocklawaha, and numerous other streams.
Riders should be self-supported and accustomed to off-road rides of this distance in remote areas. There are no facilities at the meeting point since businesses will be closed when we roll out. Cell reception is poor in Richloam and Green Swamp. Bring hydration, snacks, sun screen, bug spray, tools, tubes and/or other flat repair. Ride guide Rob DeGraaf is a Senior Environmental Scientist and past Author of Fat Tire Favorites, Guides to West-Central and South Florida Off-Road Bicycling books, and a past director of the Florida Off-Road Bicycling Association (FORBA). Please post any questions under this ride Event or send Rob a DM. Optional post-ride lunch (riders self-pay) at ABC Pizza where we’re meeting.
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