Ms.Rusty and I were in Sarasota for a family wedding (Best wishes to Jake and Libby!) I've heard nothing but great things about the Florida trail system, so I spoke with the guys at Chain Wheel Drive in Clearwater and arranged a couple of bike rentals. Rod set us up with some nice Specialized hybrids and pointed us to the Pinellas trail. (Ms Rusty's rental was better than her own bike. I talked to Steve at The Great Escape this week, and I think she'll be upgrading soon.) The Rails to Trails Conservancy awarded a Hall of Fame designation to the Pinellas Trail, and I can see why. Trail was flat, wide, and long. We rode 20 miles and saw maybe 8 miles of the trail. We rode by a spring training baseball stadium, cruised by scenic creeks, detoured to world famous Honey Moon Island, and along the way fell in love with Dunedin, FL. The trail ran right through downtown Dunedin where the old rail station serves as a coffee house. Within blocks were a Jamaican restaurant, American Legion, brewery, pizza joint, barbecue shack, hotels, shops, and tons of outdoor seating.
I'm told the southern portion of the trail is urban while north of honeymoon is more rural. The link below is a great resource for maps and amenities. I can't wait to go back and ride the entire trail!
I'd love to hear from anyone familiar with the trail. Your pointers will help me plan my next Florida ride.
http://www.pinellascounty.org/trailgd/
Chain Wheel Drive - Bike Shop
Chain Wheel Drive was a serious bike shop, and there were quite a few smaller bike rental outfits along the trail
Dunedin, FL Visitor's Site
Here are some pictures from our ride north of Clearwater to Honeymoon Island.
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