The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

Florida Coast 2 Coast

March 18th to March 27th

Ride Director: Robyn Saur
Ride Co-Director: Mark Copher
Ride Driver: Glenn Rudolph
Report by: Susan Corfman

Tripper Report – 2026 Florida Coast2Coast Tour

Highly recommend! Would do again!

The Florida Coast2Coast tour included all the elements that make an early-season cycling tour worth repeating: fun people, 250 miles of mostly paved trails, a couple of road rides, well-organized leaders, quirky and interesting sights, amazingly hard-working drivers, opportunities to bond over good food and drinks, and plenty of sunshine! Each evening included a group happy hour, an overview of the next day’s ride, and a bit of history about the towns along the route. We felt prepared. Our hotels were modest – mostly Hamptons and Holiday Inns – but typically included breakfast and all the basic comforts. Dinners were usually within walking distance. On average, our rides averaged 50 miles a day, with two 60-mile days. It was fairly flat, with overpasses being the only notable hills.

Most of us opted to explore St. Petersburg the day before the tour officially began. We rode from the hotel on the Pinellas Trail to meet our guides at St. Pete’s Biking, enjoying murals of the Warehouse Arts District along the way. The 2-hour bike tour wound through the various art districts and the University of South Florida campus, and past the waterfront and the Dali Museum. It is a vibrant city with surprisingly good burger restaurants!

The C2C is a nearly continuous chain of more than 15 paved trails that span Florida from east to west. Some key highlights of our tour were:

·         Having coffee at Kafe Racer, a full-service bike shop on the Pinellas trail near Dunedin. Refreshments were available (understatement!), including beer, mixed drinks, sodas, specialty coffees and teas. There were some classic bikes on display, and board games and a guitar to play. Everything about it said, “Come in and stay awhile!”

·         Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks – touristy but interesting. Good Greek restaurants!

·         The huge oak Wind Chime Tree in Spring Hill. Our leaders brought a mobile of glass chimes and invited us to each sign one piece in memory of our loved ones before it was hung on the tree. It was a very special and touching gesture. This tradition was started by a man in 1998 in honor of his mother. The sound of the hundreds of chimes ringing in the breeze is mesmerizing.

·         Stopping for a spontaneous break under a shade tree in front of the Seven Woods White Tails farm. The friendly owner chatted with us, explaining that they bring in white tails from Texas in order to strengthen the genetics of local deer to make them hardier. Who knew?

·         Riding along the beautiful lakes of Clermont, and stopping at the Salt Shack

·         Local artists’ murals under a bridge on the Minneola Scenic Trail

·         In DeLand: An organ and violin recital at Stetson University in honor of Johann Sebastian Bach’s 341st birthday, including a 17-year-old violin virtuoso who has already played Carnegie Hall. Beautiful and unexpected! Also, the historic mural walk and stained-glass dome and stunning bathrooms of the County Courthouse

·         Our group included two Richards, two Stevens and two Mikes.

·         We came away with new friends, lots of laughs, and beautiful memories.

Our drivers, Glenn and Barb, were fantastic. On many days, our luggage was already unloaded and brought into the hotel. They each managed to get some riding time, too! Mark and Robyn are an amazing team who bring humor, kindness, organization and fun to the tours they lead.

Respectfully submitted by Sue Corfman