South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Mountain biking? Here?
We’re the country’s flattest state, but Florida still offers amazing trail rides
Many Florida mountain biking enthusiasts knowthe experience all toowell: They’ll mention mountain biking in the country’s flattest state, which tops out at 345 feet (in the Panhandle, mind you), and people will look at them as if they have five heads.
“Mountain biking? But Florida doesn’t have any… mountains?” they might inquire.
Yes, inquisitive friend, that may be true. But what I’ve learned, along with many other Sunshine State off-road cyclists, is that having real mountains is not a prerequisite for experiencing some amazing trail rides.
And the interest in cycling off-pavement is only growing in Florida.
“The growth of it in the last 10 years has been insane,” said J.C. Mazza, a trail builder who also assembles bikes atKyle’s Bike Shop. “There’s a push toward mountain biking because it’s so dangerous to ride in traffic here. I like road riding, but Imoved more toward thewoods because trees don’t run you over.”
Orlando’s urban shreds
It’s common to see entire families out at OrlandoMountain Bike Park (899 Coy Drive in Orlando), a focal point of Lake Druid Park near Colonialtown. It’s also not uncommon to see junior givingmomor dad a run for their money, showing off with wheelies and jumps.
The park, which opened in 2015, features a pump track withwooden features, small jumps and berms for entry-level
riders to cut their teeth on.
Back in thewoods, 1.7 miles of a mountain bike trail, known as singletrack, awaits cyclists of all ages. Roots jut out and keep beginners on their toes, while rock gardens, wooden rollers and drops provide additional challenges for thrill-seeking riders.
It’s just one of several easily-accessible trails in the Orlando area. Soldier’s Creek inWinter Springs gives riders a fast 1.3-mile trail, whileMarkhamWoods in LakeMary presents eight miles of flowing singletrack surrounded by natural scenery near theWekiva River.
It takes a village to support the trails
None of these trailswould exist or stay rideable without the dedication of local enthusiasts and clubs tasked with maintaining them. Around the City Beautiful, that responsibility belongs to the Orlando chapter of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association.
Sue van Bernum, the organization’s president, discovered mountain biking relatively recently but nowfeels passionate aboutworking with land managers and maintaining the trails for all to enjoy.
“The best part about building trails is you’re actually preserving land,” she said.
“It’s family-oriented, unlike road biking. It just pulls a lot of people together.”
This is evident when heading out to trail maintenance days, which sometimes draw dozens of volunteers who donate their time to sustain the paths they so love.
“A lot of us don’t knoweach other, but it’s that love for mountain biking that brings us all together to support each other. And it’s the same thing with the trails,” said Shawn Lukens, owner ofMount Dora’s Adrenaline BikeWorks. “None of this would exist in Florida without the community.”
Lukens fondly remembersWednesday night rides atMarkhamWoods (before the pandemic), whichwould frequently bring out more than100 riders to share good times and grill out after the ride.
The growing community reflects surging interest in riding trails, and it’s local organizations like the OcalaMountain Bike Association, SwampMountain Bike Club, BrevardMountain Bike Association and SORBA Orlando that help make this type of outdoor recreation possible.
“The scene has gotten huge since SORBA Orlando got going,” Mazza said. “There are definitely more places to ride now.”
Florida’s ‘Mecca’ of mountain biking
While theOrlando-area offers several exciting riding opportunities close to home, local riders are quick to point out that there are plenty more trails a short drive away.
“Within an hour and a half, there are
probably nine or 10 really good mountain bike parks,” Lukens said. “Tome, there’s pride in our state. A lot of people think there’s no mountain biking in Florida. Then you bring them down here and you showthem.”
On Florida’s east coast, exhilarating rides await mountain bike enthusiasts at Spruce Creek Preserve, Graham Swamp andMala Compra.
Headwest toward Lakeland and Tampa to discover the terrain of Alafia River State Park, Balm Boyette Scrub Preserve and Loyce E. Harpe Park (known to some as Carter Road). Those trails are among the favorites of Tampa-based designer Frank Rodriguez, who founded StokedMTB.com.
“Alafia and Boyette are carved out of reclaimed phosphate mines,” he said. “It’s not necessarily all about elevation, but it’s howthese things are designed.”
While some might claim Alafia contains the best mountain biking in the state, many riders hold Santos in especially high regard. The Ocala-area trail system contains 80-plus miles of singletrack with options for cyclists of all skill levels.
Santos has five different trailheads to access different sections of path, but mountain bikers regularly
congregate around spots like the Indigo Flowjump track and Vortex freeride area. That section offers challengingwooden features and opportunities to catch some serious air.
Parts of the trail are carved out of a former limestone mine, offering terrain unseen in many parts of Florida and some rocky drops, which should be ridden with caution.
Recently, Miami resident Caleb Teachout experienced his first day of riding on the famed trails of Santos.
“Itwaswellworth the six-hour drive to experience the ‘Mecca of Florida mountain biking,’” he said. “They have a full range of trails for every skill level, including several playful jump trails where you can really hone your skills and try to impress your friends.”
Keep the Adrenaline flowing
InMount Dora, the
town’s cycling community is knownto be an active one. While the in-person Mount Dora Bicycle Festivalwas canceled this year, the city has designated this month “CycleTober” with riding challenges, raffles and scavenger hunts.
Now, Mount Dora’s emerging mountain biking community also has a new home: Adrenaline Bike Works.
Shawn Lukens opened the shop about a year ago and aims to support the communitywith an indoor pump track, public events and even beer in the store.
“This shopwas more about the community and hanging out than itwas really about opening a bike shop,” he said. “To me, it’s more about passing on the love for the sport than it’s ever been about selling a bike.”
The former police officer personally discovered riding as away to lose weight, then fell into
mountain biking as a stress reliever and a goodworkout.
“It’s such a mental release, it really calms me down,” Lukens said.
About five minutes from the shop by bike, Mount Dora’s mountain bike trails possess a secret sauce that many other Sunshine State rides lack: natural elevation change.
Highlighting the diversity of Florida’s off-road cycling paths, the network of singletrack contains flowing downhills with wooden berms and strenuous climbs back to the top. Plus, there are manmade features that may challenge
even the most serious riders.
All of this can provide good conditioning for rides out of state.
“I’ll go up north and people will ask, ‘Howdo you climb sowell?’ We don’t have the downhill and the uphill, butwe don’t ever stop pedaling,” Lukens said.
Riding resources
For those starting out in mountain biking, there are many area shops, people and groups who can make the process easier.
When purchasing a new mountain bike, visit Orange Cycle, David’sWorld
Cycle, Kyle’s Bike Shop, Winter Park Cycles, Winter Garden WheelWorks or Adrenaline BikeWorks.
To learn where to ride, visit sorbaorlando.com, swampmtbclub.com, ridebmba.org and omba.org. Online resources such as stokedmtb.com, trailforks.com, mtbproject.comand singletracks.com also offer trail maps and guides.
Do you have suggestions for my next destination or just want to get in touch? Find me on Twitter @PConnPie, Instagram @PConnPie or sendme an email: pconnolly@orlando sentinel.com.