The bench reads Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail, more an idea than a reality as the trail is a series of interrupted segments.
I lost my oomph on my way to work, the line of traffic was endless and going 42 miles per hour and I got bored with dawdling along. So I pulled over to take a break in the middle of the Saddlebunch Keys near Mile Marker 13 and pull out my camera. Cars used to drive on these old 1910 railroad bridges. Up till 1982 when they were used for the main roadway they had narrow handrails on the sides made of welded up railroad track. Now the road bed is made narrow by the massive cement parapets on each side, but the bridges were never very wide: 
There is a plan in the works, and with federal money stimulating it, it might even happen, to create a bike/pedestrian path the one hundred sixty kilometer length of the Keys. Bits of this hundred mile plan are completed as we see here with this illegally parked motorized vehicle on the bike path: 
The proposed heritage and scenic trail would run alongside the Overseas Highway, and it would have to owing to the general lack of land around here:
In winter I see a fair number of joggers, dog walkers and cyclists along this stretch. I think they come from the RV park just down the road and their presence tells me the winter snowbirds are back. Right now the place is pretty much empty:
Except the roadway isn't too empty during rush hour. One of the pleasures of working nights is that the city of Key West is emptying itself of all the office workers as the night shift comes into town, and there are fewer of us than them:
I was struck by the image the hurricane resistant power lines made:
For some reason I was also struck by the distorting mirro effect of the turn signals on the motorbike. The Bonneville comes equipped with big old fashioned turn signals. On the Triumph forum, home to people who modify their bikes at vast expense rather than riding them, people love to spend hundreds of dollars replacing these things with tiny, barely legal turn signals. I remember when turn signals were an invention of the dastardly Japanese bike industry and real riders never used them. Nowadays they are so common I would feel odd not using my signals every time I change lanes or direction. And I would like to think a few cagers out there might bother to notice them.
In a few months perhaps the ambient roasting conditions will have chilled out enough to make sitting out here a pleasant experience, instead of the sort of torture approved as an alternative to water boarding by people who should know better.
Summer views are magnificent...
...wilderness without even a mountain: 
But enough of such day dreaming, it's time to get back on the road to work. Mile Marker Nine:
One day that 50cc Yamaha Zuma may be able to sneak a rather safer 40 mph ride on an expanded shoulder while cyclists might get their own path well out of traffic between Big Coppitt and Stock Island.
I lost my oomph on my way to work, the line of traffic was endless and going 42 miles per hour and I got bored with dawdling along. So I pulled over to take a break in the middle of the Saddlebunch Keys near Mile Marker 13 and pull out my camera. Cars used to drive on these old 1910 railroad bridges. Up till 1982 when they were used for the main roadway they had narrow handrails on the sides made of welded up railroad track. Now the road bed is made narrow by the massive cement parapets on each side, but the bridges were never very wide: 
There is a plan in the works, and with federal money stimulating it, it might even happen, to create a bike/pedestrian path the one hundred sixty kilometer length of the Keys. Bits of this hundred mile plan are completed as we see here with this illegally parked motorized vehicle on the bike path: The proposed heritage and scenic trail would run alongside the Overseas Highway, and it would have to owing to the general lack of land around here:
In winter I see a fair number of joggers, dog walkers and cyclists along this stretch. I think they come from the RV park just down the road and their presence tells me the winter snowbirds are back. Right now the place is pretty much empty:
Except the roadway isn't too empty during rush hour. One of the pleasures of working nights is that the city of Key West is emptying itself of all the office workers as the night shift comes into town, and there are fewer of us than them:I was struck by the image the hurricane resistant power lines made:For some reason I was also struck by the distorting mirro effect of the turn signals on the motorbike. The Bonneville comes equipped with big old fashioned turn signals. On the Triumph forum, home to people who modify their bikes at vast expense rather than riding them, people love to spend hundreds of dollars replacing these things with tiny, barely legal turn signals. I remember when turn signals were an invention of the dastardly Japanese bike industry and real riders never used them. Nowadays they are so common I would feel odd not using my signals every time I change lanes or direction. And I would like to think a few cagers out there might bother to notice them.In a few months perhaps the ambient roasting conditions will have chilled out enough to make sitting out here a pleasant experience, instead of the sort of torture approved as an alternative to water boarding by people who should know better.
Summer views are magnificent...
...wilderness without even a mountain: 
But enough of such day dreaming, it's time to get back on the road to work. Mile Marker Nine:
One day that 50cc Yamaha Zuma may be able to sneak a rather safer 40 mph ride on an expanded shoulder while cyclists might get their own path well out of traffic between Big Coppitt and Stock Island.
9 comments:
Interesting. Do you know of many commuting bicyclist? Last time in Key West, we met a few that said they lived on Stock Island and commuted on their bikes. I know of several that live here, but the joke is, if you see them riding their bikes (and using the bus with the rack), it is because they recently had a DUI.
I use my bike quite a bit, as well as the bus rack, mostly because I hate traffic.
On a positive note, the Naples Zoo just replaced all their golf carts with bicycles and special bike trailers to carry feed.
They took bike tracks off the Lower Keys Shuttle buses. They were too popular. No seriously, there has been talk of putting a bike trailer behind the bus to carry more bicycles but our fearless leaders say that would increase fuel consumption. Which it would. But what if it increased ridership? The Keys are a natural environment for bicycle commuting- arrive in Searstown and ride to your destination. Simple.
I wonder what miracles of urban planning Key West could achieve with a few stimulus grants. Maybe one day when the grants are gone.
Dear Conch:
Fabulous blog today. I liked the shots of of the old railroad bridges, and admire your technique of verifying scale by including your Triumph in the more interesting ones.
I especially liked the shot of you mirrored in the chrome of your bike's turn signal. I can't take similar pictures as there is no chrome on my bike... None at all. The religious sect I belong to encouraged me to remove it, and to find joy in plain, mechanical perfection.
The shots of the hurricane-resistant power pylons waa very interesting too. How is the nude beach coming along?
Thank you for writing this blog so relentlessly, and for letting me comment on it.
Your pal,
Fondest regards,
Jack • reep • Toad
Mr Conchscooter:
that was a nice self portrait Jack discovered on your directional light. You also managed to include a palm tree too, excellent composition.
As for forgetting your bathing suit (prev entry), you wouldn't need them on a nude beach. Those hurrican power lines sort of look like those windfarm windmills - a nice landscape pattern
bob
bobskoot: wet coast scootin
Very interesting and well done blog. I really like your narrative and the photographs are great. I will bookmark your blog and check in from time to time.
thank you.
People who like to think the Keys are off the grid and like to talk about "toughing it out" through frequent black outs are full of crap. that was the old days, pre PCs and cell phones. Our public utlities do an astonishing job of keeping the electricity flowing. Black outs are very infrequent occurences these days and I attribute that to continuous capital improvement and maintenance by Keys Energy. Florida Keys Electricity Coop ( the Middle and Upper Keys) is much more innovative with alternative energy which i hope will percolate to the Lower keys before we are all burned to a crisp or drowned.
There has been many a time I have wanted to take my scoot on one of our bike paths, but have resisted the temptation so far.
BTW, I think your turn signals are sexy. LOL
Good grief.
I like the jogger-cyclist emblem you showed on the bench of summer-time-cruel-and-unusual-punishment.
Thanks for your recent visit and comment on my blog.
Chuck
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