When I walk Rusty early in the morning on the back roads of the Lower Keys I marvel at just how much I can have these empty roads to myself. Certainly in winter there are more joggers and fitness buffs in spandex on modern speedy bicycles but most of the time it's Rusty and me and long straight lines:
For most people who visit Key West the side roads off Highway One are a mystery and exploration is usually kept to the two square miles of Old Town. A bicycle with basket and rental sign denotes not-a-local:
No rental sign on the bike and a sense of urgency would lead me to suspect someone anxious to get somewhere to actually do something other than be on vacation:
I am no longer convinced a bicycle is best in Key West. Even on my motorcycle I seek tons of people driving with few skills or distracted by cell phones. So it is no surprise to me that Key West leads Florida in bicycle wrecks.
Periodically the state gives Key West money to spend on bicycle "safety" which usually means increased police patrols and tickets for disobeying traffic laws or riding without lights at night. Riding without lights seems daft to me and were it not for the trauma to the car driver I'd say a cyclist run over for riding blacked out would be a Darwinian improvement to the species.
Some bicycles are articles of self expression and I find them surprisingly expensive ("You could buy a motorcycle for that!") and often oddly idiosyncratic:
But a bicycle is a means of transport and a very efficient one at that. I just don't like being in traffic on these narrow streets with distracted drivers and pedestrians. I prefer having an engine even though that invovles a loss of stout physical exercise...
Bicycles are everywhere so my point of view is clearly a minority. Some car drivers absolutely hate cyclists which I find odd as the more people ride two wheels the less the congestion for people in cars.
Bicycles are easy to park and don't need to be registered though you can register them with the police in case they get stolen and your bike's serial number will be on file. But they remain paperwork-free in an increasingly complex bureaucratic world.
Aside from the fact the streets are narrow and congested the city is pretty much flat and small so a bicycle can make it easy to abandon all idea of a car if you aren't into road trips. Some people in Key West prefer not to keep a car and just rent one if they need one.
I like to photograph the cyclists around town from time to time as a reminder that this town is the eco-delight that promoters of cyclists envision when they stand before city councils and commissions across the land to promote urban cycling. Not as recreation, but as daily transportation. High cost brand name cycles are the rarity rather than the norm around here.
Willie Ward Park has some rather pleasant shelters to hang out under as you while away your day waiting for the soup kitchen to open on Flagler Avenue.
Tourists use bicycles as a fun break from their daily reality at home. Too bad they can't imagine getting used to cycling when they do get back to their daily grind.
A bicycle, a basket and Old Town is your oyster.
When I was between dogs I used to bring my bicycle into town on a bike rack on the car, park the car at work and take off around town on two wheels. A bike rack is a great thing. Now all we have to do is persuade the nutters who run the Lower Keys Bus Shuttle to put bike racks back on the buses. They took them off when they were too successful.
Cruising the Southernmost Point.
Backwards and forward at Whitehead and South Streets.
Not riding side by side. These must be well mannered visitors.
This deocratif motif left by a former resident:
She stops appropriately at White Street at the red light.
Traffic eases and off she goes risking a ticket if police were around to see her.
I'll bet she'd have been pissed if she got a ticket for that stunt. Tourists here on Truman checking their directions. Riding on sidewalks is permitted in Florida as long as you a) yield to pedestrians and b) have an audible means of approach (not specified).
Me? I wouldn't mind a Genuine Buddy from the Yamaha shop to get around town. I find a bicycle less useful than a scooter for fast movement across town.
Seen on College Road, quite a likely a student pedaling to the...College with the typical backpack.
The Florida Keys Community College on Stock Island my be five miles from Duval Street but considering how flat the terrain Key West and Stock Island are ideal cycling territory.
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