gerg10

I go to UCF and am just curious if there are any "hilly" areas within an hour or so of UCF that rider friendly. I have a road bike so no offroad unfortunately. But am just looking to get a little more of a workout then just flat ground.

Thanks

Greg

RWTD

As part of a three week biking/backpacking tour around North/Central Florida last March ,I spent part of a day riding the hilly routes just west of Orlando(generally in the Clermont to Mt. Dora area)before heading on into the Ocala Natl Forest where there are some rolling hills, as well.The highlight was the infamous Sugarloaf Mtn. ,but I zigzagged around routes listed on several Orlando club website route maps to maximize the hills encountered and there were quite a few.Here are the websites with the route maps
https://www.floridafreewheelers.com/
https://www.orcracing.com/exponent/index.php?section=32
You can combine some hilly routes with low traffic routes along/around some beautiful lakes for a really great day of riding(with bakeries,coffee shops etc. along route as well ).

US 27 around Clermont was also non-stop steep hills but due to heavy traffic and much road construction going on at the time it was quite hectic in spots and I would not recommend it for recreational riding particularly to the south of Clermont.

D i e z e l

Did you happen to find anything closer than Razorback at Reddick in ocala for us Mountain Bikers in Central Florida ie single track w/ good hills thx inadvance.

RWTD

I have heard some of the most challenging mtn. biking in Fl. is at Santos just south of Ocala near Belleview.
https://www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/guide...ike_trails.htm

I rode right by there but as I was on my touring bike most of my off-road activities, on this trip,were on foot with a backpack .However,when I was backpacking the Florida Trail w/i the Ocala N.F. (I did a 7days 140 mile out and back of the entire Fl. Trail w/i the Nat'l Forest),I noticed that there was also a bike trail starting at the Clearwater Lake trail head and looping up to Alexander Springs and back( I actually crossed the bike trail several times on my hike) .As I finished my hike , I did notice some people with motocross bikes at the trail head area who, I assumed , were intending to ride on the bike trail in spite of motorized vehicles being prohibited.Also,at least on the hiking trail most of the larger hills started up towards Alexander Springs and points north and west so I don't know how challenging these trails would be.Then again ,if the motocrossers were interested I imagine there must have been at least some technical terrain.

BeTheChange

You poor *******. I went to highschool at Oviedo High School. I did a couple internships durring the summer at UCF. The drivers down there are nuts. Central Florida is the closest place I've found to cycling hell.

Move as soon as possible. Really. Life is too short.

RonH

Go west young man -- toward Clermont.
Or you can check out Mt. Dora (northwest of Orlando).

Tdi

For the off-road guys near UCF, you can always hit up the Snow Hill trails, probably about 5-10 min from UCF

D i e z e l

Hey do u happened to have some kinda map of this area?

apodysophilic

Thank god for these posts!

When a guy from Ohio makes fun of FL hills, that's really saying something.

wfin2004

Dade City area is actually loaded with these "hills" you speak of.

jmarkley710

Only an hour from Orlando. I like the hills in front of St Leo College.

kwrides

Hi,

I'm going to be in Orlando for a week. Any good LBS's in the area to check out?

wfin2004

I am on the west coast. Can't help you over there. Sorry.

D i e z e l

yeah here's two store's https://davidsworld.com/index.cfm
https://outspokenbikes.com/

These are not bad in this area.