DaveLeeNC

Looks like I will be spending a week in Naples. Suggestions for areas to ride (road only - 25 to 35 miles would be ideal) while I am there? Thanks.

dave

shelbyfv

My friend who winters there won't ride on the road. Too many old folks who haven't a clue behind the wheel. He stays on the bike paths. Hopefully someone with first hand info will chime in. If not, maybe check Strava heatmap.

DaveLeeNC

Strava heat map - I should have thought of that. Thx. dave

Camilo

I've ridden quite a few times in Naples a few years back. I don't have any specific routes that I can describe but my memory is that I just rode south (coast on right) from where my dad lived (near the coast), picking reasonable an arterial streets, not highways, that had reasonably calm traffic and few stops after a couple of miles or so. It's flat of course. I seem to recall the street/highway I rode on more or less paralleled the coast - I seem to recall in a lot of places it was a couple of blocks away, but in some places there was nothing between the street and the water except hotels or the estates of the wealthy people who lived along the coast. I'd do an out and back.

Just looked at a map - my dad lived near Clam Pass Beach Park (google will find that for you). Looking at the map, I was probably on a street called Gulf Shore Blvd or more likely Crayton Road (that kind of rings a bell, but it also merges with Gulf Shore Blvd). Take a look for Clam Pass Beach Park and then those two roads and that would orient you to where I was riding. I didn't choose it for any other reason than I could just get on the bike and ride. So there's probably better routes (see below).

Sorry I can't be more specific. The actual highways and main roads - for instance the Tamiami Trail, Highway 41 - in the Naples area are a nightmare, so what I'm describing is much better than that.

I rented bikes from Big Mama's Bike Shop which was less than 5 blocks from where he lived, just to give you an idea of the vicinity. Give her a call or stop in, it's a great, very informal shop and great staff - at least when I was there. They can definitely give you some route recommendations. I also recall that there are bike shops of the big brands, Trek store, for instance, which I am not familiar with.

Just took a peek at Big Mama's web page - they offer a bike map of the county.

Get ready for some flat, possibly windy rides!

OH, PS: regarding the old folks driving. My dad was one of them, and I was petrified every time he drove on "the Trail". He quit doing it finally and did all his driving - to the golf course and church - by secondary streets.

But one of my closest calls ever was returning northward on one of the more commercial streets on a Sunday morning. A car coming the other way turned left right and front of me and I had to lock up the brakes and swerve sharply. She was a early middle aged person late for church, not an old person at all.

DaveLeeNC

Camilo Thanks! Very helpful. dave

eduskator

+1... Strava's heat map may be a hint for ''safer'' roads.

dmanthree

Up the coast to Ft Meyers is a nice ride, but there's construction north of Big Carlos pass. You can also ride via some routes along the gulf. let me know and I'll send you some links to a few I've done.

Note, while the roads are in really good shape, the sides can contain some debris. I've found that riding a durable tire helps. I use the GP 4 Season tires.

Bassmanbob

I've stayed at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort in Estero/Bonita Sprins for conferences, and I've ridden on Livingston Ave/ Imperial Way from Estero almost all the way to Naples. The traffic is a minimum north of Naples and there's also a wide sidewalk that is never used. I rode both on the street and the sidewalk and felt comfortable on both. There are relatively few cross streets, so the sidewalk is safer than most.