Bicycles

Transportation on land is a conundrum when you live and travel on a boat.  For small boats, one solution is folding bicycles, so we have 2, one for me and one for Daryl.  It definitely increases your range, as Jeff would say.  No matter how hot the sun is, it is cooler and faster to ride than to walk. We can put groceries in our baskets.  

Daryl bought me a Port Runner about 2 years ago. My bike is red with 20 inch wheels and rides very smoothly.  He customized it with heavy duty tires and a big comfortable seat.  We tested it at Ft. DeSoto and it passed.  So we packed it in the quarter berth and it fit.  When we got to Marathon I rode it several times, one trip to Pigeon Key, about 4 miles away on the old 7 mile bridge with Jeannie on her big bike, and I kept up with the pace.  Another trip I rode to Vaca Cut and beyond about 5 miles one way.  Another trip at dawn to view the sport season for lobsters on the bridge.  So we called it a success and determined that the benefits of having a bike would warrant the space on the boat.

We scouted bikes at the marina and found a nice abandoned one that needed new tires and seat because it had decomposed.  But the marina impounded it because it didn’t have a tag. 

Daryl looked online and found a great deal – a folding bike for $120 free shipping and almost assembled.  We got it within days, and it was such a big deal, Ty at the marina desk called to tell us it was in.  Daryl dashed over and assembled.  He had to adjust the wheels and it was ready to go!  

We have ridden up and down the roads of Marathon and out to Sombrero beach.

Now that we are getting ready to leave we will need to stow 2 bikes in the quarter berth.  But we have solved this conundrum, and we will ride our bikes on the islands.