It’s Not Always Sunny In The Keys

Four days ago,I arrived in Key West on a beautiful sunny day that really couldn’t have been much better. Since then, the weather has been significantly different. Rain and very high winds have taken over with seemingly no intention of leaving. I’ve heard several people assure me, “This is very unusual.” Of course, such assurances do nothing to change the fact that today was going to be a very wet ride.

The rain started late last night and continued into the morning. If not for the covered shelter under which I had set up my tent, I would’ve had a very unpleasant time packing up in the rain. If I thought the shelter was great last night, you can only imagine how much I liked it this morning.

With the conditions being what they were, my plan was to keep my ride relatively short by stopping at Key Largo – 55 km (34 miles) away. I was in no rush to pack up and get moving and the shelter encouraged my procrastination. However, by 10:00 my gear was packed and I was bundled up in my rain gear. By 10:02 I was pretty much soaked. And so began the day.

Today would fall into the category of “Very Uneventful”. In addition to the heavy rain and high winds, there were bridges, good bike paths, bad bike paths, bike paths under construction, and even bike paths under water. The “unusual” amount of rain left small (and sometimes not-so-small) lakes on certain sections of the path. Despite the less than ideal conditions, the ride really wasn’t that bad. The rain distracted me from wind, and my day’s destination inspired me to sing an extended version of The Beach Boys’ Kokomo. Of course, the extended version was pretty much limited to the chorus as that’s all I knew. But it was a chorus that lasted about 2:57:58.

The highlight of the day came near the halfway point when I met a cycling tourist couple from Germany. The were suffering through the rough weather as well but were at least fortunate enough to have the wind at their backs. Their journey started in Tampa and they expect to arrive in Key West in a couple of days. We discussed our trips, the weather, the roads, and of course, the Seven Mile Bridge. It was great meeting them and was also a great break from the ride. Sadly, with the weather being what it was, I left my camera in my bag.

The remainder of the ride was again uneventful. The rain stopped occasionally and the sun even tried to peek through the overcast sky now and then. It failed. On the upside, the temperatures have remained warm and I’ve never really minded cycling in a warm rain. Much better than snow!

In the grand scheme of things, I’ve been VERY fortunate with the weather on this trip. My rain gear has spent the vast majority of the time packed away in my panniers and the rain covers on those panniers have served primarily as added visibility rather than rain protection. That said, it would’ve been nice to be cycling the Florida Keys in the sun. I guess I’ll just have to schedule another trip.

Today’s totals:
Distance travelled: 57.46 km
Time on bike: 2:57:58
Maximum speed: 28.73 km/h