This
is my first ride report here, and the first big ride on my new-to-me
Toyo Atlantis since fully finishing the build around Christmastime. I
spend winters away from my home in Kentucky and retreat to the
relatively warmer weather of the Tampa Bay area.
In
early November, I saw a post on The Radavist about an upcoming gravel
adventure ride called “The Orange Blossom Special” taking place near
where I was going to be staying in Florida, so I jumped at the chance to
sign up for a spot. This event featured three route options; 40, 60,
and 90 mi. and promised a variety of incredible terrain among the orange
groves of the Lake Wales Ridge - a geographically unique part of
Florida that is the only part of the peninsula that was never under
water. Eons ago, it was more like a chain of small islands, so the
rolling hills full of endless old orange groves and red, sandy clay
roads offer a bit more variety than the typically flat prairie scrub of
central Florida.
I
was advised that tires bigger than 42mm was recommended, and I was
running 41mm gravel slicks with fenders on the Atlantis, so a few days
before the ride I swapped the slicks and fenders for more of an ATB
setup, with 52mm wide Rene Herse knobbies. It definitely changed the
look of the Atlantis, and made it much more muscular-looking and ready
for anything.
<IMG_7444.jpg>
The
morning of the ride, a big storm blew through, so I was aware that the
normally fast clay roads could be the consistency of peanut butter in
places. I felt more confident that I’d made the right decision losing
the fenders. Last thing I wanted was to spend all day scraping clumpy
red mud out of my clogged fenders and cantis. I got a bit of a later
start than the other riders because I didn’t camp at the start like most
of the others, and had to drive about 80 miles from my home. I chose to
do the 40+ mi route due to my already late start, and the potential for
difficult road conditions.
The
first several miles was solo riding for me, but I quickly caught up
with a group of 8-9 other riders, and we stayed together as a group for
much of the rest of the route. The
storied clay roads showed up quickly, and at first they weren’t too
bad. Fairly smooth rolling, but the occasional soft section would zap
momentum and energy right out of you. Most
of the route was unpaved, but as we got closer to civilization, there
were some stretches of mild, 2-lane highway where we could struggle
against the headwinds.
After
a break for beers and food in a little town called Frostproof, the
route took us deep into the Arbuckle Tract of the Lake Wales State
Forest, which would eventually turn into the worst riding conditions we
would experience of the day. The peanut butter clay mud was compounded
by ruts created by the occasional vehicle driving through. Although it
was slow going, I was impressed with how the Atlantis effortlessly
handled it all. The knobbies gripped well, and floated through the mud
enough to allow me to keep riding, and not have to do any hike-a-biking,
like I witnessed other riders doing.
<IMG_7522.jpg>
The
final two miles in the State Forest featured much drier, smoother clay,
and several more miles of 2-lane asphalt - which was a nice treat to
finish up the ride. I was able to ride at my normal speed and finish
with plenty of time to hang out with everyone around a bonfire, where we
were treated with grilled gator tail, homemade tamales, and draft beer
from a local craft brewery.
<IMG_7523.jpg>
It
was a great day, and a fantastic ride that was a bit challenging, but
100% fun. I was hoping that out of the 50 or so riders, I might see
another Riv rider, but I turned out to be the only one. I’ll be looking
forward to doing this event again next year, and I recommend it if you
get the opportunity.
LINK FOR MORE RIDE PHOTOS
Thanks for reading along!
Brian
Lex KY
