Ring Around Orlando III

[biggersm]

Voyagers

On Saturday, 25 August 2012 a group of motorcyclist from the Sunshine State Voyagers and the Patrick AFB Green Knights chapter will be riding what we refer to as the Third annual Ring Around Orlando Ride. In the past we have done this ride during Labor Day (in 2011) and Independence Day Weekend (in 2010). This year it will be on a hot and muggy (and maybe rainy) but otherwise ordinary Saturday in August.

Some of us are using this opportunity as a shakedown preparation ride since some of the Green Knights will be riding to North Carolina in October. Total loop is 258.7 miles (plus whatever miles you ride to get to the start/end point). Besides going counterclockwise (rather than clockwise like in past Ring Around Orlando rides) this ride are on some all new roads to enjoy as well. This ride has the best that Florida has to offer; scenic roads, turns, hills, etc. You will not be disappointed.

If you look at the highlighted areas on the maps you will see both miles and time. We treat this ride similar to the way a city bus circuit works; in other words the “bus schedule” is below and feel free to drop in or leave as you see fit. I added in extra time for gas, water, latrine, etc. Departures from a given location will have to be at the specified time. Possible gas stops can be in Sanford, Tavares, Clearmont and Champions Gate as needed.
The schedule is below:

0730 Start at Dennys, Wickham at Sarno in Melbourne (Dennys is Stop 1) 1000 (if you want breakfast show up before 0700)
1100 = Arrive in Sanford (Sanford is Stop 2)
1200 = Arrive at Tavares (Tavares is Stop 3)
1230 = Arrive in Clermont for lunch, suggest Cracker Barrel (Clermont is Stop 4)
1330 = Leave Clearmont
1500 = Arrive at Champions Gate (Champions Gate is Stop 5)
1630 = Arrive in Melbourne

If severe storms appear to be likely we can shorten the trip as needed, i.e. we can jump on the Turnpike either South of Tavares or East of Clermont. We can avoid Rockridge Road if necessary (that is a nice road however). At Champions Gate if storms appear to be south than we can jump on I-4 to 417 to 528 and keep up a good pace. Danny Burdick (the other ride leader) and I both have smart phones and will track storms in the area. Bring your Sunpass in case we need to make an emergency detour due to weather! Also don't forget to T-CLOCK your bike, bring lots of water, sunscreen and rain gear. If we do cut the ride off short due to weather than there will be a continuation ride scheduled for a later date.

This ride is free fun and no registration is required. The only caveat is that you are responsible for your own actions and neither the Green Knights nor the American Voyager Association will accept responsibility for any accidents, traffic tickets or any other unfortunate incident. We encourage everyone to wear Personal Protective Equipment. This is not a race either, just a scenic tour of Central Florida.

We hope we can catch up with a few of the West Coast (of Florida) Voyagers in Clermont. Any Voyagers visiting from out of town are also encouraged to join us too!

We hope to see you on 25 August.

Please enjoy the maps below and send us a PM if you might show up.

[gearheadfla]

Looks good to me Mike, Lori has been cleared by her Dr to ride and I will have enough time to recover from my little heart bout in the hospital last week, should be able to meet you at Dennys.

[biggersm]

Hi Jim - It is good to hear that Lori is feeling better. I'm sorry and very concerned to hear about any heart problems. I just lost a friend who was not much older than me to a stroke/brain aneurism. This will indeed be a long ride. You will recognize most of the the first part of the ride since most of it (with a couple of exceptions) is what we took on our way to Leesburg earlier this year. We can slow down long enough to get a picture of you at Fort Mellon Park this time. Danny by the way is the guy from the Green Knights with that blue 1988 GL 1500.

Everyone - I forgot to mention that the final go/no go decision base on weather will be on Thursday night and I will announce the decision on this forum so please check it anytime on Friday, 24 August if you might join in. The Sunshine State Voyagers will also get an e-mail.

[gearheadfla]

I will never forget Danny and his off road skills on the Navy Seal museum ride. I had never seen a Goldwing catch air before.

[biggersm]

The weather is predicted to be only about a 30% chance of rain, which is about the best weather that could be hoped for this time of year. The Ring Around Orlando III is still on. Here is the rest of the story. I work in Emergency Management and there is a 10-20% chance that the Wing Commander (PAFB General) might declare a Hurricane Condition and if he does there is about a 50% chance I will get called in on Saturday (they will usually work the military over the weekend for a promise of time off later in lieu of spending the money to bring me in). The other ride leader, Danny Burdick is pretty much in the same situation (both of us are retirees/civilian employees on the base). I have arranged in the event of my unlikely absence to have the Sunshine State Voyagers Vice President, Jim Mellons, to get everyone together and headed in the correct direction but he doesn’t know the back roads (notably Deer Park and Nova to get started) as well as some of you so please help. The official Patrick AFB hurricane decision is supposed to be made before the close of business tomorrow but I promised you an update today. You will get one more (much shorter) reply to this thread from me tomorrow about this time.

The kickstand up time is still 0730 at Denny’s in Melbourne, corner of Wickham and Sarno. Some of the folks who we were originally going to meet at our first stop (New Tribes Mission in Sanford) plan to ride to Melbourne for the start of the ride so we will not have a meeting point at the New Tribes Mission. We will ride by NTM just in case someone doesn’t get the word but our actual first stop will be in West Sanford at the Intersection of Orange Blvd and State Route 46 (see the map). This is close to 100 miles. If someone can’t ride that far on a tank (there are some other bike types showing up) let us know at the start of the ride and we will make a quick stop earlier in the ride. We plan to be on the west side of Sanford by about 1000. Helpful note: there is a Wal Mart gas station by Denny’s.

I haven’t heard about anyone wanting to jump in at the Northwest corner of the ride but if so and we are on schedule we will ride through Tavares about 1100. We are still planning on being in Clermont around 1200-1330. I mentioned Cracker Barrel but if a large amount of bikes show up there are other eating establishments in the same parking lot (Beef O’ Bradys shares the same parking lot and Sonny’s BBQ is down the street in walking distance).

Don’t forget to bring you Sunpass because even though we plan to be freeway free if the is a line of storms that we can avoid by jumping on the turnpike we will do that. Please look at all the maps.

Don’t’ forget the following:

Drinking Water
Sunpass
Sunscreen
TCLOCK the bike
Full tank of gas
ATGATT is recommended but optional (but Marcia and I will be geared up)

I’m looking forward to this and as stated there is a 90-95% chance we will be there and we hope to see you at Dennys.

Below is the 0730 ride start location (show earlier for breakfast) and below that is the new first stop location.





See you soon.

[biggersm]

I don't have to work this weekend. I hope to see you a the ride.

Please hope the best for those along the Florida Gulf Coast and maybe coastal Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

[Scott-(Altoona, PA)]

Please hope the best for those along the Florida Gulf Coast and maybe coastal Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

[biggersm]

For anyone keeping track we all made it back safely!

This will only be a quick reply. I will write a little more here tomorrow (to include a picture or two) and of course there will be a big article in the November-December Voyager Voice.

Considering TS Isaac (possibility soon to be Hurricane Issac) we had a pretty good showing for the Ring Around Orlando III. Some of our West Coast (of Florida) Voyagers could not make it (due to storm preparation). Regardless of what the future holds, five Voyagers (all XII models) three Goldwings (all GL 1800s), two Suzuki Intruders (800 and a 1400, both owned by the same guy, Danny Burdick from the Green Knights) and a Yamaha Morphus made a 250ish mile bike hike today.

I'm a little concerned as I type this for the folks up in the panhandle (of florida) with Isaac coming that way. Marcia and I have friends up there! I know that storm will feed on the warm water of the gulf and get rather strong. I hope only a Category One but maybe a CategoryTwo. Most of Florida is rated under a very strict wind code (after Andrew) and I have faith in the ability of Florida to meet the needs of a Natural Disaster. What we lack in our ability to punch a ballot (can you say hanging chad) we more than make up for in Emergency Disaster Preparedness (I know at a professional level). At the moment all is well...stay tuned!

[David (N. Alabama)]

For anyone keeping track we all made it back safely!

This will only be a quick reply. I will write a little more here tomorrow (to include a picture or two) and of course there will be a big article in the November-December Voyager Voice.

Considering TS Isaac (possibility soon to be Hurricane Issac) we had a pretty good showing for the Ring Around Orlando III. Some of our West Coast (of Florida) Voyagers could not make it (due to storm preparation). Regardless of what the future holds, five Voyagers (all XII models) three Goldwings (all GL 1800s), two Suzuki Intruders (800 and a 1400, both owned by the same guy, Danny Burdick from the Green Knights) and a Yamaha Morphus made a 250ish mile bike hike today.

I'm a little concerned as I type this for the folks up in the panhandle (of florida) with Isaac coming that way. Marcia and I have friends up there! I know that storm will feed on the warm water of the gulf and get rather strong. I hope only a Category One but maybe a CategoryTwo. Most of Florida is rated under a very strict wind code (after Andrew) and I have faith in the ability of Florida to meet the needs of a Natural Disaster. What we lack in our ability to punch a ballot (can you say hanging chad) we more than make up for in Emergency Disaster Preparedness (I know at a professional level). At the moment all is well...stay tuned!

Glad you all had a good ride. Since I spend a third of my life in the Fort Walton Beach area, I too am watching this storm closely. i will be down again in a couple weeks so hopefully things won't get any worse. My wife also has family in the Pensacola area and they are on the bad side of the current eye track.

[biggersm]

Here are a few pictures from the ride. I wish we took some on the roads but we used a cell phone camera and it does not have a strap on it so dropping it is a real possibility so Marcia decided against taking moving pictures this time.

Although most people would not confuse Florida with the Blue Ridge Parkway (or any other well known motorcycle road) there is still many turns and some hills if you know where to look. Many of the best roads are in the area of Leesburg where we enjoy another tradition as the Sunshine State Voyagers (the last five years we have met at a local German Bakery and watched all the bikes riding to the Leesburg Bikefest).

If you have any time Google up the roads between Astatula and Montverde, this is what we did on 25 August. Also over by Floral City are some nice roads. If you are visiting the Tampa Bay area be sure to ask about The Tail of the Gecko.

If anyone is in the Sunshine State and needs info on some of the best places to ride please contact us.

Jim Mellons, the Sunshine State Voyagers Vice President, a.k.a. gearheadjcm on this is working on the Carl Leo welcome committee. At some point he will probably be posting here if any out of state folks want to help. We also look forward to showing Carl around our year round riding paradise.