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Not are there no bike paths, but there are no bike lanes either. But I do see people on bikes, in hilo. Lot's of moped/bikes in Kona. I wish they would make some sidewalks and or bike paths, but the state doesn't plan for them. Frankly, your lucky to drive down a paved road.
That being said, I say sadly, that this state is the worst I've seen for bikes and I've been to plenty of states. Maybe the other islands are better with planning bike lanes and paths but the big island has a LONG WAY to go. I knew this before hand, not really one to like riding on streets with the traffic and steep hills, I opted to sell my recumbent when I moved here. Lot's of trade off's here. Take up swimming and hiking for your bike.
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In Calif where I grew up, in the 60's, it seemed safe. By the 70's I was all over the roads. Especially on several occasions Friday by 5pm, I'd take the trek to the beach, 30 miles away, and return Sunday night.
Now at 60, I've got ten bikes, all old Schwinn classic cruisers. I must have been completely crazy as a kid.
back in the day the cars and trucks were all steel which would rip your skin right off. today, the plastics are only slighter softer. the roads I traveled to the beach were no different than today's. Beach Blvd in Calif may have gotten a little wider by 1 lane, but the average flow then and now are comparable, relative to the past. It's one heck of a busy street. And I whisked straight through, at times, beating some of the cars that were on the same trek. Never took more than an hour and half, and more often than not less. Delayed only because I'd have to travel about 7-8 miles up big hills before getting to the Blvd. I'd look into the windows of the cars, and often see 35 MPH and greater. Also time the lights where I'd cruise right through the side of traffic, first out the gate when changed. Considering the delay going up the hills to and back, I rode that 10 speed fast!
I was so ignorant,, nutz!.
In Florida currently, but in puna plenty enough. and like Hawaii, I can't ride a highway, road and most streets. can not find a safe route if I wanted to ride to the beach from my home. the red sox winter stadium is a mire 5 miles away, one day I thought I'd just ride and check it out.. the traffic averages 50 MPH, there's about 3 foot space marked white line, yet still, I quickly discovered it's a death trap. There is no route for me to take to get to it. I can get through the other housing streets to simply pleasure ride within a small radius, but beware, for no sidewalks, which In Calif, back in the day, was illegal to ride a bike on sidewalks. I don't think anybody ever got a ticket, but .. beware in paved streets, kids and people are being killed more than before. I'm virtually trapped.
However I agree, if ya want to ride with at least a sense of living through it, get on dirt roads where the drivers have to slow. Map out areas that avoid busy streets, roads or highways within known low traffic neighborhoods. .
Bike's have some strong right of way laws, but the drivers either don't care, don't know about it, and are not looking. the risk on streets outside of the less trafficked neighborhood ones is too high.
It's made very tough touring on bikes these days anywhere you go where the norm is traffic congestion. .
Here in Florida where I'm at,, kids are being killed to and from school, adults killed on the regular roads. A recent report in the news after the regularity of a kid getting killed, said it's going higher verse lower even after more laws have been placed.
Like puna you can't get to several points unless ya walk on the wild side, likes me did as kid, ignorantly, be a crazy nut through congested traffic.
I guess, as a kid I was confident, but now know the ignorance outweighed it. Whether traveling 5 or 35 MPH, Lucky to have survived.
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Too bad about Fort Myers...I am in Bradenton/Sarasota 4 miles to the beach and there are very good bike lanes and sidewalks for getting out to the barrier islands and ditto on the islands..I never feel like I'm about to get nailed...Anyway I think the odds of having health problems by not getting enough exercise are far higher than the chance of being turned into roadkill...
Rodarupian
Civilization exists by geologic consent, subject to change without notice...Will Durant
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quote:
Originally posted by rogerluli
Too bad about Fort Myers....Anyway I think the odds of having health problems by not getting enough exercise are far higher than the chance of being turned into roadkill...
Rodarupian
Yup Ft Myers, actually about 5 miles east of it's limits,, Lehigh acres, where the population is actually larger than the city. , and after kids get killed, at all points of the metro, parents cry out for sidewalks. As if they're free? for-get-about it!!. the whole county should have required sidewalks in sub divisions, installed by developers 40 year ago.
Puna is no different.
and you're right about 1 thing, it's good exercise, but I aint as nutz as was in 60's and through late 70's, I might have gained an extra 1/2-2% intelligence. lol. since. .
The risk of extending a routine route which gets boring quickly, is not worth the odds of becoming road kill.
Not here, not in Puna too.
Got a bike carrier if want to play somewhere safe, otherwise,, it ain't happening.
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Granted there is a nearly complete lack of bike lanes and paths. On the other hand, there are many gravel/dirt roads that are virtually unused, and Pahoa's natural beauty abounds. Personally, I've always felt that bike lanes are dubious safety devices; that white paint won't slow down a drunk driver one bit.
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I would never want to ride a bike in rural Florida again. Actually I never want to go to Florida again, but that's another subject...
I used to live in LaBelle. Not only were the roads dangerous, many of the drivers (in pickups with gun racks in back) were hostile. They'd intentionally crowd you and throw things (beer cans, mostly)
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quote:
Originally posted by cwoods61
I would never want to ride a bike in rural Florida again. Actually I never want to go to Florida again, but that's another subject...
No worries CD, Florida wasn't my 1st choice but I got the misfortune of buying a lot in Puna with plenty much cash in me pocket to build, next to "The Neighbors from HELL!" Which expensed more funds than what, later, I was willing to part with and end up living in that hell too. Maybe da lava, pele` is sacrificing everybody else to get to them an I can come back to live in peace. [grin]
But that's another story.
In the mean time,, where I am at has far more population than puna, but bicycle riding is as bad, except for, as pointed out by a few,, puna get plenty more dirt roads where the idiots in there cars have less opportunity to kill em. And or,, no worries on the beer can deal in puna too, give it time and eventually you'll get the same dope, in different skin, color no madder bro, pass around free beer or precious aluminum when you riding side da road too.
Yet still, unless some of those roads are near you,, gotta get bike carrier rack to tour, or ride while defying death, or avoiding beer cans, lit cigarettes and bananas to get to them. . 
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