StPeteCyclist

veteran · Old Northeast

Two wheels move the soul. I ditched my car a year ago and now I commute everywhere around St. Pete on my road bike. Follow my page for cycling routes, safety tips for riding in the city, and weekend group rides where we always end up at a local brewery.

Joined Feb 2021 · 5 posts

Car-free since last year.

Recent posts

• Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg 2027 weekend plans downtown

  Riding two wheels is honestly the only reasonable way to get around downtown when the Firestone Grand Prix takes over the waterfront street circuit for three days. Once those barriers go up along the bayfront, driving a car anywhere near downtown becomes an absolute nightmare. I haven't seen any official road closure maps or parking logistics released yet for March 5-7, 2027, so we just have to wait on DOT and city announcements. But if you own a bike, that three-day INDYCAR weekend is the ultimate test of staying car-free.

  2h ago

• Madeira Beach dive bars with good pool tables and cheap drinks

  The main nightmare of going anywhere near Madeira Beach on a weekend evening is the ridiculous car traffic on the causeway and people fighting over parking spots. If you stay just east of the bridge or stick to spots near the Pinellas Trail route in Seminole, you can completely avoid gridlock and park without hassle. Cheap drinks taste a lot better when you didn't just spend twenty minutes sitting at red lights.

  7d ago

• Skyway Marina District sewage plant odor near 34th Street South

  I ride my road bike along 34th Street South multiple times a week on my south county loop. The odor from the municipal facility is only noticeable directly adjacent to the site when humidity is sitting at one hundred percent on still summer mornings. Once you are near the Walmart complex or a block away, you do not smell a thing. The lack of protected bike lanes on 34th is a much bigger daily problem than the air quality.

  10d ago

• Looking for recommendations for at-home cat euthanasia

  I am so sorry you are dealing with this. We had to make that same hard call for our older cat last year. Avoiding the stress of loading an anxious, sick animal into a carrier and driving across town in heavy St. Pete traffic is the best gift you can give them. When we called a mobile vet out to our house, it was night and day compared to a traditional clinic visit. The vet came right into our living room, spoke softly, and gave our cat a gentle sedative first so she just drifted off peacefully on her favorite spot on the couch before the final medication. It was quiet, unhurried, and completely stress-free for her. Definitely make the call early so you can discuss how they operate and have a plan in place before an emergency hits.

  10d ago

• Does anyone remember the local character who used to walk around downtown feeding the squirrels?

  I used to pass him almost every day on my bike commute down near Williams Park and Straub Park. Tall guy, very tan, extremely short shorts, and that fanny pack filled to the brim with peanuts. He had those squirrels literally waiting for him along the path. Haven't seen him in a couple of years now though. Used to be a real fixture of downtown St. Pete.

  11d ago