While in the Keys, we’ve spent time on the mundane and the memorable, working on weekdays and exploring on weekends. But we also must exercise along the way, lest cabin fever take root. We brought our paddleboards and our bikes, a selection of resistance bands, and even a TRX. The cycling has been particularly enjoyable here in the Keys.

The Overseas highway has wide enough shoulders for bikes nearly everywhere, whether on islands or bridges.

The pavement on the shoulder is typically smooth and consistent, although always dusted with a few pebbles to worry your front tire, and sometimes a chunk of wood or other detritus to avoid.

The vehicle traffic passes at speeds between 40 and 60, which can be unnerving at times depending on the wind, the obstacles, and the size of the shoulder. I had family members express concern about biking along the Overseas Highway because of the risk that a distracted driver might swerve into the shoulder. A simple google search confirms the validity of this concern. But life always carries risk, and everyone must decide individually which risks to accept. Based upon the popularity of cycling in the Keys, I found myself in good company.

Often a pedestrian path will meander alongside the highway, presenting an attractive alternative to the shoulder. But these side paths tended to be unreliable, beginning and ending without warning or reason. Even along the usable portions, the roots of the adjacent mangroves created ripples and bumps in the pavement.

The pedestrian path is also at times afforded its own separate bridge paralleling the highway bridge, which I utilized at times. However, even that option had compromises. In addition to pedestrians and other cyclists, these narrow bridges were often occupied by fisherman with multiple poles and carts in the path.

Sometimes those pedestrian bridges were closed permanently. Anyone cycling along the pedestrian path would then need to cross the grass or sand back to the highway to cross the bridge on the shoulder.

The reasons for the closures were obvious for certain sections, although less obvious for other sections.

Needless to say, after the first few rides, I just stuck to the shoulder. The pedestrian path was too unreliable in spite of the additional safety afforded by being off the roadway.

All of my rides included a combination of bridges and island stretches – you can’t travel any real distance in the Keys without crossing a bridge – but I couldn’t leave the Keys without riding across the famous Seven Mile Bridge at least once.

The bridge is approximately 6.8 miles long and is mostly flat although has a raised section in the middle for ocean traffic. This middle raised section is visible in the above photo, giving a sense of the bridge’s overall length.

Crossing the bridge, I paused in the middle at the top of the raised section to take a couple of photographs.

Looking down at the boat channel below, the effect can be somewhat dizzying because of the wind, the waves, and the traffic. It was a memorable experience. The return trip the other direction was far worse due to the headwind, but the experience of crossing this incredible span mitigated the otherwise unpleasant grind.

Adjacent to the north end of the Seven Mile Bridge is a section of the old highway extending the two miles to Pigeon Key, which is a small historical island formerly used as a work camp to build the old bridge before World War I.

Micki and I drove ourselves to the starting point and biked across the bridge to explore the island.

The old highway beyond Pigeon Key was, let’s say, inaccessible.

It was interesting to explore this tiny island, which has a number of different houses, a dock, a sea pen, and shallow areas to observe a variety of ocean creatures.

Heading back on the highway, a shot a quick photo of this portion of the Sunshine Key RV Resort where we’ve been staying. I spy with my little eye something silver….

I am grateful we brought our bikes on this journey. The bikes have traveled 3,500 miles crammed into the backseat area of the truck with my front tire removed and with Micki’s bike folded in half. We have used the bikes for longer rides on the highway and short jaunts through the maze of streets within the RV Resort. If and when we return to the Keys, we will be sure to bring the bikes again.