biking markham/olleta

One thing you need to do is..

jaco said:

Any of you know if Olleta and markham are open during august after a summer's worth of rains? Im travelling there late august and want to know if its worth taking my bike. Perhaps renting is an option, but i dont know of any options other than the crappy rentals at olleta. Are there any decent rentals in the area? Thanks

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Make sure you bring mosquito repellent. Markham has much better drainage (and is a much better, more challenging ride, nonetheless) and is much less muddy after rain. At Oleta it's so full of roots that are brutally slippery when wet, not to mention that a good portion of the trails are a mud pit.

Sorry but I can't help you out on the rentals, have no clue.

Dude, thats really cool that you replied. Yeah, Ive been to both and Markhms definately more interesting and challenging but Ive only been on the dry season. I wonder if its worth taking my bike at all. I might be too rainy and im not sure how much fun those stairs and other technical stuff will be when wet. I wouldnt want to take a fall in Markham; broken bones garanteed.

i can't speak specifically to those two parks, but the vast majority of trails in florida dry very quickly. 2 days of (hot) sunshine is enough to make any trails I ride around here rideable, and most weeks you'll usually get at least that much. if the rains were light, trails can be back to normal (with some puddles) by the next day. my guess is that markham drains faster since it's a limerock base for the most part, which is similar to what we're used to in north/central fla.

enjoy your trip and i'd say yes, bring your bike.

jaco said:

Any of you know if Olleta and markham are open during august after a summer's worth of rains? Im travelling there late august and want to know if its worth taking my bike. Perhaps renting is an option, but i dont know of any options other than the crappy rentals at olleta. Are there any decent rentals in the area? Thanks

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Both trails will be open for sure and both trails are in great shape. Markham has a little over 6 miles now with a few really cool new trails that have a few neat bridges in them. Oleta is a little over 11 miles now with a new two mile tough loop in the back. The humidity is horrible, so make sure you bring lots of water. I don't know of any shops that rent bike around here though. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.
Andrew

Anybody know how the trails are these days with the hurricanes and stuff? perhaps i should wait a couple of days to ask this question but.....

jaco said:

Anybody know how the trails are these days with the hurricanes and stuff? perhaps i should wait a couple of days to ask this question but.....

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We got a little bit of rain and wind, but nothing to damaging yet. We are still in a flood watch until tomorrow. This summer has been pretty dry compared to the past. Even if we get more rain today, the trails should still be in great shape. Believe it or not, there are sill actually parts of the trails that are sandy. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. Hope you have a good trip!
Andrew

Just rode markham, it's pretty close to as good as it gets. Get out there!!

Thanx. Seems like i will take my bike along. Will fly monday; be there till saturday. Let me know if hurricane charlie changes anything. BTW, If you see me on the trails (youll recognize me by the many burns on my face and body) just holler. Be cool to put a face to the name...See ya.