Seminole Heights Senior Welcomes Riders on His Bike Trek

Taking everything he could need with him on his back or bike, Earl Stine sets out from Key Largo on a four-day, 210-mile journey across water and land to the very tip of Florida in Key West.

Stine, a Seminole Heights resident, has made the trip more than a dozen times, often by himself, but these days he is getting company from all as far as California. A cyclist of 38 years, Stine has expectations for those looking to make the trek with him.

"My first 13 tours down there I went solo, but a lot of people don't want to do it alone," Stine said. "So I ran an ad in Adventure Cycling and I've had people express their interest. I sent them my expectations stating 'this is how I do this, you need to be physically fit enough to do it,' but if they can, I'm happy to have people join me."

Stine made his living as an international businessman, retiring in 2006 to take on his dream of touring the United States on his bicycle. Just five days after packing his suits away, Stine was on his first tour through the Keys. He now rides 6,000 miles per year and takes a great amount of satisfaction in knowing he can still do it.

"I wanted to do as much self-sustained touring, meaning I don't receive any support on the road," Stine said. "I saw people doing the tourist thing where they come on a bus, they get out, they look around and take a photo and get back on the bus. I really didn't want to do that, so I decided on my bike was the best way to go."

Stine's ride through the Keys has evolved over the years as trail organizers build more bike paths and link them to fishing bridges. Stine uses a combination of trails and bridges that are slowly becoming the infrastructure of a major bicycle trail from Fort Lauderdale to Key West.

"We currently have 70 miles of trail and plan to build another 30 over the next year," said Monica Woll, community outreach coordinator for the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail, which featured Stine in its June newsletter. "I've only met Earl once but I love what he's out there doing, carrying all his own stuff and doing 50-mile days. We plan on eventually having (the trail) all linked up, and it's really a great experience to ride over the old railroad bridges, and the scenery is amazing."

Stine gets an early start to his daily 50-mile ride. At night, he and the riders with him stay in motels along the route to rest up, and they take the opportunity to stop and enjoy the local scenery. Julia Schmidt of Columbus, OH, joined Stine on his ride last year and reflects fondly on the memory of her trip.

"Earl is a fun, easy going guy," Schmidt said. "We just e-mailed back and forth, and he said I was perfect to go along with him. It's not an incredibly difficult ride. Earl has his way, he likes to start early, and he's very knowledgeable. I told him I'd start early, but don't expect me to talk to you until I get my coffee. It was a pleasure riding with him though."

Stine's next excursion is scheduled for mid-October to early November. If you'd like to join him, email him at estine2208@mac.com.