Winter Garden, Lake Apopka & the Clay Loop of Central Florida!

"Winter Garden is a city located 14 miles (23 km) west of Downtown Orlando in the western part of Orange County, Florida, United States. Established by Henry Harrel of Alachua in 1857, Winter Garden was formerly called Beulah. It is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area." - Wikipedia.org
Topography:
"The terrain is characterized by a gentle to moderately sloping topography. Winter Garden has the highest elevation spot in Orange County. The highest elevation is 222 feet (68 m) in NAVD 88 (North American Vertical Datum) located in the southwest corner of the city South near the county line with Lake County. The lowest elevation in the city is 64 feet (20 m) near Lake Apopka."
"Lake Apopka is the fourth largest lake in the U.S. state of Florida. It is located 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Orlando, mostly within the bounds of Orange County, although the western part is in Lake County. Fed by a natural spring, rainfall and stormwater runoff, water from Lake Apopka flow through the Apopka-Beauclair Canal and into Lakes Beauclair and Dora."
Lake Apopka also plays host to the Lake Apopka Loop Trail, which runs alongside Lake Apopka North Shore, connecting Magnolia Park and the Green Mountain Scenic Overlook and Trailhead. Much of this area is popular with local and visiting cyclists, runners, and walkers.
Finally, there is the 10-mile Clay Loop. It’s a clay road around cow pastures and old orange groves. But the combination of soft dirt, rolling hills, and the away-from-everything feel of the locale make the area a hit for runners and cyclists alike. Vehicular traffic is few and far between, but wide boulevard-like roads offer plenty of opportunities for the rare passing motorist. The area is very popular with members of the best and longest-running Facebook group related to gravel cycling, Gravel Griinders of Florida - / 1528117044175916
In this video, JOM of the Gravel Cyclist crew experiences all of the above and more. He begins his ride in Winter Garden, and later heads to Lake Apopka, followed by an ascent of the legendary Sugarloaf Mountain Road in Clermont. The 10-Mile Clay Loop is also paid a visit, along with much riding in between these points of interest.
Map link to a good chunk of this route - www.mapmyride.com/routes/view...
Links of Interest:
Central Florida Railroad Museum - www.cfrhs.org
Gravel Griinders of Florida - / 1528117044175916
City of Winter Garden - cwgdn.com
Claymont 100 (2015 Edition) Video - wp.me/p4V4se-25o
Sage Titanium Barlow Gravel Bike Unboxing & Features - wp.me/p4V4se-bcY
Hope for the Warriors Charity - hopeforthewarriors.org
Ferndale, Florida - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferndal...
Panaracer Gravelking SS Tyre Review - wp.me/p4V4se-aaf
Amazon Affiliation Link:
No cost to you, but every purchase made helps keep Gravel Cyclist up and running! - www.amazon.com/?&_encoding=UT...
Web: GravelCyclist.com
Facebook: / gravelcyclist
Instagram - / gravelcyclist
Twitter - / gravelcyclist

[@C.Medina]

Jom let me know next time you'll come and we can do another loop in another clay roads I know in the area with no traffic whatsoever. 👍 Also we can go to the green swamp where is about 40+ miles of tree tunnel gravel.

[@DaneKromer]

Thanks JOM, very enjoyable! Happy new year and here’s to a better year ahead!

[@GravelCyclist]

Thank you Dane, yes!

[@davidbenner6551]

I’ve done road riding from Eustis to Sugarloaf visiting my in laws, the hard part of riding in Florida is no coasting downhill. With the heat it’s like a trainer ride. Sugarloaf is a straight bomb descent too but I was behind a landscaping truck so had to brake a little :)

[@Kingjay814]

Hey this is my neck of the woods!!

[@onmyphone1420]

Wow! I know all the areas you rode. thats a huge area you covered

[@chazmtb]

Cool video. Great little bike community.

[@charleskarski1140]

Thank-you I love to hitch a ride wit you and I am impressed with the length of your ride 160K...

[@glenbergman9040]

fortunately, no snow on Sugarloaf the day you rode. I crewed for an ultracyclist several years ago and he had to climb Sugarloaf-- fortunately for him, it was early on in the ride!

[@buzzboykin9982]

Your rooster and flock reminds me of a run in on my daily ride in early spring a couple of years ago. I was blissfully riding along and spied a turkey flock ahead. Turns out it was a Gobbler with his flock of hens. As I rode by Mr. Gobbler came out after me to protect his harem. As I fled the dreaded sound of turkey feet pounding pavement behind me for around a hundred yards, I looked down and clocked Mr. Gobbler at roughly 13 MPH. So be carefull out there or you might be turkey leavings.

[@therealdubs]

yooo you made it down here. welcome

[@GravelCyclist]

Thank you!

[@jerryanker2289]

I figured those waters had reptiles in them. Watch out for the pythons. You are a brave man out there by yourself. God Bless 2021.

[@Kingjay814]

Alligators...big alligators. I walk those paths and I'm surprised that he didn't encounter any. Especially by the pump house there's a small pond like thing in front of it you see them swimming around in that or laying out on the paths.

[@GravelCyclist]

I was hoping for an alligator encounter (on video). Timing was off that day.

[@jakenoack6702]

Awesome looking ride. Would you be able to tell me the length of everything you rode in the video?

[@billyblaze700x9]

Please review the Standard Byke co. Level B frame. Thanks!

[@den1598]

I'm in the central FL area. Do you ever ride with fans or is there a bike club here worth joining?

[@GravelCyclist]

Hello there, sorry for the delay in replying! If you're on Facebook, this group is worth joining - facebook.com/groups/1528117044175916

[@astonrides]

What town are you in? DeLand has a great biking community

[@TheSk33z]

Your in no luck with your videos lately, 16:40 and on

[@GravelCyclist]

This is so annoying as the file on my end is perfect. Ugh. Frustrating.