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Saturday, May 2, 2026. Wheels roll 8 a.m. Meet at Crystal Springs Post Office, 1425 Paul S. Buchman Highway, Crystal Springs.
Just south of the Circle-K. Join the club on this appx 35 - 40-mile mixed surfaces ride. Gravel bikes or MTBs…. Split decision. It’s hard to decide which bike is best for this ride! The Alston Tract & Upper Hillsborough WMA (UHWMA) sections are more mtb friendly (100% off road and rugged in sections), while the Crystal Springs rural roads are more gravel bike friendly. Is there a perfect bike for this ride? Let’s see what everyone shows up with and then decide. If you’re riding a gravel bike, suggest wider tires (45mm+).
I’ve been exploring these properties since the late 1990s around the same time the Alston Family transferred their appx. 3,000-acre property to SWFWMD, which expanded the size of the Hillsborough River Greenway since that merged the property with Upper Hillsborough WMA adjoining to the north. The Alston/ UHWMA sections of the route will consist of hard-pack dirt roads, double-track, grassy and rugged trails with some sandy sections, and will cross the upper Hillsborough River twice - once via a small footbridge, and the 2nd time via a gravel bottom crossing near the CSX railroad. The first and last sections of the ride will lead through Crystal Springs backroads.
The overall route is 86% unpaved and 14% pavement. For safety, bring a tail flasher for use on Crystal Springs roadways. Expect some sand and possibly mud depending on conditions leading up to the ride. Bring plenty of hydration, snacks/ lunch, sun screen, bug spray, tools, at least 2 tubes and/or tubeless repair kit. Ride guide Rob DeGraaf is a Senior Environmental Scientist and past Author of Fat Tire Favorites, Guide to West-Central and South Florida Off-Road Bicycling books, and a past director of the Florida Off-Road Bicycling Association (FORBA). Please post any questions under this ride Event or send me a DM.
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Event Venue
Crystal Springs Post Office, 1425 Paul S. Buchman Highway, Crystal Springs, FL 33524, 1425 Paul S Buchman Hwy, Zephyrhills, FL 33524-9702, United States
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