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November is when Central Florida riding hits its stride. The dry season is here, the mornings are cool and clear, and the afternoons are perfect for a long day in the saddle. The clocks went back on Sunday, November 1, so it gets dark earlier, but the weather is about as good as it gets all year. Start early, plan to be headed home before sunset, and make the most of it.
Ride of the Month: The Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail
Live oak canopy, salt marsh and a run down the Atlantic coast
Take I-4 east toward Daytona, then head into Ormond Beach and pick up the Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail, a designated Florida Scenic Highway. Ride north on Old Dixie Highway under a thick canopy of live oaks and Spanish moss, past Tomoka State Park and Bulow Creek State Park. Swing onto Walter Boardman Lane and Highbridge Road, the curviest part of the loop, as it follows Bulow Creek through the woods and crosses the Halifax River to the coast.
Then turn south on A1A and ride back toward Ormond Beach with the Atlantic on your left. Want more? Come back up John Anderson Drive along the river. The canopy roads are narrow and shady, so take it easy and watch for cyclists, sand and fallen branches. Grab lunch near the beach and leave plenty of time for the run back to Orlando before dark.
For a shorter morning, run SR-46 east from Sanford through Geneva toward Mims, across open ranch land and the St. Johns River. On Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, take a minute to thank the veterans in your riding crew. Plenty of them are the reason this community exists.
Late-Fall Safety: Florida Edition
November is prime riding in Central Florida, and it comes with its own set of hazards.
- The deer are moving. Fall is deer season in Florida, and the rural and forest roads see the most of them at dawn and dusk. With the time change, dusk now lands right on the ride home. Scan the tree lines, cover your brakes, and never swerve across the center line.
- You are riding home in the dark. Since the clocks went back, the evening commute ends after sunset. Drivers on I-4 and the toll roads are not looking for a motorcycle. Run your lights, wear something reflective, and give yourself extra room at intersections.
- Cold fronts bring fog and cool pavement. A November front can leave cool, damp mornings with fog in the low spots and along the rivers. Dress in layers, warm your tires up, and leave long following distance until the fog lifts.
- Thanksgiving week traffic. Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, and the parks and highways fill with visitors. The Wednesday night before is one of the worst nights of the year for drunk driving. If you ride that week, ride early in the day and stay off the road that night.
Know Your Florida Law
- PIP does not follow you onto the bike. Florida is a no-fault state, but PIP does not cover motorcyclists. There is no personal injury protection on your bike for your own medical bills, so strong health coverage and UM matter, and the claim against the at-fault driver does the heavy lifting.
- Too much blame means no recovery. Since the 2023 reforms, Florida uses modified comparative negligence. Your recovery drops by your share of the fault, and if you are found more than 50 percent at fault, you collect nothing.
- The helmet and the 10,000 dollar rule. Riders under 21 must always wear a DOT helmet. Riders 21 and older can go without one only if they carry at least 10,000 dollars in medical benefits coverage, and insurers still bring up the helmet question against injured riders.
- Two years to file, and many drivers carry no injury coverage. Florida now gives you two years from the crash to file an injury claim. It also does not require ordinary drivers to carry bodily injury liability, so uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is often what really protects you. Do not wait to get advice.
Ride Nation Orlando
Riding season in Central Florida is just getting good. Post your best November ride, tell other riders where the fog, sand and road work are from Ormond Beach to the Beachline, and share the photos worth seeing. Tag us. This is your scene, run by riders who ride these roads.
Final Weeks for the $20,000 BikeWin Giveaway
You are already entered for a chance at 20,000 dollars toward any motorcycle you want, and the winner is drawn December 10. That is only a few weeks away. Know a riding buddy who has not entered yet? Entry is free, so send them the link before it closes.
Enter the giveaway
A tourist who never saw your headlight on I-Drive after dark. A deer on a rural road outside town. A rental car drifting into your lane on I-4 in Thanksgiving traffic. If you ever go down in Florida, remember PIP does not cover you on a bike, so you want a lawyer who rides these roads and knows how the fault rules get used against riders.