Bike from Kingston to Port Antonio through the Blue Mountains
Replies: 12 - Last Post: Feb 9, 2013 4:46 PM Last Post By: MikeyMike
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Bike from Kingston to Port Antonio through the Blue Mountains
Hey,The title basically says it all.
Me and my girlfriend are travelling through Jamaica soon and we found it a bit useless to enter the blue mountains from one city and come back to that same city. We're from the Netherlands, and have biked all our lives as a means of transport so we should be able to do it physically.
Does anyone know if such a trip would be safe? And is it easy to get lost or are there decent biking paths with good directions?
Are there companies that offer such trips?
Thanks,
Albert
1
Hey Albert.I have been to the Netherlands many times and have biked there on the island that has no cars. I have seen the love the Dutch have for biking, so I do understand you wanting to bike from Kingston to Port Antonio.
I have also been to Jamaica many many times and can assure you that it is a country that is not biker friendly.
There are no biker lanes, the roads are narrow with no shoulders, the drivers have no respect for bikers (nor road rules), and the roads through the mountains are in terrible condition. Direction signs hardly exist, and road maps are hard to come by. Also, you are use to flat terrain in Holland. In Jamaica, it will be mountain roads, so be sure of your physical conditioning.
In general, biking is not at all popular in Jamaica, and I do not know of any companies are biking clubs that would offer such a trip.
I would advise you NOT to attempt this bike trip in Jamaica !
There is good reason why all auto transportation in the mountains go back to Kingston to reach Port Antonio.
ONE LOVE !!
Mike
2
Check out Sun Venture Tours in Kingstonand Blue Mountain Bike Tours in Ocho Rios (1 1/2 hours from Kingston)
Both companies offer bike tours through the Blue Mountains..and are very reputable companies..
I would advise against doing it without a guide of some sort but its completely DOABLE and Safe
There a few well known private bicycle clubs in Jamaica as well...most of them in Kingston
3
Hi Albert, there is a Blue Mountain Bicycle tour, I think they take you up and do a descent from the slope on the Portland side. It is true that the infrastructure for biking here is not great but I'm guessing that you expect it not to be the same as Holland. Cycling is popular in Jamaica as a means for ordinary folk to get around and there are numerous cycling clubs that organize rides between Kingston to Negril and other shorter routes. Jamaica also boasts a Olympic bronze medal cyclist (1980 summer games Moscow) David Weller, he is the only Jamaican Olympic medalist outside of track and field. The classic dancehall song "one wheel wheely" by Early B sings about it and cycling in Jamaica. So there is a cycling tradition here and I think with the necessary precautions and planning it could be a great adventure. bless, Scotty4
Bravo Ackeepod, you have your facts straight. I would add that Jamaica has a tradition of cycling with our David Weller winning bronze in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, the only Jamaican to this date to win an Olympic medal outside of track and field. The old school dancehall hit "one wheel wheely" by Early B talks about these accomplishments and cycling in Jamaica in general. Peter Tosh famously was devoted to his unicycle. bless, Scotty5
http://www.my-island-jamaica.com/bike_riding_tours.htmlSun Venture Tours
http://www.sunventuretours.com/Bicycle%20Tours.htm
Blue Mountain Tours
http://www.bmtoursja.com/tours.html
The "No problem Tour "
http://www.crw.org/tours/Jamaica/index.html
Reviews..
http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-g147310-d147569-r118847782-Blue_Mountains-Kingston_Kingston_Parish_Jamaica.html
7
I know I am going to get yelled at about the statement I am about to make.Companies in Jamaica that offer specialized tours are not always what they appear.
Meaning you may arrive and you may are may not be able to do the tour you want, when you want.
There may not be enough people, the equipment may not be up to standard or not working at all, there can be a number of reasons given for not being able to do the requested tour.
It is ALWAYS best to check a day are two in advance to see if it will happen, and I strongly suggest to NEVER pay in advance !!
It is just how things sometimes happens in Jamaica !
ONE LOVE !!
Mike
9
And I'm going to go down the middle line: IF: you have your own equipment, are in excellent physical condition and expect to spend more time than you plan on the road you should be able to do this with basic road maps.The issues mike raised do exist; road conditions can be dreadful, compared to Netherlands;roads are very narrow; car drivers won't try to hit you but may be unaware of the bikers' requirements; weather can change dramatically with altitude and distance into the mtns.
That said, you can do thi, but you may end up spending a night or two in the mtns,enroute.
Some bike trips in JA consist of a van carrying you up into the mtns. and you roll down the roads on the provided bikes. (I've heard horror stories of dreadful road conditions, bikes with no brakes, etc; and I've heard stories of good trips with good equipment. If you choose a "tour" be sure to ask specific questions concerning route, equipment and what is expected of the participants.
11
It can be done, for sure you need to have your own bikes, gear, etc.To make it OVER the mountain (been there and done that though went via Buff Bay via Section dropping into Kingston @ Papine) you need to be in GREAT shape. Last time I went up there the road was GONE in a landslide nearCascade, must be fixed by now but you need to check locals re road conditions before going any route thru the Blues.
The roads will be in bad to terrible shape, there is no bike path or lane, drivers may pass you a bit close but for sure JA drivers are used to walkers, goats, cows and occaisional biker on the road. There are alot of elderly farmers who get around by bike in JA without getting hit so if you have your heart set on it go for it.
Doubt you can find tour to do what you are seeking, but with prep and planning it surely can work.
