Getting around

which island would you be living on?

i brought my own car. some people bring theirs and some buy here.

i live on stx and our neighbor had a scooter for about a year. there are people that ride motorcycles. a bicycle is not practical.

our roads are filled with potholes, some pretty bigs ones. you will not be able to see them at night or when they are in the shade dappled by sunlight. you could flip the scooter.

I'd advise against a scooter, a nice on road / off road motorcycle would be fine (mine handles the pot holes I don't dodge); but a car is probably best unless your a fairly confident rider.

Do most people bring a vehicle with them when relocating to vi? Would a bicycle be practical? Maybe a scooter?

Please search then fourm. This topics been covered more than the crime rate.

But no where near as much as national politics. 🙁

Thanks for the replies. I am a confident rider so motorcycle seems like a good choice. I'll be moving to STT btw.

Driving a car on STT is dangerous enough never mind a motorcycle or scooter. Just have a great medical insurance plan. You will need it. You obviously have never been here.

Thanks for the replies. I am a confident rider so motorcycle seems like a good choice. I'll be moving to STT btw.

I thought we were talking STX... on STT I wouldn't recommend 2wheels under most circumstances, the roads are far worse there & the island seems like it's all made out of super steep hills, lots of blind corners and driving in the on comming traffic lane is SUPER common in the USVI (mostly to avoid potholes) which with the above issues makes for a bad equation.

I don't recommend a scooter or a motorcycle. It's not only the steep, sharp turns, wet roads (that can happen at any moment), and poor road conditions, it's tourists. You could be an excellent rider, but you cannot predict what tourists will do. Young woman on St. John was on a scooter when a tourist hit the scooter she was on with a jeep. She died, the driver was critically injured. I know several others who have been pretty badly injured before deciding to ditch the scooter and stick to their feet. You will also have to have a motorcycle operator's license.... not sure what that entails though.

Thanks for the replies. I am a confident rider so motorcycle seems like a good choice. I'll be moving to STT btw.

I thought we were talking STX... on STT I wouldn't recommend 2wheels under most circumstances, the roads are far worse there & the island seems like it's all made out of super steep hills, lots of blind corners and driving in the on comming traffic lane is SUPER common in the USVI (mostly to avoid potholes) which with the above issues makes for a bad equation.

The OP is moving to STT:-)

Buy or bring a car.
STT road conditions are horrendous and the drivers aren't much better.
Doesn't matter whether tourists or locals.
There are times also when it rains every day, for weeks, which makes you soggy and the roads and conditions with flash floods, worse

Yeah if you don't want to live much longer. Once you get on Island and see how they drive, you will realize how stupid either a bike or a scooter would be. I'm not saying it can't be done, but you would most likely die.*-)

Do yourself a favor, bring a tank or at the very least a sturdy car or buy one once you get on Island.

mike

Scooters = death.

Thanks for the replies. I am a confident rider so motorcycle seems like a good choice. I'll be moving to STT btw.

HAHAHAH! Make sure you have life insurance. Seriously that is one of the worst descision you can make. You need a car. You COULD live in red hook or town I guess and take safaris but I assure you that'll get old FAST.

Buying and riding a scooter or even a motorcycle on STT is a death wish and many HAVE died. Please don't be one of those that comes here for advice and then doesn't listen. I don't care if you're friggin Valentino Rossi - just don't do it.

I also think a lot of residents hate the noisy ride rockets. I know when a group comes into hull bay and all revs up everyone rolls their eyes and covers their ears. General consensus is islanders like it generally quiet... which is why we all live here vs a city.

Oh and that's all beside the fact that it's VERY likely to get stolen!! I don't know much about scooters but did have an R6 (stateside) for a bit and even there it was just too dangerous for me. Will scooters even MAKE it up northside? Like literally enough power for the hills over there?

Thanks for all of the replies and info. I've been a daily rider now for years but clearly 2 wheels are not a great option for STT. I won't be coming with a car but will make it a priority when I arrive.

I ride a motorcycle on St John and have never owned a car since I moved here in 2008. There are many, many reasons not to ride two wheels on any of the islands, and every island has different risks, like the tourist couple on the scooter who was run over from behind and killed by a truck on STX last year. On STJ I am more likely to hit a donkey or goat around a blind curve, or get hit head-on by a tourist who's in the wrong lane. On STT I would be more likely to have another car hit me in traffic (happened to a friend a couple months back).

I also do not recommend riding in the islands at all, no matter your skill level, before you know the roads really well. You have to know where the slick spots are, where someone is likely to stop and have a chat halfway up a steep hill, how off-camber a particular street surface is, etc.

So, the risks are clear. Here are the advantages, from the perspective of another daily rider.

(1) Potholes and speed bumps - you can go around them. I borrowed a friend's car last week and couldn't believe how many there really are. I hardly notice them because my wheels never touch them.

(2) Parking - it's so much harder with a car than a bike. On St John especially this is huge.

(3) Safety - yes, you're more likely to be hurt if you're not in a cage, but it can also be easier to get out of the way of that big truck that's taking up 2/3 of the road. You can stop faster than a car, too.

I minimize my risks -- very cautious, maintain my bike well, wear a full-face helmet and boots, rarely ride at night, never drink and ride. I've had good training in the states, and I've got a lot of moto miles under my belt.

I love riding; it's a part of my life that makes me feel free. It's not for everyone, and it's generally not a good idea for island newbies. But, for the better part of my 9 years in the islands, it's been great for me.

I love riding; it's a part of my life that makes me feel free..

Agree with every thing he said (I don't necessarily have as good of bike discipline however), it definitely can be done, I'd been riding almost daily for 2 years here till I shattered my knee (on my motorcycle, my fault, going 15 mph.. lol). So I took a year off while I learned to walk again, then started riding till both my tires got slow leaks that I couldn't stop.. I plan on riding again when I get new tires.

BUT, STX is super flat, and where I ride (mostly just to work, or to F'sted 2
miles away) is 35-45 mph and strait (center line); I've never had any issues I didn't cause ( 😉 haha ).

STT though.. I dunno I would recommend against it there from my brief visit.

Btw, I ride electric... you have GOT to try it, the islands are so beautiful when you quietly roll through them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YW861tMRrQ

frederiksted is flat, christiansted isnt really nor is the east end or over by cane bay

frederiksted is flat, christiansted isnt really nor is the east end or over by cane bay

True enough, I'm a westie... don't go to those places much..

But compared to STT.. those places are flat too ... haha

and compared to the mountains of pennsylvania and west virginia, stt is flat

and compared to the mountains of pennsylvania and west virginia, stt is flat

Yes and no. I've ridden there, and most of the roads in PA and WV do not have the 35%+ grades that are common on STT & STJ. But of course, the stateside mountains are way taller.

We can get away with the steep grades in the VI with no snow and ice. Roads with those steep grades in PA an WV would be useless in winter therefore don't build them that steep.