BikeWalkLee's Column: Plenty of reasons to ride this weekend

 Today's BikeWalkLee column in News-Press highlights tomorrow's SWFL Critical Mass ride in downtown Fort Myers and the Sanibel Bicycle Club's being named the Bicycle Club of the year by Florida Bicycle Association.

BikeWalkLee's column in "Go Coastal" section of News-Press, March 31, 2016

One of the great things about cycling and running/walking is that they are activities you can do at almost any level and almost any time – and if you want to be part of a group, that’s eminently accessible as well.

This weekend is a great example of that in the world of two wheels, with literally something for everyone who’s willing to get on a bike.

On Friday, of course, it’s the monthly SW Florida Critical Mass ride in Fort Myers – and, since you’ll note it’s April Fool’s Day, those who wish to dress for the occasion are encouraged to wear their PJs (optional, of course) – and their helmets and lights, too. 

Riders gather to set up and socialize starting at 7:15 p.m. next to the downtown Publix at 3560 McGregor Blvd. The ride rolls out at 8 p.m. for a 12-mile easy-paced pedal. There’s a break in the middle at the Edison Restaurant, and after-ride events will be announced as part of the fun. (It’s also Art Walk Friday, so downtown will be busy all night.)

This is about as easy as it gets to be part of a group ride, and the Critical Mass crew work hard on the fun. If night isn’t your thing, there’s a daylight slow roll in Fort Myers the last Saturday of the month – and if Fort Myers isn’t your thing, try the Cape Coral Critical Mass ride on the last Friday evening of the month.

Need more of a challenge? Head up to Punta Gorda for the Pedal and Play in Paradise two-day event, which also starts Friday with a ride around the city, yoga and wine & cheese. That will get you ready for the main event Saturday, with rides of 15, 30 and 62 miles, a 10-mile mystery ride, food, music and more (including Taste of Punta Gorda for those who’ve worked up a healthy appetite).

These three distances are popular and allow riders to push hard (on the long hauls) or poke along as they wish. But helmets are required and riding skills are recommended, since you’ll be on open roads with faster cyclists and traffic. The rides are supported, bur rest stops will close by a stated time so plan your pace and distance accordingly.

Group rides such as these are good for those who like to socialize their ride, with the Critical Mass ride better for the easy-going and the Paradise ride better suited for the serious (and faster) cyclist. If hanging around with other cyclists is not your thing, you can still go it alone… but it’s always nice to see what other cyclists are up to and discover some strength (and safety) in numbers.

Sanibel Bicycle Club honored

(L to R: Tom Sharbaugh, Patti Sousa, Diane Olsson, Becky Alfonso

Congratulations to the Sanibel Bicycle Club on being named the Florida Bike Club of the Year by the Florida Bicycle Association (FBA). FBA's Executive Director Becky Afonso was on hand to present the award to Club President Diane Olsson, VP Patti Sousa, and Tom Sharbaugh. 

In presenting the award, Afonso highlighted the outstanding "Cycling on Sanibel" safety video, along with the Club's overall safety education initiative. "The Sanibel Bicycle Club's 'Cycling on Sanibel' video is a high-quality product that communicates the safety message using a "fun" approach. It is one of the best bike safety videos I've seen," said Afonso. 

The video project was initiated by the club In 2014, when they proposed to the city that it apply for a Tourist Development Council grant to support the development of a tourist-focused "Cycling on Sanibel" safety video. The city applied for the TDC grant and received $4,000 in November 2014, which served as seed money to get started. Sharbaugh and Patti Sousa led the project on behalf of the club. 

Its team first went door to door to businesses and organizations on island to raise over $20,000 to pay for the production of the video, which they successfully raised by January 2015. This fund-raising effort also got community buy-in and support for the project. The finished video was rolled out in May to widespread critical acclaim by local officials, residents, the business and tourism industry, and media, both locally and statewide. The SBC team then got to work on making sure the video was receiving the broadest distribution by all travel related organizations and businesses. 

Building on this success and the relationships developed through this project, the SBC team pursued a second safety education opportunity – developing nine key messages on how to be safe on Sanibel's shared use paths and displaying them on electronic displays in island and businesses, in partnership with Blue Ash Media Group. These messages have been running in 14 popular locations on Sanibel and Captiva since August 2015. 

"Not only are these two innovative projects improving the safety and the biking experience for visitors on Sanibel, they are serving as models for other communities throughout Florida. The Sanibel Bicycle Club received the FBA's 2011 Club of the Year award, and it's gratifying to see this outstanding Club continue to serve as a model for other clubs in Florida," Afonso said. 

Ready to ride or run?

Run? You can run to support animals (The Fast and The Furriest 5K April 9), fight cancer (Run for a Cure 5K April 2) or support the arts (Artis-Naples 10K Run For Music April 9). Just feel like running? Then head to the Paradise Coast Half Marathon and 5K April 10 in Naples.

Ride? The Fort Myers Critical Mass ride is Friday night; Pedal and Play in Paradise takes over Punta Gorda Friday and Saturday.

Both? On May 1, you can tackle the Lake Avalon Reverse Triathlon & Duathlon… or you can start planning to be ready for one of the raft of races coming up (including the Galloway Captiva Tri, which opens registration May 1).

#BeSeenLee: To keep people safe at night while biking, we’re working to provide free bike lights to those unable to afford them (but who have to ride at night). BikeWalkLee partners (including Pawnbroker Marketing and Billy's Bikes) will be coordinating events during this campaign. Be sure to watch the BikeWalklee Facebook and Twitter pages for more #BeSeenLee event announcements and details.

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Ken Gooderham writes this on behalf of BikeWalkLee, a community coalition raising public awareness and advocating for complete streets in Lee County — streets that are designed, built, operated and maintained for safe and convenient travel for all users: pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities. Information, statistics and background online at www.BikeWalkLee.org.