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News
Ride-4-Ronald 2012
Ride-4-Ronald is an annual bike ride hosted by the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida and sponsored by McDonalds and David’s World Cycle. It is an enthusiast level biking event with 30, 60 and 100 mile bike routes. Last year, over 600 cyclists helped raise nearly $120,000 for the 1,500 families with seriously ill or critically injured children who stay at the two Ronald McDonald House Central Florida locations each year. Their goal is to raise $150,000 this year. Sign up now to participate in this fun event for a great cause! It will be on Sunday September 23, 2012. Please note that this ride travels at a fairly fast rate on city streets. Riders considering this event should be able to easily complete at least 30 miles and should feel comfortable riding in traffic.
Southeast Cycling Expo
The Southeast Cycling Expo is coming up! It will take place at the Orange County Convention Center on November 17th. It has the latest and greatest in everything bicycles. The featured guest will be bike legend Bob “Bobke” Roll. You can enter for a chance to win the opportunity to ride next to him at the “Horrible Hundred” Century Ride the next morning after the Expo. Buy your tickets now through July 31 and qualify for the Early Bird pricing of two tickets for the price of one! Click here for the Southeast Cycling Expo main page.
Dinky Line Trail Opens August 7!
The much anticipated Dinky Line Trail will officially open to the public on Tuesday August 7th. This is also National Night Out, an annual national event for Neighborhood Watch communities. Join City of Orlando Police and Retro City Cycles 5:30-7:30 at Lake Highland Park at the intersection of Ferris Ave. and Lake Highland Drive! There will be music, games, treats, and free bicycle and helmet safety checks. Click here for a full list of events and more details about the event.
Open Ride Invitation
This is an open invitation to anyone that would like to ride any Tuesday, Thursday and/or Saturday from the San Sebastian Trail Head on SR 436. The ride starts at 8AM each morning weather permitting and travels north on the Seminole Wekiva Trail and some county roads. We generally stop at Panera for coffee and a bagel and then head north towards state road 46 with a little zig zag to get extra miles. We take a second rest stop at the Sylvan Lake trail head then head home. The ride is about 35/40 miles in length and we ride at about a 14/15 mile per hour pace. This is a no drop ride and is very social; we meet as a small group without a specific ride leader. For more information, contact Jim Catlette at [email protected] or (424) 914-0398.
From our friends at Commute Orlando: Peter Martinez has created a collaborative Bike Parking map, designed to help Bicyclists plan their routes, and park their bikes on secure racks, rather than a stop sign or a tree. This can also help us advise business of the need for a rack, better placement, or even reward them for doing it right! Read more . . .
Community Outreach
More than 100,000 Orange County have already recieved, or will soon recieve, information on crosswalk law and pedestrian safety thanks to our ongoing community outreach effort. In the past two weeks we have contacted more than 100 neighborhood associations that have either posted our pre-written article on their website, emailed it as part of their regular communication, or distributed our fliers at their regular meetings.
The Internationlal Drive Improvement District has agreed to help us promote pedestrian safety on their I-Ride Trolleys, visitor guides and at the guest service desks of 110 hotels.
Thanks, as well, to Track Shack, which has agreed to distribute our fliers to more than 31,000 runners in race registration packets.
Next steering committee meeting, 9 a.m., July 24th
The Best Foot Forward Steering Committee will meet in the MetroPlan Orlando board room, 9 a.m., Tuesday, July 24th.
About Best Foot Forward
State law requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, and pedestrians to yield to cars when crossing outside of a crosswalk. In Orange County, the fine for failure to yield is $164 and 3 points on your drivers license. And yet, our baseline data shows that, on average, only about five percent of drivers obey this law.
The five-year initiative is currently focused on Orange County and expand into Seminole and Osceola counties as resources permit. Five cities, two towns, and Orange County have passed resolutions supporting the initiative. Orlando Police Department has trained 24 officers. Orange County Sheriff’s office, this week trained 40 more. Police agencies in Winter Park, Maitland and Eatonville, and police chiefs from throughout Orange County, have pledged their support to the initiative, launched by Bike/Walk Central Florida and the Florida Bicycle Association, with financial support from the Winter Park Health Foundation and MetroPlan Orlando.
We have met with representatives of Orange County Public Schools. Outgoing Superintendent Ronald Blocker spoke at our kickoff. And we hope to be able to negotiate the addition of pedestrian safety curriculum grades K-5 as early as this fall.
When was the last time you saved a life? Your contributions of $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, or more, can make a big difference. Checks should be made out to the Florida Bicycle Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and mailed to: Betsy Holl at: P.O. Box 916715, Longwood, FL 32793-6715. Please specify that you are donating to Best Foot Forward.
Events
Community Calendar Link
http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/community-calendar/
Recurring Rides
(The next First Friday ride is August 3rd)
First Fridays: Take it to the streets bike ride to promote civility: 6 p.m. on the First Friday of each month. Check our Facebook Fan page for start locations.
UCF Bike Bus: Downtown Orlando to UCF, then UCF to Downtown Orlando. Follow bike bus in real time via GPS at http://commuteorlando.com/bikebus/
Ride With Steve: Beginner ride. Meet at Winter Garden Wheel Works in Downtown Winter Garden, 8 a.m., Saturdays. – Sponsored by Winter Garden Wheel Works .
See our Calendar for other family rides:
www.bikewalkcentralflorida.org
S-Cargo farmers market rides featuring utility bikes and trailers
Ice Cream Socials: night rides through Downtown Orlando
Unless specifically designated as a trail ride, our rides take place on public streets. Headlights and red rear flashers are required for night rides. Helmets are encouraged, and are required for children under 16.
We observe all traffic laws and traffic signals.
Our rides are typically 10 to 15 miles, roundtrip, and average 10 miles an hour, a comfortable pace for most adults and teens. May be too fast for younger children and adults with health issues.
These rides are social in nature.
For a list of longer, faster rides, subscribe to Hal Downing’s group ride newsletter by emailing [email protected] .
If you have a social ride you would like us to help promote, please email me at the address below.
Brad
Brad Kuhn
Executive Director
[email protected]
Bike/Walk Central Florida Would like to thank our sponsors:
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