A round of applause goes out to Bike/Walk Central Florida’s (BWCF) Bike 5 Cities event. The Florida Bicycle Association announced the annual bike ride as the 2020 event of the year!
“This is a wonderful recognition of the courageous and innovative team who first postponed and then quickly re-engineered the entire event in response to the increase in cycling and our continued mission to show people where the comfortable places to ride are located,” said Lisa Portelli, BWCF board chair and Bike 5 Cities ride director. “We tip our helmets and share this award with the 25 ride leader volunteers and our sponsors whose time and generous contributions made this fun day possible.”
Lisa Portelli accepted the award on behalf of BWCF, its volunteers and staff and was also recognized for her hard work and dedication to the Bike 5 Cities annual event. Lisa, a founding BWCF board member, is also the creator of the Bike 5 Cities event. When she’s not cycling across the region, state or country or advocating for better infrastructure for all road users, Lisa is the City of Orlando’s senior advisor to the Mayor for homelessness and social services as well as an instructor at The University of Central Florida. She teaches courses on non-profit management programs for students in the Master’s program. Over the years, Lisa has made impactful changes to the overall well-being and structure of our community. Sometimes, she probably sleeps.
As Bike 5 Cities rolled into fall of 2020, a new set of operations were created to ensure safety protocols due to COVID-19. These safety measures included a registration limit, varied start times, small guided group rides of no more than five riders per group or a self-guided ride. Temperature checks were taken, and masks were mandatory at all stops. The riders were eagerly ready to go as they rode through the five city locations of Winter Park, Maitland, Orlando, Eatonville and Casselberry.
Following the event, riders were surveyed on the new protocols and the results showed that they actually liked the new format even better.
“I loved the small groups on the guided ride,” replied one rider. “It was great to have a guide as I’m not familiar with the trails and route and just started riding. The slower pace was nice too!” added another.
Due to the overwhelmingly positive feedback of the small group guided rides and self-guided rides, BWCF has decided to continue that format in 2021 as well.
SAVE THE DATE
So, gear up and mark your calendars for Saturday, October 30, 2021, for the next Bike 5 Cities! If you rode last year, rest assured that you’ll receive an email notice before registration opens. If you missed out, just send us a message to [email protected] and we’ll add you to the email list.
Sponsorship opportunities are available for organizations who want to make a positive impact as they gain visibility among emerging and avid cyclists alike https://bikewalkcf.wpengine.com/bike5cities/bike-5-cities-2020-sponsorship-info/.
For more information, head over to our Save-the-Date: Bike 5 Cities 2021 to Kick Off Mobility Week – Oct. 30 article: https://bikewalkcf.wpengine.com/save-the-date-bike-5-cities-2021-kicks-off-mobility-week-oct-30/.
