On Sunday, April 25, we had the first Bike Miami Days event of 2010, held in Cocount Grove, one of the oldest and picturesque areas of Miami. As it was last year, the April event was co-sponsored by the Dutch Consulate in celebration of Queen’s Day, which means the Dutch community of Miami was out in full force (seriously, where are you hiding?) and, thanks to the free T-shirts they were handing out (Go Green, Go Dutch, Go Bike), the Grove was a very orange place. My wife and I missed last year’s event so were were especially happy to be able to make it and party with the Netherlanders, huge fans of the Netherlands that we are.

We actually rode our bikes all the way from South Beach to Coconut Grove, using the Metrorail for the middle part of the route. Taking the bikes on the train was, in general, no problem, except for the fact that bikes have to go in the last cart but there is no actual space for them to be parked comfortably, so they end up being right in the way (thankfully no one requested to see if we had the completely useless bike permit for the train).

People may say whatever they want about riding a bike on the Beach, but at least here people are used to them on the road. Riding down to the Grove from US 1 was a challenge; even with the presence of a Share The Road sign, people barely gave us the 3-feet legal berth they’re supposed to. As we neared the waterfront, the road narrowed so much and the cars were speeding by so fast that we took the sidewalk… only to be yelled at by a lady with a stroller who was talking with a guy blocking it. “Get on the road, that’s where you’re supposed to be, not on the sidewalk. It’s the sideWALK.” I had to bite my tongue so hard to not retort that while, yes, she is entirely correct in part of her statement (and we know this well, as riding on the road IS the way we prefer to ride), by law we are also allowed to take to the sidewalk if we feel the road is not a safe alternative, which at that moment we didn’t. Whatever.

At Peacock Park we were met with a sea of orange that was just fantastic! We saw tents for tourism boards from Aruba and Curacao, one for the Dutch Consulate where we got our orange shirts, one for the upcoming Dutch school and one for Gazelle Bicycles (and seriously, what gorgeous bikes these were!). We put on our shirts and took to the streets.

In general, riding around the Grove was very nice. The roads were not completely closed, though, and the route was not well marked, which created confusion and a few close encounters between cars and bikes. Later I learned that this was due to the last-minute hail-mary nature of how the event came to be and the not-so-complete cooperation of the City of Miami. Even with all that, it was a fun day.

In addition to riding around Coconut Grove, an area that we used to frequent quite a bit during our college years living in Kendall, we also rode down to The Barnacle, one of Miami’s oldest (and still in original condition) houses, right on Biscayne Bay. Lots of other riders did the same, which is great as more people should know about this treasure of Old Miami right in our midst.

To cap it off, we had a free Heineken and later chilled out a bit at the South Florida Bike Coalition fundraising after-party at Akashi. There we got to meet Maria, who is representing a company from Colombia called Cyclus, which makes bags and accessories from recycled tire inner tubes. Cyclus also employs poor people in Colombia in their manufacturing process, so not only are they eco-friendly, they are socially-friendly as well. Maria got to the Grove a bit late in the day so she wasn’t able to show he wares at the street fair, though the moment she opened up her suitcase people started checking out all the neat bags, especially the one nicknamed the “Armadillo.” I actually ended up buying from her a pannier for my bike, and I’ll write more about it later on. Cyclus is still setting up its online presence, but you can see the catalog at the website and contact Maria for pricing info and direct purchases.

After the event, we took the train south to go to Target (making this trip officially the farthest we’ve been from home on our bikes), then rode it all the way back to Downtown Miami, riding the bikes back to the house to cap it all off with a nice sushi dinner. Yum!

Many thanks to M.O.S.T. (Miami Open Street Team), South Florida Bike Coalition, the Dutch Consulate, and every single person/group/team/company that made Bike Miami Days in the Grove a reality and a success. We had a lot of fun, and want very much to see more events like this continue in Miami.

Bike Miami Ride Group – by Debbie Attias

On Sunday, September 27, the City of Miami held another of its monthly Bike Miami Rides, this one around the Miami Upper East Side, and we made our way there to join in. It helped that the starting point was actually not that far from our house, which allowed us to ride to and from the event.

Riding from the Beach, through North Bay Village, then down Biscayne was a good warm up for the event. For the most part we rode on the street and thankfully found that drivers did what they were supposed to do, passing us on the next lane when available, with enough space when there was only one lane (it’s hard to judge the 3 feet distance while riding, but at least no one came really close). On Biscayne we did ride on the sidewalk; at least on the way down to the event I was still a bit apprehensive of that main thoroughfare. On the way down we passed a bunch of Lycra speedsters (from the Everglades Bicycle Club, I think). I waved but no one waved back.

We met at Legion Park, on Biscayne Blvd and NE 65 St, at around 9 AM. There were about 35 riders present, including Lycra-clad roadsters, three parents riding with their kids on the bikes, and leisure riders, not to mention the five bike cops that joined us for the ride. It was a good mix of people, ranging from the really experienced roadsters to leisure-only riders looking to do more on their bikes.

The ride began with Bike Miami coordinator Kathryn Moore introducing the concept of the Bike Miami Rides and going through the Florida bicycle laws that all riders need to know. After a group photo, we took off into the Miami Upper East Side!

We started by exploring a bit of the east side of Biscayne Blvd, finding a small bayside park by NE 69 St that pretty much none of us knew was there! We joined Biscayne again then went into Bayshore area just off NE 79 St, an area I pass by on a daily basis yet have never explored at all. Big and old Miami houses back there, it almost felt like another world, another city. We then headed down NE 2 Ave into Little Haiti and Lemon City, one of the oldest parts of Miami (stretching back to the founding of the city and of the original Biscayne neighborhood). We twisted around Little Haiti, even running alongside I-95 for a while till we made it into the Midtown area.

It was around here that we found a tiny kitten on the street. Wanna talk about what can stop 35 bicyclists on a dime? After some fussing and fawning, one of the guys from Federal Bike Depot said he would take her (it was a calico kitten), and I carried her in my bike basket for the reminder of the ride. It was like having my own bike alarm!

From Midtown we went into the Design District and eventually back into Biscayne Blvd, ending at our starting point around 2 hours later.

I had a lot of fun on this ride, even if I was the only one riding a singlespeed bike and thus ended up at the back of the group every so often. The cops riding with us were very helpful, herding us across some intersections and red lights in order to keep the group together (this isn’t proper road bicycling practice, but it was welcomed). A couple of times cars honked at us or tried to get funny with the cyclists until they noticed the cops riding along; it was amusing, but in general it shows the ignorance of many Miami drivers. Heck, we even had a Metrobus try to cut us off, even with the bike cops in clear view! It actually ended up splitting the group in two for a short while.

The riders were fantastic and behaved great all throughout the ride. There were a couple of times when I saw a few people riding for short distances without any hands on the handlebar, which is illegal in Florida, though at least no one (that I noticed) rode with earphones on. There was one rider clad in blue Lycra that I noticed more than a few times doing things that were completely against the whole educational point of this ride, like passing on the right, blowing through intersections without slowing down, and riding away from the group. Still, one out of almost 40 isn’t bad at all. Likewise, there were no accidents. There was one guy whose folding bike just locked up (he was picked up by the Federal Bike Depot guys in their pickup) and at one red light, a lady with her son in a bike seat lost her balance when taking off and fell down; the boy was fine and only got a minor scratch on his elbow, which he completely forgot about 10 minutes later.

We hung out at the entrance of Legion Park for a bit afterward. Debbie Attias filmed a few people for a post she wrote for Youth Noise, I passed out copies of Issue #5 of The Practical Pedal, and Bike Miami Days was promoted to all. We then invaded Le Cafe (on Biscayne Blvd and NE 73 St) for an after-ride brunch. We had something to drink and chatted for a while before heading out back home to prep for Yom Kippur.

It was a fantastic day out and I loved every moment of the ride. I would love to go on more of these kinds of rides to explore other areas of the city (frankly, there were areas that I would have never gone through had it not been for this ride). The company was great and it was just awesome seeing so many people slow bicycling around the city. Thanks to all involved in putting this together for a very enjoyable time.

Check out photos from this ride in the slideshow below or at Flickr: Bike Miami Ride – 09/28/09 – Miami’s Upper East Side set.

After a short while last week when we weren’t sure if Bike Miami Days would be able to come back for an October date, it has now been confirmed the event is on thanks to the amazing generosity of the City of Miami Police officers that will donate their time to make it happen. This event will also mark the last Bike Miami Day or Ride that Mayor Manny Diaz will hold while in office, as his term comes to an end in November. I sincerely hope that whoever wins the mayoral race (coughnotregaladocough) continues the legacy Diaz leaves in place in promoting an emergent bicycling culture in Miami.

Here are the dates for the two upcoming events.

Bike Miami Ride – Upper East Side/MiMo District

Sunday, September 27, 2009
8:30 AM

This 2-hour-ish, Police-escorted ride will explore the MiMo District of the City of Miami, located north of the Design District along Biscayne Blvd. I don’t have a route map, but here is a Google Map of the MIMO/Upper East Side NET Office, starting point for this ride.

Though this ride happens the same day that Yom Kippur starts in the evening, we are planning to be there as this isn’t that far from our home and we can be back in time to prepare.

Bike Miami Days – Mayor Diaz’ Last Hurrah in Office

Sunday, October 4, 2009
9:00 AM
Event page on Facebook

This will be a full-on, 6-hour, Downtown-closed-to-motorists event, the first one after the summer break. Information about this event will surely start to trickle in over the next few weeks so keep an eye peeled to the Bike Miami Blog (to which you can subscribe to receive updates via email) and the Bike Miami Facebook page for news.

This event falls right at the start of the Jewish holy day of Sukkot, so my wife and I will not be present. Nevertheless, we are ecstatic that the proper means could be found for Bike Miami Days to come back, and exhort everyone who can to attend.

As we stand on the threshold of autumn (for whatever that is worth in Miami), and with it a new season of Bike Miami Days, I can’t help but be excited. What started as a one-day event back in November 2008 has exploded into a whole entity, now with seven all-day ciclovías under its belt, as well as a handful of rides to tie people over during the hot summer months. During that time the event has grown and attracted more and more sponsors, ranging from commercial endeavors to non-profit organizations, which has helped extend the experience from “just biking around” to (if you’ll permit me the grandiose language) a celebration of community.

#1. Lights & Bells For Every Bicycle

Florida Bicycle Law requires every bike that rides at night to be equipped with both a front and a rear light.

Lighting (see Section 316.2065, F.S.)
A bicycle operated between sunset and sunrise must be equipped with a lamp on the front exhibiting a white light visible from 500 feet to the front and both a red reflector and a lamp on the rear exhibiting a red light visible from 600 feet to the rear.

I cannot count the number of bikes I’ve seen riding after sunset that have no lights at all; at most they have the reflector that came with the bike when they purchased it and that’s all. We need to educate all riders, especially the casual ones, that having lights on their bikes is the law. The ideal here would be to have a partnership with a bike shop or bike light manufacturer so that discounts and/or free samples can be given out.

Likewise, though Florida Bicycle Law does not require it, every bike should be equipped with a bell. Every bike. Even you, Lycra speedsters. Just like every car needs a horn to signal, so does every bike. A loud “excuse me” when the rider is already on top of pedestrians/other riders is not acceptable. Bells are de rigeur in countries with high bikeability because they are essential parts of the riding experience. I’d love to see a company donate a large number of bells that can be given out to Bike Miami participants (perhaps these can even be branded with Bike Miami stickers!).

#2. Bike & Ride Support from Miami-Dade Transit

Miami-Dade county’s public transit already has in place a good Bike & Ride program for bicycle commuters. I would love to see a kiosk with representatives educating people about this program, answering questions, processing and handing out Metrorail bike permits (currently these can only be obtained at the Government Center Metrorail station or by mail – why not online baffles me) and teaching people how to properly use the Metrobus bike racks (right). For a double-whammy, have folks there also from Tri-Rail (though maybe not, considering their bicycle policies seem a bit off-putting).

#3. Bike Miami-branded Merchandise

Frankly, this should have been instituted right from the second Bike Miami Day event! By the end of the inaugural Bike Miami in November I wanted a T-shirt and stickers with the Bike Miami logo (which actually changed from that very first one used to the current one). I wanted to show my support by wearing that shirt around, and I still very much do. I have a feeling of this being a case of Bike Miami team members being overwhelmed by their regular daily duties plus the event work to have time to get this done. Silk screening on T-shirts is fairly inexpensive, especially in bulk quantities, so Bike Miami shirts aren’t that unfeasible; sold at $25 or so, depending on how many were printed, these could pay for themselves fairly quick and bring in some extra revenue. (Click on the image for a larger version)

Aside from T-shirts, stickers are another great an inexpensive way to spread the news about the event. I would go with both bumper stickers and 2″-3″ round stickers right off the bat, as these are the most versatile sizes.

Other possible branded items include water bottles (to promote proper hydration while riding), bike bells (see how I tied points #1 and #3?) and cycling jerseys (I don’t particularly care for them, the time-trialists don’t ride without wearing these).

I, of course, am assuming that most Bike Miami fans are rabid about the event like me and would buy all these branded items.

#4. Support/Presence from Bike Companies

Though ultimately this is out of the Bike Miami team’s hands, I’d love to see bicycle manufacturers and other related bicycle companies sponsor and present at the events. Bicycling Magazine has already sponsored a Miami edition of BikeTown, so get them to return with a kiosk. Has anyone other than me noticed the high number of Electra bicycles present at Bike Miami Days (starting with our very own Willow)? Let’s call them and get them to come down. Same thing with Trek, Giant, Jamis, Schwinn and any other major manufacturer (if you want to really target it, start going through the photos and picking out bike brands). Be bold and call emerging/new to the area companies; brands that are starting out or entering a new market could benefit from the exposure. While at it, call Lazer Helmets and Bell (helmets & accessories) as well. You get the idea: if it’s a major bicycle article manufacturer, call them up and try to get them to sponsor and present at the show. Events like Bike Miami and the (hopeful) adoption of programs like Miami 21 make the city an emerging market in serious bicycling, and these companies have a chance to make an early and important impact on consumers.

Got thoughts on these ideas or further ones? Let me know in the comments.

I have this post in my Drafts folder wherein I talk about my Bike Miami Wish List, four things I would love to see happen in upcoming Bike Miami Days.  Well, turns out that there might not even be a Bike Miami Days anymore!

I wrote the following post for Miami Metblogs.

No More Bike Miami?

September 8th, 2009 @ 6:30 PM Activities, Events, News, Rants, Sports, politics

It started this morning with a status update on the Bike Miami page on Facebook:

Bike Miami Days Team: Working hard to bring Bike Miami Days back on Sunday, October 4th. That’s just around the corner… will you help us get the word out?

Cool! There’s been rides all summer, but we weren’t sure when the whole-day events would be back. Shortly thereafter, however, a blog post comes through the RSS feed from the Bike Miami Blog, being echoed almost immediately as a comment on the status update above (fourth comment down):

UPDATE: Friends, we apologize for the over-excitement. Bike Miami Days is seeking sponsors to cover the extensive costs associated with keeping this event FREE, FAMILY-FRIENDLY and FUN, all of which requires a great deal of services and financial support that we do not yet have. If you or your business would be able to sponsor the Set Up, Clean Up, Sound, Public Service Aides and Police or any other part of Bike Miami Days, please contact the Coordinator here. Thank you.

Baffled, I sent an email to the aforementioned coordinator, Kathryn Moore, and after a short phone call she gave me the bad news: there’s just no money for a Bike Miami Days.

The October date was to be covered via private sponsorship, but the company in question seems to have pulled out, leaving the event still missing the close to $25,000 needed to hold the 6-hour event. This money, for the most part, pays for the City of Miami police officers present at the event, as well as other costs associated with closing a huge chunk of Downtown Miami.

The City of Miami just released also it’s proposed budget for the 2010 Fiscal Year, and try as I might, I cannot find any mention of Bike Miami in the future tense; it is mentioned a handful of times as part of the past year’s accomplishments, but nothing’s there about future iterations of the event. Add to this the fact that Bike Miami has been the brainchild of the Mayor Diaz administration, and that his term comes to an end in November, and it is easy to see how this community event could fall prey to the shifting political winds in Miami.

Plainly, this sucks. Here we are, just a couple of days ago celebrating the first victory of Miami 21, and now the event that is meant to foster the bikeable lifestyle Miami 21 seeks to facilitate is in danger of not happening. After coming from the dumps in the rankings of Bicycling Magazine’s Most Bikeable Cities two years ago to where they actually declare Miami a BikeTown less than a month ago, could it be that we’re headed for another nosedive?

Any private company/non-government organization/individual donor wants to sponsor part or all of Bike Miami Days, please come forward, please speak up.

As I wrote above, I am very bummed about this turn of events. Over the past year, Bike Miami has served as the flag around which all the improvements or calls to action regarding bikeability in Miami have revolved. It has brought out thousands of people onto their bikes and into their city to explore it like they probably never had before (very true in my case, for example), and encouraged a shift in the car culture of Miami. Anecdotally speaking, Bike Miami events have encouraged more people to become part- or full-time bicycle commuters, given people the confidence to use their bikes beyond time trials and dirt roads, reminded them that bicycling is not only for kids of Lycra speedsters, but for everyone. No, I don’t have numbers to support this, but things like Bicycling Magazine bringing BikeTown to Miami don’t just happen out of nowhere, so the improvements are there.

Ciclovia events held in other parts of the nation, I’m told by Kathryn Moore, count with the support of non-government organizations (NGO), be they private or non-profit, to cover the costs of the events. Miami doesn’t have such sponsors, or that many bicycle-related NGOs either; I can only think of the Florida Bicycle Association, the Everglades Bicycle Club and the Green Mobility Network, and I’m sure that each of them is struggling with their own economic issues (do let me know of other such NGOs you may know of). So where can we in Miami turn to? There was a private company sponsor, but they pulled out today (and they are press, no less), though other companies could step in. I wonder how would some bike manufacturers would feel if asked? Perhaps affluent individuals with an interest in green/sustainable causes?

Bike Miami Days may seem like it’s just one big street party, and it certainly has an aspect of it as it attracts families and more casual riders (one of the reasons why it needs so many police officers/public aides, to make it safe for families to attend), but it also serves as a nexus of inspiration for the creation of a more bikeable city and population. It is a gathering of the tribe, so to speak, a time when we all pull together for the love of bicycling, and thus show our numbers to those who need to see such statistics to take actions that will benefit a bicycle-friendly culture (whether for the general good or for profit, it doesn’t matter).

It is painfully obvious that Bike Miami needs to be divorced from its City Hall connections and taken private in order to safeguard it from any political shifts and last-minute budget cuts. But that can’t be done immediately, so we are faced with the choice of seeking sponsors to cover the costs or shelving it until further notice. I’d rather not see the latter happen. Anyone knows someone with $25,000 to spare?

For a number of reasons, I’ve been, literally, off the bike for months now. We’ve also missed the last three Bike Miami Days, including the April edition in Coconut Grove alongside the Dutch Consulate, which I hear was nothing but a spectacle. That’s why when it came to today’s Bike Miami, the last one for the current season (summer’s here, so it’s officially time to go inside), we were both incredibly pumped for the occasion.

It started a bit off, given that during the month of May, the Venetian Causeway has been closed to all-but-local traffic, cutting off our one way to bike down to Downtown from the Beach. Rather than face Biscayne Blvd., risk the MacArthur Causeway, or waste time taking a bus, we decided to drive (which, on reflection, provided a bit of a bookend to our Bike Miami experience for this year, as we also drove down to the first one). We used one of the Pay-to-Park spaces since it was cheaper than the parking at Bayside, and off we went.

This is the first time we’ve been there early enough to attend the customary rally, this time on the steps of the Courthouse. There was live music and some kiosks with varied information. We got to see some of the “regulars” and were greeted by Kathryn Moore, tireless Bike Miami dynamo that she is for Mayor Manny Diaz (did you know the Mayor’s on Twitter?). We saw some folks dance for the chance to win three bikes and a dude pull a Ford Fiesta while on a bike. Then, off to ride.

The route by now is well-known to us. It extended once more to the Miami River, though there was nothing going on there this time around. The riverside was, however, preened and very inviting, though Lummus Park was, still, closed to the public. I was once again reminded of the potential for that area of Downtown Miami and the idea my wife and I dreamed up for a Downtown Riverside Marketplace, which I wrote up for Miami Metblogs (Part 1, Part 2).

Around this area we suddenly found the entrance to the Miami River Greenway, right under the I-95 Overpasses, except it was fenced closed after maybe a little over 100 feet. The paved walkway I know continues along the river all the way to the bay, but it is broken up in parts by construction and gaps that yet need to be bridged. If there’s a project the City of Miami (also on Twitter, by the way) needs to put attention to and get done as soon as possible, the Miami River Greenway is it; being able to highlight and drive traffic to this wonder of our city, the one urban river we have, would do wonders for Downtown and the City in general, not to mention that it would create another great addition to the route for future Bike Miami Days.

The rest of the day was spent riding around the usual route established by now. We visited Mary Brickell Village again, and marveled, as we walked around, at how many empty retail spaces it has and what a shame that is (note to developers: open a Kosher eatery here–or frankly, anywhere Downtown–and we’ll heap praises and money every time we visit Downtown/Brickell) given how beautiful the Village is. We noticed the smaller attendance to this event than in months past, and speculated that it had to do with the heat (it was HOT today) and the fact that it was the seventh event; both are good reasons why it makes perfect sense to close up Bike Miami for the summer and wait for the cooler climate of the fall to restart. There were hardly any kiosks and those that were left fairly quickly with less than a handful sticking around till the 2 PM closing time. Once again, Bayfront Park was not a part of the Bike Miami route due to a conflicting event.

We rode around, enjoying the chance to be on our bikes after about a three-month hiatus, but by 3-ish PM we were ready to head back home. We packed the bikes back on the rack, and said goodbye to Bike Miami for the time-being.

I’d like to do a review of Bike Miami as it’s grown since its inception seven months ago, but overall, we’ve been very pleased. Even this event, which by all accounts was the least attended, was successful in its stated goal of allowing people to explore the city in a new way and promoting bike culture in Miami. The summer break will be good for everyone, allowing excitement to build over the next four to five months. Come the fall, I know we’ll be ready to bike down again and party on two wheels.

Also, check out the post I wrote for Miami Metblogs: Miami Tops U.S. City for Cycling Events Thanks to Bike Miami Days.

You can check out the photos in the slideshow below or at Flickr: Bike Miami Days – 05/17/09.

Yesterday was the third edition of Bike Miami and I think it was the best one to date. Yes, the first one was really popular, but it had the newness of it to draw people, and the second one had to contend with the holidays for attendance, though even with that it was a cool event. This one, though, this Bike Miami, proved beyond a doubt that the institution is here to stay and that people are now going to expect it and reply in kind.

This Bike Miami featured a slightly different route than previous ones: Bayfront Park was not included due to an event there the night before, but the Flagler St. corridor was extended all the way to the Miami Riverfront and to Lummus Landing, an area I simply had no idea was back there (the southbound corridor ending at Mary Brickell Village remained the same). Road signs and water stations made a welcomed comeback, and the support of the Downtown Miami merchants was palpable and evident, energizing the streets and the riders in turn.

There was a steady stream of bikers throughout the length of the route during all hours of the event, even way into its final few minutes. Attendants included everything from families with multiple children, to casual/slow bikers, and lycra-clad cycling packs, everyone enjoying themselves, everyone showing their support for a more bicycle-friendly city of Miami.

As usual by now, we rode our bikes to Downtown, leaving the Beach at around 11:00 AM. The ride through the North Beach area was actually pretty uneventful this time around, thankfully. The one thing I did observe was the significant number of people riding their bikes around this area of the Beach, just going about their business. It was a very welcomed sight; it made me feel like a part of something greater, a movement that is slowly expanding, growing every single day.

Knowing we’d have to face the dreaded Dade Blvd, I decided every bit of it we could skip was a welcomed respite, so we went from Prairie Dr. to N Meridian Ave, which borders the edge of the Miami Beach Golf Club and saved us a whole block of Dade Blvd. Once on Dade, we rode on the sidewalk until we could cross Alton Rd and join the Venetian Cswy. bike lane.

Upon entering the Venetian Isles area (a very ethereal boundary that, to me, is signalled by the sudden appereance of the bike lane at Dade Blvd and N Bay Rd. (see map), even though this is still mainland Miami Beach), we were very pleasantly surprised to see a Bike Miami info kiosk and water station at the corner of Gibb Park. The folks there were talking to as many of the cyclists (and pedestrians) riding up and down the causeway as they could, giving out flyers for the event and brochures on cycling education, asking riders as they passed by, “Are you headed to Bike Miami?” I keep up with all the info coming out of the Mayor’s office on this event, and I had no idea this kiosk would be here. Whoever thought of it and put it into action, thank you, it was a great idea; I hope it had the desired effect. Frankly, I’d love to see more support for Bike Miami like this from the neighboring cities.

Our time riding around Downtown was just great. The route extension into Lummus Landing was a welcomed addition and frankly, a perfect example of what this sort of event can achieve, exposing participants to an area of the city many did not know about, myself included (I mean, we had a Public Fish Market by the river? Really? Why is it closed!). It’s too bad Ft. Dallas was closed for renovations, but it was cool just learning that it was there. We also saw the Scottish Rite temple (we have Masons in Miami?!) and the City of Miami Mounted Police stables, having a chance to pet the horses. There was a rally at Lummus Landing at 10:30 AM that we missed (we’re gonna have to leave the Beach really early to able to make it on time for one of these) and other events there and at Mary Brickell Village. There were also sponsors at Lummus Landing, including the now-ubiquitous Florida Bicycle Association, and stores like Mack Cycles, showing off the new Electra Townie Holiday bike that has me salivating.

We managed to see various of the friends we’ve been making over the past Bike Miami events and everyone was excited about the turnout for this one. The weather was once again gorgeous; we are getting spoiled, we know, but we’re going to enjoy it while it lasts. I mean, this was the weather on Sunday!

We decided to head back relatively early so we would not get caught riding in the dark. Heading down Venetian Cswy with a bunch other riders was a neat experience, actually. We decided to stop at Publix on Bay Rd. and 20th Street, and after that, deciding we really did not want to take Dade Blvd. again we vacilated with using Alton Rd, since it has a bike lane (another one of those that simply pops up out on nothingness), but instead we decided to use a backroad suggested by Neil from Urban Bike – South Florida, take N Bay Rd. And that we did, taking it from 20th Street all the way down to Chase Ave. That saved us from Dade Blvd completely, and Chase drops you at 41st Street in no time, from where we can catch our established route. We’re definitely going to be using N Bay Rd from now on to head Downtown. And a bonus, we got to see a starfruit tree!

We made it home while still daylight (for a change) and chilled out for the rest of the evening. We had a fantastic day of bike riding, and many thanks go out again to all the volunteers who work so hard to make Bike Miami such an awesome event.

You can check out the photos in the slideshow below or at Flickr: Bike Miami 3 – 01/18/09.

I also wrote a report for Miami Metblogs which you can read here:

Just announced by Mayor Manny Diaz over at the Bike Miami blog are the dates for Bike Miami Days in 2009, not only January, but the first half of the year, all the way through May! In addition, the programs offered in conjunction will also be expanding, and then we get this awesome bit of news:

The tentative dates for Bike Miami Days 2009 include February 8, March 8, April 26 and May 17. We are hoping to bring the event to Little Havana, Wynwood, MiMo, Coconut Grove and other neighborhoods, too!

A big hurrah to Mayor Diaz and his entire team for supporting Bike Miami Days. See you there!

As being reported on cycling blogs all over the Miami area, Bike Miami Days has set its date for the third event.

Mark your calendars for Sunday, January 18, 2009 for Bike Miami Days 3 (Tokyo Drift or The Search for Spock, you pick).

Also, Mike Lydon of TransitMiami.com has written an excellent Op-Ed piece titled “What a Difference a Year Makes”, chronicling the incredible strides the City of Miami has taken over the last year to turn itself into a bike-friendly place.

Mike submitted the article to the Miami Herald, but given they have not published it (the Herald has been downright horrible about helping to promote bike-friendly news, including Bike Miami Days), he put out via his column at Planetizen.com.

Go and read the article and be sure to join us in January for more Bike Miami Days.

The sophomore instance of Bike Miami Days (the first with the new name) is over and we had an absolutely great time. The weather was once again cooperating with us riders, holding at a cool level, looking like it might rain but never a drop falling from the sky, with gusty winds blowing in from the bay to make cycling a bit more interesting and to refresh the streets of Downtown Miami.

The event actually had a couple of improvements from the last time, most notable being the signs marking the route and the water stations with coolers and paper cones. Both were a great idea, and as the route continues to expand, they will come in even more handy. There was a new extension to the route down by the water and the AA Arena, but we were not able to find it the couple times we rode down there.

It is notable that there were a lot less attendees at this month’s event, and while that could be seen by some as a minus, I personally think that, considering the time of year, it wasn’t that bad (and from what I saw on a video posted at Miami Bike Scene, there were actually a lot more people earlier, before we arrived). There was also the poor promotion on the part of the local (mainstream) media, but I’ll rant about that later. We both still feel that it was a good event, and a necessary step on the road to creating a tradition out of Bike Miami Days. We extend our most heartfelt thanks to Mayor Manny Diaz (was that you in the grey shirt?), the small army of Bike Miami Days volunteers, and the Police Officers and Public Service Aides that made the streets safe for us riders for 6 hours and always had a smile (seriously).

Our day began a bit late. It was already 11:30 AM when we set out of the house, and at first I suggested we take the bus down to Lincoln Road at least. After waiting for almost 20 minutes, the bus arrived with a bike already on the rack, so we would have to wait for the next one. A quick inspection of the bus bike rack left us with the impression that the Amsterdam’s tires would not fit (something to check at a later time), so we just decided to ride Downtown.

We took the same route as when we rode to the Miami Book Fair, encountering pretty much the same bad spots for riding (Indian Creek between 71st and 65th, Dade Boulevard). It took us a bit less time than the last (about 1:30 total) and the route seemed shorter, perhaps because we knew it well this time.

What we did this time around more of was street riding. Once we hit La Gorce Dr. we switched to the paved road and kept going for a while like that, until we hit the bike lanes starting on Pinetree Blvd. and 45th Ave. Even then, because of the so-so conditions of the bike lanes (they are generally covered in gravel and sand, or blocked by trash, debris, fallen palm fronds or parked cars) we rode on the streets on and off. It actually wasn’t that bad; it was around noon, so we were very visible to drivers, and except for a couple here and there that passed us a bit too close for comfort, we had an uneventful ride. Until we got to Dade Boulevard.

We actually rode on the street at Dade as well; the sidewalk there is just horrible, and there is a lot of pedestrian traffic, so we decided to play it safe and use our legal right to the road. Which of course means we had idiot drivers honking and passing us by too fast and too close. Thankfully we hit the Venetian Causeway pretty quickly, and that part of the ride is just the best (even if the bike lane could use some repair in some places). We passed by a lot of cyclists riding eastbound (maybe some were coming from Bike Miami?). The first group were three guys in recumbent bikes that said hi and rang their bells when we crossed paths; after that, of perhaps 15 cyclists we passed, only two said hello back when I greeted them. It was disheartening, honestly. So, fellow cyclists, when you pass other members of the bicycle fellowship on the road, don’t be rude and greet them, either with your bell or with a quick wave.

We hit Downtown, rode down Biscayne and then joined the Bike Miami Days route, taking a quick spin around Bayfront Park first, dropping some toys at the Everglades Bicycle Club Toy Drive, chatting with some folks at the next kiosk (was that the Florida Bicycle Association? Whoever it was, they need better signage). I got to sample riding an Electra Townie and O-M-G what a great ride! Now I’m torn between a Townie or an Amsterdam for my next bike…

The time we spent riding was just enjoyable. It was great seeing families riding their bikes around Downtown again, as well as seeing more stores open to the public. Special thanks go to Kirk Jewelers for handing out water during the day; that was just extra nice of them. Mary Brickell Village was also hopping with cyclists and other visitors. There was a kiosk at the east entrance of the village where they were holding bike clinics, but I felt it was a bit too hidden away, even though there was a sign. Perhaps this can be brought over to the main street next time, so it can enjoy increased visibility.

It was already late in the day so we rode our bikes around some more, ate an apple by the fountain at Bayfront, then rode back to Tobacco Road for the Bike Miami Days After Party by TransitMiami. There I met the indefatigable Kathryn Moore, Bike Miami Days’ online guru, as well as other members of the Bike Miami Days Volunteer Team, including two gentlemen with whom we shared a table, beers and cycling and travel stories, Robert and Neil. 

By 4-ish we decided to head back, and to save up some strength, we rode the Metromover from Eight Street Station to College/Bayside, then to Omni Station, which dropped us right at the start of the Venetian Causeway. Riding the Metromover with the bikes was fine, though try as we might to be out of the way, people just did not care about the couple with the large vehicles and made our attempts at maneuvering almost impossible. Once the road, we rode the causeway leisurely all the way back to the Beach, and to Dade Boulevard, again.

This is where our wonderful day of riding went to heck. There is no sidewalk on the eastbound lanes, so we rode on the street, single-file since there is a lot of traffic there and we did not want to hold it up. Most cars drive down Dade Blvd as if they were being chased by Death itself, nevermind the various traffic lights, the residential area or the heavy pedestrian traffic. We were riding as close to the curb as possible, and cars were still zipping past us way close, some perhaps even just a foot away. We stopped at a red light at Dade and Meridian Ave. and when it turned green, I went, but my wife lost her footing so it took her a few seconds to get riding again. In that time, about five cars just started blasting their horns at her, and the car immediately behind her started accelerating menacingly. We crossed the intersection and let all the idiots pass us by, completely and totally angry at this display of trademark Miami rudeness and ignorance of bike laws.

Miffed as we were, we made the turn into Prairie Ave, and since it was starting to get a little dark, we decided to run two-abreast on the road, since traffic here was almost non-existent so any cars coming behind us would be able to pass us. One car came and flashed its lights at us before passing us by, then a guy in an SUV started honking at us and flashing his lights. He then passes us but drives parallel to us for a good full minute arguing with us about getting off the road.

“Learn the law, we have the right to be here,” I said. 

“Those have no tags,” was his brilliant response. 
“Doesn’t matter, learn the bike laws.”
For a moment he showed some concern. “But, for your own safety, ride on the side.”
“For our own safety, it’s better if we ride like this in this dark street and you pass us on the left.”
Then the anger came back. “I hope you get hit.”
“Thanks!” Argh! 

We were so incredibly mad; fuming, even.

We hit the bike lane on Prairie (which actually doesn’t start at the intersection with Dade, but at 28th St.) and rode uneventfully, thank G-d, to 41st Street, where we stopped to eat at Lofty Latte. After a very nice dinner, we rode nice and slow back to the house; even Indian Creek was a breeze after Dade Blvd! We made it back to the house at around 8 PM, tired but happy about our day of bike riding around Miami and Miami Beach.

Already looking forward to January’s Bike Miami Days.

You can check out the photos in the slideshow below or at Flickr: Bike Miami Days – 12/14/08.