It's May 1st. National Bike month has kicked off. Ride safe. Have fun. Kick off post.

May 1st is here - National bike month so "petals up!"

And note - Florida does not always follow the national dates. May is National Bike Month, but Florida has designated March as Florida Bike Month. Another example is National Arbor Day which is celebrated the last Friday in April, while Florida has officially designated the State Arbor Day as the Third Friday in January. The reasons are better weather year around. January has been seen as the best time to plant in Florida as well as the fact we can enjoy bicycling year around (note our windiest months are March, April and November). Most northerners are still waiting for a decent thaw while we are out riding and celebrating cycling in March.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our way of life. I see so many new people returning to bike riding throughout Palmetto Bay.  Maybe it is because riding a bike is as easy as - riding a bike! Enjoy. 

Whatever the reason: enjoy and enjoy cycling safely. 

Many in Palmetto Bay and surrounding communities have noticed that many people, families, are rediscovering the joy of getting outside on a bike. It allows fresh air and exercise. I have heard many reasons from the gyms are closed, its something you can do close, but not too close to family as well as many need a safe break from the cabin fever that is setting in while working (or not working) from home. 

It also allows outdoor activities that can be shared – in a manner consistent with Social Distancing. If you are engaging, do it in a safe manner consistent with the emergency orders and social distancing. We must stop the spread, flatten the curve.

The critical issue is social distancing.  Being “outside” is not the issue.  I take the advice and example of Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Fauci still finds time to hit the pavement for running workouts.

“I think the benefit for me is as a stress-reliever,” Fauci said in a 2016 interview. “I have a pretty high-stress job, so getting outside during the day and hearing the birds and smelling the grass is a very pleasing thing for me.”

Source: Dr. Anthony Fauci Is an Avid Runner, Even When He Works 19-Hour Days, The NIAID head and Coronavirus Task Force member is still reportedly logging 3.5 mile runs., Men's Health, by Lindsay Berra, March 25, 2020.

Personally: I have no doubts that this pandemic will create profound changes in our way of life.

Note: The League of American Bicyclists  has announced that May remains Bike Month, but that Bike to Work Day is rescheduled to September 2020:

“…given the extraordinary and constantly evolving impact of the pandemic on everyday life, the League is postponing our promotion of Bike to Work Week until September 21-27, 2020, with Bike to Work Day coinciding with Car Free Day on September 22, 2020. As the National Bike Challenge, a self-motivated pursuit of biking for transportation and recreation, kicks off in May and concludes in September, the League looks forward to continuing to encourage and educate people about the joys and benefits of biking throughout the Challenge timeframe.”

For that reason, National Bike Month will be different for 2020 – as offered by The League of American Bicyclists ; “Let’s use National Bike Month to celebrate what joy we have, the physical and mental health biking brings us, and the humble bicycle that unites us all, even as we must stay apart and at home.”