Happy #NationalRideABikeDay! Road or gravel - its another great day to get out and ride!

From the League of American Bicyclists:

 Happy #NationalRideABikeDay! 

 How to celebrate is simple: ride a bike anywhere and for any reason today. Ride to the store to complete a chore. Ride a bike with a friend to gossip about your weekend. Ride a bike on a trail or to the mall to check out a sale. We’re not saying you have to go full green eggs and ham but just #bikethere!

PRIOR RELATED POSTS ON BICYCLING: 

May 6, 2021, A thought provoking article. Bicycle-friendly projects are even good for people who will never ride a bike. Here's how: (AARP Livable Communities series)

December 23, 2021, 2021 Year in review - photos - 02 - road cycling. Spoiler alert - 4,000 mile reached once again

Kicking off National Bike Month - get out and RIDE! POD People's Dock.

May is National Bike month - a great time to get out and enjoy our Palmetto Bay outdoors!

CLICK HERE - the League of American Cyclists is promoting NATIONAL BIKE MONTH

May is National Bike Month, promoted by the League of American Bicyclists and celebrated in communities from coast to coast. Established in 1956, National Bike Month is a chance to showcase the many benefits of bicycling — and encourage more folks to giving biking a try.

And, of course, today was the first Saturday that we all could go out and enjoy the recently completed People's Dock restoration (more on that on a future post). 

Thank you Miami-Dade County and Miami-Dade County Parks for getting this dock restored.

The weather was beautiful this morning. It was such a pleasure to see the walkers, joggers, cyclists - everyone meeting up at this outstanding location.

POD - it didn't look like this one the way out! ABC always before you ride.

Bike tires seem to go all at one for me (this photo is of the same tire, different sections). Time for a new tire.

Never just jump on the bike and ride. And never risk disappointment when you travel to ride by assuming your bike is in working order only to find yourself taking the drive of shame home due to a mechanical.

An easy way to make sure your bike is in good working order is to do an ABC Quick Check.:

Air: Be sure you have enough air in your tires

Brakes: Look to see that your brake pads are not worn

Chain and Cranks: Pull on your cranks to see that they are not loose and look to see that the chain is not rusted and it is free of gunk

Quick Release: Make sure all quick releases are closed

Check: Take a slow brief ride to check that your bike is working properly

For more information, see the League of American Bicyslists: https://bikeleague.org/content/basic-bike-check

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.”

May is still Bike Month, but Bike to Work Week is rescheduled until September 21 - 27, 2020

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.”

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.

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.

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.”