Join Our Challenge Team!

The League of American Bicyclists National Bike Challenge is underway. The Gainesville Cycling Club Team is now signing up members to defend our national #1 title from last year. We are facing stiff competition from three other teams, so we need YOU to sign up and log your miles.

The way the competition works is that you earn 20 points for each day that you ride, plus a point for each mile. Someone who rides a mile a day around their neighborhood earns 147 points a week; a weekend warrior doing 50 mile rides on Saturday and Sunday will earn 140 points. As you can see, everyone can significantly contribute to our team by riding just a few minutes, but by doing it most every day.

There are several ways on the web site to join a team. The easiest is to click on Leaderboards (below the blueish bar), then click on Teams; scroll down to find the listing of teams, point to Gainesville Cycling Club -- a Join button will appear for you to click.

Logging your miles manually on the web site is quick, and once you've done it a few times, easy. You can also hook up a Garmin type device to log your miles using several different web site options -- this is not required.

Join our team today!

Memorial Day Picnic

Due to flooding, we won't be going to Hart Springs this year. Watch for the announcement of the new venue.

Whereever we are, we'll be serving up Grandy's chicken for the last time (Tim Tebow has bought them out). There will also be a fabulous vegetarian option for those who have registered as vegetarians on the Me page.

Sign Up in the Members Area.

Submit an Article!

Write about something club and/or bicycle related, and submit it for posting on our web site. Look for the button on the News page in the Members Area, near the bottom of the News column.

Volunteers needed for Touch-A-Truck

by Ally Gill

2014's Sweet Dreams Touch-A-Truck event will be held on Saturday, May 17th from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.

In case you are not familiar with Touch-A-Truck, it's a mostly-free outdoor event where kids get to see, touch, and hear fire-rescue vehicles, helicopters, police cars, farm equipment and other heavy machines do what they do, up close and personal. Kids are given the opportunity to climb inside, talk with the operators, and work the horns and sirens of these awe-inspiring machines.  It's very educational for the kids, but the event also provides an opportunity for community outreach.

Bike helmet giveaways have been an important part of that outreach. A small number of GCC volunteers put out tremendous effort last year to help distribute many, many free helmets. Our assistance is needed again.

I will be there. I hope you can come out, too.   Email me if you can help.

All proceeds from the event will be used to support Camp Amigo!, a children's burn camp in North Florida.

Free Flat Clinic

Gator Cycle will host another free flat repair clinic on Sunday, May 18th at 10:00 a.m, parking lot at Archer and 34th Street. Please RSVP at 352-373-3962 or via email at gatorgvl.net.  Bring a bicycle, work clothes, and expect to get dirty.

New Downtown Bike Pumps Installed

by Ally Gill

On Monday, April 7^th, GCC Board members Jayson O’Mahoney, Todd Leedy, and I attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony that officially welcomed 2 new bike pumps for public use in downtown Gainesville.  Under beautiful sunny skies, we joined representatives from Alachua County Emerging Leaders (ACEL), who spearheaded the project, and other representatives from the City of Gainesville, Alachua County, and the Gainesville Community Redevelopment Agency.  The downtown bike pump project, initiated by Marilyn Headley of ACEL, was the result of a year-long process that involved a collaborative effort between ACEL and downtown business leaders, local nonprofits, and private donors.  Foresight Construction generously donated their input and labor for the actual installation of the pumps.

Gainesville Cycling Club was among the project’s many supporters, and our Club donated $200 to help with funding. County Commissioner Susan Bottcher spoke at the ribbon-cutting event, and commended the bike pump installation as an example of how public-private collaboration can facilitate improvements that benefit our community. Commissioner Bottcher also emphasized how the bike pumps are right in line with our County’s goal of making Gainesville more bikeable and walkable.

On April 7^th, ACEL President Andrew Romero cut the red ribbon with a surprisingly sharp pair of giant scissors, and the long wait was over.  Downtown Gainesville just became that much more bike-friendly!

Two heavy-duty Dero Air Kit 3 pumps have been installed, one near the Hippodrome, and the other at 1st AVE and Main ST.  The Air Kit 3 features sturdy construction, powder-coated finish, an easy-to-read pressure gauge, smooth pumping action, and accommodates both Schrader and Presta valves. I had the honor of topping off the air in my Surly’s tires with the ceremonial “first pump.”  I give the pump 2 thumbs-up!

Click here for the article about the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Look for them next time you are downtown, tell your friends, and take pride in GCC’s involvement.

Gator Cycle is Florida's First LAB Gold Star

The League of American Bicyclists has awarded Florida's first Gold Star designation for a Bicycle Friendly Business to locally owned and operated Gator Cycle, Inc. Gator is a long-time sponsor and frequent technical supporter for the club. The LAB is the nation’s largest advocacy group.  It awards top business innovators, ranging from retail to tech, who have invested in bicycling to increase energy efficiency, boost morale, and encourage healthy living.

Shop manager Fred Lintz was honored to receive the award on behalf of the staff.  He hopes more local businesses, especially bike shops, will do the paperwork for designation.  He said that Gator Cycle would be happy to answer questions about the application process.

Gainesville Cycling Club President Jayson O’Mahoney urged other local businesses to apply for League status.

The City of Gainesville is also on a mission to achieve Gold Status and upgrade from its current Silver designation.  Commissioner Susan Bottcher noted that “the relationship between citizens, the private sector, and the public sector are critical to building the kind of amenities we all value in Gainesville.”    

Gator Cycle joins other first-time Gold designees such as National Public Radio and the City of Santa Monica. LAB President Andy Clark noted that “Visionary businesses are recognizing the real-time and long-term impact that a culture of bicycling can create,” said Andy Clarke, President of the LAB.