RSVP for Memorial Day Picnic

Monday, May 28
Hart Springs 4240 SW 86th Ave, Bell, FL

Ride the back roads of Gilchrist County to work up an appetite and a need to jump in a cool spring. Time your arrival for gate-opening at 9 am if you will be doing a ride from Hart Springs. Food is planned for noon. Chandler and crew are whipping up a build your own Mexican main course; bring salads and deserts, and a lawn chair. PLEASE RSVP if you are going to eat the main course.

Entry into Hart Springs is $5 per head ($3 seniors), max $15 per car (up to 6). If you are arriving by bike, please stop and pay (those doing rides from the park don’t have to pay to get back in, but show your arm band).

Hart Springs is 37 miles from I-75, about 45 minutes. Take SR 26 west from Gainesville (Newberry Road). When SR 26 takes a big left, continue straight onto SW 85th Lane, and then turn right onto CR232. Go 4 miles and turn left onto CR344. The park is on the right before you get to the end of the road.

RSVP in the Members Area.

Family Friendly Ride

by Jeanie West

Members and non-members with young and school age children are invited to join us for our first family friendly ride on Saturday, May 19 at 9:00 am. We will meet at the far end of the parking lot at Depot Park (just past the restrooms) and ride down to Sweetwater Overlook for a round trip of 6 miles. Stronger riders can tackle the hills down to Lake Alachua Overlook for a round trip of just under 10 miles. Our goal is to have fun while introducing younger riders to safely riding in a group. A parent is required to ride. For safety, no training wheels, but bike carts and tag-a-longs are welcome. GCC ride leaders will ride with the group. We hope to make this a monthly event leading up to the fall where we plan to introduce our first family friendly ride in the October Cycling Festival.

This event is also posted in the calendar on the Fun4GatorKids website. Questions? Call or email Jeanie West (352-318-9727).

Ride With the Mayor

Ride with your Mayor and Commissioners Saturday, May 26 starting at 9 a.m. The public is invited to join the Mayor, City Commissioners and other local leaders to highlight the benefits of cycling and the coordinated efforts of the city, county, university and local developers to create a continuous urban trail system.

These other organizations are also participating in the bike ride:
- Active Streets Alliance will be at Depot Park with some of their kinetic derby creations
- The Gainesville Cycling Club (GCC) will give a brief safety talk
- Goodbike will be available for free bike check-ups
- The City of Gainesville Public Works Department will be doing bike helmet fittings and handing out free bike helmets and bike lights

The three-mile ride begins at Depot Park (behind the Depot Building), and is kid-friendly, so bring your trailers of training wheels! The bike ride is expected to last approximately 45 minutes. The morning’s schedule is:
9AM - Meet up for coffee and donuts
9:15AM - Comments by Mayor Lauren Poe
9:30AM - Bike ride (the route goes around Depot Park to the Depot Trail to the other side of the Helyx Bridge)
10:15AM - Return to Depot Park

This May, Love to Ride and the  League of American Bicyclists are joining forces to bring you an exciting Bike Challenge format in 2018.

We've made some improvements to the National Bike Challenge in 2018 to make it more exciting, punchier, and ultimately more successful at encouraging more people to ride, more often.

When you Register, make sure you join the team North Central Florida Cracker All Stars.

Jerseys

We expect those of you who ordered jerseys to get them around the second week of June. The Voler jerseys (Eye4 and Classic) will be placed at Goodbike on 13th St; the Retro jersey by Corbah will be directly mailed to you.