Don’t miss the opportunity to complete the entire 3-part course with the following schedule:

Saturday 7/31, 8-11AM
Train Your Bike (bike handling class)
in the South parking lot of the Orlando Arena
a la carte price: $30

Wednesday 8/11, 6-9PM
Truth & Techniques of Traffic Cycling (classroom session)
Hosted by VHB MillerSellen
225 E. Robinson Street, Suite 300, Landmark Center Two, Orlando, FL 32801
a la carte price: $30

Saturday 8/14, 9AM-12:30PM
Tour of Orlando (experiential on-road session)
We meet in Colonialtown for a 12 mile route to College Park, Downtown Orlando and back.
The other two sessions are required to sign up for this one.
Package price for all 3 sessions: $75

Sign-up here:
http://cyclingsavvy.org/2010/07/full-course-upcoming-schedule/

 

To find out more about the course, Click here to see the flyer.

For out of town guests, housing options include (in increasing cost order):

*Hotel Biba http://www.hotelbiba.com/ [the rates are ridiculously low, and it’s a local business!]

*WPB Best Western http://www.bestwesternflorida.com/hotels/best-western-palm-beach-lakes

*WPB Comfort Inn http://www.comfortinn.com/hotel-west_palm_beach-florida-FL838?promo=gglocal

*WPB Hampton Inn http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/hotels/index.jhtml;jsessionid=SZD0VQ1LDWXQOCSGBJNMVCQ?ctyhocn=PBICAHX

*WPB Crowne Plaza http://www.cpwestpalmbeach.com/

All are within a few miles of downtown, and you could ride from each of them (though most safely from Biba).

Thank you advisory member Raphael Clemente for hosting the meeting and board member Stephanie Striefel for handling other logistics.

3-hour classroom segment: covers the rules of the road, how traffic works from the bicyclist perspective, avoidance strategies for the most common types of crashes, and route selection strategies.

3-hour skills drills: progressively improves the bicyclist’s handling skills both to increase confidence in the student’s use of the vehicle, and to train them in essential skills for crash avoidance.

3-hour on-road course: students are taken through a real-world route with a variety of roadway and intersection types; the class stops before selected intersections to discuss the layout, potential conflicts, and strategies.

Classes are currently been offered in Orlando, but once more instructors are trained, opportunities will be available in other parts of Florida.

House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) has targeted the federal Safe Routes to School program established under the 2005 Federal Surface Transportation Bill (SAFETEA-LU) as wasteful government spending in his weekly “YouCut program”.

Each week representative Cantor asks people to vote for which of five options they would cut from the federal budget. Republicans then hold a floor vote in the House of Representatives to try to eliminate the program that gets the most votes.

This week, the federal Safe Routes to School program is one of Rep. Cantor’s targets. He argues that SRTS duplicates other bicycling and walking programs, and that bicycling and walking infrastructure is a local government responsibility. We need your help making sure that Members of Congress understand the value of Safe Routes to School and support it.

Please take a few minutes to send a message to your Member of Congress to ask them to vote against any effort to cut Safe Routes to School.

Wilson said he thinks riding in the midst of traffic is safer than bike lanes or the side of the road because bicyclists are more visible to motorists. Bike lanes, he said, often run too close to parking spaces, making riders vulnerable to people who open their car doors without looking.

He also contends that drivers who are turning often fail to see bikers because they are too far off to the side.

Wilson said he would like to launch a study looking at the effectiveness of bike lanes, specifically whether they lead to fewer accidents between motorists and cyclists. He doubts they are safer, and he would not miss the lanes if they were gone.

“It’s not that you would take the width [of the road] away, just the stripes,” said Wilson, who regularly commutes to work by bike.

HB 971 isn’t all bad. At 81 pages, there are many good things in the bill and unfortunately the mandatory bike lane use was slipped in late in the Session, along with other pedestrian issues. This process is not unusual, but now FBA will be planning for it.

FBA’s Legislative Committee will be meeting in the next few weeks to develop strategies and set priorities.  The results will be shared via a survey for review by FBA members and other interested parties.  Your input is very important. If you are not an FBA member, please join now to support our legislative efforts.  Membership fees will help fund a legislative staff position.

In the mean time, now is the time to develop relationships with your elected officials in the district.  Invite them for a bike ride. Let them know you are a local expert regarding bicycling issues.

It is up to all of us to make something good come out of HB 971. We will not go away empty-handed but will come back strong in 2011.

As many of you already know, there was an incident at Monday’s Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) Kent Campus Memorial Day ride where two bicyclists were stabbed in an altercation with a motorist.  Both cyclists were transported to the hospital, where one remains with serious injuries.  Apparently, neither of the riders are NFBC members as neither were well known to members who were present.  We ask that you join in prayers for the injured cyclists and offer wishes for a speedy recovery.

It is not our position to judge the circumstances of this incident.  We all, however, need to be aware that we may have encounters with motorists on the road that could lead to tempers being lost and altercations escalating in severity and danger.  We urge all members to conduct themselves appropriately on the road, asserting our rights to the use of the roads, but also to be respectful of motorists.  While actions of motorists may adversely affect us as cyclists, either by accident or intentionally, we urge everyone to exercise restraint in reacting to such incidents.  Should any incident result in an injury or altercation, please do not try to take matters into your own hands…dial 911 and allow law enforcement to appropriately handle the situation.

John M. McDowell, PE
2010 NFBC Ride Director

The NFBC is taking action with respect to leadership in riding skills, rules of the road and rider behavior.  Unfortunately, we only are able to influence NFBC members.  The two that were stabbed are not NFBC members and we do not know the behavior of the riders leading up to the confrontation.  We are aware that cyclists are part of the problem, and we can do just so much to influence cyclists both in our club and have very little influence over non-club members.  NFBC is being proactive with the City of Jacksonville to create an understanding for both cyclists and motorists of the rights and responsibilities of all parties.

Steven Davis said, “Tragedy is everyone’s first concern.  Damage to organized cycling and the entire cycling economy is close behind in those concerns.”

Share this message with other club cyclists, as well as other organized groups. This problem is not unique to any particular area of Florida and the only way to get through to the worst offenders is to work with law enforcement to crack down on aggressive driving and behavior by cyclists and motorists  We need to find ways to educate all users of the road to behave with courtesy and respect. This will take an enormous culture change.

Phone: 850-488-7146
Email: Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com

For more details on this bill, scroll down to the May 18 and May 5 posts.

These rides are free events, bikes and cyclists of all types are welcome, and the pace will stay between 10-12mph or so, as this is a procession-not a training ride or race!

I look forward to seeing you out there!

Jim Perry, Orlando