Ciclovia
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If you ask me, there should be a third entry to the Ciclovia definition, that being “smile on face”. I can’t imagine the work that went into closing Kennedy Blvd. in Tampa this past Sunday for the Cyclovia Tampa Bay event, but what I don’t have to imagine were all the smiles. Smiles that lasted five hours or more as folks walked, biked, bladed, skateboarded or pedaled a bike taxi along a Kennedy Blvd filled with joy and color; colors that went beyond the green/yellow/red of traffic signals.
Jim Shirk/BPAC, Lori Marable/FDOT, Becky Afonso/FBA
My day of fun started with an 8-mile bicycle ride to Kennedy Blvd, one that took me on the U-path to circumvent Tampa International Airport on the west side to reach Cypress. I had not ridden this trail before and anticipate riding it many, many more times in the future. Thanks to Jim Shirk for leading the ride in and out from Town n’ Country!
Upon arrival to Cyclovia Tampa Bay, the next five hours were nothing but FUN – catching up with biking buddies, meeting new ones, and having a downtown street filled with good, positive energy. I rode the street west-to-east/east-to-west several times before clocking in to volunteer at the east bike valet.
I decided to use the day to practice my Twitter use and so some of these photos may look familiar.
Team TORC at bike valet
Our very own FBA board member and newly named treasurer Steele Olmstead
Coast Bike Share offered test drives
Biking around the Bicycle Rodeo course
Bike Valet buddies
Photo op with Tampa Bay Lightning ThunderBug
To any and all responsible for organizing and executing Cyclovia Tampa Bay, THANK YOU! It was unfortunate the event had to end at 2pm, but I had the ride back on the U-path to look forward to, and something else. The U-path connects to the Hillsborough County side of the Courtney Campbell Causeway Trail and I couldn’t pass that up.
Westbound on trail heading to the bridge
I stopped on the bridge and took it all in – the perfect weather, the beauty of Tampa Bay and the joy of being on a bicycle.
My Trek 520 over Tampa Bay
Anyone want to go for a ride?
