Giving Tuesday

How daring to post a blog on “Giving Tuesday”, and yet, I will refrain from the “ASK” and instead, post on what FBA can give to you, especially since I get asked this quite a bit.

So it’s not enough to have a really cool logo and be, you know, a bicycle association, there has to be something in it for you to be a member of FBA?  Fair enough.

 

Your membership in the Florida Bicycle Association (FBA) ensures that a full time bicycle education and advocacy group of professionals is looking out for your interests.  We build relationships with legislators, law enforcement agencies, the Florida Department of Transportation and local transportation-planning organizations to educate, protect and fight for cyclist rights.

Membership aligns you with fellow bicyclists throughout Florida to forge a strong statewide education and advocacy association.

It may not seem like much and unfortunately, education and advocacy can be a slow, slow process.  No really, it can be very slow.  I say this as a FBA member since its second inception in 1998, a member who has stayed in good-standing for all 16 years.  Why?  Well, to be honest, I always felt it was the right thing to do and I found no reason to give up the good fight.  I still don’t, but that’s just me.

What I have found, now that I am building those above-mentioned relationships as executive director of FBA, is that our membership alignment with fellow bicyclists throughout Florida needs improvement.  Not to worry, I have a plan.

For members of FBA, communications are increasing.  The monthly e-newsletter has made a comeback and membership now receives an organization update after every quarterly Board of Directors meeting.

For the FBA member bicycle club and FBA member bicycle shop, good things are on the horizon!  More promotion on our web site and Facebook page, in fact, let me start on that right now.

Right now, FBA has bicycle club and bicycle shop representation in all seven FDOT districts:

District 1

FBA Member Bicycle Clubs: Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club, Coastal Cruisers Bicycle Club, Highlands Pedalers Bicycle Club, Peace River Riders Bicycle Club, Polk Area Bicycling Association, Sanibel Bicycle Club, Sarasota-Manatee Bicycle Club

FBA Member Bicycle Shops: Acme Bicycle Shop, Bicycle Center of Port Charlotte, Naples Cyclery, The Bike Route (Naples), Billy’s Bike Shop, Fort Myers Schwinn Cyclery, Ringling Bicycles, Bike Shop of Winter Haven

District 2

FBA Member Bicycle Clubs: Gainesville Cycling Club, North Florida Bicycle Club, Suwannee Bicycle Association

FBA Member Bicycle Shops: Gator Cycle, Champion Cycling & Fitness (3 locations), Lake Shore Bicycles & Fitness

District 3

FBA Member Bicycle Clubs: Capital City Cyclists, Emerald Coast Cyclists

FBA Member Bicycle Shops: St. Joe Velo, The Great Bicycle Shop (2 locations), Dragon Sports

District 4

FBA Member Bicycle Club: Boca Raton Bicycle Club

FBA Member Bicycle Shops: Bike America (6 locations), Lauderdale Cyclery, Wheels of Wellington

District 5

FBA Member Bicycle Club: Florida Freewheelers

FBA Member Bicycle Shops: Infinity Bike Shop (2 locations), Sun Cycle Center, Village Cycles (2 locations), Greenway Bicycles, Orange Cycle, Full Circle Cycle, Retro City Cycles, West Orange Trail Bikes & Blades, Wildwood Cyclery, Daytona Bicycle Center

District 6

FBA Member Bicycle Club: Everglades Bicycle Club

FBA Member Bicycle Shop: Mack Cycle & Fitness

District 7

FBA Member Bicycle Clubs: Central Florida Randonneurs, Florida Panthers Tandem Club, St. Petersburg Bicycle Club

FBA Member Bicycle Shops: Suncoast Bicycles, City Bike Tampa, Bike Sport, Chainwheel Drive (2 locations), Jim’s Bicycle Shop

So on this ‘Giving Tuesday’, allow me to give a word of thanks to our individual members, family members, snowbirds, students, living lightly members, member bicycle clubs, member bicycle shops, businesses, government members, sponsors and all those who have given above and beyond as Supporters, Benefactors, Champions, Legacy or Lifetime members.  Wait, let me give two words – Thank you!