Bike/Walk Central Florida, CommuteOrlando and reThink want to promote cycling and roadway cooperation. "We want cyclists to be expected and respected as a normal part of the traffic mix, as groups or as solo riders. As one part of our ongoing campaign, we’re organizing a monthly group ride during drive time." Contact them for more info. Here’s the plan:
We will meet the First Friday of every month. We may create start locations in different areas. The first will meet at Loch Haven Park.
We will ride in manageable-sized groups (8-14 riders) leaving from a central location and riding in ±10 mile loops. The number of groups/loops will depend on the number of riders who show up for the event.
The rides are social. The pace will be whatever is comfortable for the slowest rider.
The groups will ride double-file, legally in the right lane of multi-lane roads and obey all traffic controls. The object is to make law-abiding bicycling visible. The motorists who encounter us will see us asserting our right to use the full lane and waiting at the red lights just like them. Same Roads, Same Rules, Same Rights.
A few ground rules:All riders must have a head light and tail light. The days are getting shorter.
We will operate within a single lane, no more than 2-abreast.
We will stop behind queued traffic and not filter forward.
We will obey red lights. In the event there are stop signs on the route, we will stop, yield and proceed as a unit.
We will not engage in hostility. It is rare for motorists to be hostile to our social groups, but in the event it happens, we will ignore or offer pleasantries in return. Let them have their bad karma all to themselves.
Due to HB971, we will have to ride single file in bike lanes where present. We will try to plan routes to minimize exposure to bike lanes.
The first ride will be September 3 from Loch Haven Park at 6PM. Join us! Afterward, we’ll regroup for Happy Hour.
Photo Credit: Tisse Mallon