Making Local More Accessible . . . With Your Help

No matter how accessible the world is as a result of digital communications there’s nothing better than finding things that are “as good as it gets” and available locally; just down the street  or across town. The Haile Village Farmers’ Market is, as anyone who has read my postings already knows, one of my favorite places to shop locally. Local produce, coffee, eggs, milk and cheese are sold alongside locally made candies, breads and pastries and ethnic entrees and sides.

Some of the vendors have expanded their cottage industries to become commercial businesses and their products are available more widely. One vendor who wants to do this is Nana Pat's Goodies who makes some fine mustard! As I have said previously, I am not a mustard guy, or I was not. But if your mustard-concepts come from visits to baseball games in the 1950s where bright yellow mustard slathered on steamed hot dogs was the standard and you haven’t progressed beyond an occasional Grey Poupon commercial or Gulden’s Spicy Brown, then it’s time to become more adventuresome and Pat would like to make it easier to do so.
I, the former, non-mustard kinda guy, would not be without one of Nana Pat’s varieties in the ‘frig. Doesn’t take much to edge a good roast beef sandwich into being a great one, especially if it’s made with flavorful, homemade bread! Adding her mustard to a roll filled with sausage and ‘kraut amplifies the savory goodness. And she even makes a bicycle related mustard using Fat Tire Beer!

Nana Pat’s Goodies are available every Saturday morning in The Village of Haile and her customer base is comprised of people who recognize a quality product. Pat and that guy who hangs out with her are moving toward going commercial, but would like to have some financial assistance with an initial run of their product and have chosen to take a digital route. GoFundMe is one of those online enterprises that presents ideas and seeks funds to provide financial support to turn the idea into a reality. Unlike telecom before the ’00 crash, Nana Pat’s idea is not vaporware, it’s a tangible, honest product that she’d like to make more accessible. The upside to seeking funding this way is that she doesn’t have to plunge into debt to a lending institution. The upside to everyone else is greater access to her culinary skills.

Nana Pat’s request, along with a brief video can be found on the GoFundMe site at GoFundMe.com/i288xg. I should add that she isn’t looking for tens of thousands of dollar to make a levitating mustard, just a few thou' to defray costs for a substantial initial production run of her most popular flavor, "Midnight Oil Stout Molasses Mustard". Made with Midnight Oil Stout, a dark beer produced by local brewery, Swamp Head, it's thick and rich, with coffee and oatmeal notes that come from the top quality ingredients the folks at Swamp Head Brewery use.

Like local stuff? Good place to consider doing something locally.

Sometimes It About What You Get When You Get to Where You Went.

Some of the most important equipment for a regular bike rider is not bicycle specific and one of those things is something to protect the lips. Even in August riding across Coastal Georgia and South Carolina I learned the value of having something to counter dry, cracking lips. By day three I added a tube of generic, mineral oil based stuff that I found in a dollar store. It did the job and I have carried similar products in my handlebar bag since. Of the numerous ingredients in a typical lip balm one is commonly listed as an “active ingredients”; mineral oil or another petroleum product.
Because I like to buy locally and have been using Cross Creek Honey’s soap, which is available at the Saturday morning Farmers’ Market in Haile Village I decided to try their Don’t Bee Filthy branded Honey Kiss Lip Balm. Jennifer makes this along with the other Don’t Bee Filthy products; soap, lotion bar and bees’ wax candles. The ingredients’ list is short; Almond Oil, Honey, and Cross Creek Beeswax. I like that I’m not so going to ingest mineral oil, microcrystalline wax and copernicia cerifera. Those things might not cause me harm, but I am certain that almond oil, honey and beeswax won’t.

The only thing that really matters, I guess, is whether it works and it does; at least as well as commercial varieties. I applied commercial products about every 90 minutes of a recreational ride and Don’t Bee Filthy lasts as long if not longer. Honey Kiss Lip Balm cost $3 and is at least as valuable as a good pair of gloves.


Something that won’t improve your ride but is worth riding to the Haile Village Farmers’ Market to acquire is KN Candied Jalapenos. Few things do as good a job of turning mundane or boring into “damn, that was good.” Combining hot and sweet isn’t unique, but blending the two tastes so that neither overwhelms the other comes close to being an art and Al, the man behind the product, does a good job of creating a masterpiece of taste.
Al tells potential customers that his creation is “a lot like a bread and butter pickle” and it is, with the addition of jalapeno heat. Lovers of heat consume the jalapenos much like a pickle while others use them as an addition to other things. My favorite use is as a finely chopped addition to tuna, potato, chicken and egg salad. The sweet heat amplifies the overall taste of each.

The single negative about KN Candied Jalapenos is that they are not available every weekend as Al serves multiple locations. This is a minor inconvenience since I visit The Village weekly and it might mean you’d have to settle for fresh produce, coffee or some of the other locally produce products.

4th Annual Coffeeneuring Challenge; The Finale

The 4th Annual Coffeeneuring Challenge is over and 7 weekends, 7 cups of coffee, 7 different places way to spend some riding time. Thanks is due Mary of Chasing Mailboxes  for making it happen and I'm guessing that anyone participating did so with a smile on his or her face. I mean, bikes and coffee? How can you not smile . . . seriously!

For me the schedule was easy at least for the first few weeks with Haile Plantation's Village a place I go every Saturday, so planning the first few destinations was much easier than my ride up the East Coast a few years back. Below are my destinations and some relevant pictures.

Cup #1; October 4, 2.5 miles, Tree City Coffee Roasters
Tree City (soon to be called Flagship) is not in Memphis, but the young lady from whom I purchased my first Challenge Cup is Memphis.

It’s hard to match the freshness of coffee roasted by Andrew on Thursday and sold on Saturday; that is exactly the way it works when I visit the Farmers’ Market in Haile Plantation’s Village each Saturday morning.
Memphis filled my cup with Tree City’s Breakfast Blend and I took along a pound of Full City Roast (medium) Natural (Nicaragua – Selva Negra) for $12. A fine way to start a weekend morning!

Cup #2; October 11, 2.5 miles, PattiCakes
PattiCakes is also located in Haile Plantation’s Village and, as the name implies, specializes in cakes of the cup variety; very suitable to accompany a cup of coffee.


PattiCakes brews locally roasted Rembrandt Coffee in a neighborhood friendly environment where locals kibitz, chat and relax. Their house blend was even better when coupled with one of their cupcakes.

Cup #3; October 19, 1.65 miles, Barnie’s
Franchise coffee places are not my favorite places, but the local Barnie’s is more neighborhood then franchise and is a comfortable place to spend a few Sunday morning hours checking email and reading online news. The coffee of the moment was Mocha Java and it required a Danish to help overcome the UF Gator’s loss to Missouri’s Tigers.

Cup #4; October 25, 4.5 Miles, Starbuck’s
I’d talked about bike parking along G’ville’s highly commercial Archer Road and one of the establishments with adequate through remote racks was Starbuck’s. Since then they have relocated to the other side of the street and I decided to check their bike security along with getting the Cup #4.

Like any Starbuck’s in town it was full of young patrons, virtually all of whom were virtually connected to some virtual part of the virtual world. Like any Starbuck’s in town there was a steady din of conversation. The coffee d’jour was satisfactory and the donut I chose was above average.

The new location offers adequate bike racks and reasonable security, but with the drive-through passing within inches of the racks extra care is required when coming and going .


Cup #5; November 1, 2.5 miles, Limerock Road Neighborhood Grill (LRNG)
A place featuring adult beverages might be excuse for the quality of its coffee, but when you call a tavern a “grill” and serve meaningful meals, the coffee should be as good as the meal. LRNG doesn’t serve mediocre coffee. Order a cup and you get some of G’ville’s best; Tree City.

I settled at the bar on an unseasonably chilly, blustery morning when the recently completed extension of Archer Braid Trail (ABT) through Haile Plantation was being officially acknowledged. Bike riders in their brightly colored kits mingled with the usual Saturday morning Farmers’ Market patrons, enjoyed some music, collected a few freebies and sampled munchables from LRNG.



The ABT extension makes Haile’s Village very bicycle-accessible which fits well with the New Urbanist development’s concept. The Trail now extends nearly nine miles from the west trailhead in the small community of Archer to its current terminus at well-maintained Kanapaha Park and will eventually connect with other existing and planned trails. Ample parking at Kanapaha Park makes it an ideal place for families to enjoy the Trail and the 2.5 mile ride to The Village. Cup #5 blended all the things that’re good about riding a bike in Gainesville and the Challenge simply added another good reason to be in the saddle.


Cup #6; November 8, 7.5 miles, Maude’s Classic Café (A Gourmet Coffee Shop)
With the last weeks of the Challenge at hand Cup #6 could be had in conjunction with the Fall Arts Festival in downtown G’ville. Whata deal! Maude’s was the right place to have a cup and a muffin before plunging into the crowd drawn by the Festival perfect weather; neither too hot nor too chilly.

A cursory study of Maude’s could cause it to be viewed as a hipster café, but it’s neither more nor less so than the other trendy coffee shops in G’ville. A cup of Sweetwater Organic Coffee, also a G’ville roasted brand, and a muffin while watching the eclectic mix of people made it a good way to prepare for the larger than usual crowd of Festival-goers.


Cup #7; November 16, 2.8 miles, Waffle House, Archer Road
America might run on Dunkin’ but in the South there’re a lot of people who’ll have their coffee at Waffle House so I decided to make the Southern Tradition the place for my final cup.


The coffee at WH isn’t exceptional, but it comes in a heavy cup that keeps it hot and you’ll get the question, “need some more hon’?” until you pay and leave. It’s hard to beat the value and even more difficult to ignore the Southern Diner ambiance; that’s one of the reasons to go there. Another reason? Waffles, of course. And then there’s the show put on by the grill operators on a Sunday morning.

Meeting the requirements of the 4th Annual Coffeeneuring Challenge was well worthwhile and helped put my disappointment from the Bicycle Challenge into proper perspective. Serious bicycle riding has little to do with kits and carbon fiber and centuries. It’s about caring about yourself and your community and enjoying the ability to get around on two wheels powered by your own effort.

Fine With Me Dining at Limerock Road Neighborhood Grill

Riding a bike is not necessarily about how fast or how far. Sometimes it’s about where you end up and during the recent Coffeeneuring Challenge (4th Annual) I ended up at Limerock Road Neighborhood Grill (LRNG), a place I’d visited in a previous incarnation. The coffee was good and the atmosphere was inviting; I knew I had to return and learn whether the food was equally pleasant.

I planned my visit to fit within LRNG’s Happy Hour window which is daily from 3 to 6 pm and for a day when sitting outside would be comfortable.  So, a few days after my previous chilly morning visit I returned when it was upper 70s and sitting outside was not only possible but pretty much required.
Because my tastes are simple I ordered some things I could understand; potato skins and beer. Because it was Happy Hour I sampled two on-tap brews; Brooklyn Lager and later, Sweetwater 420 Pale Ale. The potato skins were a very satisfactory finger food with more than adequate potato and the skins were tender rather than crisp, tough or chewy. There was neither too much, nor too little cheese and enough bits of bacon to add texture.


An hour spent with a couple of beers, a quartet of potato skins, attentive but not overbearing service and delightful weather was about as much as anyone could ask for from any eatery and LRNG delivered. Park your car at Kanapaha Park and ride the 2.5 miles to Haile Village and the Archer Braid Trail extension, indulge at LRNG then work some of it off on the return trip.

Convergence: ABT, Haile Village and the 4th Annual Coffeeneruing Challenge

After years of debate, misinformation and misbehavior the extension of Archer Braid Trail (ABT) became a reality and making Haile Plantation’s Village easily accessible from Kanapaha Park.

ABT and Haile Blvd.

The Village is an integral and extremely under used part of New Urbanist Haile Plantation.. On Saturday I combined the extension’s Grand Opening Celebration, my fifth stop in the 4th Annual Coffeeneuring Challenge and my regular visit to the weekly Farmers’ Market.

Fewer riders appeared at this event than at the Grand Opening of the first six miles in June ‘13 becasue of the unseasonable weather, but those who did were dressed for the sunny, chilly, windy November morning. Adding to the small gathering, though, were curious patrons of the Farmers’ Market drawn by the music of Weeds of Eden.

Weeds or Eden “We play original bio-regional music, folk and rock standards, Celtic tunes, and filthy pirate songs.”  See facebook site

It turned into a friendly, busy get together. Of special note, though, is the courtesy of Gordy and his Limerock Road Neighborhood Grill staff who provided an assortment of finger-edibles, bottled water and congeniality.

Limerock Road Neighborhood Grill

Months ago I wrote a brief review of eateries in Haile’s Village, but focused on bike security. Four U-racks easily visible from inside make security a nonissue, though the cobbles into which the racks are secured make footing a mite awkward.

Bike security at Limerock Road Neighborhood Grill

When the opening event was announced I knew I’d make Limerock one of my stops on the Coffeeneuring Challenge for two additional reasons; I’d be in the Village for the regular Saturday Farmers' Market and Limerock serves Flagship Coffee (formerly known as Tree City). If the weather had been less blustery I would have settled outside to observe the goings-on, but had I done that I’d’ve missed the energetic and friendly staff and the comfortable Neighborhood Grill environment.

Flagship Coffee at Limerock Road

I’d visited the establishment in its previous iteration, but had no knowledge of the current state of is comestibles. As a place to hangout and enjoy some conversation it’d be hard to beat; comfortable seats at the bar, large windows with a pleasant view of Haile’s Square and a place to enjoy the Gators on a couple of large screen TVs (and Happy Hour when the Gators are on the road). Unlike many “sports bars” Limerock maintains its pub style without forgetting how to offer a family friendly, part-of-the-neighborhood enviornment.

Bright and Welcoming Limerock Road

The coffee was good. The service and accessibility of the serving staff was exceptional. Now it’s past time for me to see what they can do with their food. For the rest of you; leave your car at Kanapaha Park, follow the Trail, visit the Farmers' Market and go see Gordy.

Limerock's specials

GCC Member? Visit The Village (or downtown) and Get A Deal

As a response to the completion of Archer Braid Trail’s extension through Haile Plantation one of the regular vendors at the Saturday morning Farmers' Market has created a product with bicycle riders (Gainesville Cycling Club members in particular) in mind and is encouraging them to visit the Village.

I have never been much of a fan of mustard, except for when I was a kid and went to Memorial Stadium in Baltimore where all hot dogs came with bright yellow mustard. As my tastes have become moderately more sophisticated I have appreciated the more robust flavors of what might be called "real mustard". I may never become a dipper and use a jar of mustard like hummus or guacamole, but I have learned that mustard . . . some mustards . . . deserve a place in my kitchen.

Nana Pat’s Goodies is one of the vendors at the Market who has embraced the idea that people on bikes is good for the Farmers’ Market.


Nana Pat makes both sweet and savory things, but it is her mustard that matters here. Her newest addition to the line of savories is Fat Tire Special, which uses, can you guess, New Belgium’s Fat Tire Amber Ale as its base. That, alone, would be reason enough to visit Haile Village on Saturday or Union Street on Wednesday, BUT . . . are you ready? . . . GCC members get a discount. A check of Nana Pat’s website blog says it all; she doesn’t commonly offer deals. What’s the deal? Fifty cents off the usual $7 large jar or two small jars (usually $4 each) for the price of a large one, should you want to share the joy. The blog posting also says that this is a limited time product, but I bet demand would win out.


Anyone wanting a seriously good taste treat and wanting to buy locally should try Nana Pat’s stuff. For those of you who like to favor things on facebook and encourage others to treat themselves to something worthwhile, you can do it there, too.

Even if none of the regular merchants in The Village see the marketing value of encouraging the use of ABT, at least one Saturday morning vendor does.

National Bike Challenge and Coffeeneuring

The National Bike Challenge and Falling Over
This year’s National Bike Challenge gave me the same kick in the saddle as last year’s. My goal was an average of twenty miles a day and I was doing pretty well until I fell over kinda like Arte Johnson and his tricycle on “Laugh-In”; a 3 mph moment of carelessness. Landed on my hip, the same one that’d been repaired with titanium rods to hold the ball on the neck of my femur. Wasn’t nearly as much pain as there was blood from elbow, knee and finger, so I finished the remaining 16 miles. Later there was plenty of pain and I didn’t (probably couldn’t) ride the next day or Saturday, managed a cautious few miles thereafter, returning to the scene of the fall a week later.

During the Challenge, Archer Braid Trail through Haile Plantation progressed from construction site to completion. When I was able to resume riding it was very nice to cruise cautiously on the very smooth asphalt and over the numerous transition points. I missed my Saturday morning visit to the Farmers’ Market, but will enjoy it even more now, despite the missing piece of asphalt at Kimball Wiles Elementary School.

What About After the National Bike Challenge
So, how will I fill the hole left by no longer being able to compete for a year’s supply of toilet paper (yes, one of the monthly prizes)? Along comes Mary G. and her blog; chasing mailboxes. Commencing on October 4 is the Fourth Annual Coffeeneuring Challenge; 7 Cups (of coffee) in 7 Weeks (Saturdays and Sundays only). Say what?

The basics are this; visit one place where you drink coffee, document it, do that each of the seven weekends and submit your completed “challenge” at the end. Prizes? Yeah, some, I guess.

• Difficult? Not really? Potentially a good way to discover your own back yard, so to speak.
• Rules? Yeah and you can read ‘em here.
• I’ve already planned my first several weekends; Tree City at the Haile Village Farmers’ Market, Limerock Road and patticakes (not open Sundays) also in Haile Village, Barnie’s on lower Tower Road and undoubtedly the Starbucks at Butler.

Look at chasing mailboxes and enjoy Mary’s whimsical perspective, except when she’s serious. Maybe Gainesville and GCC will turn in another stellar performance.

Some questions about ABT through Haile Plantation?

Raise your hand if you know the answer . . . 

1.Is ABT through Haile Plantation finished?
 Paving has been completed and all transitions within Haile have been excavated and concrete has been poured. All that remains is installation of bricks to form the necessary detectable warnings. Transitions along Tower Road have been surveyed.

2. When will the section of sidewalk be removed and asphalt applied in front of Kimbell Wiles Elementary School?

 The sidewalk will not be replaced. 

3. Why not?
 The county school system would not permit it. 

4. So, that's it?
 Yep. 

The newly paved trail adds about 2.8 miles (less the .2 miles of sidewalk in front of Kimball Wiles) to the already well used 6.2 miles of Archer Braid Trail. It makes Haile Village readily accessible by bike or on foot from Kanapaha Park (about 3 miles) and provides a relatively easy 18 mile trip from the Park to Archer and back.

Hipp Construction did a fine job with ABT through Haile. By week's end all construction should be completed and clean-up and final touches well underway. If you haven't ridden or walked the new section of ABT you ought to.

Finding your FNBS, Part 2

It has taken a while but I visited two of the three remaining bike shops in G’ville; Pleasant Cyclery and Super Cool Bike Shop. For anyone who wasn’t here for the first installment it can be found by using this convenient link; http://whatssomeoneyourage.blogspot.com/2014/07/seeking-your-fnbs.html.

At both shops I wanted to learn how they might handle the questions of an older person who wants to begin or return to riding a bicycle. At each of the previous shops after some discussion I felt confident that such a person would be asked the important questions that would help both the shop and the prospective customer to decide which “next step” to take. The questions:

1.    How well do you ride?
2.    What do you want to accomplish?
3.    What kind of riding do you think you want to do?
4.    What’s your budget?

Pleasant Cyclery 235 NW 8th Avenue, GainesvilleFL 32601 352-378-2100

Of all the shops I visited Pleasant Cyclery was the least responsive. There is no longer a coffee shop here, which is disappointing, but it probably didn’t make good economic sense. The gentleman I spoke with was the only employee present and he was engrossed in repair work. He was courteous when I how he’d respond to an elderly person wanting to return to riding a bike after many years, but he was less interested in talking about the process he might use.

Two variables may have affected this encounter; I was not feeling jocular and he was younger than people I’d spoken with at other shops. Among the bikes on display was a step though model, but I had to ask about it. Pleasant Cyclery carries a wide variety of bikes and surely among the lines are bikes that would be suitable. I’d be unlikely to suggest it as a first stop for a Senior’s return to cycling bike.
http://www.pleasantcyclery.com/

After I sent a first draft of my observations about Pleasant Cyclery the co-owner offered that I had not gotten a true impression of the shop because he was on vacation thus putting greater responsibility on his partner. He invited me to return. I have not, but eventually will. I emailed an offer for him to address my four questions, but did not receive a reply. The shop also has a new internet address which is listed above.

Super Cool Bike Shop 3460 W University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32607 (352) 371-2453

The Super Cool Bike Shop has my least favorite name, but that’s probably related to my basic lack of coolness in bicycle circles. The young man I spoke to at Super Cool asked all the right questions and that was . . . well . . . cool. His suggestions for possible new bikes were reasonable. I was given some options they were all at the upper end of my proposed “about $500” budget. Used bikes were not an option but the possibility was discussed of upgrading if a rider decided he or she wanted to become more involved in riding and wanted another model sold there. Super Cool was a congenial place and maybe I was friendlier, too.
http://supercoolbikeshop.com/

Three Weeks

The end is nigh; paving of the portions of ABT along SW 41st Place (Kanapaha Park) and Tower Road will begin next week along with the remaining section at Haile’s Equestrian facility. Predicted time for completion of the entire project is three weeks. This will include excavation and paving of the short section at Kimball Wiles Elementary School where ABT crosses Tower Road. Transition points at all intersections are marked and final work on drainage and landscaping has begun.

Is a Grand Opening being planned for this section of ABT? Linking ABT through Haile with activities in Haile Village seems obvious irrespective of the resistance by many Haile residents. Rather than being an unwanted eyesore, Hipp Construction has done a fine job of mating ABT to Haile Boulevard as it enters the Plantation and 91st Streets more aggressive and direct approach.

Getting to the Saturday Farmers’ Market from Kanapaha Park will be a pleasant ride and one that can be made safely by families. Several vendors at the Market who make delectable consumables are working on bicycle related items and might be encouraged to offer discounts or deals to people arriving by bike!

41st Place and Tower Road; Entrance to Kanapaha Park

41st Place at Kanapaha Park

Tower Road ready to be paved

Progress on ABT

Archer Braid Trail (ABT) through Haile Plantation continues its steady, if sometimes too slow, progress. Paving equipment has been moved to the section of unpaved trail passing Haile’s Equestrian Center suggesting that there’ll soon be asphalt from Archer Road at 91st to Haile Blvd at Tower.

The next significant and very obvious work is happening on Tower Road where the sidewalk on the eastern side of Tower has been removed and will be replaced as part of ABT. Significant work is being done to the crossing and transitions at the Kimball Wiles Elementary School intersection. Concurrently, paving of the new multiuse path is nearing completion from Archer Road to Kanapaha Middle School. It will eventually extend to join ABT at Kimball Wiles.

ABT at Tower Road

Tower Road at Kimball Wiles Elementary School

Haile Blvd at Tower Rd.

The section of Trail paralleling Haile Blvd is already being used by riders, walkers, strollers, and even skaters. I know I’m biased, but I think the Trail enhances the ride along Haile Blvd toward the Village. Making Haile Village more accessible can’t be a bad thing, especially on Saturday mornings for the Farmers’ Market.

Haile Blvd.

More progress on ABT through Haile

Work has begun on the points of transition at intersections along ABT through Haile.

Gainesville, we have asphalt!

Paving of the 91st Street section of Archer Braid Trail through Haile Plantation began today and by 1700 (5:00 pm) was nearing completion. Final preparation has also been done on most of the Trail paralleling Haile Blvd (SW 45th Blvd) and preliminary grading completed along the section passing by Haile Equestrian Center.
Looking north on SW 91st Blvd from Archer Road.

Construction at intersection transition points along the entire route and at the intersection at SW 91st Street and Haile Blvd. is underway.


Intersection of Haile Blvd with SW 91st  Street

Paving WILL begin!

Paving equipment is ready and sod has been placed along SW 91st Street. Curbing has been removed at each of the intersections along SW 46th Blvd. except for the intersection at SW 81st Terrace west of Haile Equestrian Center. The section from SW 81st Terrace to Tower Road will be paved when grading over recently installed drainage is completed.

And Maybe Next Week!

Last week Bob's Barricades appeared along SW 41st Place announcing the next big step toward completion of Archer Braid Trail. Excavation for the section of ABT that will run from Tower Road to GRU's Water Reclamation Facility has begun.
When the entire project is completed Kanapaha Park will be a natural starting point for family rides to Haile Village.

ABT has become an integral part of Gainesville's bicycling community. The wooded 1.5 miles beginning at the trail head in Archer has been embraced by its citizens and it is common to see families strolling, skating and riding along that section.

The real news, though, is that paving may begin next week and will encompass all of SW 91st Street to SW 46th Blvd. and much of SW 46th Blvd. as far as the short section passing in front of Haile's Equestrian Center. The final piece of the Trail has not yet been started; parallel to Tower Road from SW 46th Blvd. to SW 41st Place.

Seeking your FNBS

I intended to complete this discussion about bike shops a week ago, but Fútbol interfered. This is the second World Cup to which I have given more than casual attention and it’s returned a favor with numerous outstanding matches and remarkable moments.

Championship athletic competition on a high level is always appealing. I can recall being captivated by Arnie hitching up his trousers as he took on Augusta National when I had no prior interest in golf. I try to not miss at least some part of The Masters. In July, of course, Tour de France will provide an even more compelling distraction so I need to finish the first half of the bike shop discussion now!

In the May edition of “Senior Times” I wrote about becoming a bike rider whether as someone resuming a long-ago activity or as something new for recreational and fitness reasons. I suggested that one of the best ways to acquire a suitable bike for the commencement of a two-wheeled journey is to visit a bike shops and talk to people who can assist in sorting through the wide variety of bikes now available; back in the 50s and 60s the selection was very limited in small-town America.

At my local Publix I was asked by someone who recognized me from the picture included among the Contributors whether there was a preferred bike shop in town, specifically, what was my FNBS (Friendly Neighborhood Bike Shop)? Choosing a shop to take care of your ride is highly subjective and that’s what I related to the man who asked the question.

The only way to find the right shop with the right bike, whether as newbie or redux, is to talk to the people inside their doors. As a prospective bicycle rider you should have answers to some relevant questions before setting out on a bike quest.

1.    How well do you ride?
2.    What do you want to accomplish?
3.    What kind of riding do you think you want to do?
4.    What’s your budget?

There’s one other thing you need to ask of yourself: How likely are you to stick with riding a bike if it turns out to be more difficult that you thought? If you have a personal history of plunging into something (buying all the equipment, taking all the classes, finding all the places) only to give it up and be left with regret and chose, pants, brushes and other useless but painful reminders of one more zealous obsession gone bad.

Riding a bike, even casually, requires regular physical effort. If you don’t try to develop fitness and skill the bike will be relegated to the back porch, yard or craigslist.

I wondered how bike shops (other than my FNBS) would deal with a Senior Citizen who wants to begin riding. At each of the first five shops I have visited, Bike Works, Gator Cycle, Schwinn Shop, Swift Cycle and Chain Reaction (There are four yet to be visited) the person or people to whom I spoke wanted to know the same basic information related the questions posed above. At none of the shops will you find someone pushing you toward a bike unsuited to your wants and needs. Instead, they may try to convince you that your wants exceed your needs (and abilities), but their goals were all about getting a good match.

Each shop sells one or more brands of bikes and every brand has a wide range of style options. For many older, wanna-be bike riders an upright, step-through frame bike is often the best first choice. Bikes that might have been called “girls’ bikes” in our long ago past are more properly called “open frame” and are not gender specific. They are wholly suitable for a new, older rider where swinging an aging leg over the back of a bike might exceed current physical ability.

Bike Works 2300 SW 34th Street, Gainesville, FL 32608 352-225-3585

Only Bike Works did not have such as a step through model available on-site, though their primary brand, Giant, does make “Lifestyle/City” models in both step-through, open and traditional frames. Additionally, they also carry a line of Beach Cruisers from Phat Cycle and such bikes a popular with us old folk.

Tony of Bike Works responded to an email I sent asking if I had been accurate in my brief assessment of Bike Works. He said that not only have they added some bikes of the sort I had hoped to see, but that Giant had dropped the price of 30 of their most popular models by 20 to 30 percent. Additionally, they have developed several videos relevant to ordinary care and maintenance which could be useful to both new and regular riders. These are available on their website.

Gator Cycle 3321 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville, FL 32608 352-373-3962

Gator Cycle may be the most familiar name in G’ville and its leading brand, Trek, is one of the most well-known brands. When it comes to diverse styles, Trek makes just about everything, including entry level upright, city-type bikes, and Gator probably has some in stock. Another in-stock option that Gator offers is recumbent bikes which are suitable for someone with physical limitations. They’re beyond the scope of this brief treatment, but worth investigating.

Schwinn Shop 1225 W University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601 352-374-2064

The Schwinn Shop’s bike lines include suitable “elder bikes.” Maybe more so than Trek, Schwinn is an iconic name. It is not the Schwinn of old, but neither are the Schwinns sold in bike shops the same as those sold in big box department stores.

A moment here about big box bike, those from Wal-Mart, Target, and Kmart; they may not cost much, but they come with none of the assurance you get from a local bike shop if something fails, breaks or needs adjusting. Another moment . . . this time about craigslist; stolen bikes often find their way to craigslist and like big box bikes, repairs may require using a local bike shop. You also have even less recourse regarding failure, breakage and adjustments. Any bike acquired from other than a bike shop should be taken to a shop for a thorough examination. Failing brakes really suck.

Swift Cycle 607 W University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601 352-226-8790

Swift, the new shop in town, despite its initial boutique appearance is as serious as other shops and has a diverse selection of styles in-stock. Breezer, one of their main brands, offers a line of “Town” bikes from which it’d be easy to find a suitable ride.

Chain Reaction Bike Shop 1630 W University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32603 352-373-4052

The last shop in this group is Chain Reaction. Being across University Avenue from UF adds a significant positive to it a good place to look for your first venture into riding; used bikes. Like all the rest, Chain Reaction has a line of bikes (Jamis) from which you can find a suitable ride, but if money is an object a used bike might be a best option. Why Chain Reaction? Student turnover. Kids come and kids go and lots of their bikes go to Chain Reaction. The people there will let you know that their used bikes carry a year’s worth of service, as do their consignment bikes. Think of it like craigslist without a downside. Yeah, the price might be more, but the bike will likely be of higher quality and will last a lot longer. There’s also the practical value of being able to trade them a bike they know for a new one.

I hadn’t bothered to mention that each of the listed bike shops has at least one fulltime mechanic, but after you acquire a bike having a mechanic you trust becomes very important; chains wear out, wheels need to be made true and brakes need to be adjusted. Being able to get your bike serviced timely and competently matters and makes it the “customer service after the sale” that is most important.

You probably cannot find a bad bike shop in G’ville because there’s abundant competition. It’s like this; if you visit a bike shop looking for information and the people with whom you interact don’t make you feel comfortable, go somewhere else. When you see someone with a bike, talk to him or her about bikes and shops. Bike riders tend to be pretty passionate about riding and like to share information. The more people you talk to the more you will know. More people on two-wheels is a good thing.