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.