Avid, Fashionable and Gender Indifferent

Recently I've read several bicycle related articles dealing with "issues" related to riding bikes. They are; defining who is an "avid" bike rider, "fashionable cyclist shaming" and how to get more women to ride bikes. An avid cyclist is someone with a great interest in bikes, a rider should wear what he or she chooses and everybody should ride bikes. <shrug> I don't see the conflict. Apparently, others do.

Why mention this now? Because I witnessed a convergence of all three of these issues in an unusual context; the 6th Annual All Florida Bike Polo Championships that happened at Kanapaha Veterans Park on the roller hockey rink. Four on four competition was intense and testy, fast and exciting and well worth the price of admission which was nonexistent.

For now, a few pictures will suffice to turn the above words into tens of thousands because seeing is the only way to fully understand the grassroots passion of the avid and fashionable women (and men) who thrashed, bashed, swung, slipped, won, lost, and had a helluva a time. It wasn't about who had the right bike, correct attire or whether a team was comprised of men, women or something else. It was handlebars, pedals, spokes, tires . . . all the truly good stuff.

If you have any interest come on back occasionally 'cause I'll add links to larger images and post some more, also.

Veterans Day, 2013

One of the recurring activities of the Gainesville Cycling Club is the annual ride during Veterans Day. The first stop of this year's Poker Run was at Veteran's Park in advance of the Veterans Day activities. Registration fees will be donated to Fisher House now under construction at Randall VA Medical Center.

The event was well attended, the weather was fine and the riders added a wide range of color options to the pre-event activities.

Below are some photos from the event. Clicking images will open a much larger image.

The first arrivals.

And then the Peloton . . .

Being patient for a good cause.

Parking made simple!

Fashion sense, two-wheel style.

Preparing to roll.

On the road again.

And event is only as good as the people who help make it happen.

Picture This and This and . . .

If you take enough pictures eventually you get one that's okay or maybe even a little better than okay. I like the ones below and have turned them into 1366 x 768 JPGs and use them as backgrounds and screensavers. The images below are PNGs of those images.

Only the second picture was not taken at Kanapaha Botanical Garden which is a short ride from home.

Clicking the images will open the larger, wallpaper-size image.


The Flowering Teas on my back porch have these tiny, fragant flowers and beautiful shiny green leaves. The flowers choose their own schedule for blooming and do so, off and on, all year round.

Kanapaha Botanical Gardens has  Florida's largest public collection of bamboo species.





Funny how this misplaced anchor seems quite at home here.


Most people think of Florida as a place of sun, sand and salt water, but to many who live here The Real Florida is something quiite different.


In 1996, the Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charitonius) was named as Florida's Official Butterfly,

When Do Reminders Become Memories?

"The Real Florida" is a term I hear often and, as with subjectivity, it means many things. For me it's a fascination with how people have dealt with natural Florida; it's flora, fauna and climate. There are many things nearby that speak of the way it "use ta be" and when I see them I take a picture. It might be part of my personal yearning for what "use ta be" when life was a little simpler, though, I guess assinations and wars labeled as conflicts aren't so simple.

A year ago I photographed an abandoned building, one that's familiar to anyone doing a lot of secondary and tertiary road riding. It had the look of a tobacco drying barn, but could have been used for something else. I'm neither a farmer nor a native so I don't know anything more about it than was captured in the images below.

Photographed November 29, 2012 Obvious and familiar to anyone traveling near archer on SW 143rd.

Photographed May 20, 2013 The passing a local landmark.

Photographed October 31, 2013 A reminder becoming a memory.

If you happen to be into old buildings and want a better image let me know.

More Things Seen While Riding

After a hiatus of a few weeks . . .

A recent addition to the ABT Trailhead kiosk is a small anouncement. Everyone using ABT should give support and thanks to the  4H Archer Trailblazers who are adding Litter Pickup to their community serivce project list.

Click picture to see larger image of 4H sign.

Ever wonder what the railroad equivalent of a ground crew is? Looks like it's this Flail Mower that relies on chain flails on the business end of its boom to beat grass and brush into submission.


With Trek entering the transport bike market with its longtail Transport there may be more human powered, urban utility vehicles around soon. Some people have already invested in cargo bikes. This bakfiet (Box Bike) from Clever Cycles (clevercycles.com) is dressed in the right seasonal color.

Bikes are much more than just recreational vehicles. Anyone who makes an effort to replace automobile mileage with time aboard a bicycle does as much for the world as for his or her physical condition.

Few real hills, good weather . . . Go ahead, bike my day.