Suncoast Trail Sunset Spin to benefit STAG, INC.

Suncoast Trail Sunset Spin

FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2008

Sign–In begins at 6:30 PM – at Suncoast Trailside Bicycles at SR54
Ride begins at 7:00 PM at the Suncoast Trailhead at SR 54

This is a Bike Only Event
Bicycle Lights are required front and rear.
Helmets are mandatory.
Win prizes and/or gift certificates.
This event is geared for everyone! The ride help supports STAG, INC.
Sign in is at Suncoast Trailside Bicycles on SR 54 at 6:30-7:00 PM
(located in the Super Target Plaza).
The ride will start at the trail head located on SR54 and the Suncoast Trail at 7:00 PM. There will be a turnaround at the Starkey Park entrance and the trail, this will be a 8.5 mile ride. And the last turn around will be a loop into Starkey Park and will be a 22 mile ride.
Refreshments will be located at each turnaround station. Rider support ends at 9:00 PM.

Riders who pre-register before March 10, 2008 will pay $10.00. Same day registration will pay $15.00.
Free to children under 12 years of age. Children must be accompanies by an adult.

For more information, call 813-558-1117, ext. 12 OR email: joanne.hurley@dot.state.fl.us

Awareness Video from UK

Check out this awareness video from the UK.

http://www.dothetest.co.uk/

Tampa Downtown Partnership features Tampa BayCycle in newsletter

Tampa Downtown Partership featured a great story in their recent newsletter.

http://www.tampasdowntown.com/newsletter.aspx?newid=69

Click on the link and scroll down to read the article.

East Pasco Habitat for Humanity Charity Fundraiser set for April 6

I received this information from Karen Streaker regarding the first Charity Bicyle Fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity. Habitat is a cause worth supporting. When I was living in Salt Lake City, the employees of the organization (Utah Transit Authority) I worked for actually built a house. We donated money and "sweat" as we worked together hammering nails building a home for someone who needed our help.

__________________________________________________________


On Sunday, April 6th, 2008, East Pasco Habitat for Humanity, will hold its first Charity Bicycle Fundraiser, “The Ride for Humanity”. We would like to involve as many cyclists from all over the state to participate as possible!

Each rider is being asked to try and raise pledges for Habitat and ride routes ranging from 10 miles to 62.5 miles. All rides will start and end in Dade City. There will be a choice of riding on the roads in and around Dade City and San Antonio or on The Withlacoochee Trail. The pledges are not mandatory but we would appreciate it if the riders could ask friends to support their ride for Habitat.

Signing up is easy…...there is a link to our fund-raising bike website on www.ephabitat.org. After the ride, we are having a great lunch, refreshments & live music! We want everyone to have a blast!

If you can not ride in our charity bike ride, would you please help us by “spreading the word” about our ride? Please pass the information on to someone else who might enjoy the day…….

The goal for this year’s ride is to raise $30,000 for East Pasco Habitat for Humanity. There are some 8,400 children children in Pasco County who go to bed each night sleeping on the floor of a home with faulty plumbing, bare electrical wires, holes in the floors and vermin too numerous to mention. Habitat works with families who can pay the no-profit, no-interest mortgages that are held by us to give them a “hand-up, not a hand-out”. WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN A CHILD’S LIFE!

Thank you for considering partnering with Habitat and supporting our commitment to provide affordable housing in East Pasco County. I can be reached at (352) 567-1444 or by e-mail at kstreaker-epascohh@earthlink.net to answer any questions that you may have. Your support is vital to our mission and is truly appreciated

Sincerely,

Karen Streaker
The Ride for Humanity

2008 Words for Wheels Contest-WIN A BICYCLE

Leslie, 2007 Winner, poses with new bicycle

courtesy of Carrollwood Bicycle Emporium and Oliver's Cycle Sports

How would owning a bicycle change your life?

Tell us and you could be the owner of a new bicycle.

It's simple. Just tell us in your own words (250 or less) why owning a bicycle would change your life. Would you use your bicycle to commute to work or school, for grocery shopping, or to ride to social events? Is saving the environment or money important to you. How about the health impact? You tell us. . . . . . in your own honest style.

Essay Submission:

Please submit your essay via mail or email to:
Julie Bond,
New North Transportation Alliance
Center for Urban Transportation Research/USF
4202 E. Fowler Avenue, CUT 100
Tampa, FL 33620
or email to bond@cutr.usf.edu

Your entry must include the following:
Name, Complete Address, Telephone Number, Email, Age

Rules: Must be over 18 years of age and a resident of Hillsborough or Pinellas Counties. Entries must be postmarked or received via email by April 20, 2008

Questions: Call 813-974-9799.

Seminole Heights Bicycle Club Inaugural Ride

Article courtesy of Alan Snel:

The Seminole Heights Bicycle Club launched its maiden bicycle ride with 60 bicyclists on Saturday Feb. 16, including Mayor Pam Iorio.

It was a gorgeous morning of bicycling six miles through the streets of scenic Seminole Heights, including a pitstop for coffee and water at Patterson Street Park on the scenic Hillsborough River about halfway through the route.

Cyclists of all ages and riding all types of bicycles -- from kids on BMX bikes to adults on hybrids to couples on tandems -- celebrated the newly-minted bicycle club's inaugural ride with a victory lap about Lake Roberta.

During the bike ride break at Patterson Street Park, Mayor Iorio commended Seminole Heights as a great neighborhood, cited the new bike lanes and road improvements of Nebraska Avenue and even said she will work on getting bike lanes painted on Platt Street in the city.

The Seminole Heights Bicycle Club thanks Mayor Iorio and Starbucks for their participation and stay tuned for announcements of different bike rides by the Seminole Heights Bicycle Club.

photo, Alan Snel

photo, Alan Snel

photo, Alan Snel

photo, Alan Snel

Tax Package that included Bicycle Commuter Benefit, eliminated from Energy Bill

On December 18, the House cleared energy legislation H.R. 6, which President Bush plans to sign. Passage was assured once Senate Democrats dropped a $21.8 billion renewable energy and energy efficiency tax package. The decision by Senate leadership to eliminate the entire tax package initiative from the energy bill dashed hopes of having the Commuter Tax Provision passed for this year. Congress could revisit this early in 2008 and pass the tax portion of the energy bill as a stand-alone bill.

1st Annual BayCycle Photography Contest!

Are you a bicyclist? Do you love to take pictures? Then don't hesitate to enter the 1st Annual BayCycle Photography contest! Help celebrate the relationship between bicycling and daily life in Tampa Bay.

GENERAL INFORMATION: The contest is open to everyone, from the amateur photographer to the casual or experienced cyclist living in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Citrus, Pasco and Hernando counties. The contest is designed to offer participants the opportunity to share their love of bicycling with our community and the general public. Winning photographs will be on display at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts (FMoPA) during the month of May 2008. Photos will be evaluated by a panel of three judges. All decisions are final and at the discretion of Tampa BayCycle. All entries must be postmarked no later than March 30, 2008.

SUBMISSION DETAILS: Photograph guidelines: 8”x10” print, color or black and white; must include a bicycle or some part of a bicycle and have been taken in the Tampa Bay area. Participants are allowed to submit five photos per entry. A digital image of the photo or photos on CD must be included with submission. Label the disc and back of photo with contact information. All submitted photos become property of Tampa BayCycle.

AWARDS: Prizes will be awarded in two categories, General Public and Student, and include a combination of bike gear and gift certificates worth the following amounts:

*1st place - $500

*2nd place - $250

*3rd place - $100

*Honorable Mention - $25

In addition, all winning photographs will be showcased in an exhibition during May 2008 at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts.

FEE: General Public, $10 per entry (max. five photos per entry); Student, $5 per entry (max. 5 photos per entry). Payment must be made by cash or check made payable to Bay Area Commuter Services.

RULES AND INFORMATION: Questions? Call (813) 974-9799, or visit http://www.tampabaycycle.com/. Registration form is available on website.

IMPORTANT DATES:

YouTube training video from San Francisco

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7M-_ueoU2E&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fbikeportland%2Eorg%2F2007%2F08%2F15%2Fsan%2Dfrancisco%2Dpolice%2Dwork%2Dwith%2Dbike%2Dadvocates%2Don%2Dtraining%2Dvideo%2F



Check out this San Francisco Police Department training video.

New Blog started by Mighk Wilson

www.betterbicycling.blogspot.com
From Mighk Wilson:

It will be targeted to new cyclists, but I'd like to have content for cyclists of nearly all levels. I won't cover racing issues, but everything else is pretty much fair game, with my primary focus on people using bikes for transportation and general fitness.

If you have questions or topics for the blog, please check in and post a comment; and if you have friends or family who could use some advice, send them the link.