Please join us. If you have stories and ideas to share about transportation cycling and cycling advocacy, you can become an author on this blog.
Adminstrator
Keri Caffrey
That’s me. I’m a League of American Bicyclists cycling instructor. I have been using a bike in urban Orlando since 1986. I used to current commute from Maitland to College Park. Now I live in Audubon Park. I commute from my bedroom to my office on foot… and use my bike for utility trips. I created Commute Orlando as a resource and online community for fellow transportation cyclists in Central Florida. More about me.
Editor
Lisa Blount
Lisa is a League of American Bicyclists cycling instructor. She commutes from Tuscawilla to Lee Vista. She doesn’t write very many posts on this site, but she sneaks around behind the scenes and edits everyone else’s. More about Lisa.
Active Authors
William Carpenter
William lives in Winter Springs and has been a Florida resident for 37 years—25 in Miami. His education consists of an Industrial Engineering Degree from Ohio State University and graduate work towards an MBA at Case Western. He has worked in various segments of the commercial real estate development industry for 41 years and is now semi-retired, doing part time consulting work. He is an avid photographer who wants to use his skills to produce documentaries and essays that help improve our human condition.
Robin Frisella
Robin very new to cycling, and even newer to commuting. Up until now, her fitness activities included jogging, yoga, and going to the gym. She teaches Music at a school in Downtown Orlando and tries to commute at least three days a week. Once outfitted with a great bike, Robin took the Road 1 Cycling Class, which prepared her for her 18 mile round trip commute on Orange Blossom Trail. Robin’s cycling experience so far has been on the commute and some longer rides on the West Orange Trail. Look for Robin’s entries to describe life as a middle-aged and, ahem, ‘plus-size’ woman who is new to the road and to the cycling culture.
Jessica Gurtowski
Jessica Gurtowski is co-owner of Retro City Cycles (along with Dano Kinnee) and actively involved in several local cycling groups, including the BOBbies, Hal’s Pals, Critical Mass, Ocala Mountain Bike Association, and Orlando Hash House Harriers. Jess fell in love with cycling after purchasing her first road bike in 2004… little did she know that bike came with a future husband attached to it! Jess can be seen commuting to work or test-riding the latest bikes at Retro City Cycles, and she also competitively race mountain bikes.
Andrew Harrell
Andrew has recently re-discovered his love of cycling. In his youth he went everywhere by bike, and in college he rode to class. Many years later, he’s back on a bike again, riding for health, for savings, for the environment, and for the absolute joy of it.
Kyle Kilgallon
Kyle is the communications officer for the Colonial High School Bike Club. Kyle joins CommuteOrlando to share the news of the bike club, the bike bus and the perspective of a young adult who uses a bike for transportation. On riding a bike, Kyle says:
For me it’s more than just a way to pass time, it’s a passion. I’ve been riding since I was 4 and will never stop (with the help of training wheels at one point!). I currently am riding a fixed gear track bike and a hybrid, and commute to school with my friends. We started a Cycling Club at Colonial High School, and ride about 7 miles to school almost every day. I want to eventually tour across the US, and in Europe as well. I look forward to adding to Commute Orlando’s great website. And remember, “Take the lane!”
G. Brock Magruder, Jr.
Dr. Magruder is an evangelist for the joys and benefits of riding a bike to work! He built his new surgery center with a shower and secure bike parking, and several of his staff have become bike commuters because of his enthusiasm. (We profiled LaserVue’s pro-cyclist workplace on Bike-to-Work day 2008.)
Laura Minns
Laura currently works at LYNX as a Capital Strategic Planner and her office is at ‘The Wave’ at Lynx Central Station. A reformed suburbanite, Laura lives just south of downtown (SODO) in the Wadeview Park Neighborhood with her husband and their two nearly adult children, 4 cats, one rabbit and several reptiles. Finally, Laura got into cycling at 19 as a way to supplement her swimming (she swam for FAU in Boca Raton) and find a more sociable competitive outlet. She hasn’t stopped talking since.
Ken Ray
Ken is a registered landscape architect at an international planning and design firm. Ken’s passion for designing and drawing places for people to live, work, and play, makes him strive to enhance and sustain the world’s built, natural, and social environments. Ken has been without any motorized transportation for 2 years and through this perspective, he sees the world as only a bicycle commuter can. He is an advocate for cycling, loves doing group road rides, and would rather spend his time in the saddle than any alternative.
Julius Santiago
Julius’ track bike gets him everywhere. Work, Critical Mass, alleycat races, bike polo? He’s there. He also helps maintain ibikeotown.com, a local web site for more of the non-traditional Orlando cyclists… but anyone that rides is welcome. Check out photos of Julius’ bike, here.
Eric Vey
Eric says he’s “just a tradesman with a slow, tradesman type bike.” You can see photos of Eric’s bike in the gallery.
Mighk Wilson
Mighk is Orlando’s Bike/Ped Coordinator, along with some other fancy title. He was born with a bicycle attached and has been commuting since he was 10. He’s a League cycling instructor and one of our regional trainers. More about Mighk.
Rodney Youngblood
Rodney works for a major airline as an aircraft maintenance technician. Since taking up commuting and riding bicycles in October 2007, he has accumulated over 3200 miles pedaled to date. He enjoys riding the Central Florida/Orlando area trails, long road rides, and running errands around town with his “grocery-getter” bicycle trailer. Check out Rodney’s photos in the gallery.
(There are a few other people who have Author permission, but have never written a post.)
