http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress Encouragement, Education & Advocacy for Bicycling in the Real World Thu, 24 May 2012 02:02:01 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Encouragement, Education & Advocacy for Bicycling in the Real World Commute Orlando no Encouragement, Education & Advocacy for Bicycling in the Real World http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/category/destinations/ http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/05/21/cycle-chick-ride-to-sundew-gardens/ http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/05/21/cycle-chick-ride-to-sundew-gardens/#comments Mon, 21 May 2012 16:38:33 +0000 Keri http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/?p=15421 Yesterday, a small group of us rode to Sundew Gardens for a workshop on chicken farming: Chickens for the Central Florida Homestead. The City of Orlando just launched a pilot program to allow residents to keep hens in back yard coops. I don’t have a back yard (at the moment) but I’ve been curious about raising chickens. In general, I’m interested in local food. Mighk and his wife, Carol, actually managed to snag one of the 25 coveted permits. First Friday regular, Larry Gies organized the ride and planned the route. Diana packed lunch for all of us and made sure we had the appropriate decorations for our bikes. I just showed up The route was fun, many roads I had not been on before. It consisted of a mix of residential streets, some busier roads and the wonderful Little Econ Greenway. The tree-lined residential streets make for perfect riding. Oh, and the tall young man in the photo is LisaB’s son, who joined a group ride for the first time (and drafted and held his line like a pro when we were riding into the wind on some of the busier roads). It was such fun to have him along! The [...]]]> http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/05/21/cycle-chick-ride-to-sundew-gardens/feed/ 4 http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/02/14/tracking-active-transportation/ http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/02/14/tracking-active-transportation/#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:25:32 +0000 Keri http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/?p=14688 Healthy Central Florida is encouraging people to take a pledge to do 30 minutes of exercise, three times a week for three months (3:30:3). I filled out the pledge card Monday, then decided to keep track of the exercise I get using my bike for transportation. I didn't change anything, just decided to track an average week.]]> http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/02/14/tracking-active-transportation/feed/ 12 http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/01/24/s-cargo-rides-again/ http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/01/24/s-cargo-rides-again/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:31:01 +0000 Diana http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/?p=14563 Join Bike Walk Central Florida and CommuteOrlando this Sunday morning to the Maitland Farmers Market. We’ll ride a scenic route there at an easy pace, and the weather is forecast to be perfect! The Maitland Farmers Market has fresh produce and related stuff, as well as food trucks. Whoohoo! Food Trucks! Feel free to ride whatever you have. Ride your cargo bike, pull a trailer, use racks, bags, baskets, panniers, or hang a plastic bag from the handlebars. It’s all good. Everyone is welcome to come. Bring your kid, your dog, your insignificant other, or come by yourself. If you are new, you’ll know everyone within a few minutes. Date: Sunday, January 29, 2012 Time: We’ll meet up at 10:00 AM. Meet up place: in the parking lot of the Cady Way Trailhead behind Fashion Square Mall Destination: Maitland Farmers Market on the shore of beautiful Lake Lily Come join the fun! Carry home a bag of peppers, some fruit, a big bunch of greens, a jar of exotic marmalade, a gourmet cupcake or two, or whatever you please, all transported by you and your bicycle. It’s the best way to go. We will be joined by John Schubert of [...]]]> http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2012/01/24/s-cargo-rides-again/feed/ 1 http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2011/10/19/free-bike-valet-at-vegfest/ http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2011/10/19/free-bike-valet-at-vegfest/#comments Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:05:18 +0000 Keri http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/?p=13974 Ride your bike to Veg Fest! Bike/Walk Central Florida is providing a free bike valet this weekend. Below are some quiet-street routes from various directions to get you to the park. Veg Fest is Saturday, Oct. 22 from 10 AM to 6 PM at Loch Haven Park.  ]]> http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2011/10/19/free-bike-valet-at-vegfest/feed/ 0 http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2011/10/18/central-park-in-fall/ http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2011/10/18/central-park-in-fall/#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:45:33 +0000 John Alexander http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/?p=13965 Business travel offers the opportunity to visit many wonderful cities. Often, however, that simply means flying in, taking a taxi to a hotel, and “touring” the inside of yet again another all too familiar lobby and set of meeting rooms. Then it’s a quick dash back to the airport in another cab and jetting off to the next destination. The “spirit” and philosophy of “Bike Speed” is to make a conscious effort to carve out time for yourself to actually participate in the environment where your travel takes you. Your company paid for you to attend the event and expects you to devote your efforts to meeting with clients and learning from presentations. The conference agenda may be jam packed, but with a bit of advance planning or flexibility, it is possible to make the trip much more meaningful. You can get your work done and still find time to enjoy the hidden gems in the surrounding area. From October 8-10, 2011, I was in New York City to attend a customer’s annual convention. Their theme was “Taking the Stage” and the backdrop for the general sessions resembled a look down Times Square and marquees from all the famous plays. [...]]]> http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2011/10/18/central-park-in-fall/feed/ 6 http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2011/07/26/firestone-live-every-wednesday/ http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2011/07/26/firestone-live-every-wednesday/#comments Wed, 27 Jul 2011 03:36:58 +0000 Keri http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/?p=13574 There’s a fun, free community event that happens every Wednesday in downtown Orlando and it’s a perfect destination to ride your bike! Starting at 6pm, 7-10 gourmet food trucks gather outside of Firestone Live accompanied by a drink bar and some background music. We feature trucks including Treehouse Truck, Big Wheel Provisions, The Yum Yum Cupcake Truck, The Crooked Spoon, Tastebuds, Red Eye BBQ, Korean BBQ Taco Box, The Crepe Company, and special guests. People are welcome to bring their kids, their dogs, and their appetite! At 8pm, live music begins performing on our outside stage. We host local Orlando acts with a new theme each week. Past themes have been Orlando’s Women of Music, Local Blues Tunes, The Reggae Rapture, The Summer Solstice Festival of Art, and Orlando’s Indie Rock Invasion among others. For people 21+, we also have local Orlando brewers exhibit their craft beers! Learn more on their Facebook page and event listing. Below, I’ve started a bike route map from various parts of town. These are routes I know and have ridden. I’ve opened the map to public input, so if you have a gmail account, please add your own routes and notes. These things only [...]]]> http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2011/07/26/firestone-live-every-wednesday/feed/ 0 http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2011/07/13/saturday-trail-ride-bike-speed/ http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2011/07/13/saturday-trail-ride-bike-speed/#comments Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:34:22 +0000 John Alexander http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/?p=13305 Saturday – July 9, 2011 The last thing I expected to see on the Seminole Wekiva Trail was two tall bikes, but there they were. The passed us on our southbound ride and approaching us again on the return. In the best spirit of “Bike Speed”, I stopped and snapped a photo with my Blackberry (sad, but true, I don’t own an iPhone). The picture turned out fairly well in spite of the need to access the phone quickly and simply point and shoot. No sooner had I posted this on Facebook, I received a comment from Keri Caffrey stating, “Diane Blake and her daughter, Michelle. Diane builds bikes – http://www.victorybicycles​.com/ .” So feel free to look them up, perhaps you could invest in one, or better yet – get two so you and a friend could ride together in style. I’m still scratching my head trying to figure out how they get on and off those bikes. The vintage bikes are mighty stylish. Congratulations Diane and Michelle for mastering these nostalgic rides. I usually ride the Seminole Wekeiva Trail by myself. My standard route is from the Peach Valley Cafe / Panera Bread off Lake Mary Blvd. to 434. [...]]]> http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2011/07/13/saturday-trail-ride-bike-speed/feed/ 4 http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2011/05/17/bicycle-bowling/ http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2011/05/17/bicycle-bowling/#comments Wed, 18 May 2011 03:39:59 +0000 Rodney http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/?p=12838 Mark your calendar for Sunday May 29, 2011 In continuing CommuteOrlando’s celebration of National Bike Month, let’s rally the gang once more for Bike n Bowl, for what may be our final HooRah for Bike Month. The destination for this ride is Aloma Bowling Center.  You can view their game pricing and shoe rental here.   We will meet up at the Cady Way Trailhead, near Fashion Square Mall, use portions of Cady Way Trail and Winter Park neighborhoods to complete our route. Here’s is the plan: 8:00AM – Meet at the Cady Way Trailhead 8:30AM – Depart for Aloma Bowling Center 9:00AM – Doors Open upon our arrival 11:00AM – Finish Bowling 11:00AM – Optional ride to local eatery as group Use comments to RSVP if attending. Thanks and see you there!]]> http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2011/05/17/bicycle-bowling/feed/ 2 http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2011/04/22/earth-day-bike-valet/ http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2011/04/22/earth-day-bike-valet/#comments Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:30:35 +0000 Keri http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/?p=12479 Bike/Walk Central Florida and CyclingSavvy are running a free Bike Valet at Earth Day Celebration at Lake Eola tomorrow from 10 AM to 6 PM. Driving a bike is the best way to get to downtown Orlando on an average day. It’s no contest when there is an event. You do not want to try to park a car downtown tomorrow! Besides, downtown Orlando is one of the easiest places to ride a bike! So, here is a map with a few routes to get you started. The map is public, feel free to add your own routes.]]> http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2011/04/22/earth-day-bike-valet/feed/ 0 http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2011/03/19/flowers-herbs-and-trees-on-bikes/ http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2011/03/19/flowers-herbs-and-trees-on-bikes/#comments Sat, 19 Mar 2011 19:26:43 +0000 Keri http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/?p=11997 Today Lisa, Diana and I rode to the Leu Gardens plant sale. This is the only day of the year the on-street parking on Corrine Dr. is full. People will end up parking nearly a mile away and walking to this event. But bikes go right in.]]> http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2011/03/19/flowers-herbs-and-trees-on-bikes/feed/ 3