Thank you to everyone who has shared ideas with us for Bike Miami.
Today we welcome a guest blogger and friend to Bike Miami, Lisa Jasmine, to share her first thoughts on this community project:
Bike Awareness
When I found out that on Nov. 9, 2008 the City of Miami will be hosting a bike awareness day, I decided to hop on my bike and explore the joys of biking in my own community of Lighthouse Point and also the adjoining neighborhoods of Pompano Beach and Deerfield Beach. I quickly discovered the great opportunities that this area offers to really enjoy biking with some wonderful trails, parks and an abundance of designated bike paths along major and minor roads. The Bicycle Suitability Map designed by the Urban Planning Department that I found at a bike shop offered lots of tips on biking and a map of bike paths to help me plan my outings.
First, I would strongly recommend to prepare for bicycling. A few necessary things to do is to check your bike, especially if it has been sitting in the back of the garage for years. Check the tires to see if they have enough air and that there are no slow leaks. Hop on your bike and take a spin around the corner on a quiet street. Make sure you feel comfortable and everything is in working order. Always wear a helmet for your own safety. By law a child under 16 must wear a properly fitted, securely fasten bicycle helmet. Florida Bicycle Safety Laws require you to ride as far to the right hand lane as possible and in the same direction as traffic. You should familiarize yourself with the proper hand signals. After dark every bicycle should be equipped with a white light in front and a reflector on the rear. The rider may also have reflectors on their clothing in additions to those required on their bike. If you are propelling a bicycle along a sidewalk, always yield the right of way to any pedestrian and try to give an audible signal that you are passing through. You may want to get a bell for your bike. I got one of those that I use to have on my tricycle. It made me feel like a kid again. You may want to contact the Police Department in your area or the Department of Transportation to get all the safety laws required or you may unexpectedly experience a violation or warning such as – riding on wrong side of road -riding at night without front light or rear reflector -riding while with headset: Code (316.304) -driving under the influence: Code (316.193) Courtesy of the Lighthouse Point Police Department. I was totally aware of the Florida bike laws including one passenger per bike and having a permanent seat attached: Code (316.2065) of the Bicycle Regulations from the Transportation Department.
Another good thing to do before you get going is to stretch, especially your legs that will be doing most of the work. This will help prevent your legs from cramping. Make the length of your trip sensible according to your fitness level. You may want to take a shorter trip at first and then plan preparing for longer trips as you get accustomed to the roads, trails and your body’s ability to perform. Biking is certainly good exercise and you get plenty of fresh air being outdoors. Don’t forget to breath, and you will begin to feel so relaxed and aware of your surroundings that you will start really enjoying all the sights and sounds. You will be amazed at how much more there is to see on your bike rather than in your car and how much money you can save on gas!
Although Florida offers some of the best conditions for biking year round, there are still a few challenges with rain, tropical storms, wind and heat. Winter is the best season to bike here in Florida, with a magical scenery that will make you feel like you are in paradise. Early mornings are the best time to bike in the Summer since we have afternoon showers on an almost regular basis. It is the Spring and Fall that seem the most ideal time to do some serious biking since it is less likely to rain and still moderately cooler than the summers. So prepare accordingly and don’t forget your water bottle and perhaps a few provisions to snack on or feed the birds. Make sure you have everything packed up securely.
Good reference books are: “Florida’s Paved Bike Trails” by Jeff and Gretchen Kunerth and “Bicycling in Florida” by Tom Oswald.
BIKE MIAMI is a big event sponsored by Miami Mayor, Manny Diaz, on November 9th 2008 with street closures in Downtown Miami scheduled from 10am-3pm. For more information check out http://BikeMiami.blogspot.com
Bike Miami is a great opportunity to have your bike checked out by experts, to learn about bike safety rules and traffic laws, and to just get outside and have a great day with family and friends – in a safe & completely free way!
