On Tuesdays and Fridays, HP residents may see a column of brightly garbed bike riders leaving from the Activity Center at 9 a.m. Sometimes a handful of riders are available; other times with a full cohort, there may be as many as 16! In season, 10-14 riders a day has been the norm.
The Cycling Club began around 2014 when Toni Grace, our former Fitness Director, was inspired by HP member Marge Olman, to plan rides outside of our community. Toni kept adding interested bikers: singles and couples fairly evenly divided between men and women. The group would ride about 20 miles a day, always stopping to try a new restaurant for lunch. Our pace averaged 12 miles per hour.
I joined the group in 2015. Little did I know that the members of our group would become some of my closest friends.
We almost exclusively rode on bike paths or sidewalks, usually two-by-two. We called it our traveling mocktail party as we learned about each other’s lives, families, and interests. The 20 miles whizzed by. We laughed that if someone could ride 10 miles, 20 miles was an easy feat with all the chatting to distract us.
Occasionally, we would rack our bikes and explore other places like Marco Island, Punta Gorda, and Naples. We would park at the Sanibel Chamber of Commerce, ride through Ding Darling, and end at the Mucky Duck beach on Captiva.
Our interests developed to a point where we would ride 30 miles once a year to Cape Coral’s Tour de Cape. With police support, Cape Coral became a delightful, safe place to explore.
Our next challenge was for eight of us to do the 62-mile Tour de Parks and two to do the 30-mile ride. This ride began at the historic Venice Train Depot, passed 12 beautiful parks on the Legacy Trail in Venice, riding north to parks in Sarasota. On the way back to the Venice Train Depot, we wound over to Casey Key, at one point a barrier island known for its natural beauty and winter home to Stephen King and Martina Navratilova. We began our ride at 7:30 a.m., finishing just in time to eat a provided lunch at 1:15 p.m.
Although the group is a mixture of males and females, the women in the group often plan a get-away girls’ weekend to quaint Dunedin, known for its beautiful beaches, vibrant downtown’s unique shops and variety of notable restaurants. Since the Pinellas Bike Trail runs right through the middle of town, we would take one day to bike north to Tarpon Springs, known for its strong Greek heritage, historic sponge docks and Victorian-era architecture. The next day the Pinellas Bike Trail would take us south to Clearwater Beach, Sand Key, and Belleair Bluffs.
When Toni Grace retired in 2021, we lost our director. The responsibility for planning rides fell to HP resident Char Wingert, with all of our voices chiming in. Members who continued to participate in the rides kept reaching for more miles, often going 25-35 miles. Members who preferred to do more moderate rides regrouped.
In the past year, our rides continued on our Tuesday and Friday schedule, leaving the Activity Center at 9 a.m. in season (8 a.m. in the summer). The core group includes Dan Aas, Sharon Braunwart, Nancy Bonner, Brenda Done, Ellen Sweetman-Foy, Scott Lammers, Tom and Megan McCartin, Dan McDaniel, Patty O’Keefe, Les Ratekin, Mary Lou Reid, Gary Rodgers, and Char Wingert. We’re occasionally joined by Jody Bieber, Linda Calhoun, Willy Hewitt, and Dianne Schade. Any of us can offer more information.
In November our travels took us to the FGCU campus.
Another day that month, we racked our bikes to travel to Boca Grande via the Cape Haze Pioneer Trail.
Riders who want to join our group need to know the following:
• We bike approximately 25-35 miles each Tuesday and Friday at 9 a.m.
• Our average speed is about 11-12 miles per hour.
• We’re social.
• We wear helmets and highly visible clothes.
• We rarely bike on roads, except occasionally in bike lanes, but only when necessary.
• Four bikers have electric bikes.
• We welcome experienced riders.
