Seen in Ybor last night...

A moment in the city

Myself and fellow bike blogger Joshua Neiderer were standing in the SoHo Panera weighing our pastry options when two police officers walked in looking business like.

They began asking the patrons if they owned a silver Jetta with a bike rack. It sounded like trouble. They found the owner and asked him if he had bikes on his rack. He replied that he did not.

It turns out that officers Reese and Turner were simply making sure that there had not been a bike theft. It was a simple act of kindness.  It made me think that maybe Tampa is getting just a little more bike friendly.

Superbike test ride: Cervelo S3

I stopped by Outspokin bikes in Largo today for the Cervelo demo program. Like many other manufacturers, Cervelo has a traveling truck full of their best bikes that you can test ride. It's a great way to get some hands-on experience with the products and, let's face it, who wouldn't want to ride these top-of-the-line super bikes?

So I turn over my drivers license and credit card (just to make sure I return) and hop aboard Cervelo's new flagship, the S3, courtesy of Cervelo's eRide program. This is the same bike ridden by the pro Cervelo Test Team riders, including defending Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre. If it's good enough for them, it's probably going to work for me. Kitted out with full Dura-Ace 7900 (the new stuff) and Zipp 404 clinchers, it easily felt to be sub 16-pounds.

Since modern carbon fiber bike are easily as light as they can be, Cervelo has focused on aerodynamics in their products, with nearly all their bikes sporting thin, deep tube shapes. The S3 even features hidden cables and blade-thin seat stays to cheat the wind.

How's it ride? How do you think? It's a rocketship. It's much stiffer than a mortal like I would ever need, but it's comfortable as well. Winding it up to speed was effortless and the quality of the build let you know you were riding a no-compromise machine.

Ok, but even a bike as nice as this is not perfect. I didn't have a chance to really dial in the fit, but since carbon molds are so expensive to create, only limited sizes are available. I rode a 58, but it felt small. The top tube was much shorter than my usual road bike. I could have tried the next size up, a 61, but that might have been too big. There's a chance I could have fallen between the two, size wise. Off course, that's my fault for being tall, not the bike's.

The internal cable routing is said to be more aerodynamic, but it also creates a bunching of cables behind the stem where they enter the frame. When standing to sprint or climb, my knees would brush against the cables there. Kind of annoying.

Also, I wasn't blown away with the new Dura-Ace shifters. All the shifts were flawless, of course, but the lever shape just wasn't my style. Much more countored and molded in the style of SRAM or Campy, I missed having the big dome to hold on to from the 10 speed systems.

Clearly, this is more bike than anyone needs. But when you're shopping for a bike in the $8,000-$9,000 range, it's not really about needs. If you're a racer or the racer type, you can't go wrong with any of Cervelo's high-end models. "If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up."

Also, I'd like to say thanks go Greg from Cervelo and the folks at Outspokin for being so nice on a rainy day.

Ciclovia rescheduled for April 26

Originally set for March 1, Clearwater's first Ciclovia event had to be rescheduled due to weather. It will now take place April 26 from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. The city will close 1.8 miles of Cleveland Street through downtown from Gulf-to-Bay and Highland all the way to the waterfront.

Bike to work!

Tampa BayCycle has declared Friday March 20 Bike to Work Day. The weather has been perfect lately so why not take advantage and show your support for two-wheeled self-propelled transport?

Here are a couple bicycle friendly maps of Hillsborough County.

Map 1
Map 2

And here's one for St. Pete.

And as an added bonus if you're out on your bike in Tampa on Friday head on over to the downtown market. Each Friday in March they'll be offering a free market tote bag (while supplies last) to those who show up on a bike. Click here for some more information.

Let's go racing!

There are two days of great racing in Tampa Bay this weekend. Saturday marks the first ever Tampa Twilight Criterium. If you ever had a chance to see the Spin City Classic in Orlando a few years ago, you know how exciting racing at night can be. Sunday is the Pinellas Park circuit race. If the word "criterium" scares you but you still want to try racing, this is the event for you. It's a great course and close to home.

Hope to see you there!

Specialized Demo Day at Revolution Bikes

Demo Days are great. You can to check out all the latest and greatest cycling goodies and sometimes even try them out.

Stop by Revolution Bikes in St. Pete Saturday (March 14) to see the entire fleet of Specialized bikes, including a whole truck of nothing but women's specific bikes. There will be clinics, refreshments and give-aways. And if you decide to buy, there will be great rebates available.

Pro trials rider Jeff Lenosky will be on hand showing of some sick skills in the parking lot.

City official wants bike-friendly vibe

by Joshua Neiderer

Ask bicycle advocate Alan Snel if Tampa is a bike-friendly city, and he’ll give you a matter-of-fact answer.

“Tampa has a reputation of not having a large bicycle infrastructure,” he said.

Tampa City Council member Linda Saul-Sena hopes to change that reputation.

But first, she says, city administrators need to change the way they think about bicyclists.

“We need to recognize bicycles are not just a recreational mode of transportation,” she said.

On Feb. 26, Saul-Sena hosted a meeting to discuss improving infrastructure for cyclists in Tampa. She invited advocates including Snel, who is the director of the South West Florida Bike United Dealers.

Reforming Tampa’s reputation as a bad city for bicyclists became a central topic of discussion.

After the meeting, Saul-Sena wrote a memo, which she will present to the City Council. The memo asks council members to request that the mayor’s office appoint an employee in the city’s Department of Transportation to become an advocate for bicycle planning and implementation.

A similar position exists in the city’s department of parks and recreation. But, as the city’s view on bicycles changes, the position should shift, Saul-Sena says.

“Bicycling is a key to the city’s healthy future,” she said.