All kinds of racing and riding Sunday in Tampa Bay

Sunday will be a long day for cycling fans in Tampa Bay. The day starts early with the annual St. Anthony's Triathlon in Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg, the highlight of which, of course, will be the 40k bike leg. The action starts at 6:50 a.m.

Then it's off to Clearwater for Ciclovia, the much-reschedule-finally-happening celebration of cycling on the (closed to motor traffic) streets of downtown Clearwater.From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 26, 2 miles of Cleveland Street from Clearwater Harbor to Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard in the East Gateway District will be closed to motor traffic and open for people. Participants of any age and skill level can bike, stroll, skate, or take part in open-air fitness, sports and dance classes that will be offered on the street. Representatives from bike shops, bike clubs and other organizations promoting recreation and healthy living will line the street. Restaurants and retailers, many offering ethnic specialties, will be open.

And if you've spent most of your energy for the day, you can still likely keep up with the Queer Mass ride in Tampa. A LBGT-friendly version of Critical Mass, Queer Mass is a gathering people from the gay, bisexual, transgendered and lesbian communities, along with supporters, to let them know that there is a place for them among cyclists. Riders will meet at Tampa Bike Co-op Space, 2512 Silver Lake Ave., and leave at 6:30 p.m. Cyclists will snake through downtown, into Channelside, Ybor and back.

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.

Tampa BayCycle's Bike Month Events

Sunday, March 1 (Kick-off event)
8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Clearwater Sunday Ciclovia
Enjoy a day of family fun and healthy activities on a car-free, carefree Cleveland Street. Two miles of downtown Clearwater streets will be off-limits to car traffic on March 1, 2009, from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. so cyclists, strollers, skaters, joggers and dogs walkers can take over for a day of street play. For more information, visit myclearwater.com/carfreesunday

Bicycle Trains
Wednesdays, March 2 and 9, Hunter’s Green Elementary School
Fridays, March 6 and 27, Lewis Elementary School
Fridays, March 13 and 20, Chiles Elementary School
Students and their parents will ride to school via a bicycle train, a group of students riding their bikes with two or more adults.

Flat Tire Changing classes
Saturdays, March 7, 14, 21 and 28
The Bike Room, 2808 Fourth St. North, St. Petersburg
Learn to change a flat tire so you can bicycle more often. Please bring your bicycle. Each class is limited to four participants; call (727) 893-7421 to register.

1st Annual Tampa Twilight Criterium and Festival
Saturday, March 21
Downtown Tampa
This family-friendly event will feature both amateur and professional circuit cycling races along with an outdoor wellness festival. Bring and decorate your own bike for the cycling parade and/or touring rides. Take advantage of free activities including a bike safety check, helmet giveaway, bicycle rodeo, street skills courses, bike gear vendors and more. Visit www.tampacrit.com for complete schedule and race registration.

For more events, visit tampabaycycle.com

Specialized Demo Day at Flatwoods

Mark Feb. 15, a Sunday, on your calendar for a Specialized Demo Day ay Flatwoods County Park. Bring an ID, you must wear a helmet and you need to sign a waiver. The time for the demo is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is no cost. A Specialized factory tech will be on hand. If you've never been to a demo day, from any company, it is a LOT of fun.

The O'Dea's secrets to mountain bike racing success

Mountain bike stars and husband and wife racers Namrita and Eddie O'Dea will be at the Clearwater Chainwheel Drive on Thursday, Dec. 18 to host a clinic on their secrets to racing success.

Eddie is a former Tampa Bay area racer who thrilled locals for years with his racing skills.  He and Namrita now live in Georgia and are balancing the demands of professional racing with training for and even the promoting of endurance races. The duo travel the US national circuit of 24 hour solo events while dropping in on assorted 100 milers and 12 hour races in between.

Topics will include:

• Off-season base training techniques.
• Nutrition strategy for on and off bike.
• Tips for efficient pit stops and transitions.
• Q&A to answer all your racing questions.

Orlando cyclocross pics

Memorial ride for Frankie Bentley

My new friend Katherine, whom I met at the Tampa Bay Bike Co-op meeting last night, is organizing a memorial ride for her close friend Frankie who we all know was struck and killed by a car a few weeks ago.

Ride for Awareness!!

• Friday, December 5 at 3:30pm (leave around 4)
• Meet at the Marshall Center Loop at USF Tampa
• Group ride surrounding campus for bike awareness.

I know it's early in the day, but it's best held under daylight, for obvious reasons. Hope you can make it.