Bicyclists kick off annual Bike Florida

CLEARWATER -- A group of cycling advocates (above) -- wait for the drawbridge this morning at the Dunedin Causeway after cycling from the Ross Norton Park and Sports Complex where they camped overnight in Clearwater.

The ride kicks off the 15th annual Bike Florida, a weeklong camping tour in which cyclists will travel from Clearwater north to Dunnellon. For much of that trip, they'll be on "off-road" trails such as the Pinellas Trail, and they plan to use the Bike Florida event this year to highlight the need for more trails restricted to biking and walking.

Today's event will feature two longtime activists -- Bike Florida executive director Linda Crider and writer advocate Herb Hiller -- who 30 years ago called for cars to share the road with bikes. This year, they're calling for more trails.

-- Douglas R. Clifford, Times photographer