For a number of reasons, I’ve been, literally, off the bike for months now. We’ve also missed the last three Bike Miami Days, including the April edition in Coconut Grove alongside the Dutch Consulate, which I hear was nothing but a spectacle. That’s why when it came to today’s Bike Miami, the last one for the current season (summer’s here, so it’s officially time to go inside), we were both incredibly pumped for the occasion.
It started a bit off, given that during the month of May, the Venetian Causeway has been closed to all-but-local traffic, cutting off our one way to bike down to Downtown from the Beach. Rather than face Biscayne Blvd., risk the MacArthur Causeway, or waste time taking a bus, we decided to drive (which, on reflection, provided a bit of a bookend to our Bike Miami experience for this year, as we also drove down to the first one). We used one of the Pay-to-Park spaces since it was cheaper than the parking at Bayside, and off we went.
This is the first time we’ve been there early enough to attend the customary rally, this time on the steps of the Courthouse. There was live music and some kiosks with varied information. We got to see some of the “regulars” and were greeted by Kathryn Moore, tireless Bike Miami dynamo that she is for Mayor Manny Diaz (did you know the Mayor’s on Twitter?). We saw some folks dance for the chance to win three bikes and a dude pull a Ford Fiesta while on a bike. Then, off to ride.
The route by now is well-known to us. It extended once more to the Miami River, though there was nothing going on there this time around. The riverside was, however, preened and very inviting, though Lummus Park was, still, closed to the public. I was once again reminded of the potential for that area of Downtown Miami and the idea my wife and I dreamed up for a Downtown Riverside Marketplace, which I wrote up for Miami Metblogs (Part 1, Part 2).
Around this area we suddenly found the entrance to the Miami River Greenway, right under the I-95 Overpasses, except it was fenced closed after maybe a little over 100 feet. The paved walkway I know continues along the river all the way to the bay, but it is broken up in parts by construction and gaps that yet need to be bridged. If there’s a project the City of Miami (also on Twitter, by the way) needs to put attention to and get done as soon as possible, the Miami River Greenway is it; being able to highlight and drive traffic to this wonder of our city, the one urban river we have, would do wonders for Downtown and the City in general, not to mention that it would create another great addition to the route for future Bike Miami Days.
The rest of the day was spent riding around the usual route established by now. We visited Mary Brickell Village again, and marveled, as we walked around, at how many empty retail spaces it has and what a shame that is (note to developers: open a Kosher eatery here–or frankly, anywhere Downtown–and we’ll heap praises and money every time we visit Downtown/Brickell) given how beautiful the Village is. We noticed the smaller attendance to this event than in months past, and speculated that it had to do with the heat (it was HOT today) and the fact that it was the seventh event; both are good reasons why it makes perfect sense to close up Bike Miami for the summer and wait for the cooler climate of the fall to restart. There were hardly any kiosks and those that were left fairly quickly with less than a handful sticking around till the 2 PM closing time. Once again, Bayfront Park was not a part of the Bike Miami route due to a conflicting event.
We rode around, enjoying the chance to be on our bikes after about a three-month hiatus, but by 3-ish PM we were ready to head back home. We packed the bikes back on the rack, and said goodbye to Bike Miami for the time-being.
I’d like to do a review of Bike Miami as it’s grown since its inception seven months ago, but overall, we’ve been very pleased. Even this event, which by all accounts was the least attended, was successful in its stated goal of allowing people to explore the city in a new way and promoting bike culture in Miami. The summer break will be good for everyone, allowing excitement to build over the next four to five months. Come the fall, I know we’ll be ready to bike down again and party on two wheels.
Yesterday was the third edition of Bike Miami and I think it was the best one to date. Yes, the first one was really popular, but it had the newness of it to draw people, and the second one had to contend with the holidays for attendance, though even with that it was a cool event. This one, though, this Bike Miami, proved beyond a doubt that the institution is here to stay and that people are now going to expect it and reply in kind.
This Bike Miami featured a slightly different route than previous ones: Bayfront Park was not included due to an event there the night before, but the Flagler St. corridor was extended all the way to the Miami Riverfront and to Lummus Landing, an area I simply had no idea was back there (the southbound corridor ending at Mary Brickell Village remained the same). Road signs and water stations made a welcomed comeback, and the support of the Downtown Miami merchants was palpable and evident, energizing the streets and the riders in turn.
There was a steady stream of bikers throughout the length of the route during all hours of the event, even way into its final few minutes. Attendants included everything from families with multiple children, to casual/slow bikers, and lycra-clad cycling packs, everyone enjoying themselves, everyone showing their support for a more bicycle-friendly city of Miami.
As usual by now, we rode our bikes to Downtown, leaving the Beach at around 11:00 AM. The ride through the North Beach area was actually pretty uneventful this time around, thankfully. The one thing I did observe was the significant number of people riding their bikes around this area of the Beach, just going about their business. It was a very welcomed sight; it made me feel like a part of something greater, a movement that is slowly expanding, growing every single day.
Knowing we’d have to face the dreaded Dade Blvd, I decided every bit of it we could skip was a welcomed respite, so we went from Prairie Dr. to N Meridian Ave, which borders the edge of the Miami Beach Golf Club and saved us a whole block of Dade Blvd. Once on Dade, we rode on the sidewalk until we could cross Alton Rd and join the Venetian Cswy. bike lane.
Upon entering the Venetian Isles area (a very ethereal boundary that, to me, is signalled by the sudden appereance of the bike lane at Dade Blvd and N Bay Rd. (see map), even though this is still mainland Miami Beach), we were very pleasantly surprised to see a Bike Miami info kiosk and water station at the corner of Gibb Park. The folks there were talking to as many of the cyclists (and pedestrians) riding up and down the causeway as they could, giving out flyers for the event and brochures on cycling education, asking riders as they passed by, “Are you headed to Bike Miami?” I keep up with all the info coming out of the Mayor’s office on this event, and I had no idea this kiosk would be here. Whoever thought of it and put it into action, thank you, it was a great idea; I hope it had the desired effect. Frankly, I’d love to see more support for Bike Miami like this from the neighboring cities.
Our time riding around Downtown was just great. The route extension into Lummus Landing was a welcomed addition and frankly, a perfect example of what this sort of event can achieve, exposing participants to an area of the city many did not know about, myself included (I mean, we had a Public Fish Market by the river? Really? Why is it closed!). It’s too bad Ft. Dallas was closed for renovations, but it was cool just learning that it was there. We also saw the Scottish Rite temple (we have Masons in Miami?!) and the City of Miami Mounted Police stables, having a chance to pet the horses. There was a rally at Lummus Landing at 10:30 AM that we missed (we’re gonna have to leave the Beach really early to able to make it on time for one of these) and other events there and at Mary Brickell Village. There were also sponsors at Lummus Landing, including the now-ubiquitous Florida Bicycle Association, and stores like Mack Cycles, showing off the new Electra Townie Holiday bike that has me salivating.
We managed to see various of the friends we’ve been making over the past Bike Miami events and everyone was excited about the turnout for this one. The weather was once again gorgeous; we are getting spoiled, we know, but we’re going to enjoy it while it lasts. I mean, this was the weather on Sunday!
We decided to head back relatively early so we would not get caught riding in the dark. Heading down Venetian Cswy with a bunch other riders was a neat experience, actually. We decided to stop at Publix on Bay Rd. and 20th Street, and after that, deciding we really did not want to take Dade Blvd. again we vacilated with using Alton Rd, since it has a bike lane (another one of those that simply pops up out on nothingness), but instead we decided to use a backroad suggested by Neil from Urban Bike - South Florida, take N Bay Rd. And that we did, taking it from 20th Street all the way down to Chase Ave. That saved us from Dade Blvd completely, and Chase drops you at 41st Street in no time, from where we can catch our established route. We’re definitely going to be using N Bay Rd from now on to head Downtown. And a bonus, we got to see a starfruit tree!
We made it home while still daylight (for a change) and chilled out for the rest of the evening. We had a fantastic day of bike riding, and many thanks go out again to all the volunteers who work so hard to make Bike Miami such an awesome event.
My 3-year-old nephew came to stay with us for a week, and my wife got him a proper bike. We saw his “bike” at home in Orlando, an old tricycle he got when he turned 2, and it was just not working for him; his legs are now too long, so he couldn’t pedal well, making him very frustrated and not wanting to ride at all.
This new bike is the perfect size for him. Though he was fussy when he first got on, he quickly picked it up and a couple of days later, was out riding his bike with his uncle and aunt to the nearby park, a distance of about 1/2 mile round-trip. He doesn’t care for speed; he just wants to ride and see what’s out there. That’s a slow biker-in-the-making, for sure.
For a number of reasons, I’ve been, literally, off the bike for months now. We’ve also missed the last three Bike Miami Days, including the April edition in Coconut Grove alongside the Dutch Consulate, which I hear was nothing but a spectacle. That’s why when it came to today’s Bike Miami, the last one for the current season (summer’s here, so it’s officially time to go inside), we were both incredibly pumped for the occasion.
This is the first time we’ve been there early enough to attend the customary rally, this time on the steps of the Courthouse. There was live music and some kiosks with varied information. We got to see some of the “regulars” and were greeted by Kathryn Moore, tireless Bike Miami dynamo that she is for Mayor Manny Diaz (did you know the Mayor’s on Twitter?). We saw some folks dance for the chance to win three bikes and a dude pull a Ford Fiesta while on a bike. Then, off to ride.
The rest of the day was spent riding around the usual route established by now. We visited Mary Brickell Village again, and marveled, as we walked around, at how many empty retail spaces it has and what a shame that is (note to developers: open a Kosher eatery here–or frankly, anywhere Downtown–and we’ll heap praises and money every time we visit Downtown/Brickell) given how beautiful the Village is. We noticed the smaller attendance to this event than in months past, and speculated that it had to do with the heat (it was HOT today) and the fact that it was the seventh event; both are good reasons why it makes perfect sense to close up Bike Miami for the summer and wait for the cooler climate of the fall to restart. There were hardly any kiosks and those that were left fairly quickly with less than a handful sticking around till the 2 PM closing time. Once again, Bayfront Park was not a part of the Bike Miami route due to a conflicting event.
