My First Group Ride in Florida

August 30 , 2014

I did my first ride with the TREK Naples bike store.  There were about 15 eager faces in the parking lot before the sun came up.  There were even a few brave souls who rode to the ride.  Florida law requires that those riders have lights on both front and rear of the bike.  Good idea with the reputation that Florida has with being unsafe for cyclists!

Ryan who is now the manger of the Naples store led us out of the parking lot onto Vanderbuilt Road.  During weekday morning hours this road is very busy but being a Saturday the roads were quiet.   The pace was set between 17-20 mph although there were people going faster than the advertised pace.  Where have I heard that one before!  The group did manage to stay together until the five minute rest stop at Panera Bread in Coconut Point which is directly across from the TREK Estero store.  It's just a quick bathroom break, get some water and then back on the bike.   This is where the group breaks into two groups and the faster riders go out at 22-25 mph and the rest of us stay in the slower group at 17-20 mph.  Did I say slower???  What are they thinking.   I did manage to stay with the group until the turn on Vanderbuilt heading to the Naples store.  They call this stretch " The Speed Zone" where you can go as fast as you want.   What?  I am going as fast as I can.

The end of the ride stops at The Second Cup....a local coffee shop... in the upscale Mercado shopping center.   Some people stop for coffee or something cold to drink and to get to know the other riders.  The rest head back to the TREK store and call it a day.

One ride down.....whew.   I ask myself.....How many more of these can I do?