SWFBUD's Bicycle Bash 2010 Brings Smiles And Bikes To Flatwoods Today

So many warm memories from SWFBUD's Bicycle Bash 2010 today.

There was retailer David Luppino, who has sold more bicycles than just about anyone in this town, giving people rides on his highwheeler bicycle, And Michael Ploch selling his cute pink "I love my bicycle" T-shirts. And the little girl who biked around Flatwoods' paved seven-mile loop and asked with a smile, "Can I have a prize?" (I gave her an orange-and-black bicycle cap and she responded, "It's Halloween colors."

And Karla Price with city of Tampa trails and Tina Russo from Hillsborough County parks and the rest of the SWFBUD store owners and the SWAMP club and All Children's Hospital doling out free helmets to the kids and Tampa police on bicycles and Clay at American Classic and the SWFBUDDY Awards and a whole day of bicycle purity under a cloudless sky at Flatwoods Park. So many great exhibitors and velo lovers.

I was proud to hold the Bicycle Bash today at Flatwoods Park and I congratulate our presenting sponsor, Cure on Wheels, for holding a successful bike ride for 325 riders also staged in Flatwoods Park. They will present huge checks to Moffit Cancer Center and All Children's Hospital.

The smiles of kids riding bicycles and young adults with tires slung over their shoulder and middle-aged adults testing road bikes and people of all ages relishing a bright sun and crisp feel to the air.

It was a wonderful selling the beauty of bicycling -- in all its forms -- during the first weekend of legitimate fall weather in Tampa Bay.

Thank you to all my volunteers who made the Bicycle Bash 2010 possible -- Margaret, Kate, Donny, Doreen, Michelle, Bill, Jim, Jared, Tanja, Lee and the incomprable Bridget. You all made it possible for the Bicycle Bash to make so many people happy about bicycling today.

Here are some of my favorite photos from today's wonderful day.