Channel 13 News Report on Recent Streak of Cars Hitting Bicyclists

More bicyclist deaths and motorized vehicles cars crashing into bicyclists in Tampa Bay and Lakeland prompted this Channel 13 news report Thursday night.

SWFBUD was interviewed in the TV news report.

By the way, news reporters call these car-againt-bicyclist crashes as "bicycle accidents." Funny how the semantic expression reveals a cultural/social bias against bicyclists.

Pickup Truck Strikes Bicyclists In Polk County

Here's a case of a pickup truck hitting bicyclists on a path in the Lakeland, Fla. area in Polk County.

When Bicycles Meet The ESPN Baseball Tonight Bus

It's spring training season in Tampa Bay, when pasty-skinned northerners descend on small ball parks in Tampa Bay and Florida and middle-aged men get all sentimental about baseball and grovel before major leaguers making $3 million a year for an autograph.

ESPN knows this and has a colorful-painted bus cruiser with the Baseball Tonight logo that's making daily pitstops at the spring training homes in Florida and Arizona.

But a funny thing happened this morning when I cycled to Dunedin to greet the ESPN baseball bus. I pedaled over to the big rig and said hey to the bus driver and after chatting a few minutes about baseball the conversation veered to bicycling -- namely racing, Lance Armstrong and doping.

The bus driver told me he used to drive the bus for a California racing team called Rock Racing that included Tyler Hamilton. The driver told me that Hamilton told him that Lance had the big money to buy masking drugs and drugs that were undetectable to testing (something Tyler also said during a 60 Minutes interview). Lance has put a public face on the terrible disease of cancer and raised millions of dollars. But it's sad that the cloud of doping still hovers above Lance -- even with a bus driver chatting about Lance's doping allegations.

I said so long to the bus driver and pedaled over to the Jays' quaint ball park and small ticket window where the average fan age is 152.


On the way home to Tampa the bike ride took me to the spring home of The Evil Empire off Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa.


The Yankees field in Tampa is named after The Boss. RIP George.


Yankess pride means precise grass design in the pitchers and catchers area at the Tampa spring training stadium.

Leon County Circuit Judge Suffers Bike Accident

Bike accidents can happen to anyone -- Leon County Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford is out of action because of a bike accident.

In the category of bicyclists getting hit by cars, check out this item of Bill Cunningham -- New York Times fashion photographer -- getting hit by an SUV but continued to his assignment of covering NY Fashion Week events.

US 301/Fla SR 41 Sees Road Improvements -- Including New Bike Lanes -- Outside Tampa

The Florida DOT is improving a 1.9-mile stretch of US 301/SR41 outside Tampa by expanding it from two to four lanes and adding bike lanes and sidewalks for the segment. SWFBUD appreciates bike lanes as part of this project. SWFBUD hopes bike lanes are included whenever there is road improvements or construction.

SWFBUD attended an information meeting on the project Tuesday evening.

Light Up The Night

With a disturbingly high number of bicyclsts being killed at night or darkness, people are aware of the importance of lights on bikes.

Jerry Sherwin, a 76-year-old St. Petersburg resident, has invented the "Flip Flasher."

Check out Jerry's patented invention.

You Go Bo!

Bicycling is universal, life-affirming and inspiring. When people get stoked to raise money and consciousness for issues and causes, they go to the bicycle and go by bicycle.

Check out Bo Jackson's solo bike ride through the Alabama counties ravaged by last year's tornadoes in April.