11 Florida Bicycle Stores On NBDA List Of America's Best Bike Shops

Well, it's that special time of the year when the National Bicycle Dealers Association releases its annual "America's Best Bike Shops."

It's an impressive list, with criteria including a store application plus an assessment by a "secret shopper."

Here are the Florida shops on the list:

-- Acme Bicycle Shop in Punta Gorda (last four years)

-- Bicycle Center in Port Charlotte (last three years)

-- Chainwheel Drive in Clearwater -- congrats to the Jessups, once again (last three years)

-- Full Circle Cycle in Orlando (first time in four years)

-- LakeShore Bicycles in Jacksonville (last four years)

-- Mack Cycle & Fitness in Miami (last four years)

-- Road & Trail Bicycles in Lakeland (first time in four years)

-- Ryder Bikes in Bradenton (last four years)

-- The Hub Cycling in Port Orange (first time in four years)

-- Trek Bicycle Store in Estero (last four years)

-- Winter Garden Wheel Works in Winter garden (last four years)

As the former bike advocacy director for a group of Tampa Bay bike shops, I can tell you there are great bicycle stores doing great work and adding to the community that are not on the list.

For example, Randy Myhre of Oliver's Cycle Sports in New Tampa, Rick Fidanzato of ABC Bicycles in St. Petersburg and Adam Beland of Bicycle Outfitters in Seminole are just three bike shop owners deeply committed to furthering bicycling in their communities and who run great bike shops. There are many others too -- like Dave Sanborn who owns a slew of Trek bike shops around central Florida.

Here is the complete list.

We're Quick To Squawk About Crappy Motorists But We Also Need To Thank The Good Motorists Too

It's become my morning, pre-work, post-sunrise bike ride -- a 37-mile loop down the mainland side of the Intracoastal from Vero Beach to Fort Pierce, then a cross of the drawbridge to north Fort Pierce Beach and back to Vero on A1A.

It's a great ride, and one of the reasons it's an enjoyable trek is that most motorists are considerate and pass me with a safe berth.

We bicyclists are quick to yell when a motorist buzzes us. And we're familiar with the videos showing the outraged bicyclist pulling next to motorists and informing them that they came perilously close to hitting them. And sometimes verbal fireworks ensue.

But I have started to thank drivers of motorized vehicles when they slow down and do a great pass to go around me. I know -- they're supposed to drive that way. But a little positive reinforcement and friendly PR can go a long way.

Just last Thursday, a WastePro garbage truck driver patiently drove his vehicle behind me on a narrow lane on the Fort Pierce drawbridge before safely passing me with a nice pass of at least 10 feet once we got off the bridge and continued our way along A1A.

I saw that he had pulled over to collect garbage at the historic Little Jim bait shop, so I pulled over to personally thank him and make that one-on-one connection that gives us a smile and reinforces and spreads the friendly road behavior.

"Thank you man. I just wanted to thank you for being patient behind me on the bridge and doing a great pass to go around me," I told the driver.

He broke out with a big smile and said, "No problem!"

"Thanks man. A lot of drivers honk their horns and pass close but I really appreciated your driving," I added.

"No problem" was his reaction, again.

"See ya man -- have a great day." I finished.

And once again, those same two words: "No problem," capped with a broad smile.

It happened this morning.

A St. Lucie County public works truck pulling a trailer with a lawn mower passed me on northbound A1A in north Fort Pierce and he gave me a huge, wide pass, motoring along in the oncoming lane to pass me when there was not a car in sight in the opposite lane.

About a mile up the road, the county public works employee had pulled over and I thanked him,

"That was a beautiful pass, my man. Thank you for your safe driving around bicyclists. I really appreciate it," I told him.

A smile broke out across his face and he said, "You're welcome and you be safe out there."

I will with motorists like these two fellas.

Calling All Wrenches! (No, Not Wenches)

It's the Wrench Olympics.

The organizers of the Interbike bicycle trade show in Vegas next month (Sept. 21-23) are staging a friendly competition for bike mechanics to test their skills of bike jobs like fixing flats.

It's officially called the "Interbike Mechanics Challenge" and it even has its own presenting sponsor, Park Tool.

The wrench competitors will do their tasks at four stations on the show floor at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, which is hosting the Interbike show in September.

Participants with the lowest times in the qualifying rounds will advance to the finals round. Supporting Sponsors include Hutchinson Tires, Finish Line, the NBDA, the PBMA and Innovative Timing.

Interbike VP Pat Hus said the mechanics better bring their A game.

"We felt strongly that this was the year to finally elevate the status of the bicycle mechanic in our industry, These often unsung heroes are at the core of what separates bike shops from online competition. Its only right that we celebrate what it is they do each and every day with some fun and challenging competition," Hus said.

Eric Lepping, a team mechanic and race management veteran for more than 30 years, will run the competition. Staffing and judging each challenge station will be members of the newly formed Professional Bicycle Mechanics Association (PBMA). Each station will be timed by Innovative Timing Systems, who will keep track of individual times on leaderboard monitors throughout the event.

And check out the emcee -- none other than nine-time Tour de France racer and broadcast personality Frankie Andreu.

All Mechanics Challenge participants will receive commemorative swag upon completing the course from Interbike and the NBDA, while the top four will qualify for the finals.

Those Final Four will tackle a new course, in a head-to-head, non-timed heat, for the chance to win the grand prize that includes a PK-2 Professional Tool Kit from Park Tool, a 3-night hotel stay for Interbike 2017 and items from Finish Line Products, Hutchinson Tires and more. Not too shabby at all, my friends!

Mark the dates. Qualifying rounds will take place over two days on Wednesday, September 21 from 10-5pm and Thursday September 22, from 10-2pm. The finals will take place on Thursday from 3-5pm. Project Bike Tech will be hosting a Happy Hour upon the completion of the Finals on Thursday afternoon.

For you mechanics out there, a limited number of spots are available for wrenches who want to participate. More details on how to register can be found at http://www.interbike.com/events/mechanics-challenge/.

A limited number of sponsorship opportunities are available for the Mechanics Challenge. For more information, please contact andria.klinger@interbike.com or 949-226-5745.

American Flyers Cast Reunion Set For Interbike Awards Dinner Sept. 22

It will be hard to top last year's reunion of the Breaking Away cast, but the folks at Interbike are back at it with another bicycle-theme movie reunion at September's annual trade show awards gala on Sept. 22.

This time, four of the top billed cast members of the 1985 film American Flyers will stage their reunion at the awards dinner.

Members committed to appearing are David Marshall Grant (David Sommers), Rae Dawn Chong (Sarah), Alexandra Paul (Becky) and Luca Bercovici (Barry "The Cannibal" Muzzin).

And the movie's biggest star -- Kevin Costner -- is still considering. So is actor Robert Townsend.

Last year's Breaking Away reunion was a real crowd-pleaser as three of the four Cutters -- Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid and Jackie Earle Haley -- attended and I wrote this blog item on the story behind the reunion.

For more on the American Flyers movie, check this out:

Released in August of 1985, “American Flyers” was one of the earliest films that Kevin Costner ever starred in, and showcased some of the most beautiful cinematography ever shot in the Rocky Mountains. The movie focuses on the lives of two brothers that race bicycles and travel across the U.S. to participate in the annual “Hell of the West” Stage Race in Colorado, which was based largely on the Coors Classic Stage Race that was staged from 1980 to 1988. Interbike will host a free showing of the entire movie for all Interbike attendees (popcorn included) on Wednesday night at the close of the show in the South Pacific Ballroom.

Hitting The Road To Jack Island

Jack Island State Preserve is one of those quiet beautiful gems, a spit of land in the Intracoastal/Indian River Lagoon off A1A in north Fort Pierce beach.

You reach a 4 1/2 mile loop by this concrete bridge and follow a service trail around the perimeter of the island. There's access points to the water all around.

And the upclose views of the mangroves are gorgeous.

Vero Beach's Secret Ecotourism Paradise

Cycling north and south of Vero Beach along A1A is one of Florida's nicest pedaling experiences.

And it's just one of many outdoor ecotourism options available in the Vero Beach/Indian River County area, which can boast of hosting the nation's first wildlife refuge to worldclass sea turtle nesting beaches to osprey breeding grounds further inland.

That's not even considering the two gorgeous Atlantic Ocean inlets 15 miles north and south of Vero Beach, the kayaking and boat rides along the Indian River Lagoon and the fishing in freshwater lakes and offshore.

I take a look at why the marketing and promotion of Vero's ecotourism gifts are so poor.

Sunday Morning: Day of the Bicycle

Early Sunday, around 7 a.m. or so, the bicycles take over the roads of Florida.

The motorists in the Sunshine State are not the most friendly around the country.

But when daybreak hits on Sundays, bicyclists rule because the motorists are still snoring in bed.

I pedaled to the Sebastian Inlet and met this fella on the bridge spanning the inlet.

He was a speedy guy, and I drafted for about three miles.

I dropped off when I realized I couldn't go fast enough to pull him back south to Vero Beach.

But I sure enjoyed Sunday -- when the bicyclist rule the roads of Florida.