The City of Miami is working hard to get more people on bicycles!

Last week, the City's Bicycle Coordinator, Collin Worth, organized a ride to get people who only normally ride only for leisure, from the sidewalks to the streets.  The purpose of this ride was to teach people basic bicycle safety, so that they can be more confident riding when they have short trips to make.  Police were invited to ride too, so that the newbie riders could feel safe on the road.  (Coming from New York, I am still always shocked when the police are there to actually HELP the cyclists! They even stopped a few cars for us.)

We met up at the American Legion at 8:30am. The ride took us through four different and diverse Miami neighborhoods, The Upper Eastside, Little Haiti, Wynwood, and Bayshore. Some spots were even new to me.

David Henderson, from the Florida Bicycle Association broke it down for me,  "A ride like this gives people a chance to experience what it is like to ride on the road, to interact with traffic and other riders, and to practice safe bike practices;  stay to the right, pass on the left, communicate with the other people you are riding with, let them know when you are turning, stopping, slowing down.  It gives people a chance to learn how to scan what is going on around them, how to look ahead and behind while they are riding.

I met some people from a "new mommies" group riding with their babies, a professor who encouraged me to apply for a Fullbright scholarship (giving me ideas and everything!), a bike shop owner,  and also some "Slow Riders" from www.slowbikemiami.com.

AND to top it all off, we found a teeny weeny baby KITTEN on the street, who ended up joining our ride. (Yes the kitten is in the video too! I can't help it)