For biking enthusiasts, the Bike With Mike Weekend has a little bit of everything for every level of cycling.
Pro, semi-pro and leisure cyclists have an opportunity to partake in the inaugural event taking place May 22 and 23. Tamarac City Commissioner Mike Gelin has partnered with Level Up Cycling Movement to host four events of competitive and non-competitive rides through the city.
On Saturday, the first event will feature plenty of star power on the streets with the Tropical Breeze Fondo. Rahsaan Bahati, a 10-time National Cycling Champion, and five-time California State Champion, Charon Smith, will be joined by local and regional professional cyclists for a 60-mile timed ride starting at Tamarac City Hall at 7 a.m.
Immediately following will be a 35-mile ride for amateur and non-competitive cyclists riding through the streets of Tamarac and neighboring cities.
At 9:45 a.m., there will be a 5-mile mass ride in Tamarac designed for all levels of cyclists. Families are encouraged to attend with riders age 8 and older invited. The Broward Sheriff’s Office Law Enforcement Trust Fund will donate 50 new bicycles and helmets to youth in need.
The final Bike With Mike event will take place at 6:20 a.m. Sunday, May 23. Level Up Cycling Movement is hosting a 50K ride just for women starting at the Tamarac Sports Complex. About 100 riders are expected to participate. The focus of the ride is to encourage cycling for women to achieve good health and fitness. The charity ride will donate part of the proceeds to Women in Distress and the Level Up Cycling Movement. Helmets and masks should be worn during each ride.
Gelin is a big supporter of health and fitness and is an active runner, basketball player and cyclist. He said he is excited about the big weekend coming up.
“I’m an amateur cyclist and have been at this for about a year now,” he said. “This is something I enjoy and think more people should take up the sport. Bikes in South Florida are in demand and people can enjoy the great outdoors and enjoy the good weather. I’ll do the 35-mile event and leave the 60-mile event to the pros who can go at a steady pace of 25 to 28 mph.”
Gelin has a new appreciation for the serious cyclists and professionals out on the streets. Broward County also has the distinction of having the only velodrome in the state at Brian Piccolo Sports Park. The velodrome is used for the development of track cycling.
“A few months ago, I saw Level Up Cycling put on a similar event in Miami and thought this would be a great fit for the city of Tamarac,” he said. “The staff in Tamarac thought it was a great idea and we decided to make it happen. With college scholarships being offered for cyclists, we want to bring more awareness to the sport. We want as many people to come out as possible. It will be a party on the pedals.”
Advance registration and event waivers are required. The registration deadline is Thursday, May 20. Visit tamarac.org/SpecialEvents for more information.
This was originally published on the Sun Sentinel by Emmett Hall and can be found here.
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