Anyone from the area? I just moved down here. I commute every day 7 days a week 12 miles each way. I'm looking for group rides, bike co ops, anything cycling. Maybe someone to meet up with or just reassure me that cyclists exist here beyond the old people that I ride past every day.

Cheers

I have lived and worked in Sara/Brad for 30 years. Before that Tampa, St.Pete and Gulfport. You commute 7 days a week? Ever get a day off?

Sarasota/Manatee Bicycle club has daily rides at a multiple speeds levels if that interest you. Also most bike shops in the area either have schedule rides or can probably direct you to ride options. Web site for the bike club is:

https://www.smbc.us/index.html

I live in Sarasota but I don't commute. I wish I could. It's just too dangerous with the morons on the road. Only paved trails for me. Good luck.

i'm flying to tampa and staying 5 days in nokomis from feb 23-27...im looking for someone to do some rides with while im down there, as i dont know the area. preferably something starting in nokomis or nearby i can meet to start a ride.

shoot me a PM if you'd be interested...im flying in about 11am thurs and should have my bike rental by 1 or 2pm, enough to get a couple hours in and get my legs warmed up for the next 4 days.

i'm gonna post a thread soon too to see if anyone wants to get together for a group ride saturday and/or sunday

It varies, sometimes I'll go two or three weeks without a day off which makes training or faster paced and / or longer mile group rides a pain in the ass.
Indeed the streets are pretty scary because of all the old people and tourism and rednecks in really big trucks, however your rednecks are tamer than the former Michigan rednecks in trucks I had to deal with.
I take 21st ave and end up on cortez and 66th which isn't too bad. After that its all bike lanes and ****.

I found some decent group rides and shops. I like Ryder bikes more than Ringling. Ringling seems to be more about roadies and the newest hottest gear.
Ryder has 10 speed race bikes hanging from the ceiling and asks me how my ride is / was every time I'm in.

I bought my Trek from Ryder. The guy had the worse bad breath in town. To top it off, my bearings at the steering thing (whadda call it) started rusting terribly after two months. Had to get a complete gear set in there. Ryder would not honor their Trek warranty and it cost me like $60. Okay Ryder bikes, do you know how much business you lost from that $60 you charged me? I have not been back in there in about five years. I bought another Trek from the place in Tampa. Too bad Ryder bikes, ya snooze, ya loose.