Bike/Walk Central Florida is hosting its signature 28-mile ride event, the 4th Annual Bike 5 Cities slow-pace, social distancing ride on Saturday, October 3, 2020 in partnership with the cities of Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, Casselberry, and the town of Eatonville.
WHAT IS BIKE 5 CITIES RIDE
Bike 5 Cities is a welcoming, inclusive, 28-mile slow-pace, social distancing bike ride to show people of all ages and biking abilities where they can feel most comfortable riding a bike through the neighborhoods in Winter Park, Eatonville, Maitland, Casselberry and Orlando.
This year, we’ve added COVID-19 safety guidelines to minimize gatherings, such as setting a registration limit, spreading out the starting locations, staggering the start times, offering guided, small group rides for no more than five riders per group, and restricting the self-guided ride spots. More about the COVID-19 Guidelines.
WHERE DOES THE RIDE START?
For the Guided, Small Group Ride, you choose from one of the five host city locations. For the Self-Guided Ride, you have a choice of two cities to start the ride: Winter Park and Casselberry. There are limited spots at all five cities. We encourage you to register online early before all the spots fill up.
Mead Garden in Winter Park | Community Center in Eatonville |
Community Park in Maitland | Wirz Park in Casselberry |
Druid Park in Orlando |
Bike 5 Cities 2019
Bike 5 Cities
About: Bike 5 Cities Ride is a 28-mile regional bike-ride that advances equity through better transportation options; improves safety by teaching people of all abilities and ages how to use routes safely; enhances local economies by bringing bike “traffic” to businesses; and builds public support for connecting bike routes throughout Central Florida. It’s modified this year to be a social distance ride. See COVID-19 Guidelines.
Who: Riders of any age, experience or ability level. It’s for those who like to take it slow while discovering where to comfortably ride their bikes — whether it’s through a neighborhood, down a local trail, or to a shop, restaurant and park in one of the five cities.
When and where: Saturday, October 3, 2020. Select your start city when registering.
RIDE ROUTE IS CLOCKWISE THIS YEAR. Based on riders’ feedback in 2019, the Bike 5 Cities 28-mile route will run clockwise this year.
More About Bike 5 Cities
Bike 5 Cities started as a simple idea to create a bike-friendly route through the Orlando metro area to show people where they can ride comfortably. As the ride’s popularity skyrocketed, it has turned out to be an advocacy asset in the movement to push for more bike-friendly infrastructure in not only the 5 cities but throughout Metro-Orlando.
Because Bike/Walk Central Florida is an advocacy organization, the Board and staff uses the Bike 5 Cities route map to remind public officials, local leaders and residents that people want safe, accessible places to ride their bike whether it’s in their neighborhood, over to a friend’s house, to work, or down a trail. Hear from Bike 5 Cities architect, Lisa Portelli.
5 Unique Cities - 1 Exceptional Ride
5 Unique Cities – 1 Exceptional Ride
Mead Botanical Garden, 1500 S Denning Dr., Winter Park
Mead Botanical Garden is a 48-acre urban oasis located in the heart of beautiful Winter Park. The park has a community garden, an amphitheater, quiet nature trails, and a bicycle trail that wraps around the northern border and connects to the Orlando Urban Trail.
Eatonville Town Hall, 307 E. Kennedy Blvd., Eatonville
The Town of Eatonville claims Central Florida’s most comfortable communities to ride a bicycle. A ride through the historic downtown, on one hand, takes you back to the Harlem Renaissance, on the other hand, you can see how much the Town has invested into complete streets: wide sidewalks, raised crosswalks, slow speed limits. Visit Florida calls it a “cultural gem.”
Maitland Community Park, 1400 Mayo Ave., Maitland
Maitland Visitors say Maitland Community Park is a great place to go and experience nature and try out their trails. Recently, Maitland has invested in multi-use bike trails and way-finding signs.
Wirz Park, 806 Mark David Blvd., Casselberry
Wirz Park is a 29-acre park with a pool, playground, basketball court, and picnic area. Casselberry was the first city in Florida to adopt a healthy community component into their comprehensive plan.
Lake Druid Park, 899 Coy Dr., Orlando
Come and enjoy Orlando’s Lake Druid urban mountain bike park with a pump track, junior pump track and single-track trail, a fenced dog run, and a community garden. Orlando is working diligently to close the gaps of its bicycle beltway to connect all parts of the City Beautiful with bike trails.
Bike 5 Cities Needs You
Looking to sponsor the event?
Join the great local businesses who have been part of Bike 5 Cities’ success over the last three years. Inquire on how you can get your name in front of hundreds of local riders, city planners, elected representatives, your mayor and more!
Want to volunteer?
Bike 5 Cities will need plenty of volunteers leading up to, and during the event. We need people to help organize and deliver registration materials, help mark the course, pass out shirts to riders, and be a ride leader or ride marshal.
Be a Ride Leader!
Are you an experienced cyclist familiar with riding on Central Florida roads? Do you enjoy sharing your love of bicycling with others? Then Bike 5 Cities needs you! This year’s Bike 5 Cities will need more Ride Leaders due to the new Covid safe format with small groups of no more than ten riders. Each group will be accompanied by a volunteer Ride Leader (that could be you!). The Ride Leader will escort the small group along the entire 28-mile route. Ride Leaders will preview the course with our Bike 5 Cities director before October 3 to ensure they are familiar with the course. Please contact Lisa Portelli at lisa@bikewalkcf.org if you are interested in volunteering as a Ride Leader.
We need you. Contact Emily Hanna at emily@bikewalkcf.org.
Weather Cancellation Policies
This is a Rain or Shine event. No refunds or transfers.
The safety of our participants and volunteers is our most important concern and if any of the threatening weather conditions are present the day of the event (tornado warning, tornado watch, thunderstorm, heavy rain or a hurricane decides to visit), the event may be delayed or canceled.
When weather conditions or other physical conditions present a danger to participants, such conditions fall under the label “acts of mother nature,” it will not result in refunding of any event entry fees or future event credits, since funds were already spent in preparation for your event day.
Contact information
- Event contact
- Emily Hanna
- Phone
- 407-636-5606
- Website
- Visit website