360Bikers Foundation

Yesterday the 360Bikers group had a great ride. We met at John G’s for breakfast and after a delayed start rode north along the Atlantic Ocean for a great view of nature and multi-million dollar mansions. The weather was perfect. Some of my fellow riders asked about safe riding in groups and while I could explain some of the basics, I found it a good idea to create a page with the information as a reference. So, here are some pieces of information for you.

There are at least two major social groups within the riding community and they are separated by those very words. The first group is the social group. They will typically all gather at a restaurant, club or bar to talk and meet other riders. They typically ride to their destination alone and meet others there.

The second group of riders is more like 360Bikers. We’re about the ride. Socializing is part of the whole picture as we meet lots of really great people on our rides, but mostly we like to ride somewhere and feel the wind.

Often we have riders of varied experience when it comes to riding as a group. There are some basic rules and hand signals that help the group ride together safely. I found the link below in a search for a quick, easy-to-learn presentation of the basics for group riding. I recommend you read them before riding with any group. They are important to the safety of the group as you ride.

The file below is in PDF so you will need a reader such as Adobe Acrobat Reader. Just click the link. The information sheet is only two pages and has excellent graphics. It takes just a minute or two to read, but I recommend studying the hand signals as if every ride is a test you’re taking. Safety is a primary concern in our group rides at 360Bikers.

Group Riding

I also found the video below to be a nice perspective on riding.  CLICK HERE to link to that video.

There are also some animated instructions on the meet up site.  CLICK HERE to go to the page on group riding safety.

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Cyclepalooza presents a Drag Bike Bash at Moroso Sports Park off the bee-line highway on January 26th and 27th.  While the Moroso web site has very little information about it, the Cyclepalooza site has details to give you an idea of the event.  Planned activities include motorcycle drag races, drifting (in cars I hope), bikini show, foxy boxing, a charity poker run, live bands, bike show, and a burn out pit.  There will be food, beverages, and a full bar.

Details are still sparse, but I thought you should know in advance if you’re making plans.

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Creating a group on www.meetup.com has proven to be a great decision. Not only has our group grown with quality members, but it has grown quite quickly. We are working with other groups in our area already to create more successful monthly rides. Our weekly rides are doing well, too.

Possibly the most important area to me is the monthly major event ride. These riders have the potential of being part of our bigger project, the 360Bikers Charitable Foundation. While it is currently about 18 months away, the first 360Bikers USA Four Corners ride seems closer each day for me. I’m excited about creating a charity that will benefit riders and other charities. I’m psyched about organizing a ride of gigantic proportions. I will be very happy if I can generate the charity funds that are potentially there in this 10,600 mile event.

While growing the meetups in the South Florida area at the moment is doing well, the real test is when we try to expand the group to other areas in Florida and other states. This will be one of my goals over the next several months.

Right now, though, it’s just great riding with a group of nice people that just like to ride.

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Our first local ride for the group was this past Sunday and it couldn’t have provided a better day. The short ride was just under 100 miles under a cloudless sky with moderate temperatures in the 70’s. It was great and the group of people we had were great, too. We met at Starbuck’s and at the Citgo station on Southern Blvd. where some had to fuel up. Riding out SR80 all the way to the lake we found our timing was perfect as there was very little traffic. This held true for the entire trip. We rode north through Pahokee and Canal Point to the levee at Port Mayaca where we just watched gators and talked for about an hour. We rode out SR78 to SR710 (Bee Line Hwy) to get back home before the holiday shopping traffic got out of control.

This was a great, short introductory ride. Next week’s ride starts a little earlier with breakfast at John G’s in Lake Worth and going north along the beaches. It should be a great ride, too. Come join us! Any sensible biker that likes the road and riding is more than welcome to join our rides. We aren’t bike-specific and welcome all motorcycles. To join the 360Bikers rides go to http://motorcycle.meetup.com/210/ and join the group. You’ll get regular information on planned rides.

Click any picture for a larger view.

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360Bikers has joined Meetup.com to help organize rides and get more riders interested in our planned events. There’s no charge to join this service and we appreciate the input of our riders. We’ll post information about upcoming local rides and our monthly major rides here as well.

Join us by clicking the link and get information about rides in our area.

Click here to check out
The 360Bikers Riding Group!

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Yes, nothing sucks worse for a biker than a cold or flu. I’ve been sick for over a week now and haven’t been out on the Harley. The night I started feeling poorly I was installing the new stereo, which sounds pretty good. I’ll write something about that later. But by the weekend I was down for the count and I’m just bouncing back in the 90% range now. I’m passing on the rides until Sunday for the Toy Run. Hopefully, we have a large group and everyone can have some fun.

Bikers should hit the different drugs out there that keep you well and fight colds. Keep up on the vitamins and stay well. There’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to ride, especially in the beautiful south Florida winter weather.

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The Andre 360 Breakfast Run is inspired by my friend, Andre Augustine. The ride will take place on Sunday, January 13th, 2007. Total ride distance will be about 450 miles. Here are the general plans. Times are all approximate for pick-ups if you’re interested in picking up with the group at any point.

Our starting point is at the Wellington Green Mall because it’s easy to reach in Southeast Florida. You can get there from I-95, the turnpike, or US441 / SR7. We have included several pick-up points if you want to join us along the way. Send lee some email if you’re going to attend as he is negotiating a place for breakfast and it’s good to know how many to expect.

Part One

5:30 AM to 6:00 AM – Initial meeting at main entrance of Wellington Green Mall. Photo of group.
6:00 AM – Roll out – Take SR80 through Belle Glade to South Bay

Take US 27 north to just south of Sebring
Take SR66 west to Zolfo (this begins the Fire Cracker Trail to I-75)
Take SR64 west to I-75
Take I-75 north to I-275 across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge to St. Petersburg

10:30 AM (Restaurant to be determined. We are negotiating pricing.) Photos of group.
Pick-up Times & Places (Approximate)

6:30 AM – Belle Glade (passing Popeyes)
7:00 AM – Clewiston (passing Walmart)
7:20 AM – Moore Haven
8:10 AM – Lake Placid
8:25 AM – SR 66 just west of De Soto City and just south of Sebring
8:55 AM – Zolfo Springs, picking up SR64 (Fuel Stop/10 min. Break)
9:50 AM – I-75 entrance ramp
10:30 AM – Restaurant TBA

Part Two

12:00 PM – Roll for fuel location (TBA)
12:30 PM – Roll out – Crosstown Expressway to SR60

Take SR60 through Brandon, Mulberry & Bartow to US441 South
Take US441 south to Yeehaw Junction (Fuel Stop/15 min. Break) and on to Okeechobee
Take SR710 south/east to Riviera Beach
Take Northlake Blvd., Coconut, Orange, Royal Palm Beach Blvd., Okeechobee Blvd., & SR7 to Wellington Green Mall
Drop off as we near your destination

Pick-up Times & Places (Approximate)

1:00 – Brandon heading east on SR60
1:50 – Bartow heading east on SR60
2:05 – Lake Wales heading east on SR60
3:00 – Yeehaw Junction picking up US441 south (fuel stop)
4:00 – Okeechobee picking up SR710

 

Look for the February Ride, the SoFla 360. Great for riders in Palm Beach, Broward, Dade and Collier Counties.

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