It will be a bicyclist's paradise come April 26
April is Earth Month but also time to celebrate the Dutch Queen’s Birthday on April 30.
On Sunday April 26, from 9 am to 3 pm, the Netherlands Consulate General and the Dutch community will come out to join Bike Miami Days in Coconut Grove. The Dutch' Queen's Birthday is April 30 and they want to celebrate with us. The Grove will be overtaken with bikes, rollerblades, skateboards, etc.
One other main reason is that the Dutch people have used bikes as modes of transportation daily for over a century. They leading experts n bike design, infrastructure and safety awareness, a concern that many of you have brought up a lot lately.
The Dutch will participate in this event by organizing an Orange Bike Parade. The ride will take place in the designated bike-route in the Coconut Grove area starting the morning of the 26th at 10:30 am.
Since the Netherlands have been ruled by the ‘House of Orange-Nassau’ since 1815, this color has been adopted as a ‘national color’. There are 1000 orange t-shirts, that they will be giving out.
Enjoy the food at the local restaurants. Bikes will be available during the event, free of charge, given on first come first serve basis by Bike and Roll rentals. There will be bicycle valets to keep an eye on your bicycles while you wander and shop and eat around the Grove.
All orange dressed participants will receive a ticket for a bicycle raffle sponsored by Dutch bicycle manufacturer Gazelle. The bicycle is worth $1800. There will also be a prize for the best orange decorated bike.
For further information email us at mia@minbuza.nl. Raffles are at 2:30 pm at the Dutch stand.
posted by Tom Falco at 10:00 AM
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8 Comments:
Excellent event to raise awareness. Great start. Real Bike lanes remain the real issue, especially in places like S.Bayshore, Main Hwy, Tiger tail.. Asphalt and Paint. Gotta love the Dutch, though. CI.
Coconut Grove welcomes the Dutch and the Orange Bike Parade on April 26th. We can learn a great deal from them about tolerance, art, architecture, culture, literature, flowers, transportation and bikes. Since Coconut Grove has so very few bike racks and many bikers are expected for this event, we better start making arrangements for lots of portable bike racks and security to accommodate our anticipated guests. Otherwise every lamp post, street sign, fence and tree will just have to do as a bike hitching post, as we Grovites have grown accustomed to.
Harry Emilio Gottlieb
Some history: The Netherlands, is ruled by the House of Orange since the early 1600, after the 80 year battle with Spain and the independecy from them. William of Orange was also once the ruler of the mighty Brits. Thats why the colour of orange is our national colour and pride. Bycles are sinominous with the people of the Netherlands as a daily form of transportation for many school children and all people a like. Although there are more bikes than cars in the Netherlands everybody knows the rules of riding a bike; that is not on sidewalks; not overtaking the whole street; the use of a bell; have lights; indication signs; etc. Maybe we could learn from all of this and make it a very friendly and enjoyable day and many more to come.
Olav's post reminded me of how awesome it was to ride all around Amsterdam when I visited years ago. They had parks filled with people on yellow bikes and it was pretty cool.
Grape - I know we have the bike shop in the Grove next to Akashi and Brenda's Boutique that sells and repairs bikes... Do they rent bikes there as well? I have some company in town next weekend and was thinking about renting some bikes and going for a ride. Please let me know if you or any other poster here knows where I could rent. Thanks in advance.
Education about how to ride bikes and "share the road" is important indeed. There are rules, laws, websites about it, but very little awareness, both by bike riders and car drivers.
The proper signs would be a start.
Bikes should stay to the right, not invading the streets. There are signs for that, and the Police, instead of spending the day hiding behing stop signs to give parking tickets should enforece such laws, use their sirens, giving imprudent bikers a good scare, at least. Tickets too.
In crowded and narrow streets, such as S.Baysore Dr, bikes should ride on Single-lane, not occupying too much space, to the right, with lights on at dawn/dusk.
There are no Bike lanes, yet, so it's quite dangerous. Cars should be extra careful there too, sharing the road. (I'm one of those guys with the share-the-road plate on my car, who also speeds on on a race bike almost every day through the Grove.)
But again, Education and bike racks are nice, these events are cool, but the REAL issue are Bike Lanes, paint and asphalt, signs.
It's politics as usual, and from what I hear from officials, we don't have half-decent Bike Lanes because of a lack of "funding". (Wherever the generous Grove tax monies go.. Aberrant "County divisions"). Love this Dutch bike event, a start is a start. CI
Give Danny at Revoltion bicycle a call, i don't think he rents bikes: 305-443-5229. CI
I was informerd that there will be bike valets for Bike Miami and the Orange Bike Parade in Coconut Grove. That is good news. Its just too bad that bike riders coming to the Grove have to wait for a special occasion to receive quality and safe bike service. It should be an every day or at least an every weekend occurrence.
you need to post a picture of "bicycle mom" she rides to school with her children everyday along douglas/main highway. she told me they ride 5 miles every day and that last year they rode over 350 miles during the school year. Stop her and get her picture! I see her almost every morning around 8:15am
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