Category: Events

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8th Annual LOST Ride Video

March 26 was probably the best riding day of the seven Okeechobee Rotary Club LOST Rides I’ve been on. The temperature was just about perfect and the winds weren’t bad. I wish I had put on sunscreen about mid-morning, though.

If you took the time to look around, there were gators and wading birds galore. This was taken at Nubbin Slough. The black dots in the water are alligators. This is where a boy had his arm ripped off in 2008.

Video instead of stills

I normally put up a large number of still photos in a gallery. This year I concentrated on trying to capture the spirit of the event in a video shot with one camera looking forward and the other aft. (By the way, that annoying “click-click-click” noise is the carabiner attached to the video camera’s safety lanyard. I’m going to have to find a solution that is quick to release, but doesn’t make noise picked up by the mike.)

The “flow” was different this year, too. Usually I shoot the group start, which puts me at the end of the pack. I can usually work my way through about a third of the group of slower riders by about the 15-mile mark, at which time a lot of the faster riders are on their way back.

This year there seemed to be fewer “slow” riders and the faster riders were more scattered.

Henry Creek rest area

Ice-cold water, grapes and other goodies were welcome as the sun started beating down. Rumors that Henry Creek would be a beer stop were unfounded. (Or, maybe I just didn’t know the password.)

Folks along the trail were friendly

With very few exceptions, everybody on the LOST – bikers, joggers, dog walkers, volunteers – smiled, waved or spoke as we passed each other.

Nubbin Slough 10-mile point

Nubbin Slough was at the 10-mile marker. A 20-mile out-and-back trip was enough of a challenge for some riders. Others, like this biker, did the full 54.7 miles to Port Mayca and back to the start.

I hope the riders doing the Loop the Lake for Literacy this weekend have weather as good as we had.

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L.O.S.T. Ride Report Coming, Honest

I know I told folks I’d have an account of the 8th Annual Okeechobee Rotary Club’s Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail Ride-Walk-Run event posted in a couple of days.

It’s taking me longer than I thought to edit the video. I had one camera mounted to the bars facing forward, and one attached to the rack pointing the the rear. Trying to integrate those two views and their audio is more than twice the work of a single camera and infinitely more complicated than editing stills. (Particularly if you’re still learning the software one little skill at a time.)

Keep checking back. We’ll get there. (Great ride, though, wasn’t it?)

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Freakbike Militia’s ChopperNite 31

Wednesday was a perfect night for the West Palm Beach Freakbike Militia’s ChopperNite 31, also known as Robot Nite. It was cool without being chilly and the winds were calm.

Even better than that, everybody was in a good mood. One of the first cars I passed had a woman in it who was laughing, pointing and waving.

“Corkies” contribute to good vibes

The “corkies” who ride ahead to “cork” or block intersections also said they got good vibes from the motorists they were holding back. They’re getting better at this every ride. By dressing in reflective vests, looking semi-official and acting like they know what they’re doing, drivers assume that the ChopperNite must be some kind of officially sanctioned ride. How little they know.

Fountain area cleaner than before

TIII, the fellow on the cargo bike leading the group in the video said he and some volunteers stuck around after the main group headed out to make sure the Clematis Fountain area was cleaner than when the group arrived.

44-min ride reduced to just under 8 mins

I’m a little light on still photos this ride because I was concentrating on shooting video with one camera mounted on the bars and one mounted facing to the rear from the rack. You’ll hear me say that one shoots biker butts; the other, biker faces. Next ride I’ll try to move around more to get a larger selection of riders.

I didn’t know until I edited the film that I had captured a crash at about the two-minute mark. You can hear someone say, “She’s good!” so I hope all the rider got was a little road rash and a red face from embarrassment.

Robot Nite Photo Gallery

Click on any photo to make it larger, then click on the left or right side of the image to move through the gallery. If you’d like to see past photos and videos from other ChopperNites, follow the links on my promo page.

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Freakbike Militia’s Robotnite March 16

Thanks to a Kenny Prather posting on Facebook, I was reminded that the West Palm Beach chapter of the Freakbike Nation is going to hold the Choppernite 31 ride Wednesday, March 16. This event, named RobotNite, will form up at Southern and Flagler at 7, with a 7:30 pm launch headed in the general direction of Cityplace, then downtown to the old library site on Clematis.

It’s a family-friendly ride that goes about 10-12 miles per hour in a huge group. “Corkers” ride ahead to block intersections so the group can go through all at one time. Because the bikes and costumes are so unique and the riders so friendly, most of the motorists who are delayed take in the good vibes and wave and pull out cameras.

Still curious about Choppernites?

Here are a bunch of links to Freakbike rides and activities I’ve participated in.

Lights required, helmets encouraged

Since the ride starts and finishes well after dark, headlights and tailights are required by law and by common sense. Helmets are encouraged for those over 16 and required by law for those younger. Y’all be careful out there and have fun. I’ll be there with two newbies, Anne and Osa.

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Loop the Lake for Literacy

This is the best time of year to get LOST on the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. The Okeechobee Rotary Club has their 8th Annual Ride-Run-Walk event on March 26. The Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County is sponsoring a Loop the Lake for Literacy Ride April 2.

25-, 50-, 100- or 200-km routes

Cyclists can ride 25-, 50-, 100- or 200-kilometer routes that will take you part way or all the way around the huge body of water. Information is available at the loopthelakeforliteracy web site.

Their website has a video that captures a lot of the beauty of Lake O. Conspicuously missing from their sunset section is any mention of the mosquitoes that come out for about 45 minutes on either side of sundown.

Other LOST resources on PalmBeachBikeTours

I’ve ridden the lake scores of times since 2004. Every trip I see something new. This link shows an unofficial map I’ve compiled and a list of links to earlier stories.