Loyce Harpe Park, Lake to Lake Bike Race in Lakeland, Florida

You know I've been thinking about doing this off and on for quite awhile. And I almost decided not to check out the Lake to Lake bike race, in Lakeland today.

But, I knew, if I didn't ... I would kick myself later.

And I'm so glad I did.

There weren't a whole lot of spectators. But it was great to see a large collection of avid bikers from around the area gathered together. And I was BLOWN away with the quality and caliber of bikers and bikes that were there.


Unfortunately, I wasn't able to watch the whole race, nor was I able to get any video ... since I left my video cam at work. But, I did snag a few shots of pre-race preparation, and some scenes from the first corner of the race. In fact, I almost got run over, I was so close to the action (check out my camera angle, and the angle of the tire on the very last picture - I had to move pretty quickly to get out of the way).

Anyhow, I was totally happy with my short visit there. I would love to check out more races just like this. It was great to see, and be a part of ... even if I was just a happy enthusiast.


I even shared a few words with the local newspaper photographer. Super nice guy! He asked who I was covering the race for ... ha ... I only wish! I know I was sweating in that heat. I'm sure he, and the riders, were nice and toasty before it was all over.


Oh ... and one last comment before I cut out. A few posts ago I talked about new bike ideas that I had never seen before. In particular, there's a new front fork for mountain bikes, called a 'leftie'. You'll find a picture of what I'm talking about just below (see the 2nd photo). I couldn't afford it at this point, but I love the idea. Very cool!







And even a few kids got in on the bike racing action. Why didn't I ever have bike races around town when I was a kid? I could have been a contender back then.












Happy Trails!

Al