I'm reasonably sure I know this bird, but today's plumage has me baffled for a name. The wingless biped was sighted at the downtown rendezvous of the Cranksiving ride, organized for the Alley Cat crowd by Rydel and Tony with a cookie boost by Gary.
Keep your eyes open for the driver of a green Mini-Cooper whose hit-and-run behavior is reported today by Felipe Azenha at Transit Miami. Let's look for a chance to photograph his misdeeds.
One lane northbound and one southbound will be blocked at 1643 Brickell Ave., Miami, on Saturday between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., the state Department of Transportation advises. If that's where you usually ride I recommend you head west to Miami Avenue instead.
Mountain bikers Jeff Lenosky and Kurtis Sorge will be in South Miami on Dec. 5 (and possibly the 6th) for a bike movie and, just maybe, a cyclocross demonstration. Both rode in New World Disorder VIII, and Sorge was in Red Bull Rampage. The sponsor of all this vicarious adreneline pumping is Mack Cycle & Fitness. Should be a fun outing! Watch this space for further details.
The interest is growing in a proposed ban on texting while driving. Is there a bicyclist anywhere in Miami who hasn't felt heart rising to throat as a car approached with driver's eyes fixed on a hand-held screen? Now comes the University of South Florida's student newspaper, The Oracle:
"Texting while driving is distracting and dangerous. This is a common-sense decision, yet bans have failed to pass in previous years despite growing support. A Senate bill filed in 2008 failed to make it past committee."The proposal barely got a flutter of support last year, but Sens. Carey Baker and Frederica Wilson aim to try again. It's about time.
Can you believe cyclocross racing at Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden? 
A new event called Tropical Cyclocross has been announced for Jan. 31, 2010. Suddenly, Fairchild doesn't look like a fusty refuge for tea parties and garden clubs anymore. To check it out, visit www.tropicalcyclocross.com.
Here's a chance to help your body and soul at the same time. Take a bike ride this Sunday from Dadeland to Cauley Square and back, via the South Dade Trail. To join the excursion led by Gary Mendenhall of Green Mobility Network, bring two or more items of canned or nonperishable food in your backpack, basket or panniers. On the way south, the group will deliver the food to the community pantry at Perrine Peters Methodist Church.
The ride is 13.5 miles each way. Riders should meet at 1 p.m. at Panera Bread, 8870 SW 72nd Court, so the group can shove off promptly at 1:30 p.m. At the Cauley Square turnaround you can explore the historic village, browse the antiques or grab some refreshments. All riders should have a helmet.
Bike sharing is definitely catching on. Now Humana, the health-insurance folks, have installed a fleet of loaner bicycles at their Guidance Center in the Kings Point area of Tamarac, north of Fort Lauderdale. Monday through Friday, anyone 18 or older can present a driver license and a credit card and take off on one of the bikes. There's 
no charge if the bike is returned by 5 p.m. The address is 7666 Nob Hill Road.
Humana calls this program Freewheelin. These photos from Tamarac are by Alex Gort.
