Ride from Tybee to Savannah! Do you ever wonder why it has to be so dangerous to ride a bike between Tybee and Savannah? Wouldn’t it be great to have safe access, and to open up a whole new outlet for locals and tourists to make day trips between Savannah and the beach on a bike? We think so, and we hope you can join us on this ride to highlight the need to make a safe connection. We’ll ride from Tybee City Hall to Savannah with a police escort to keep us all safe.  Route covers 22 miles including a quick spin around Tybee to see the sights.

Start and Finish

Tybee City Hall (403 Butler Ave) to Johnson Square in Savannah. Optional transportation back to Tybee will be available for you and your bike.  With a loop around Tybee to start us off, the whole ride clocks in at around 22 miles.

The ride is limited to 150 participants, so don’t miss out — register today!

Net proceeds from the ride will go to support the ongoing effort to build the Coastal Georgia Greenway, the master-planned project for 450 miles of multi-use trail in coastal Georgia, although raising awareness is the primary goal of the ride.  Part of the proposed trails network of the Coastal Georgia Greenway is a connection between Tybee and Savannah, and the Greenway project needs all of our help to make it happen.

We encourage all to become involved in the Coastal Georgia Greenway project at coastalgeorgiagreenway.org.

Hardly any other organized ride offers as many features as does the Claxton-Evans County Chamber of Commerce’s Cruisin’ in the Country. The cyclists’ needs are the foundation of the Chamber’s commitment to this event. Our support services, large volunteer base, foundation of experience and great organization go to making Cruisin’ a success year after year. Our community takes great pride in extending the tradition of Southern hospitality to the thousands of cyclists who have participated and continue to return for “the best ride in Georgia” as Bicycling Magazine stated years ago.

Claxton and Evans County and our neighboring communities look forward to renewing old friendships with those cyclists who have visited in the past and extend a very special welcome to those cyclists who will be joining us for the first time.

For more info and to register visit ClaxtonEvansChamber.com

On October 17, 2009, the American Diabetes Association’s fall campaign takes on a new twist with three exciting sporting events all on one day. The focus is on outdoor fitness and underscores the importance of regular physical activity to good health and the prevention of type 2 diabetes. With Southeast Georgia and Coastal South Carolina’s mild year round climate, what better way to stay fit than to go outside for a walk, a bike ride, or a paddle in our beautiful waterways?

The American Diabetes Association urges individuals at all fitness levels to find a sport they enjoy and to engage in that activity at least 3 days a week for a minimum of 30 minutes.

To promote the Association’s health message, on Saturday, October 17, 2009, walkers, cyclists and kayakers will convene at the UGA Marine Extension Service Aquarium grounds for the Sunsplash Outdoor Fitness Festival following a morning of fitness activities.

Step Out: Walk to Fight Diabetes, American Diabetes Association’s signature Walk event, invites walkers to form company and family teams to participate in a 3-kilometer walk on a trail along the beautiful Skidaway River. Register now!

Tour de Cure, the Association’s signature cycling event, will feature either a 10-mile or 40-mile ride throughout Skidaway Island and The Landings. This event is open to avid cyclists and newcomers to the sport. Training rides for participants interested in the 40-mile ride will be taking place in advance of the Tour. Register now!

Kayak for a Kure invites paddlers of all abilities to bring their kayaks to Butterbean Beach, where the tide will take them down the Skidaway River for a 3-mile paddle to the UGA Marine Extension Aquarium. Paddling clinics for beginners will be held in advance of the kayaking event. Register now!

The culminating celebration, Sunsplash Outdoor Fitness Festival, will bring together serious athletes and reformed couch potatoes alike, for an afternoon of live music, great food and free health screenings and vendors.

Step Out: Walk to Fight Diabetes – 9:00 a.m. Registration / 10:00 a.m. Walk
Tour de Cure – 6:30 a.m. Registration / 7:30 a.m. Ride
Kayak for a Kure – 9:00 a.m. Registration at Butterbean Beach / 10:00 a.m. Paddle

For more information, please contact Suzanne Willis at suwillis@diabetes.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 912-353-8110 ext. 3093.

The Midnight Garden Ride is a non-competitive, nighttime charity bike ride through Historic Downtown Savannah, benefiting the Savannah Bicycle Campaign – a non-profit volunteer advocacy organization working for better bicycling for Savannah and Chatham County. 6 and 12 mile options will wind through historic Savannah under the live oak canopy and a full moon.

For more info and to register visit MidnightGardenRide.com

The Saturday ride is 33 miles through farmland and other rural settings and has a remote start location. The Sunday ride takes you over the 200 ft tall Talmadge Bridge with a magnificent view of the city and Savannah River. Police escort is provided. This year’s Sunday ride starts at the historic restaurant and pub “The Distillery”. There are five ride distance options for the Sunday ride: 25, 37, 56, 69 and 103 miles.

Reserve the weekend on your calendar, or go ahead and register now! Active.com
Other ride info can be found at the event website SavannahCentury.com

For more info visit BicycleCampaign.org

Register for the ride at Active.com

On site registration Friday 7-9PM, Saturday 7-9AM.

Start times Saturday 8AM, Sunday 9AM.

By Melanie Ruberti

SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) – Skidaway road is a familiar trail for Nick Baker. It’s one he rides at least three times a week. But his path took a detour last Friday when he says a driver hit him from behind.

“The first thing I remember is the good lady in the ambulance asking me to wiggle my fingers and toes as I was lying down. Which, when I was able to do that, I felt quite relieved,” he said.

Knocked unconscious, Nick has no memory of the accident. But his bike gear including his helmet and reflective vest, tell the story. His helmet now has a dent and his vest is covered in blood.

“The mirror hit my helmet here and knocked me out,” Nick explained. “Had I not been wearing it, I wouldn’t be here.”

Stitches, bruises and scrapes mark the side of Nick’s face. But it’s not the injuries he’s worried about. It’s the driver who hit him and drove off without even checking to make sure he was okay.

“Why didn’t you stop? I could be dead,” Nick said.

Nick’s been cycling for 35 years. He’s entered many European races and was a cyclist in the 1988 Olympics. While he’s had some near misses, he’s never been hit. This is now serving as a wake up call that changes need to be made on Savannah’s city streets.

“It’s not just good enough saying, ‘be aware of a cyclist,’” Nick said. “They need to leave the correct amount of room when they’re passing a cyclist.”

Since his accident, Nick’s had several calls and emails from other cyclists with similar experiences.

“We’re pretty much at the mercy of cars,” said Drew Wade, chairman of the Savannah Bicycle Campaign.

He also cycles to work every day and believes some roads in Savannah need to be more bike friendly.

“It behooves us to try to improve the roads, to make them accommodate all users and to try and educate the public,” he said.

Savannah mayor Otis Johnson is trying to make Savannah a little more bicycle friendly through his “Dump the Pump” campaigns.

Mayor Johnson says plans on having driver education classes to help people understand what rights bicyclists have. He also wants to increase the use of helmets and create more marked bike paths around the city.

Those are some of the changes Nick hopes for too, but he knows it may take awhile.

Meanwhile, he has placed signs along Skidaway Road hoping that anyone who saw the accident and knows what happened will come forward with information.

“Did they see me? Did they not see me? If they didn’t see me, we need to talk about that,” he said.

While the accident won’t take away Nick’s passion for cycling, it will determine what route he takes next time. “I probably won’t ride this road again,” said Nick.

Savannah-Chatham police say the person who hit Nick was driving a white pick up truck. If you have any information or saw the accident, call police or CrimeStoppers at 912.234.2020.

The LAB administers the Bicycle Friendly Communities Program, and the City of Savannah has completed the first of its two-part application.  The four hour workshop will review facilities and programs in Savannah for their bicycle friendliness, and include a review of the Bikability Checklist.

Whether or not we as a community rise to the national definition of Bicycle Friendly Community (in Georgia, only Roswell has achieved this status), we are sure to learn about how to get better and closer to that goal.

We as bicyclists often face adverse conditions — this workshop represents a chance to look at those and discuss how we can make things better locally rather than complaining into the abyss — we are strongest when we speak together!  Please consider joining us and Savannah city officials on Wednesday, January 21.