Ride Report
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peterebock
Apr 6, 2026, 2:19:15 PMApr 6
to Amelia Island Cycling
All,
Fourteen folks showed and rode this morning on the every
other Monday ride from downtown Fernandina. We met at
our alternate start site on the west side of Central Park with
only one rider who was temporarily confused but he found us just
as we were starting off. I won’t name names but his name
rhymes with Gary!
It was an overcast day with comfortable temps in the upper
sixties but there was a stiff breeze out of the northeast that
we had to fight each time we turned in that direction. It looked
like it might rain and while it never did, the threat kept us moving
at a good pace. And we were a very cohesive group today and
we pretty much rode together most of the way. Oh, Gary sped
off a few times whenever we couldn’t keep but he usually waited for
us at the next turn. We did the usual reverse of the Thursday/Saturday
circuit and a surprising number (8) did the whole forty miles.
The traffic was quite heavy on the south end of the island but
there were no backups until on return trip from Burney. At our rest
stop there, Cheryl the Trailblazer, suggested taking a nifty cut through
that I think Rich may have proposed a while back to avoided the heavy traffic
on Fletcher. It involved going straight at the stoplight at the junction
of the Parkway and Fletcher. We rode up an empty Parkway to
Rich’s neighborhood and turned in there across from Canopy Dr. on
to Spinnaker Drive. We had to squeeze by a gate and then ride to the end
of Spinnaker. There we took a wood chipped path down to Bill Melton Rd.
right near First Avenue. Pretty sweet! It avoided a backed up and
very busy Fletcher Avenue and I got to see a neighborhood I had
never been in before. Neat adventure, thanks Cheryl!
From there it was a character building ride up First Avenue to Simmons
to Williams Hardee/Citrona and on to various homes. All in all a nice
ride on a nice island with a nice group of friends. Another nice day in paradise.
On a sad note, we heard this morning that Don E.’s wife, Elena,
passed away quietly and peacefully this weekend at their home.
It was not unexpected but I’m sure I speak for all of us in passing
on to Don and Elena’s family our sincere condolences. You are in
our thoughts and prayers. Details of her celebration of life will be
forthcoming.
Peter B.
Substitute ride leader and domestique for Kathleen F.
>
>
>
Fourteen folks showed and rode this morning on the every
other Monday ride from downtown Fernandina. We met at
our alternate start site on the west side of Central Park with
only one rider who was temporarily confused but he found us just
as we were starting off. I won’t name names but his name
rhymes with Gary!
It was an overcast day with comfortable temps in the upper
sixties but there was a stiff breeze out of the northeast that
we had to fight each time we turned in that direction. It looked
like it might rain and while it never did, the threat kept us moving
at a good pace. And we were a very cohesive group today and
we pretty much rode together most of the way. Oh, Gary sped
off a few times whenever we couldn’t keep but he usually waited for
us at the next turn. We did the usual reverse of the Thursday/Saturday
circuit and a surprising number (8) did the whole forty miles.
The traffic was quite heavy on the south end of the island but
there were no backups until on return trip from Burney. At our rest
stop there, Cheryl the Trailblazer, suggested taking a nifty cut through
that I think Rich may have proposed a while back to avoided the heavy traffic
on Fletcher. It involved going straight at the stoplight at the junction
of the Parkway and Fletcher. We rode up an empty Parkway to
Rich’s neighborhood and turned in there across from Canopy Dr. on
to Spinnaker Drive. We had to squeeze by a gate and then ride to the end
of Spinnaker. There we took a wood chipped path down to Bill Melton Rd.
right near First Avenue. Pretty sweet! It avoided a backed up and
very busy Fletcher Avenue and I got to see a neighborhood I had
never been in before. Neat adventure, thanks Cheryl!
From there it was a character building ride up First Avenue to Simmons
to Williams Hardee/Citrona and on to various homes. All in all a nice
ride on a nice island with a nice group of friends. Another nice day in paradise.
On a sad note, we heard this morning that Don E.’s wife, Elena,
passed away quietly and peacefully this weekend at their home.
It was not unexpected but I’m sure I speak for all of us in passing
on to Don and Elena’s family our sincere condolences. You are in
our thoughts and prayers. Details of her celebration of life will be
forthcoming.
Peter B.
Substitute ride leader and domestique for Kathleen F.
>
>
>
Susan Taylor
Apr 6, 2026, 10:57:55 PMApr 6
to ameliaisl...@googlegroups.com
Thanks, Peter, for an inspired ride report—makes us feel like our Guatemalan adventure is a vacation…not!
We said a prayer today for Don E’s Elena at the historic St Francis Church (Iglesia San Francisco), a very moving experience.
Hope to see y’all again soon, out on the roads of Amelia Island.
Susan T
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>
> The elite eight who did the whole 40 (nine counting me)
>
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>
> Hydration stop
>
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>
> Break time!
>
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>
> Our starting lineup!
>
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>
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peterebock
Apr 14, 2026, 3:09:07 PMApr 14
to Amelia Island Cycling
All,
Nearly ideal atmospheric conditions greeted seventeen eager
riders this morning as we gathered for the weekly Tuesday Tour de
Fish. Sunny skies, temps in the low to mid seventies and a
gentle breeze out of the southeast made for a perfect bike riding
environment. Unfortunately that near perfection was spoiled by
two flat tires today.
Phil B. was elected first as he was coming off the Crady bridge.
A good size nail not only punctured the top of the tube but came out
of his side wall as well. When I caught with him and his crew, he
was gamely attempting a patch/fix with the hopes of being able
to limp back to Super Corsa for further repairs. Alan, Graham and
ace mechanic, helper Cheryl were there to coach and encourage
him, so I rode on. (Cheryl may be sending a picture!)
Next up was Mike T. who made it all the way to the pavillion at
the ferry where he discovered a cute little staple releasing the
air from his rear tire. I commiserated with him and watched him
expertly fix the flat. (See enclosed photos)
After all that, five of us took the ferry across to Safe Harbor
for a tasty treat of a lunch and the best deal in town. One of their
“Little Snapper” meals for $8.00 provides ample food (shrimp,
fries and a hush puppie with a small drink, for example) for any
power pedaling bike rider. Kathleen and I actually share and still
have enough for both of us!
The ride home was pleasant, beautifully scenic and we even saw
a gopher tortoise. Nice treat! We took the trail home so as to
avoid the problematic “improvements” to the First Coast Highway.
The new safety, rumble strips will take some getting used to and
they definitely need to get rid of the small ridge that was created
a couple of inches to the right of the rumbles.
Still, all in all, another beautiful day in paradise!
Peter B., domestique to Kathleen F.
Nearly ideal atmospheric conditions greeted seventeen eager
riders this morning as we gathered for the weekly Tuesday Tour de
Fish. Sunny skies, temps in the low to mid seventies and a
gentle breeze out of the southeast made for a perfect bike riding
environment. Unfortunately that near perfection was spoiled by
two flat tires today.
Phil B. was elected first as he was coming off the Crady bridge.
A good size nail not only punctured the top of the tube but came out
of his side wall as well. When I caught with him and his crew, he
was gamely attempting a patch/fix with the hopes of being able
to limp back to Super Corsa for further repairs. Alan, Graham and
ace mechanic, helper Cheryl were there to coach and encourage
him, so I rode on. (Cheryl may be sending a picture!)
Next up was Mike T. who made it all the way to the pavillion at
the ferry where he discovered a cute little staple releasing the
air from his rear tire. I commiserated with him and watched him
expertly fix the flat. (See enclosed photos)
After all that, five of us took the ferry across to Safe Harbor
for a tasty treat of a lunch and the best deal in town. One of their
“Little Snapper” meals for $8.00 provides ample food (shrimp,
fries and a hush puppie with a small drink, for example) for any
power pedaling bike rider. Kathleen and I actually share and still
have enough for both of us!
The ride home was pleasant, beautifully scenic and we even saw
a gopher tortoise. Nice treat! We took the trail home so as to
avoid the problematic “improvements” to the First Coast Highway.
The new safety, rumble strips will take some getting used to and
they definitely need to get rid of the small ridge that was created
a couple of inches to the right of the rumbles.
Still, all in all, another beautiful day in paradise!
Peter B., domestique to Kathleen F.
peterebock
Apr 18, 2026, 1:53:57 PM (12 days ago) Apr 18
to Amelia Island Cycling
> All,
It was another Goldilocks day weather-wise on the Island
this morning with bright sunshine, temps in the 70s and
light winds out of the south/southwest. Those near perfect
conditions brought out a nice contingent of twenty-
six strong cyclists ready to roll. We welcomed a few folks
who aren’t regulars such as Mel E., Geoff M. and
Clinton B. but we also said goodbye to several snowbirds who
will be leaving the Island soon. Michael T., Amy’s brother-in-law
and one heck of a good rider, is off first to Bend Oregon and then
Michigan, while our Canadian buddies Larry W. and Cindy R.
will be hightailing it for Halifax soon.. We enjoyed riding with you all this
winter and wish you safe travels!
There was the usual sterling rendition of the safety brief, an
acknowledgement that we were sharing the Main Beach parking
lot this morning with lots of Sea Turtle Festival folks and then it was
off to the races! We had some serious speedsters today who really flew
all the way to our first rest stop in the Fort. Even the substitute ride
leader on an e-bike had trouble keeping up! Once there, we were
informed that Larry W. was the first winner of the flat tire of the day
award but he was able to cobble together a repair and limp back
home. Next up was Roger E. who discovered that he too had flatted,
making it a two flat tire day…again. Alan and Ron generously stayed
behind to make sure he got fixed and back on the road again. Thanks guys!
Speaking of guys, Cindy R. was the only female rider today, thus
avoiding the unintended appearance of a boys only club. Thanks
Cindy, we will miss you and Larry and look forward to your return
next year!
By the time we reached the dog park we were down to
about a dozen or so hard core riders. Still, twelve at that stop is
quite a nice number! There were were a couple of times this year where
only one or two folks made it that far…back in the dark, cold days of Jan. and Feb.
The ride home was a pleasant, easy affair and offered plenty of
opportunity to reflect on what a wonderful venue we have and
what a great group of friends we are fortunate to ride with. Kathleen
and I will miss y’all when it is our turn to head north fairly soon.
One last thing, I mentioned to the group after the briefing that
Don E., the godfather of our club, was not feeling well and went
to the hospital the other day to get checked up. Last word I had
was that he is feeling better and hopes to be home soon.
Ride Safe!
Respectfully,
Peter B., substitute ride leader and domestique to Kathleen F.
>
>
peterebock
Apr 23, 2026, 1:43:30 PM (7 days ago) Apr 23
to Amelia Island Cycling
All,
Another gorgeous day for a bike ride here on Amelia
Island! Sunny skies, light winds and temps in the 70s
greeted 18 eager bike enthusiasts on a sweet April morning.
There was the traditional stirring rendition of the safety
brief by yours truly and then a few announcements. Snow
birds are heading north (including Kathleen F. and I) so
there was a lot of talk of making sure we go to the brain
trust tomorrow.
The ride itself was great! No wrecks or mechs that I am
aware of. Lots of folks met up at the dog park and basked
in the sun on the front porch there. The substitute ride leader had
to rouse folks from their comfy chairs and discussions to
get them to finish our 35 mile tour of paradise! And finish they
did. And while I was riding up Will Hardy towards home, I thought
about the fact that this will be the first time that we fly and not
drive back to Wisconsin. While thus daydreaming a little ditty
popped into my head which could be seen as today’s alternate
ride report.
(With all due respect to John Denver and his song writing genius I submit…
All our bags are packed, we’re ready to go,
Back to a place, where it gets twenty below
But we’re at Main Beach on this Thursday morn,
The safety brief’s been read and we’ve all sworn,
To callout hazards on the hills we climb,
And have a safe ride, one more time.
‘Cause we’re leaving on a jet plane,
Don’t know when we’ll be back again,
Oh, gang, we hate to go!
There were many times I had to sub,
‘Cause we need more leaders in our little,biking club,
Amelia Island is such a great place to ride!
So one more time, we’ll tour Fort Clinch
With our nifty e-bikes, it’s quite the cinch,
You just peddle a little and then you let her glide!
Yes, we’re leaving on a jet plane
Don’t know when we’ll be back again,
George and Donna, we hate to go!
So many riders we love and know,
18 today who made the show,
You are the folks we will certainly miss.
And Dee Dee Bartels, the dog park too,
One to the other we often flew,
Just getting there was such a bit of bliss.
But we’re leaving on a jet plane,
Don’t know when we’ll be back again,
Oh, Gus, we hate to go!
But now the time has come to sadly leave you,
A few more rides and then we’ll sadly grieve you,
But we’ll be back to ride another day.
So we’ll dream about the rides to come,
The warmth, the sun, no reason to be glum,
‘ Cause we’ll be back before y’all can say,
We’re leaving on a jet plane,
Don’t know when we’ll be back again,
You know we hate to go!
Respectfully,
Substitute ride leader, Peter B., domestique to Kathleen F.
>
Another gorgeous day for a bike ride here on Amelia
Island! Sunny skies, light winds and temps in the 70s
greeted 18 eager bike enthusiasts on a sweet April morning.
There was the traditional stirring rendition of the safety
brief by yours truly and then a few announcements. Snow
birds are heading north (including Kathleen F. and I) so
there was a lot of talk of making sure we go to the brain
trust tomorrow.
The ride itself was great! No wrecks or mechs that I am
aware of. Lots of folks met up at the dog park and basked
in the sun on the front porch there. The substitute ride leader had
to rouse folks from their comfy chairs and discussions to
get them to finish our 35 mile tour of paradise! And finish they
did. And while I was riding up Will Hardy towards home, I thought
about the fact that this will be the first time that we fly and not
drive back to Wisconsin. While thus daydreaming a little ditty
popped into my head which could be seen as today’s alternate
ride report.
(With all due respect to John Denver and his song writing genius I submit…
All our bags are packed, we’re ready to go,
Back to a place, where it gets twenty below
But we’re at Main Beach on this Thursday morn,
The safety brief’s been read and we’ve all sworn,
To callout hazards on the hills we climb,
And have a safe ride, one more time.
‘Cause we’re leaving on a jet plane,
Don’t know when we’ll be back again,
Oh, gang, we hate to go!
There were many times I had to sub,
‘Cause we need more leaders in our little,biking club,
Amelia Island is such a great place to ride!
So one more time, we’ll tour Fort Clinch
With our nifty e-bikes, it’s quite the cinch,
You just peddle a little and then you let her glide!
Yes, we’re leaving on a jet plane
Don’t know when we’ll be back again,
George and Donna, we hate to go!
So many riders we love and know,
18 today who made the show,
You are the folks we will certainly miss.
And Dee Dee Bartels, the dog park too,
One to the other we often flew,
Just getting there was such a bit of bliss.
But we’re leaving on a jet plane,
Don’t know when we’ll be back again,
Oh, Gus, we hate to go!
But now the time has come to sadly leave you,
A few more rides and then we’ll sadly grieve you,
But we’ll be back to ride another day.
So we’ll dream about the rides to come,
The warmth, the sun, no reason to be glum,
‘ Cause we’ll be back before y’all can say,
We’re leaving on a jet plane,
Don’t know when we’ll be back again,
You know we hate to go!
Respectfully,
Substitute ride leader, Peter B., domestique to Kathleen F.
>
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