Bicycle club celebrating 30 years on island
Formed in 1995 and now boasting nearly 200 active members, the Sanibel Bicycle Club is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Some of the original founders gathered recently to talk about the early days.
“Keith Trowbridge was the first to organize a small group of cyclists via a newspaper ad in 1995. Frank and Bird Rosen, Dale Armstrong, and Doug Hilger were some of the original members,” past President and Sanibel Mayor Mike Miller said.
The group bicycled weekly and also rode together on trips to the Everglades and Europe.
In 2003, then President Tom McCarthy led the effort to establish the “Shared Use Path” in the city, which now includes over 25 miles of paths used by thousands of visitors and residents each year.
“We gathered some regular paint from the city and painted the ‘Pass On Left’ messages on the trail, which soon eroded,” Jim Drotleff said, adding that Darla Letourneau led the effort of working with the city and state on advocacy for safe cycling.
In 2008, Tom Sharbaugh and Billy’s Bikes teamed up to provide refurbished bicycles to the youths of central Florida.
“I’ll never forget the look on the faces of those kids when we rolled up with a truck full of shiny bikes,” Billy’s Bikes owner Billy Kirlkland said. “It gave them the joy we all feel when we bike.”
The club’s membership grew to over 150 in 2018 and kept growing, despite the challenges of the following years, including several hurricanes and their impacts, the pandemic and more.
“A few members have left the island over the last few years,” past President Allison Havill said. “But they never left the club and still ride and socialize with us.”
The club holds rides on Saturdays, off-island rides, volunteer events and monthly social dinners.
“We remain strong advocates for the improvement of our SUP (Shared Use Path) system, which sustained storm damages after repairs in 2021,” President Jim Meyer said. “The city leaders have been great partners in helping manage the usage, growth and challenges of new devices sharing the paths.”
Recently, speed limits were established, and Path Rangers were hired to help all SUP users and motorists safely coexist. The club noted that it is well poised for the next 30 years of island cycling.
For more information about the club, visit www.sanibelbicycleclub.org.