Chip Haynes wants you to ride your bicycle to the Safety Harbor Library

OK, so you may not know Chip Haynes, but you should — especially if you love to ride. He's what you would call a "cycling enthusiast" — if you would call a hurricane "a bit of rain and wind." Chip's pretty hardcore; he was cycling to his job at the Pinellas County Planning department before cycling was the in thing it is now. And — hold your breath — he doesn't even live in St. Petersburg. Nope, he lives in Clearwater, which isn't winning any prizes for "bike friendliest city" anytime soon. Which is why he's the perfect chap to meet if you're thinking you'd like to bike a bit, but you aren't ready to spend $12,000 on a carbon fiber bike (that's not counting the stretchy padded shorts and bright stretchy shirts). He's speaking in Safety Harbor on The Practical Cyclist: Bicycling for Real People, and his talk will cover choosing a bike and accessories, basic bike mechanics and other basics. 

Cycling, Haynes will tell you, isn't an elitist pastime — it's great for everyone. And he should know: He rode his across the U.S., wrote the book on the Pinellas Trail (um, literally — he's the official author) and, as we mentioned, once commuted to and from work daily. That's… pretty impressive in August. He encourages you to ride your bike to the program, but even if you don't, he'd love to see you. 

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Safety Harbor Public Library, 101 Second St. N., Safety Harbor | July 19: 6:30 p.m. | 727-724-1525, safetyharborlibrary.com. 

This article appears in Jun 28 – Jul 5, 2018.