The idea for the Tour de Florida came from Kert Emperado and Mark Major, when they cycled the Keys in early 2016. Kert, being from Philadelphia, highly endorsed the ride as a great way to escape the cold and enjoying time riding with friends. Mark, who lives in Orlando, saw the potential for the ride to serve his local Central Florida Fuller Center for Housing, in addition to cycling in the sun. We are excited to combine all of the great aspects of riding in Florida, and working to serve those in need of affordable housing!
In the summer of 2017, the East Coast ride finished their five-week journey from Portland, ME to Key West, FL by riding this very stretch. Despite the August heat, the beautiful riding in Florida shone through, and the thought to repeat this stretch in better weather kept playing in our minds. After trying to get it off the ground for a few years, the time has finally come!
This week-long ride begins with living out the mission of the Fuller Center. We will build with the Central Florida Fuller Center for Housing on Saturday, December 28th. After orientation and church service on the 29th, we will strike out east to hit the Atlantic Ocean in Cocoa Beach. The rest of the route follows the gorgeous Atlantic Coastline for before hitting a dead-end in Key West. We will have an off day there to bask in the glory of the great ride, and take a sunset ferry back to the mainland. An early morning drive will bring us back to Orlando for a Monday morning departure. There is a lot to love on the Bike Adventure’s Tour de Florida!
