Janis Krakops

Eric Madrid in action.

​Ever watch a polo match and think, that'd be fun to play? Probably not. Mounting ponies  and dodging swinging mallets and hard-ass balls is not exactly part of our regular sports diet in South Florida, with apologies to Palm Beach socialites and fans of Miami Beach Polo World Cup. For the most part we're just not that into polo. But what if instead of horses, the sport had you riding bikes? Hmm. That might just make things palpable.

The Miami Bike Polo movement just showed up in town and a group of enthusiasts is already holding regular meet-ups to play the growing sport.  Minus the horses and giant open fields, the two sports are pretty similar.  Bike polo uses street hockey goals instead of two posts in the ground. Read on to learn about the sport and see where to play.More »

​Brendt Barbur started the internationally renowned, grassroots Bicycle Film Festival after getting hit by a bus in New York City. He took a crappy situation and did something positive for bike riders by promoting biking through arts and movies. After only ten years, the festival is now established in 27 cities around the world. "I keep doing it, because people keep coming," he said. This Thursday to Sunday, the BFF has its second year in Miami.

Rydel of The Miami Bike Scene is glad the festival is visiting Miami, listing us among more obvious biking capitals like Austin and Portland. He hopes people will come out on their bikes and enjoy the events surrounding BFF, and said, "It's exciting that this festival's coming down to South Florida."More »

Pitchers and kickers report to camp Feb. 25 at Peacock Park.

​Who doesn't all want another excuse to go drinking and misbehaving during the work week? Such is the allure of kickball leagues in Miami and across the country. That and finding intelligent women! The sport is thriving and there are several leagues in Miami-Dade sponsored by World Adult Kickball Association (WAKA), including one in Peacock Park in Coconut Grove which starts next Friday (sign up here!)

But the thrill of competition is only part of what makes kickball fun. There's also the ogling coworkers in skimpy athletic gear, wearing wristbands and headbands for no discernible reason, and possibly hooking up with (or even better yet getting rejected by) Susie from accounting and then having to face her the next day. The point is kickball is here to stay as an adult pseudo-sport.  But sadly, kickball season eventually comes to an end. Luckily, Cultist is here to suggest five other fake-sport-leagues-that-are-just-an-excuse-to-drink-and-get-laid. More »

C. Stiles

Maybe bike lanes mean less memorials.

​Don't get us wrong, we think creating bike lanes on any street is a smart and safety conscious decision. But Washington Avenue on South Beach? Lord help us! If there's one street that attracts the I-just-popped-three-bottles-at-LUX Nightclub-set, then it has to be Washington Avenue. Perhaps city officials believe that a pilot bike lane on Washington will be a good litmus test for the rest of the beach. After all, if bikers can ride (or survive) there, they can ride anywhere.More »

Guillermo Ruballo

Everybody wants to take a ride.

​Last night, cyclists, business owners, and party crashers enjoyed drinks, hors d'oeuvres, and a floating bike at the pre-launch party for DecoBike, a new bicycle sharing program. The green carpet event at the Shore Club offered a first look at the two wheels that will be the newest way to get around SoBe.

DecoBike, in partnership the City of Miami Beach, won a bid against major corporations such as Clear Channel to run this public program. The mission is to "green" a very lush, but not very eco-conscious Miami Beach. DecoBike, touted as "a revolutionary public transit system," will consist of over 100 solar-powered stations with nearly 1,000 custom bikes. The rental kiosks will be as far north as 85 Street, but the bulk of them will be scattered around South Beach.More »

Courtesy of Rydel Deed

Last year's Cranksgiving had about 100 riders.

​Crank for the homeless. But the good kind of crank. The kind that has more than a 100 bike riders cranking around town collecting food for the less fortunate in the second annual Cranksgiving Food Drive. After raising over $1,000 last year with close to 100 riders, organizers are confident the event will get bigger as momentum builds and cycling becomes even more popular in South Florida. 

"Everyone felt ecstatic riding for a great cause and being a part of something which unselfishly helps the local community," says organizer Rydel Deed (yeah, great name for rider who does good deeds). He describes the event as part scavenger hunt, part bike race with active participation from everyone.

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Strictly Orange via flickr

Segways: More dangerous than they look!

File this one in the morbidly ironic and tragic category. James Heselden, who purchased the company that makes Segways--those goofy transports that look like a cross between a unicycle and a circus bike favored by mall cops --died yesterday after apparently riding his suped-up Segway off a cliff and into a river in northern England.

Police pulled Heselden's body from a river and also found a Segway-type vehicle in the river near his body. Details are still emerging but local police don't suspect foul play as much as they do poor driving (or riding, we're not sure what you do on those things). Heselden, 62, who bought Segway last year, was a savvy businessman and among the richest people in England. He was as well know for his generous spirit as for his deep pockets.

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Flickr CC Richard Drdul

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Sure, you've laughed at cyclists' bulge-hugging Spandex shorts, rolled your eyes when they use the street inches from the sidewalk, and if you're a certain Latin pop star, you've even gotten drunk, hit them, and then driven off with their bike still lodged in your front fender while they lie bleeding on the side of the road. Asshole.

Ah, and let's not forget ladies, the bigger the truck the more adorable you look. Even when you're texting, which has become such a pain now that cyclists are sharing the road. What a nuisance. Well, the feeling's mutual...kinda. The local cyclist we spoke to organizes group rides to celebrate bicycles, encourage cycling, and to remind drivers that they must share the road. Although this sounds about as sweet as puppies and rainbows, there's still a few things that drivers (and even cyclists) do that really jam up his gears:

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Gotta pay to share that bike, mam.

​Starting in mid-November, Miami Beach will join other cities around the world when the city implements a bike-share program. Basically, you'll be able to check out a bike at a kiosk for however long you need it, and ride it to any other Miami Beach kiosk to drop it off. The goal is to encourage people to use bikes as a more efficient, healthy, and green alternative to gas-guzzling cars. Think drivers will finally share the freaking road?

And how much does it cost and where are these kiosks?  Are you only allowed to rent a bike if you're wearing a bikini? We have the answers for you after the jump.  Although the hourly rates have us a bit miffed, it's the best bike-to-resident ration of any program outside of Europe.More »

Miami Bike Scene

Drunk manatees are cuter than drunk boaters.

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