Hub Grub Ride Offers Tour Of Eateries Via Bike

Bicycling on some local streets is not for the faint of heart.

Just ask Seminole Heights resident Alex Spassoff, who sports a reflective vest that says “Yield 3 (feet)” when he cruises around on a hybrid that he calls his "old-man bike.”

“This morning some yahoo in a pickup truck starts blowing his horn for no reason – like he’s king of the road!” he said.

But with the help of police directing traffic, Spassoff and a group of nearly 100 riders were free to pedal around Seminole Heights on Saturday without worry. The event marked the fourth Hub Grub Ride in two years. Cyclists of every ilk started and ended at Ella's Americana Folk Art Cafe on Nebraska Avenue, with stops in between at local restaurants for a complimentary snack or beverage.

“More than a bicycle ride, it’s a community event,” said local bike guru and event coordinator Alan Snel. “It really unites Seminole Heights.”

Florida leads the country in per capita bicyclist deaths so it was only natural that Hub Grub touched on the issue of safety. Participants in Saturday’s ride were given wristbands from the Florida Department of Transportation that read: “Be Smart – Be Safe, Be Seen.”

“People are literally wearing the safety issue on their wrists,” said Snel, director of the South West Florida Bicycle United Dealers.

Recent District 3 City Council winner Yvonne Yolie Capin addressed the pedalers prior to the start of the ride. She said she and other members of the governing body are committed to improving Tampa for bicycle enthusiasts. There are not nearly enough bike paths, walking paths and mass transportation, she said.

“You are activists,” Capin told the crowd. “You care about your city – otherwise you would not be here. So have a wonderful ride and bike on!”

And with Capin’s words, they were off.

The route wound its way through the streets of Seminole Heights, past its charming bungalows on tertiary roads and up down its busier avenues. First stop: The Refinery, a restaurant and bar thrust on the national stage recently when it received a James Beard award nomination, and Cleanse Apothecary. Participants picked up free beer coupons as well as bottles of water and a sample packet of body lotion.

Next up was Nani’s Sandwich Shop and Publix on Nebraska Avenue, followed by Viitals Bakery on Florida Avenue,  and New Way Café and the Velo Champ bike shop on Central Avenue. The ride wrapped up back at Ella’s for an after-party and live music.

The event was not just for regular riders. They were first-timers, too. Just about every style of bicycle was represented: road, mountain, beach cruiser, BMX, two-seaters and bikes for toddlers.

The weather cooperated fully for riders with temperatures in the low 80s.

Sporting mirror shades, Seminole Heights resident Russ Van Cleave, 36, was ready to roll as riders assembled prior to the four-hour outing.

“It’s a nice day, I like riding my bike around and my neighbor is doing it, so I figured I would be neighborly,” said Van Cleave, who had never before participated in a Hub Grub ride.  

Lisa Robbins, of South Tampa, and Debbi Eisenstadt, of Carrollwood, were also newbies.

“It sounded like a lot of fun,” Robbins said. “I’m not that familiar with Seminole Heights, actually.”

Eisenstadt added: “It’s fun being introduced to these shops.”