12th Annual Florida Tandem Rally

October 17, 2024 – October 20, 2024

Last Call

If you have not yet secured you room at the Home 2 Suites to attend the 12th Florida Tandem Rally, the cut-off date is 17 September 2024.  This will be the second year we have stayed at the Home2 Suites by Hilton Inn in Wildwood, FL, and it will be your host for the weekend at a rate of $139.  Check out their website at:    https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/deeplink/?ctyhocn=OCFWWHT&groupCode=CHTFTR&arrivaldate=2024-10-17&departuredate=2024-10-19&cid=OM    to make your reservations or call 352-913-2100 and mention the Florida Tandem Rally for this special group rate.  Two daily rides are planned prior to the rally for 15 and 16 October for those who plan to arrive early.  

Our 2023 rally in The Villages was a great success.  The country roads were in great shape and traffic around the hotel and villages did not present any restrictions.  This year we look forward to presenting you with a rally that you will enjoy so much that you will want to come back again next year.  We will offer great accommodations, weather, food and plenty of socializing in the afternoons and evenings. 

This part of Central Florida offers a great area for tandem riding and it will be the location for the 12th Annual Florida Tandem Rally held in… ‘Florida’s Friendliest Home Town’…The Villages, FL. 

This will be the second year we have stayed at the Home2 Suites by Hilton Inn in Wildwood, FL, and it will be your host for the weekend at a rate of $139.  Check out their website at:    https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/deeplink/?ctyhocn=OCFWWHT&groupCode=CHTFTR&arrivaldate=2024-10-17&departuredate=2024-10-19&cid=OM    to make your reservations or call 352-913-2100 and mention the Florida Tandem Rally for this special group rate.  Please make your reservations early to get your choice of rooms and to make the cut-off date of 17 September 2024.

Please verify you arrival and departure dates as the default is arrival Oct 17 and departure Oct 19. We will be riding Sunday and you should change your departure date to Oct 20. If you have any problems, please call the Home2 Hilton at 352-913-2100 Ext 0 and talk to Ms. Gina to change the either the arrival or departure date. For any guests that will arrive on Wednesday Oct 16, You will need to request the FTR rate at check-in..

The Rides

Thursday’s Ride!

Plan to arrive on Wednesday afternoon and be ready to ride with the PANTHER regular weekly ride at
9:00am on Thursday starting from the Home2 Suites. Two distances will be available. Our ride will
end at our local Panera Bread at Sumter Landing for pastries, sandwich and coffee. Ride leaders will be
available to show you the route back to the Hilton Inn.

Friday’s Ride!

In years past, we have had a number of teams who arrived early and ready to ride. This year the rides on
Friday with a short ride of 27 miles, a 39 mile and a 47 mile ride. You are invited to begin your day
riding with tandem couples who arrive early. This ride will begin at 9:00am and riding speed and
distances will be tailored to meet all who attend. If you arrive later, route sheets will be available and
you can start your ride at anytime during the day.

Friday’s Social!

All who register will be invited to attend an ice cream social at the Home2 Suites on Friday evening
starting at 6:30pm. The Mystic Ice Cream mobile truck will be located at the Home2 Suites to serve all
their delicious homemade ice cream. Sixteen flavors will be available and surely one of these will be
your favorite. The cost is included as part of your registration.

Saturday’s Ride!

Multiple rides from 26, 32, 43 and 55 miles will be available for Saturday and will start at 9:00am.
Before the completion of each route you can enjoy lunch at the Eisenhower Recreation Center that will
be catered by La Hacienda Catering. After lunch, all riders will have approximately 1.8 miles to ride
back to the Home2 Suites by Hilton Inn to complete the ride. The cost for this lunch is included as part
of your registration.

Saturday Evening!

This year we will not have a Saturday Evening Banquet. Included in your riders pack will be a list of
restaurants and sports bars that will be within a short distance from the Home2 Suites by Hilton Inn.

Sunday’s Ride!

Routes for Sunday will be 25 and 31 miles in length. Start time will be 8:30am to allow you to return to
the Hilton for a timely check out. Route passes by the new Villages Schools and Buffalo Stadium. Very
low traffic volume on Sunday mornings.

Events Schedule

Wednesday – 16 October
Peddle and Paddle with Bruce Hansen Silver Springs State Park
4 pm to 5 pm – Pick Up Riders Packs and Registration at Hilton Hotel

Thursday – 17 October
8 am – Pick Up Riders Packs and Registration at Hilton Hotel
9 am – Ride with the PANTHER from The Villages [28 and 38 mile]
2 pm to 3 pm – Pick Up Riders Packs and Registration at Hilton Hotel
6 pm to 7 pm – Pick Up Riders Packs and Registration at Hilton Hotel

Friday – 18 October
8 am – Pick Up Riders Packs and Registration at Hilton Hotel
8:50am – Riders Meeting
9am – Ride start – Route sheets available for 27, 39, and 47 mile rides
1 pm to 2 pm – Pick Up Riders Packs and Registration at Hilton Hotel
6:30pm – Ice Cream Social by Mystic Ice Cream at Hilton Hotel

Saturday – 19 October
8:50am – Riders Meeting
9am – Ride start – Route sheets available for 26, 32, 43, 55 mile rides
10:30am to 1:30pm – Serving Lunch at Eisenhower Recreation Center

Sunday – 20 October
8:20am – Riders Meeting
8:30am – Ride start – Route sheets available for 25 and 31 mile routes

Peddle and Paddle

Wednesday, October 16 2024, as part of the Florida Tandem Rally, those of you who plan on pedaling at
the rally can also do some paddling on the Silver River in Silver Springs State Park.  We will meet the
kayak outfitter at the state park at 10 AM.  Releases will need to be signed and the 8 tandem kayaks that
will be available to us rent for $80 each.  We will launch at Silver Springs head waters and paddle to
Ray’s Wayside Park about 5.4 miles away.  The amount of time it takes to complete this trip depends on
how fast you paddle.  Bring a lunch and something to drink.

The river is very pretty and has a gentle flow going in the same direction that we will be paddling.
Some of the things to look for are a lot of different kinds of birds, lots of turtles, gators (they usually
want to be left along), eagles, lots of jumping fish, manatees, and there is a community of monkeys
which we must stay away from because of their sometimes aggressive behavior and concerns about
disease.  The water is crystal clear and is a steady 72 degrees.

The kayaks you will be renting are very stable and if you have any questions our outfitter, Ryan, will be
glad to assist.  Life jackets will be provided and I strongly encourage you to wear them even if there’s
almost no chance of going into the water.

When we finish paddling at Ray’s Wayside Park and our outfitter will shuttle us back to our cars at
Silver Springs State Park.

We have always had a great time of this adventure and I hope you join me this year.  Please email me
your contact information if you would like to join us at BruHansen1@gmail.com. See ya soon. Bruce
Hansen

GPS Route Files

https://ridewithgps.com/events/332112-florida-tandem-rally-2024

The original turns and street names were established by driving the streets/roads, and mileage was determined with a Garmin 1000.  The route sheets were then given to Hank Williams who converted the routes to ridewithgps.com.  Hank did a terrific job making this conversion since a number of roads and street signs/names have been changed inside the 50+ square mile area of The Villages which is now under construction.  Locating the GPS routes from streets to multi-model paths required additional work since the paths will only recognize a bicycle and not a car.  If there is a question as to the correct mileage or turn, the paper route sheets located within your Riders Packet will override GPS files.

Registration

Register online and pay with PayPal at https://floridatandemclub.org/rally-registration/

or print an applicationand mail a check
https://floridatandemclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PANTHERSApplication2024.pdf

Registered Teams as of 2024-10-12

Goeffrey and Beverly Carson, Savannah, GA
Alvin and Jessie Sykes, Columbia, SC
Bob and Jan Thompson, The Villages, FL
George and Pat MacNabb, Glenwood, MD
Jack and Susan Goertz, Birmingham, AL
Dave Cardarella and Marilyn Perdue, The Villages, FL
Paul Stevenson and Laura Wright, Jacksonville, FL
Steve and Stacy Kirschbaum, Selbyville, DE
Sandy and Adam Morrison, Leland, NC
Eric and Susie Dunlap, Altamonte Springs, TX
Dan and Jean Leonard, Marco Island, FL
John and Barbara Heineken, Tampa, FL
Tom and Margaret Flick, Windemere, FL
Paul and Jody Borer, Sandy Springs, GA
Hank and Kathy Williams, The Villages, FL
Stephen and Virginia Ng, Vestal, NY
Lawrence and Paula Eby, The Villages, FL
Rick and Selene Gappen, Plantation, FL
Jan and Sheilagh Fillion, Cambridge, ON
Brian Warner and Karen Firth, Pompano Beach, FL
Jeff Wahl and Michelle Edwards, Treasure Island, FL
Lonnie and Carol Jones, Anna, OH
Thomas Fritz and Beryl Brodsky, The Villages, FL
Bill and Kathy Foster, Fruitland Park, FL
Steve and Lynn Simons, Lakeland, FL
George and Marti Ross, Niceville, FL
Ray and Maureen Calvesio, The Villages, FL
Ron and Kaye Bos, The Villages, FL