Hill-climbing specialists from across the state of Florida are descending on Lake County this weekend for the Mount Dora Bicycle Festival.

This is the 35th anniversary of the bike gathering, which features entertainment beginning Friday night and 11 supported bike rides of 25 to 100 miles throughout the weekend.

But the real mountain goats among the 500 participants will no doubt be saving themselves for Sunday's "Assault on Sugarloaf Mountain."

Peak

At 310 feet of elevation, Sugarloaf is one of the highest peaks in the state of Florida. Those strong enough to make it to the summit will enjoy views of Lake Apopka and other area features. (The highest point in Florida is 345-foot Britton Hill near the Alabama border. It's said to be made up entirely of sand.)

All kidding aside, I like the idea of these weekend bicycling events. The variety of rides enables a lot of cyclists of different abilities to come together. Dad gets a chance to put in a long ride while other family members do something a little shorter.

The fact that this event has been going on for 35 years, attests to its popularity in Florida. The Mount Dora Bicycle Festival website mentions that the lake region is a training area for collegiate and pro cyclists.

Advocacy

These get-togethers are also a good time for bicycle riders to talk about safety and other advocacy issues.

The Florida Bicycle Association has chosen Mount Dora for its annual meeting this weekend. The newly formed Lake County Bicycle Alliance also will hold a safety summit to encourage cyclists and motorists to be more courteous of each other.

The Daily Commercial reports that the Lake County Bicycle Alliance has paid for several billboards, like the one above, in the area that feature Lake County cyclists. The idea is to humanize bike riders for passing motorists.

The alliance also has encouraged the police department to occasionally post electronic caution signs reminding motorists of the 3-foot passing law. See the Lake County Bicycle Alliance website for ways the members are trying to make bicycling safer.