At 8 a.m. this Sunday, Nov. 15, the first group of riders leaves Lakewood Ranch Main Street for the Sarasota Manatee Bicycle Club's CycleFest, which the club is billing as its 50th Anniversary Celebration. There are three distances, and each route has its rest stop at a different place. The 20-mile route turns around at Sarasota Audubon at Celery Fields. The 35-mile route stops at Sarasota Polo Club. The 66-mile route goes all the way out to Myakka River State Park.
That makes the route choice more than a question of fitness. All three stops are big open spaces east of town, and this November each one is at a different point in its year. Celery Fields just opened restored habitat, the polo grounds open their season five weeks after the ride, and Myakka is the park the long route is built around. Whatever distance you pick on Sunday, you can also visit its stop any other day without a bike.
Three Routes, Three Stops
The club's route files were revised on Oct. 30, and the organizers ask riders to download the current versions. Here is how the three compare on those files.
| Route | Departs Main Street | Rest stop | Miles to the stop | Total distance | Climbing to the stop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 miles | 9:00 a.m. | Audubon Society at Celery Fields | 10.8 | 20.3 | +48 ft |
| 35 miles | 8:30 a.m. | Sarasota Polo Club | 18.2 | 35.8 | +131 ft |
| 66 miles | 8:00 a.m. | Myakka River State Park | 23.1 | 65.3 | +108 ft |
The last column explains the whole ride. Even the long route gains just over a hundred feet across its first 23 miles, so hills won't decide your distance. Time will. Lunch is served until 1 p.m., and the club asks riders to pick a route that gets them back in time to eat. A 66-mile rider leaving at 8 has five hours to cover 65.3 miles, which works out to roughly 13 mph average, rest stop included. A 20-mile rider leaving at 9 has four hours for 20.3 miles, which leaves plenty of time at Celery Fields.
The 20-Mile Stop Just Grew
The shortest route gets the newest scenery. On Oct. 24, Sarasota Audubon and Big Waters Land Trust opened the SE Quad to the public. It is the first finished phase of their plan to re-wild 28 acres across three county parcels at Celery Fields, and the SW Quad is next. On its homepage, Sarasota Audubon reported that bird species seen on the 11-acre parcel rose from 43 in pre-construction surveys to 83 by opening day. Jeanne Dubi, the group's Director of Special Projects, put it this way:
"The increase in butterflies and dragonflies and other insect species is too numerous to count. We have rabbits and snakes, and turtles in the newly create pond."
Those numbers are the best reason to come back without a bike. From Nov. 6 through Dec. 31, the Nature Center is open every day from 9 a.m. to noon. The center has docents, a native-plant garden, a covered patio and a gift shop. From there, trails lead to two birding boardwalks and a hill on the north side with a 360-degree view across the wetlands. In a 2023 article, the National Audubon Society reported more than 250 bird species recorded across the 440-acre fields. A rider who stops there at mile 10.8 on Sunday sees the place on a quick break. Coming back on a weekday morning lets you spend real time on the boardwalks.
The 35-Mile Stop Opens for Polo Five Weeks Later
The middle route stops at Sarasota Polo Club 18.2 miles out. On Nov. 15 the field is still between seasons. The club's season schedule runs the 2027 season from Dec. 20, 2026 through April 15, 2027. Sunday polo starts Dec. 20, with gates at 10 a.m. and matches at 1 p.m.
So the rest stop doubles as a preview. The 35-mile riders get a quiet look at the grounds now. Five Sundays later, the same lawn has a crowd and a 1 p.m. match on it.
The 66-Mile Stop Charges Cyclists $2
The long route's rest stop is 23.1 miles out, at Myakka River State Park. If you ride there on your own another day, it's one of the cheapest outings in the region. Florida State Parks charges $2 per bicyclist, and the park is open from 8 a.m. to sunset every day. Once you're in, there are seven miles of paved park road. Bikes are also allowed on the backcountry dirt roads and the Myakka Island Trail. The park is also home to the canopy walkway and the 0.8-mile Boylston Nature Trail.
Put the three stops side by side and you can see why the routes look the way they do. Celery Fields sits just over 10 miles from Main Street, the polo grounds are about 18 and Myakka is about 23. The longest route still keeps its rest stop within roughly an hour and a half of steady riding from the start.
The Club That Plans the Routes
The Sarasota Manatee Bicycle Club drew these routes, and it covers a lot of ground. SRQ Magazine's September 2026 cycling feature describes the club as a 501(c)(3) founded in 1974, with 600 members and more than 7,500 rides a year. It offers five speed groups, and 95% of its rides are non-drop, meaning no rider gets left behind. Club president Don Stuart told SRQ that rides start "as far north as Parrish, as far south as Venice, as far east as Myakka and as far west as the beautiful Gulf of Mexico and the barrier islands."
CycleFest is the club's fundraiser. The club says proceeds support local bicycle charities. In its 2022 event listing, WUSF reported that the club gave $40,000 in 2021 toward expanding the Legacy Trail. CycleFest has started at Main Street since at least 2024, when the club listed the ride at 8100 Main Street.
Between Thursday and Sunday Noon
If you decide to ride this week, here is the order things happen in, according to the club's event page.
- Register online. The fee is $70 after Oct. 31. It includes a light breakfast, a sub lunch, rest stops, full SAG support and a commemorative cap. You choose your lunch when you register: roast beef, turkey and provolone, vegetarian, or gluten-free turkey and provolone. Registration closes at noon on Sunday, Nov. 15.
- Pick up your packet. Packets include a wristband, cap, cue sheet and goodies. Pickup runs Friday, Nov. 13, 2 to 5 p.m. at Ryder Bikes, 5275 University Parkway #135. On Saturday, Nov. 14, it's 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Real Bikes in Venice, or 2 to 4 p.m. at Sarasota Cycles, 3800 S. Osprey Ave.
- Get to Main Street early. Staging runs from 6:30 to 9 a.m. on Sunday.
- Bring a donation. Goodwill will have a tent and drop box on site for bikes, shoes, helmets and household items.
- Be back by 1 p.m. That's when lunch service ends, and it's also when the $2,500 Ryder Bikes gift certificate drawing takes place.
You don't have to ride to enter the drawing. Every registration includes one automatic entry. Anyone else can enter once for free at the CycleFest Info Booth on Main Street between 7 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, and you don't need to be present to win. Main Street also has more on its events calendar this month. Meals on Wheels PLUS holds its 26th Annual Empty Bowls there on Friday, Nov. 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The free Holiday of the Arts Festival follows on Dec. 5 and 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.
Knowing which open spaces lie 10, 18 or 23 miles from your front door is part of knowing East County, and CycleFest is a good way to see all three. If you're weighing a move closer to Celery Fields, the polo grounds or the road to Myakka, Adnan Dedic can tell you how each part of the Ranch lives day to day. Let's Connect.
