The name itself causes a far-away look in the eyes of many early EBC members. Begun in 1974, three years before the EBC even existed, the Florida Touring Festival at Mount Dora has grown to become one of the largest and longest-running bicycle rallies in the state.
What many current members would not know is that during the 1970's central Florida was known more for it's oranges and less for it's attractions, as the Kennedy Space Center was in hiatus and Epcot Center and the Magic Kingdom were the only two central Florida attractions open at that time.
Mount Dora and it's surrounding lake towns (Umatilla, Astatula, Tavares, and who can forget Howey-In-The-Hills) were very small, sleepy agricultural and retirement centers during the 1970's - not the bedroom suburbs of Orlando that they have become today.
In fact, on our exit from the Turnpike, the first town we would pass through on the way to Mount Dora was Howey-In-The-Hills, or Howey as some would call it - all of it at that time was a five-block stretch of homes, one high school, the Mission Inn Country Club, and the famous single traffic light!
We all grew to love the Mount Dora area, especially it's hills and sweet-smelling orange groves, and as club members we all knew what came after September - Mount Dora!
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This first photo of the 1977 group was taken by Frank and consists of most of the original EBC membership who were at Clearwater Lake, Ocala National Forest, during the 3rd Annual Florida Touring Festival, October, 1977.
In the front row (from left) are: Janet, Mack, Jack, Jeffie, Betty, Rene', Shelly, and Carla.
In the middle row (from left) are: Jim, Bart, and Elaine (white shirt).
In the back row (from left) are: Linda, George, Roberta, Tony, Rick, Bill, Melody, Vern, Tom, and Maryanne.
A great picture!
This is photo was e-mailed to me by then club President Rene', and was also taken at Clearwater Lake during the 1977 Florida Touring Festival. One interesting thing to note here is the quality of the picture - the sky conditions that day were exactly as shown, and when I first opened Rene's e-mail, I could actually remember that moment in time - it was a cool, overcast day, with no wind - perfect cycling weather!
In the front row (from left) are: Janet, Mack (both wearing the original yellow EBC t-shirt), Jack (wearing a South Florida Wheelmen jersey - the club prior to the EBC), Jeffie (wearing the first-generation EBC jersey), Betty, Rene', Shelly (wearing a hand-made jersey), and Carla.
In the middle row (from left) are: Jim, Bart, and Elaine (white shirt).
In the back row (from left) are: Linda, George, Roberta, Tony, Rick, Bill, Melody, Vern, Frank, and Maryanne.
Proof that we do post e-mailed photos!
The club grew rapidly in 1978, and this photo of the EBC membership attending the Florida Touring Festival shows some of the second-generation club members together with the original core group.
If you count each person on the left end of each row, there should be five rows (at least that's what I see!).
In the first row (from left) are: Rick, Rene', Jeffie, Unidentified (sorry), Harry and Unidentified (please post a message on Page 1 if you can recall someone's name).
In the second row (from left) are: Rene, Vivian, Bill, Evelyn, Janet, Frances, and Ray.
In the third row (from left) are: Vern, our old friend Unidentified, and Bart (over on the right).
In the fourth row (from left) are: Jim, Roberta, Harry, Harry's wife (or Unidentified), Max, Unidentified, Betty (looking like she was going to slug someone - haw!), Fletcher, and Pete, though he preferred to be called Jupiter (this was the 70's, after all!).
In the back row (from left) are: Phil, David, Karen, and Joan (behind Max).
Beats looking at "That 70's Show" on FOX!
By 1979 the club had grown to about 225 members, with most of the original group from 1976 still active as well, as this photo taken at Clearwater Lake illustrates.
Again, if you count each person on the left end of each row, there should be five rows (at least that's what I see!).
In the first row is - Rene' (more EBC history about Rene' later).
In the second row (from left) are: Unidentified (remember to post a message on Page 1 if you can think of someone's name), Jan, Karen, Unidentified (who was Jan's best friend, as I recall), Jeffie, Vern, Vivian, Frances, and Unidentified.
In the third row (from left) are: Rear-view Editor Frank (before he had gray hair and when his health was better), and way over on the right side is Vern.
In the fourth row (from left) are: Bee, Manny, (Manny's son, if I remember correctly), Unidentified, Unidentified, Unidentified, Rene, Don (with hat), Eveyln, Melody, and Bill.
In the back row (from left) are: Dick, Don, Len, Joan, Ray, Kathy, Phil (just behind), Bill, Roberta, Roberta's son, and Max.
Trying to remember everyone's name is hard work - OUCH!
This somewhat majestic view of the famous 'mountain' in Lake County was taken during the 1977 Florida Touring Festival while riding downhill by Newsletter Editor Frank (I didn't crash - that time). Shelly is just ahead, and, if my memory is correct, Shelly's old roommate Janet was up ahead and just reaching the bottom of the first hill - with a dog waiting for us - at 45 mph!
In the early days of the FTF, the metric century ride was the sole ride on Sunday. Back then most people camped at Trimble Park or stayed in the Mount Dora Motor Lodge (the only hotel in town until the early 1980's). This meant that we were up and out early enough to have breakfast, ride the metric, and then drive back to Miami - a long day!
The orange groves that you see were a common site in Lake County until the destructive freezes of the mid- and late-80's. The smells of orange blossoms are some of my best memories!
